Was God tempted to worship Satan?

Well, first...

James 1:13
For God cannot be tempted with evil

It is clear that God cannot be tempted.
So...

Matthew 4:1
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

It is clear that Jesus is not God.

http://www.torahofmessiah.com/mt4110ex.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/5257/temptati.htm

How can some claim that God was tempted to worship Satan?

Nile

Jesus was fully God, and fully man. He was tested in every point like us, yet without sin.

It is clear that Jesus is not God.

Before we have to counter this latest attack on Christianity, am I reading this correctly? Do you really believe that the Divinity of Christ is up for grabs?

James is not denying the fact that God can be tempted in some sense. In order to know what James exactly meant we quote the immediate context:

"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted [u]when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.[/u] Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." James 1:13-15

James is referring to evil inclinations, sinful desires, that causes a person to be tempted and sin. Since God has no evil inclinations, no lustful feelings or sinful desires, it is not possible for God to be tempted to sin. God is completely good and holy. What James is basically saying is that only God has no desire to do anything that is sinful. Yet, this doesn't mean that fallen creatures cannot tempt God, since the Holy Scriptures clearly teach that many have tried to tempt God, and failed miserably:

"Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water, that we may drink.’ So Moses said to them, ‘Why do you contend with me? [b]Why do you tempt the LORD?[/b]’" Exodus 17:1-2 NKJV

"Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, [b]and have tempted me now these ten times,[/b] and have not hearkened to my voice;" Numbers 14:22 KJV

"On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD , and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.’ Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, [b]though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.’[/b]" Job 2:1-3

"Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: [b]When your fathers tempted me[/b], proved me, and saw my works forty years." Hebrews 3:8-9 KJV

The Holy Bible also says that even the Holy Spirit can be tempted:

"Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together [b]to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?[/b] Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." Acts 5:9 KJV

Therefore, God cannot be tempted despite people ever so often trying to tempt him. There is nothing within God to which sin could appeal and make him be tempted to do anything unholy or evil. It is in that sense that James says God cannot be tempted (in his innermost being) to do evil even if he is tempted from the outside to do something that he does not want (i.e. people or demonic beings trying to make him do something that is not in agreement with his perfect will). Even if people (seek or try to) tempt him – looking at the event from the outside –, he is not tempted – looking at his inner reaction to the temptation. In a sense, this is a problem of the English language which uses the same word for two very different things.

An illustration may help to clarify the issue better than abstract explanations: Some people revolt at cigarettes. Offering them a cigarette will not be a temptation whatsoever. They do not even have to struggle to refuse. Because of their disgust for it they will immediately reject it. For others, particularly former smokers who just quit, being offered a cigarette is a temptation which they have to actively fight, and force themselves to deny the offer, even though there is a desire in them to take it. Everyone has a certain set of innermost desires (some maybe harmless and others bad or sinful). We can be externally tempted (by others) for everything, but will only be internally tempted by those external temptations which find a corresponding desire inside of us.

In a similar manner, just because Jesus was tempted doesn't mean he isn't God, anymore than Yahweh God being tempted proves that he cannot be God either. Nor does this mean that since Christ was tempted he, therefore, had lustful or evil inclinations which would move him to sin.

Second, James had no problem in affirming the Deity of the Lord Jesus, despite the fact that Christ had been tempted:

"James, a servant of God [b]AND OF the Lord Jesus Christ,[/b] To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings." James 1:1

"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in [b]our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.[/b]" James 2:1

James says that he is the slave of God AND OF the Lord Jesus, and calls Jesus the Lord of glory. James wasn’t the only one who identified Jesus as the Lord of glory:

"None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, [b]they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.[/b]" 1 Corinthians 2:8

The title, "Lord of glory", indicates that both James and Paul believed that Jesus is Yahweh since the OT speaks of the glory of Yahweh, that Yahweh is the one who is truly glorious:

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah Psalm 24:7-10

"‘And I will be to her a wall of fire all around,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be the glory in her midst.’" Zechariah 2:5

Yahweh also said that he would not share his glory with another:

"I am the LORD; that is my name;[b] my glory I give to no other,[/b] nor my praise to carved idols." Isaiah 42:8

"For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last." Isaiah 48:11-12

Hence, the criticism only shows that the questioner doesn’t understand the Holy Bible since none of the NT authors had a problem with Jesus being tempted and, at the same time, believing that he was also God.

Finally, the question fails to take into consideration that Jesus wasn't only God but was also fully and truly human. Therefore, as a man, Christ could experience the same general temptations that all men experience, but with one HUGE difference. The Lord Jesus never acted upon these external temptations but remained completely sinless:

"Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, [b]that you are the Holy One of God.[/b]’" John 6:68-69

"The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, [b]and in him there is no falsehood.[/b]" John 7:18

"And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, [b]for I always do the things that are pleasing to him... Which one of you convicts me of sin?[/b] If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?" John 8:29, 46

"I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. [b]He has no claim on me,[/b]" John 14:30

"For our sake he made him to be sin [b]who knew no sin,[/b] so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, [b]yet without sin.[/b]" Hebrews 4:15

"For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, [b]holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.[/b] He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself." Hebrews 7:26-27

"how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself [b]without blemish[/b] to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:14

"knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, [b]like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.[/b]" 1 Peter 1:18-19

"He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth." 1 Peter 2:22

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, [b]the righteous for the unrighteous,[/b] that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit," 1 Peter 3:18

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, [b]Jesus Christ the righteous.[/b]" 1 John 2:1

"And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself [b]as he is pure[/b] You know that he appeared to take away sins, [b]and in him there is no sin[/b]." 1 John 3:3, 5

To conclude, the divinely-inspired Scriptures teach that all three divine Persons can be tempted without this implying that they cannot be God, or that they have some evil inclination which would cause any of them to sin.

-[i][b]taken from [url=http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/index.htm]Papers by Sam Shamoun[/url][/i][/b]

Robert, you must have missed last week's "discussion" where Nile and a few others tried to convince us of this by using the same old boring Arian arguments, which were countered with numerous scriptures and history lessons, which were also subsequently ignored in favor of red herrings and other rabbit trails.

Nile, I believe you were asked by mods to put this heresy to rest, were you not? But to answer your question, no God was not tempted by Satan. Jesus was. Does this disprove Christ's divinity? No. You need to study the doctrines of Hypostatic Union and Communicatio Idiomatum.

BTW, why do you frequent a site where all the speakers and members you would call heretics and they would call you heretics?

I pray you leave this deception and turn to the truth.

edit: not needed for conversation

It is clear that Jesus is not God.

Brother if this is what you believe, then I am concerned for you.

Consider Christ's words here-
John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
John 5:23 [b]That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.[/b]

God would not allow another to receive this worship if it were not showing Christ as God, for even the Commandments say, "thou shalt have no other Gods before me" and also "I will share my glory with no other".

You may think that by questioning Christ's divinity is not dangerous, it actually is showing that you might not know the Christ of the Bible.

Robert, you must have missed last week's "discussion" where Nile and a few others tried to convince us of this by using the same old boring Arian arguments, which were countered with numerous scriptures and history lessons, which were also subsequently ignored in favor of red herrings and other rabbit trails.

I missed it. There is a dangerous trend here I have seen where it seems to me that a lot of these younger guys think all sorts of essential Christian doctrines are up for grabs. Again, we can have these discussions and personally I am quite ready to move forward in defense of the faith if necessary; but my heart is grieved that this attitude seems to prevail among some. Forgive me if I am coming off strong here, I am just very alarmed at this.

BTW, why do you frequent a site where all the speakers and members you would call heretics and they would call you heretics?

But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. (II Timothy 2:23)

The question of "Christ being tempted" and "God cannot be tempted" is a most elementary issue one faces immediately as they begin to study God's word. Is it not better than one would sit and learn and listen before enguaging in argument? Is this what we are seeing? YOung men that worship the art of debate and live to destroy their lesser learned opponent?

If one is willing to know the truth then the answer is easily understood. If strive and confusion is the objective then impressionable and young minds are at risk. Not everyone that frequents this site majors in apologetics and their faith can be overthrown or ministering questions can cause their faith to waver.

Notice what Paul here calls, "Unlearned questions." This is what we are dealing with here. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man. It was in Christ's humanity that He was tempted in all point like as we are - yet without sin.

(Hebrews 2:14) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

(Hebrews 2:15) And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

(Hebrews 2:16) For verily [u]he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him[/u] the seed of Abraham.

Christ existed from eternity past as the Son of God; but now has appeared, having taken on the nature of the seed of Abraham. He was not a man before taking on the nature of a man. He was not an angel that took on the nature of an Angel. He is the Son of God, the word of God that was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Thank you Robert for your posts. They are edification, as well as what the others wrote on the Unitarian post last week. May we all grow into the Head that is Christ Himself!

With regards to temptation and Christ i've been thinking lately about something. (I've run into some Christadelphians who basically have the same beliefs as Nile so i've been thinking in defense of the scriptures along these lines too).

If Christ were not God, that is if He were ONLY man, He could have done nothing but sin for the word says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Christ was not baptized with the Holy Spirit until around 30 years old. How then did He keep from sinning for those first 30 years? It's because although He took on our nature He still retained His nature. As we have said, He is all God and all man.

just a thought

I missed it. There is a dangerous trend here I have seen where it seems to me that a lot of these younger guys think all sorts of essential Christian doctrines are up for grabs. Again, we can have these discussions and personally I am quite ready to move forward in defense of the faith if necessary; but my heart is grieved that this attitude seems to prevail among some. Forgive me if I am coming off strong here, I am just very alarmed at this.

I agree that it is alarming. And grieving. One week the most popular thread was a few trying to convince us all of Sabellianism, and the very next week the most popular thread was a few trying to convince us all of Arianism. Not only that, but many in the church today just want to go along to get along...and this deals with who Christ is! You coming off as too strong Robert? By no means! We must know the Christ we worship! Defend our faith we must, and we will!

Tears_of_joy, thank you for your response. I think that's a much more reasonable trinitarian defense of this passage than the hypostatic union. Trinitarians should use that defense instead of tying themselves up saying Jesus was tempted in the same sense that God cannot be tempted.

Thanks again,
Nile

P.S.
If you use this same sort of reasoning on the verses quoted to show that Jesus is divine, you will find them lacking as well.

If you use this same sort of reasoning on the verses quoted to show that Jesus is divine, you will find them lacking as well.

I didn't get, what you want to say here.

Nile, have you ever worshiped Jesus as God in your life? (Before the time you decided to deny him as God)

I think that's a much more reasonable trinitarian defense of this passage than the hypostatic union.

Of course you do Nile...you do not believe or understand the hypostatic union

Bah, look at this thread for what it is, an attack by the enemy.

Does it suprise anyone here that these forums and believers on here would be attacked by the opposition? We have to expect it, prepare for it and defend it.

[u][b]2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NKJV)[/b][/u]

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Christiaan

I think that's a much more reasonable trinitarian defense of this passage than the hypostatic union.

Your use of the term [i]hypostatic union[/i] tells me that you in advance understood at least the jest of how Christ was indeed tempted- in advance of the first post. Was this indeed an attack on the divinity of Christ? In my last conversation with Nile the finished work of the cross was in question as I recall in the Moral Gov't thread started by Philologos.

(1 Timothy 1:20) Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

I hope this is a lesson to our listeners of a prime example of how error begets error and then begets major heresy. This is the natural progression of an unbiblical view of Original Sin, the Atonement, and a law based salvation. Someone mentioned in that thread (I believe it was) and it was almost prophetic that these ideas will land a person in full-on liberal theology and that is exactly what has happened. The next thing to go (obviously it has gone already in practical terms) is the authority of scripture. If a person will mix a moral gov't view of man's ability to fulfill the law (which is a close view of the law that the unbelieving Jews hold to), with the notion that it is impossible that Christ died on the Cross for [u]my[/u] sins (penal substitution), with the notion that Christ was NOT in fact God, but man one will end up with the same view of Christ, His life and ministry, and the Cross as the unbelieving Jews.

(John 5:18) [u]Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him[/u], because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, [u]making himself equal with God.[/u]

The next progression in this whole debacle is that Christ did not die as God for MY sins, but as as a blasphemer that made Himself equal with God.

(John 1:1, 2) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

This is before the creation. Therefore we see the eternality of Christ. Christ is the uncreated one.

(John 1:3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

This is Christ the Creator. This is an allusion to Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 45:11-13;

(Genesis 1:1) In the beginning [u]God[/u] created the heaven and the earth.

(Isaiah 45:11-13) Thus saith the [u]LORD[/u], the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.

The word for God in Genesis is the Hebrew Elohiym and it is a plural term. Even within the Jews [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=1993]SHEMA recital is the plural unity of God found. [/url] Whenever you see the term capitol L O R D in the AV it is the translation of YHWH the Tetragrammaton. This is the most holy name of God as given under the Old Covenant. So much so that the Jews were afraid to mispronounce it and would substitute a different word or say [i]Hashem[/i], which means THE NAME.

(John 1:10, 11) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

This is amazing! The creator of the world was [i]in[/i] the world and the world did not know it. I might say also- still will not acknowledge it.

(John 1:14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

This is John's Holy Spirit breathed revelation of the incarnation and hypostatic union. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld HIS (personal pronoun obviously denoting personhood) glory.

Let me just say that 'salvation' that does not include a genuine transformation of man through biblical regeneration by the Holy Spirit will leave a person natural and unable to grasp Spiritual concepts. They are foolishness to them because they are spiritually discerned. This is what Moral Gov't evangelism will produce in those that do not (in spite of the theology) become truly born again; people who cannot even grasp the most basic Christian concepts.

Nile,

Hope you do recognize the sheer patience expressed toward you by the members here, all who have much more than correcting your doctrine in mind, that they care for your soul.

Indeed this is but a repeating of the same thing under a different guise, have you asked yourself why it is that this has so taken up your thoughts?

[i]Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.[/i] Joh 5:18

Do you fully recognize where you are standing here?

(Edit: This verse came to mind as collary to John 5:18 ... [i]Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, Php 2:5,6 [/i] ... 'Equal', 'Equality' ... not a thing to be grasped ... "[i]but made himself nothing[/i]")

The admonishen and suggestion mentioned earlier is repeated; Challenge yourself to immerse your mind elsewhere for a season and prayer ... Let me be very blunt about this, prayer is what you desperately need to be attending to, to empty yourself before the throne and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you what you cannot accept from your own Brethren, who also have the Spirit.

If you do not wish help or to engage in learning, sharing, discussion, but only to perpetuate an agenda you will find yourself in similarity to this principle;

1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

The flesh in this case pertains not to the lusts of that context but to your [i]mind[/i] that would have you strip mining the very Lord of glory Himself. Repent of this.