Sermon Tone Analysis

John W. Worley, Ph.D.

04~/05~/01

Research done on the following quesiton:

 

In Galatians 4:14 what is the difference between

“Illiness” in the NIV & “Temptation” in the KJV?

 

Answer: None!

They are the same word in the Greek New Testatment.

However, I strongly you read everything I have listed below.

It will give you a good understanding of what temptation~/illiness really is all about.

* *

*King James:*

* *

*3986** **peirasmos** { pi-ras-mos’} *

 

from 3985; TDNT - 6:23,822; n m

 

AV - temptation 19, temptations 1, try 1; 21

 

GK - 4280 { peirasmov" }

 

1)  an experiment, attempt, trial, proving

1a) trial, proving: the trial made of you by my bodily condition, since condition served as to test the love of the Galatians toward Paul (Gal.

4:14)

1b) the trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy

1b1) an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from the outward circumstances

1b2) an internal temptation to sin

1b2a) of the temptation by which the devil sought to divert Jesus the Messiah from his divine errand

1b3) of the condition of things, or a mental state, by which we are enticed to sin, or to a lapse from the faith and holiness

1b4) adversity, affliction, trouble: sent by God and serving to test or prove one’s character, faith, holiness

1c) temptation (i.e.

trial) of God by men

1c1)   rebellion against God, by which his power and justice are, as it were, put to the proof and challenged to show themselves[1]

 

/Verse fourteen/.

The best Greek texts read /your/, referring to the Galatians, not /my/, referring to Paul.

Paul’s illness was in a sense a temptation to the Galatians, in that its nature was such that a normal reaction to it would be in the form of loathing and disgust, which attitudes would be followed by the rejection of the afflicted one.

The word /despised/ is from /ekptuo/ (ejkptuo) which means “to spit out, to reject, to spurn, to loathe.”

/Rejected/ is from /exoutheneo/ (ejxouqeneo) which means “to hold and treat as of no account, to despise.”

There was something in the physical appearance of the apostle that tempted the Galatians to reject him and his message.

Instead of spurning Paul, these unsaved Galatians had received him as an angel of God, even as Jesus Christ.

The reference is probably to the occasion of the healing of the lame man at Lystra.

In their excitement at this miraculous healing, the Lycaonians thought that Barnabas was Zeus, the chief of the Greek gods, and that Paul was Hermes, the messenger and the interpreter of the gods.

Paul looks back to the day when these Galatians had received him as a messenger of the gods, even as the son of God.

This was, to be sure an outburst of native superstition and pagan religion, and was repudiated at the time with indignation by Paul.

However, these converted Galatians could look back at all this and thank God with a feeling of grateful joy that they had not welcomed the Greek gods of Olympus, but messengers of the living God who had made heaven and earth.

There is an echo of this same incident in Paul’s words in 1:8, “But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you.”

*Translation*.

/And the temptation to which ye were subjected and which was in my flesh, ye did not loathe nor utterly despise, but as a messenger of God ye received me, as Christ Jesus./[2]

/+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/

5. peirasmov" has been found so far only 3 times in profane Gk.: Diosc.Mat.

Med.

praef.: tou;" ejpi; tw`n paqw`n peirasmouv", “medical experiments”; Cyraniden: kivndunoi kai; peirasmoi; e[n te gh`~/ kai; qalavssh~/, peirasmov" being synon.

here to kivndunoi, ® n. 35; Syntipas: uJpo; peirasmw`n tou` kovsmou stenocwrouvmenoi.[3]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The only other instances of the plur.

peirasmoiv in the NT are at Lk. 22:28 and Ac.

20:19, also 2 Pt.

2:9 as a vl.

acc. to a

* 69 al syh.

On Lk. 22:28 ® 35, 20 ff.

In Ac. 20:19 Paul refers to the peirasmoiv to which he was exposed in his missionary work.

The meaning here is almost that of “danger,” which seems natural for peirasmoiv in the plur.

and for which we have other examples, ® 24, 12 f.

The element of temptation is not ruled out, but it should not be automatically included wherever the word occurs.

Cf. in the OT Dt. 7:19 and 29:2, where we read of the peirasmoiv (plagues) which smote Pharaoh.

At Ac. 15:26 DE we find the addition (ajnqrwvpoi" paradedwkovsi ta;" yuca;" aujtw`n) eij" pavnta peirasmovn.

Here peirasmov" even in the sing.

can only mean “danger.”

God is perhaps regarded as the author of sufferings in Wis.

3:5 f. (® 26, 13 ff.), which was perhaps known to James and Peter.

The testing of the righteous is a proof of divine grace, Sommer, 13.[4]

* ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

* / /

*3986** **peirasmos** { pi-ras-mos’} *

 

from 3985; TDNT - 6:23,822; n m

 

Temptation 19, temptations 1, try 1; 21

 

GK - 4280 { peirasmov" }

 

II.

Theological Use of the Terms.

1.

Man is Tempted.

a.

In 1 C. 10:13 Paul describes the difficulties into which a Christian can be brought by the peirasmov" to which all are exposed.

In this connection he has to point out to the Corinthians that they have not yet borne the full weight of temptation.

Thus far they have been under only human temptation, i.e., that which the nature of man can bear, ® I, 366, 28 ff.

The test can in fact be a much greater one.

Paul adds, though it hardly fits the context, a word of consolation and promise: su;n tw`~/ peirasmw`~/ God will give a way of escape so that they may bear it.

He is not here reflecting on the origin of temptation.

One can hardly say that it is just a divine test of faith (® 25, 2–23), nor that Satan is the author (as in 1 Th.

3:5 and 1 C. 7:5, ® 32, 5–12).

Elsewhere, too, Paul simply issues a general warning against temptation, e.g., in Gl. 6:1: skopw`n seautovn, mh; kai; su; peirasqh`~/".

When we admonish our neighbour, we must do so in humility; otherwise we who give the admonition may ourselves be tempted and fall.

Hence it is not possible to say precisely who is the author of the human temptation in 1 C. 10:13.

Paul is rather warning the over-strong and self-confident Corinthians against falling, a possibility which they obviously do not take seriously enough.

He is also consoling the weak; they should not be too worried about their capacity.

b.

One passage in the NT expressly forbids us to call God the author of temptation, Jm. 1:13 is directed against Christians who are in danger of taking temptations too lightly, and who even seem to be disposed to make God responsible for their sins.

James opposes this view.

In so doing he makes a statement about the nature of God which we do not find elsewhere in the Bible, namely, that He cannot be tempted to do evil and that He Himself does not tempt anyone, i.e., lead anyone into sin.

Jm. makes the point even more plainly in v. 14.

The author of temptation, and hence also of sin, is one’s own ejpiqumiva, the evil impulse which is in every man, ® III, 171, 22–24.

Where this comes from, he does not, of course, say.

Jm. 1:2 f.: pa`san cara;n hJghvsasqe …, o{tan peirasmoi`" peripevshte poikivloi" …, does not seem to fit in too well with this.

Here we have a completely different use of the same word.

A similar expression occurs in the materially related verse 1 Pt.

1:6: ajgallia`sqe … luphqevnte" ejn poikivloi" peirasmoi`".

Both passages leave us in no doubt but that sufferings for the sake of the faith are implied by peirasmoiv.

In Jm. as in 1 Pt.

sufferings are a reason for joy and serve to prove the steadfastness of faith, cf.

R. 5:3 f.

But neither author even suggests that God is the author of the sufferings, so that there is no reference whatever to their educative character.

They are tests whose aim and purpose is that of proving and demonstrating, ® II, 258, 7–259, 14.

Jm. 1:12: makavrio" ajnh;r o}" uJpomevnei peirasmovn, o{ti dovkimo" genovmeno" lhvmyetai to;n stevfanon th`" zwh`", o}n ejphggeivlato toi`" ajgapw`sin aujtovn.