Does God "lead us into temptation?"

[Joseph]

What is the actual translation of the line in the Lord’s Prayer that says, “…and lead us not into temptation…” It sounds like God is doing the leading, but that certainly can’t be the case. I have heard some reinterpret it as “let us not be led into temption,” but it’s in the passive voice, without referring to who is doing the leading.

Thank you.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

The Greek used here means both trials that test us and temptation in the sense of allurement. However, according to most commentators the usage as a trial of testing is the usual meaning in the New Testament and the Epistle of James explicitly rejects that God lures us into sin (James 1:13). Therefore a trial/testing is the most likely emphasis in this passage.

In this prayer we are essentially praying the same prayer as Jesus when he said, “If possible let this cup pass from me…” (Mt 26:39).

For this reason some translations of the Lord’s Prayer use “do not subject us not to the final test” or “do not bring us to the time of trial.”

However in English traditionally we have used the “led us into temptation” translation. In this sense it is meant that being subjected to a testing/trial of our faith could tempt us to fall away from the faith. It is an acknowledgement of our weakness and need for courage/strength from God.