Luke 4

[Cpb88]

I was in bible study last night, and we had a discussion on the three temptations of Jesus in the desert:

"The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread…

Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant…

Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."

I remarked that these temptations could reflect “the three traditional enemies of the soul”, the flesh, the world, and the devil. But I didn’t have anything to back it up with. What is the source of the “three enemies of the soul”? And are they applicable here?

 

[PJM]

=Cpb88;11859969]I was in bible study last night, and we had a discussion on the three temptations of Jesus in the desert:

"The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread…

Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant…

Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."

I remarked that these temptations could reflect “the three traditional enemies of the soul”, the flesh, the world, and the devil. But I didn’t have anything to back it up with. What is the source of the “three enemies of the soul”? And are they applicable here?

I’m [personally] not sure that this is of Catholic Origin? One hears of the Seven Captiol Sins and offsetting virtues more ofthen. Which is not to discount this issue. Listed below.

freedomoffaith.tripod.com/id11.html

This sound to ME [persoanlly] to be of non-Catholic-Cchristian origin:shrug: On the other side of the same “coin”; I can’t ever recall non-catholics speaking of the 7 & 7.

God Bless you,
patrick

 

[Cpb88]

I found this from Aquinus:

“Question 1, Article 1, Objection 3. Further, temptation is from a threefold source–the flesh, the world, and the devil. But Christ was not tempted either by the flesh or by the world. Therefore neither should He have been tempted by the devil.” newadvent.org/summa/4041.htm

 

[Jeanne1184]

I was in bible study last night, and we had a discussion on the three temptations of Jesus in the desert:

"The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread…

Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant…

Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."

I remarked that these temptations could reflect “the three traditional enemies of the soul”, the flesh, the world, and the devil. But I didn’t have anything to back it up with. What is the source of the “three enemies of the soul”? And are they applicable here?

I’d never heard of the “three enemies of the soul” all summed up that way, but Wiki has several sources for the term:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_world,_the_flesh,_and_the_devil

While initially looking about, I went to Bible Hub to read the commentaries…no answers to your question there, but I did read the following which brings up a point I’d never considered about the power/ways of the devil:

(Gill’s commentary on Matt. 4:6)

"Let it be observed, that Satan did not offer to cast him down himself; for this was not in his power, nor within his permission, which reached only to tempt; and besides, would not have answered his end; for that would have been his own sin, and not Christ’s:

accordingly, we may observe, that when he seeks the lives of men, he does not attempt to destroy them himself, but always puts them upon doing it."

I had the strangest thought upon reading the first bolded words…what if Satan will be declared innocent in the end because he only tempted others - it was they/we who yiielded? What a plot twist that would be, eh?

 

[fhansen]

I was in bible study last night, and we had a discussion on the three temptations of Jesus in the desert:

"The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread…

Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant…

Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."

I remarked that these temptations could reflect “the three traditional enemies of the soul”, the flesh, the world, and the devil. But I didn’t have anything to back it up with. What is the source of the “three enemies of the soul”? And are they applicable here?

This might relate to the three-fold concupiscence spoken of in 1John 2:16:

"For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world."

 

[rcwitness]

I was in bible study last night, and we had a discussion on the three temptations of Jesus in the desert:

"The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread…

Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant…

Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."

I remarked that these temptations could reflect “the three traditional enemies of the soul”, the flesh, the world, and the devil. But I didn’t have anything to back it up with. What is the source of the “three enemies of the soul”? And are they applicable here?

I think you are on to something. I feel like this came to me also while contemplating the number of the beast. Revelations ( and most prophecy) tends to carry several meanings behind it. I could be wrong, but heard that somehow, in numerology, the number 6 represents man. So…

6 being the spirit of satan in man
6 being the worldly man
6 being the man led by the flesh

But there must be more to the number than that. Like representing Nero.

Peace
Michael

 

[seagal]

I was in bible study last night, and we had a discussion on the three temptations of Jesus in the desert:

"The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread…

Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant…

Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."

I remarked that these temptations could reflect “the three traditional enemies of the soul”, the flesh, the world, and the devil. But I didn’t have anything to back it up with. What is the source of the “three enemies of the soul”? And are they applicable here?

Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft gives a talk about winning the culture war ([transcript here](All sin is the devil’s work, though he usually uses the flesh and the world as his instruments. Sin means doing the devil’s work, tearing and damaging God’s work. And we do this. That’s the only reason why the devil can do his awful work in our world. God won’t allow him to do it without our free consent.)). Here’s a snippet that encapsulates your thoughts pretty well

All sin is the devil’s work, though he usually uses the flesh and the world as his instruments. Sin means doing the devil’s work, tearing and damaging God’s work. And we do this. That’s the only reason why the devil can do his awful work in our world. God won’t allow him to do it without our free consent.

 

[Cpb88]

“All sin is the devil’s work, though he usually uses the flesh and the world as his instruments.” -*Peter Kreeft *

“they ought to fear for the combat which yet remains with the flesh, with the world, with the devil.” Council of Trent, Session 6, On Justification, Chapter XIII

These “threefold sources of temptation” seem to be consistant with Catholic Theology, it seems that the seven captitals could be further classified into one of these three categories depending on the specifics.

 

[Cpb88]

Issue resolved, thank you for contributing.

 

[fhansen]

Issue resolved, thank you for contributing.

What resolved it?

 

[Cpb88]

I now have enough good sources to back up an argument for a threefold source of temptation: “The flesh, the world, the evil one.”