Why does Jesus want us to pray on a daily basis for deliverance from temptation and from evil? Christians have been praying this prayer for 2,000 years, and will most likely go on praying this prayer for many more centuries. The church is not immune from the effects of evil (whether internal or external) or the temptation to sin or doubt. But the Gospel promises that evil will not have the final word. By making our plea for deliverance from evil, we acknowledge that though we recognize that evil persists in the present, God is ultimately sovereign and we have his protection. He does not abandon us to evil.
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Read 1 John 5:18-20 and Matthew 16:13-20. How do you view these verses? Are they words of comfort?
INTRODUCTION “FOR
THINE IS THE KINGDOM …” The Lord’s Prayer that most Christians know ends in a doxology, or a liturgical expression of praise to God. These words were not originally found in Matthew’s or Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer. However, during the time of Jesus most Jewish prayers ended in doxology. The earliest evidence that a doxology was added to the end of the Lord’s Prayer comes from the Didache, a 1st century liturgical guide. It quotes Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer and then adds the following: “For Thine is the power and the glory for evermore.” A similar practice is found in the earliest copies of the Lord’s Prayer used in the church. How do the final words “for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever” relate to other parts of the prayer, including those we studied in this lesson? Why do you think it is important that we end the Lord’s Prayer in doxology?
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The final petition in the Lord’s Prayer is a request for help during a time of great need. Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer concludes with this appeal to “not bring us to the time of trial” (Luke 11:4). But Matthew’s version, the one most Christians are accustomed to reciting, adds another line asking for deliverance from “the evil one” (Matt 6:13). These requests imply that Jesus believed his disciples to be up against forces that are actively working against God’s kingdom. When we pray not to be led into temptation and for deliverance from the evil one, we are asking for more than just help overcoming our various shortcomings. The scope is much bigger than that. But what does Jesus mean when he refers to a time of “trial” or “temptation”? And what does it mean to be delivered from an evil power? In this study, we will look more closely at these terms as well as what it means to request God’s deliverance from them on a daily basis. While most Christians have learned to pray lead us not into “temptation,” the NRSV translation of Matthew and Luke says “time of trial.” In your opinion, what is the difference between these two terms?
“LEAD
US NOT INTO TEMPTATION” The Greek word peirasmos can mean either “testing” or “temptation.” Asking for God not to lead us into temptation sounds like we are asking not to ever be tempted. However, this cannot be what it means because we know that Jesus himself was tempted. Furthermore, we know that it is unrealistic because we encounter temptations daily. Read Matthew 26:36-41 and Matthew 13: 15-17. In both of these texts, Jesus talks about enduring through times of trial. What do each of these passages suggest that Jesus means by a time of testing? How does that help clarify what we are asking to be spared from?
The request, like the one for daily bread, is also expressed in the plural – lead us not into temptation. When we pray not to be led into temptation, we aren’t just thinking about ourselves, but we are praying collectively for all believers. This helps remind us that we are part of the larger drama of salvation. How does thinking in terms of the greater body of believers (that is, “us”) rather than ourselves change how we understand what “temptation” is? What are some examples of “temptations” that the church faces today?
Making this request every day, as we do for daily bread, implies that we will never be delivered, once for all, from the various temptations we face in life. This is not a prayer for perfection, but rather a prayer for perseverance. Read Ephesians 6:10-17. In symbolic terms, this passage talks about the “armor” we put on so that we might persevere in faith. Practically speaking, what sorts of things help you persevere in your faith?
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“BUT DELIVER US
FROM
EVIL”
! of the Lord’s Prayer is found only in Matthew’s version. Many scholars The final part today view this extra line as a clarification of the one before it – that is, by leading us not into temptation we are thus delivered from evil. But some of the early church fathers felt that these were two distinct requests. If so, what does it mean to be delivered from evil? There are two primary possibilities: (1) Evil can be viewed as an all-encompassing force – an abstract power that represents the active opposition to God’s kingdom. In this view, evil is something larger than just a given individual’s bad intentions or shortcomings. Rather, evil is found in and perpetuated by broader systems and institutions, including culture, the media, business, government, and entertainment. In your view, what are some examples of this type of “institutional” evil in today’s world? How do you see our church responding to such forms of evil?
(2) The early church fathers translated the Greek word in this line poneiru as “the evil one,” and identified this with the Devil. The Bible frequently personifies evil. For instance, in Genesis the tempter is portrayed in the form of a snake. In the book of Revelation the Satanic figure is the dragon. The New Testament also personifies evil as “the father of lies,” “the Devil,” “the prince of this world,” and “the enemy.” Read James 4:1-7. In this passages, James names two general sources of evil: the sinful cravings that are within us (vv. 2-6) and the devil (v. 7). Which aspect of evil are you more comfortable talking about? Why might it be helpful to talk about evil as a personified, external entity (the devil)?
“LEAD
US NOT INTO TEMPTATION” The Greek word peirasmos can mean either “testing” or “temptation.” Asking for God not to lead us into temptation sounds like we are asking not to ever be tempted. However, this cannot be what it means because we know that Jesus himself was tempted. Furthermore, we know that it is unrealistic because we encounter temptations daily. Read Matthew 26:36-41 and Matthew 13: 15-17. In both of these texts, Jesus talks about enduring through times of trial. What do each of these passages suggest that Jesus means by a time of testing? How does that help clarify what we are asking to be spared from?
The request, like the one for daily bread, is also expressed in the plural – lead us not into temptation. When we pray not to be led into temptation, we aren’t just thinking about ourselves, but we are praying collectively for all believers. This helps remind us that we are part of the larger drama of salvation. How does thinking in terms of the greater body of believers (that is, “us”) rather than ourselves change how we understand what “temptation” is? What are some examples of “temptations” that the church faces today?
Making this request every day, as we do for daily bread, implies that we will never be delivered, once for all, from the various temptations we face in life. This is not a prayer for perfection, but rather a prayer for perseverance. Read Ephesians 6:10-17. In symbolic terms, this passage talks about the “armor” we put on so that we might persevere in faith. Practically speaking, what sorts of things help you persevere in your faith?
!
!
!
!
!
!
! !
!
!!!! !!
“BUT DELIVER US
FROM
EVIL”
! of the Lord’s Prayer is found only in Matthew’s version. Many scholars The final part today view this extra line as a clarification of the one before it – that is, by leading us not into temptation we are thus delivered from evil. But some of the early church fathers felt that these were two distinct requests. If so, what does it mean to be delivered from evil? There are two primary possibilities: (1) Evil can be viewed as an all-encompassing force – an abstract power that represents the active opposition to God’s kingdom. In this view, evil is something larger than just a given individual’s bad intentions or shortcomings. Rather, evil is found in and perpetuated by broader systems and institutions, including culture, the media, business, government, and entertainment. In your view, what are some examples of this type of “institutional” evil in today’s world? How do you see our church responding to such forms of evil?
(2) The early church fathers translated the Greek word in this line poneiru as “the evil one,” and identified this with the Devil. The Bible frequently personifies evil. For instance, in Genesis the tempter is portrayed in the form of a snake. In the book of Revelation the Satanic figure is the dragon. The New Testament also personifies evil as “the father of lies,” “the Devil,” “the prince of this world,” and “the enemy.” Read James 4:1-7. In this passages, James names two general sources of evil: the sinful cravings that are within us (vv. 2-6) and the devil (v. 7). Which aspect of evil are you more comfortable talking about? Why might it be helpful to talk about evil as a personified, external entity (the devil)?
Why does Jesus want us to pray on a daily basis for deliverance from temptation and from evil? Christians have been praying this prayer for 2,000 years, and will most likely go on praying this prayer for many more centuries. The church is not immune from the effects of evil (whether internal or external) or the temptation to sin or doubt. But the Gospel promises that evil will not have the final word. By making our plea for deliverance from evil, we acknowledge that though we recognize that evil persists in the present, God is ultimately sovereign and we have his protection. He does not abandon us to evil.
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
!
!
Read 1 John 5:18-20 and Matthew 16:13-20. How do you view these verses? Are they words of comfort?
INTRODUCTION “FOR
THINE IS THE KINGDOM …” The Lord’s Prayer that most Christians know ends in a doxology, or a liturgical expression of praise to God. These words were not originally found in Matthew’s or Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer. However, during the time of Jesus most Jewish prayers ended in doxology. The earliest evidence that a doxology was added to the end of the Lord’s Prayer comes from the Didache, a 1st century liturgical guide. It quotes Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer and then adds the following: “For Thine is the power and the glory for evermore.” A similar practice is found in the earliest copies of the Lord’s Prayer used in the church. How do the final words “for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever” relate to other parts of the prayer, including those we studied in this lesson? Why do you think it is important that we end the Lord’s Prayer in doxology?
!
The final petition in the Lord’s Prayer is a request for help during a time of great need. Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer concludes with this appeal to “not bring us to the time of trial” (Luke 11:4). But Matthew’s version, the one most Christians are accustomed to reciting, adds another line asking for deliverance from “the evil one” (Matt 6:13). These requests imply that Jesus believed his disciples to be up against forces that are actively working against God’s kingdom. When we pray not to be led into temptation and for deliverance from the evil one, we are asking for more than just help overcoming our various shortcomings. The scope is much bigger than that. But what does Jesus mean when he refers to a time of “trial” or “temptation”? And what does it mean to be delivered from an evil power? In this study, we will look more closely at these terms as well as what it means to request God’s deliverance from them on a daily basis. While most Christians have learned to pray lead us not into “temptation,” the NRSV translation of Matthew and Luke says “time of trial.” In your opinion, what is the difference between these two terms?