It has been said that a second person must have been present, tempting Christ with ideas, since ‘the suggestions were evil suggestions, out of a carnal mind, and this could not possibly have been generated from the mind of Christ.’ In other words, the thoughts were the thoughts of a carnal mind and Christ did not have a carnal mind. This position is based on the premise that ‘Christ, possessing the Holy Spirit, would not entertain any thoughts contrary to the will of God.’
It is correct that Christ was indeed endowed with the Holy Spirit and did not entertain any thought contrary to God’s will. The key word here is ‘entertain’. One definition is: to take into consideration. It may be said that Christ did not take into consideration ideas contrary to God’s will, but that does not mean that such thoughts did not, briefly, pass through his mind, only to be rejected.
A careful examination of the Scriptures regarding temptations in the wilderness and other places in Scripture will show that, indeed, such thoughts did pass through his mind. Temptation itself is not sin. Sin does not occur until one yields to that temptation, and that is what Christ never did.
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Author: John Pursell
Keywords: Christ tempted, Christ tempted in the wilderness, Christ's temptation, Christ's temptation in the wilderness, Devil, Devil and Jesus, Devil tempts Jesus, diabolos, Evil angel, Evil Inclination, Evil nature, Evil one, Good angel, Good nature, Hara Yetser, Ha-ra Yetser, Hara Yetzer, Ha-ra Yetzer, Hara Yezer, Ha-ra Yezer, Jesus' temptation, Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, Jesus tempted, Jesus tempted by Satan, Jesus tempted by the devil, Jesus tempted in the wilderness, Jesus's temptation, Satan, Satan and Jesus, Satan tempts Christ, Satan tempts Jesus, Sin personified, Temptation, Temptation from within, Temptation in the wilderness, Tempted in the wilderness, Tempted of Satan, Tempted of the devil, Tempted to do evil, Tempts Christ, Tempts Jesus, The devil tempts Christ, The devil tempts Jesus, The Evil Inclination, The Evil One, Tittle, Two jots, Wilderness temptation, Yatsar, Yetsarim, Yetser ha ra, Yetser ha tov, Yetser ra, Yetser tov, Yetzer, Yetzer ha ra, Yetzer ha tov, Yetzer Hara, Yetzer ra, Yetzer tov, Yezer ha ra, Yezer ha tov, Yezer Hara, Yezer tov
Bible reference(s): Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2-13, , Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 4:15
Source: “Christ’s Wilderness Temptations,” Tidings of the Kingdom of God, July 2009.
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