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I don't consider myself a Christian, but this is exactly what I consider appropriate in a situation like this. The language of "tempting God" is weird though.

I don't consider myself a Christian, but this is exactly what I consider appropriate in a situation like this. The language of "tempting God" is weird though. I mean, I know it's a phrase used all the time, but it's still just weird because it makes me stop and say just what sort of personality does God have anyway?

Barrin92 7y ago
the point is not to assert anything about God as much as it is to make clear that God is not to be used as a shield. One does not have superpowers or fewer responsibilities because God is on one's side. Tempting God by being boastful or reckless is simply a form of hubris.
- Gibbon1 7y ago
  Luke 4 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: He shall give his angels charge over you, To keep you, and, In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. And Jesus answered and said to him, It has been said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. Looks pretty clear to me.
PakG1 7y ago
The word tempt in various Biblical passages when talking about tempting God use definitions #4 and 5 as listed at https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tempt?s=t https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tempt?s=t A summary of how theologians interpret the word is found here (just did a quick Google search), and the explanation matches with what I wrote above. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/tempting-god https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs... So I don't think the words "tempting God" mean what you think they mean (presuming you thought it used definitions #1, 2, or 3).
- perl4ever 7y ago
  I heard a rumor that when the Bible uses the word, it wasn't actually English, modern or archaic, in the original. Looks like it might be πειράζω. Edit: and Luther apparently used the word Versuchung, which I'm not sure how to interpret because everybody seems to translate it as temptation in the sense of seduction, even though the biblical word should be testing or proving...
  - PakG1 7y ago
    Yeah Biblical etymology and comparison with original languages is its own rabbit hole. See definition of word day in Genesis chapter 1 and how many conservative American churches don't do a very deep dive.

Barrin92 7y ago

the point is not to assert anything about God as much as it is to make clear that God is not to be used as a shield. One does not have superpowers or fewer responsibilities because God is on one's side. Tempting God by being boastful or reckless is simply a form of hubris.

Gibbon1 7y ago
Luke 4 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: He shall give his angels charge over you, To keep you, and, In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. And Jesus answered and said to him, It has been said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. Looks pretty clear to me.

PakG1 7y ago

The word tempt in various Biblical passages when talking about tempting God use definitions #4 and 5 as listed at https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tempt?s=t https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tempt?s=t A summary of how theologians interpret the word is found here (just did a quick Google search), and the explanation matches with what I wrote above. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/tempting-god https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs... So I don't think the words "tempting God" mean what you think they mean (presuming you thought it used definitions #1, 2, or 3).

perl4ever 7y ago
I heard a rumor that when the Bible uses the word, it wasn't actually English, modern or archaic, in the original. Looks like it might be πειράζω. Edit: and Luther apparently used the word Versuchung, which I'm not sure how to interpret because everybody seems to translate it as temptation in the sense of seduction, even though the biblical word should be testing or proving...
- PakG1 7y ago
  Yeah Biblical etymology and comparison with original languages is its own rabbit hole. See definition of word day in Genesis chapter 1 and how many conservative American churches don't do a very deep dive.