In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, my translation (the Freed-Hardeman Version) has "Lead us not into temptation" (Matthew 6:13; cf. Luke 11:4). Two esteemed gospel preachers, Bill Brown and Scott Howard, of the Portland area, have caused me, for the next edition, to change one word: "Lead us not into trials."

The Greek word that Jesus used (peiradzo) can mean either "tempt" (Matthew 4:1) or "test" (John 6:6). Consequently, the context has to determine which word is accurate. Since God "himself tempts no one" (James 1:13), it is clear that Jesus was not teaching his disciples to ask God not to do something that he never does.

God himself does "test" people. He who knows best thought Abraham should have his faith tested (Genesis 22:1, nasah; Hebrews 11:17, peiradzo) by asking him to kill Isaac, and he came through with flying colors. Since normally no one wants to be put through a test, Jesus taught his disciples to pray that God would not see the need of subjecting them to a test.

The JEWISH NEW TESTAMENT, translated by a Messianic Jew, in Matthew 6:13 says:

The above discussion has caused me to make another change in my translation for the next edition. When the all-knowing God thinks that some Christians need to be put through a test, even as Abraham was tested, those of the right disposition will not complain, and they willingly accept what God thinks that they need to perfect their faith. To this end they have received heavenly advice from the inspired James:

Sometimes, in God’s custom made providence for each Christian, he overrules the Christian’s prayer, "Lead us not into trials," and sees to it that some particular Christian needs a disciplinary test, and God has advised him accordingly:

Sometimes the all-wise God lets the devil do the testing, as in the case of Job. Also, in the case of Paul, God allowed the devil to torment him lest Paul should become proud (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul could talk in more foreign languages "than all of" the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 14:18), and to him were given many "revelations" (2 Corinthians 12:7). But for his good, during least the last 11 years of Paul’s life (57-68 A.D.), he awoke every morning with pain, "a thorn in the flesh, an agent of Satan," given "to torment me, so that I might not be arrogant" (2 Corinthians 12:7).

He did not pray, "Lord, lead me not into trials," but he prayed for a termination of his test. But arrogance and conceit in Paul would keep him out of heaven (Matthew 11:29; 2 Corinthians 10:1). So divine love for Paul motivated God in allowing Satan to keep an incessant "thorn in the flesh" the rest of the apostle’s life.

Paul could write a medical prescription for Timothy, "Do not drink water any longer, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses" (1 Timothy 5:23), but he could not write one for himself.

Paul could perform a miracle on the father of Publius, curing him from "fever and dysentery" by hand-laying and prayer (Acts 28:7-8), but he could not cure himself.

The Father knows best, and Paul accepted the Lord’s discipline. As James taught Christians under trial to "consider it all joy" (James 1:2), Paul put the admonition into practice:

Paul did not write the book of Hebrews, but he could have: