"Lead Us Not Into Temptation" An Error?

Pope Francis has affirmed that "lead us not into temptation" is a mistranslation and conveys false doctrine and thinks the text should rather be translated as "abandon us not into temptation."

No, it is not a false translation and neither does it convey a false idea about God and his providence. God does lead into temptation, but he does not tempt. The great C.H. Spurgeon in "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" (May 17, 1863, Scripture: Matthew 6:13- see here) seems to have anticipated this controversy, or which shows that it is not new. Said Spurgeon:

"A great many persons have been troubled by that passage in James, where it is expressly said, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” It has been found very difficult to reconcile that express declaration of the apostle with this prayer of our Saviour; and some good, but very ignorant men, have gone the length of altering our Lord's words. I have heard of one who was won’t always to say, “Leave us not in temptation” — a most unwarrantable and unjustifiable alteration of Holy Scripture. Because sometimes a learned minister ventures, in all honesty and discretion, to give a more correct translation of the original, can this justify a foolish unlettered man in altering the original itself, and perverting the sense of a passage? There is an end to Scripture altogether, if license be given to alter its teachings according to our will. To teach perfect wisdom how to speak is too great a task to be ventured upon by any but the presumptuous and foolish. When our version is incorrect, then it is a duty to present the proper rendering, if one be able to find it out; but to give translations out of our whimsied heads, without having been taught in the original tongue, is impertinence indeed. There can be no better translation of the Greek than that which we have before us. The Greek does not say “ Leave us not in temptation,” nor anything like it ; it says, as nearly as English language can convey the meaning of the original, “ Lead us not into temptation," and no sort of pinching, twisting, or wresting, can make this prayer convey any other sense than that which our version conveys in so many words. Let us always be afraid of attempting improvements on God's perfect Word, and when our theories will not stand with divinely revealed truth let us alter our theories, but let us never attempt for one single moment to put one word of God out of its place.

Neither can we get out of the difficulty by supposing that the word “temptation” does not mean “temptation,” but must be restricted to the sense of “trial.” Now, we grant at once that the use of the word temptation in our translation of Scripture is somewhat liable to mislead. The word temptation has two meanings, to try, and to entice. When we read that God did tempt Abraham, we are by no means to understand that he enticed Abraham to anything that was evil; the meaning of the word in that place, doubtless, is simply and only that God tried him; but permit me to say, that this interpretation will not stand with this particular text now before us. The word here used for “temptation,” is not the word constantly written when trial is meant. It is just the very word which one would employ if temptation to sin were intended, and I cannot believe that any other translation can meet the case. Doddridge's paraphrase is a happy one: “Do not bring us into circumstances of pressing temptation lest our virtue should be vanquished and our souls endangered by them; but if we must be thus tried, do thou graciously rescue us from the power of the evil one.” I grant you that the word includes trial, as all temptation does, for all temptation, even if it be temptation from Satan, is in fact trial from God. Still there is more than trial in the text, and you must look at it just as it stands. As Alford, says, “The leading into temptation must be understood in its plain literal sense.” Take the text just as you find it. It means literally and truly, without any diminution, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

“Well,” says one, “if God does not tempt men, how can it be proper to pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation.’” Dear brethren, do but notice the text does not say, “ Tempt us n o t i f it did, then there would be a difficulty ; it does not say, “ Lord, tempt us not,” but it says, “ Lead us not into temptation ; ” and I think I shall very rapidly be able to show you that there is a vast difference between leading into temptation and actually tempting. God tempts no man. For God to tempt in the sense of enticing to sin were inconsistent with his nature, and altogether contrary to his known character; but for God to lead us into those conflicts with evil which we call temptations, is not only possible, but usual. Full often the Great Captain of Salvation leads us by his Providence to battle fields where we must face the fell array of evil, and conquer through the blood of the Lamb; and this leading into temptation is by divine grace overruled for our good, since by being tempted we grow strong in grace and patience. Our God and Father may, for wise ends, which shall ultimately subserve his own glory and our profit, lead us into positions where Satan, the. world, and the flesh may tempt us, and the prayer is to be understood in that sense of a humble self-distrust which shrinks from the conflict. There is courage here, for the suppliant calmly looks the temptation in the face, and dreads only the evil which it may work in him. but there is also a holy fear, a sacred self-suspicion, a dread of contact with sin in any degree. The sentiment is not inconsistent with “all joy” when the divers temptations do come, it is akin to the Saviour's “ If it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” which did not for a moment prevent his drinking the cup even to its dregs.

Let me observe that God in no sense so leads men into temptation as to have any share in the blame of their sin if they fall into it. God cannot possibly by any act of his, become co-partner with man in his crime. As good old Trapp well observes, “God tempts men for PROBATION, but never for PERDITION. The devil tempts men that he may ruin them; God tries men, and puts them where Satan may try them, but he leads them into temptation for probation, that the chaff may be sifted from the wheat, that the dross may be separated from the fine gold. By these trials hypocrites fall, being discovered in the hour of temptation; just as the rough March wind sweeps through, the forest, and finding out the rotten boughs snaps them from the tree, the fault being not in the wind but in the decayed branch. James alludes to the actual solicitation to evil in which the most holy God can have no part, but our text deals with the providential bringing about of the temptation which I think you can clearly see may be the Lord’s work without his holiness in any degree being stained thereby. When the Lord leadeth us into temptation, it is always with a design for our good. He leads us to battle, not that we may be wounded and worsted, but that we may win glorious victories which shall crown the head of our gracious Leader with many crowns, and prepare us for future deeds of valour. Temptations overcome are inestimable blessings, because they make us lie the more humbly at his feet, bind us more firmly to our Lord, and train us to help others. Tempted men can lift up the hands that hang down, and confirm the feeble knees; they have been tempted in the same manner, and can therefore succour their brethren. Yet, while the benefit which God bringeth out of our being led into temptation is very great, still, temptation in itself is a thing so dangerous, trial and distress in themselves are so perilous, that it is right for the Christian to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” Though, as Martin Luther says, “ Temptation is the best school into which the Christian can enter ; yet, in itself, apart from the grace of God, it is so doubly hazardous, that this prayer should be offered every day, ‘Lead us not into temptation; ' or if we must enter into it, ‘Lord, deliver us from evil.’”

I do not know whether I have met the objection. Perhaps, in the exposition that is to follow I may be able to make it a little more clear. I wish to say, that although God does not tempt men—that is affirmed in Scripture, and reason, and God's own character, all prove it to be the fact—yet he may, and certainly does, lead us into positions in his providence, where it is absolutely certain that we shall be tempted ; and therefore, our consciousness of weakness should constrain to plead for escape from the terrible contest, and deliverance out of it if come it must."

Well, amen to that! Please read the remainder of Spurgeon's commentary on this passage via the link provided.