Pope wants to re-word the Lord's Prayer??

That is how it is given in the King James Version. That's good enough for me.

 

The phrase is not a request alone, but a statement of faith and a request combined. (Request)= Lead us Heavenly Father. (Statement of faith)= Not INTO temptation, BUT. (Statement of faith)= Deliver us from evil.

God leads no one into temptation, nor tempts anyone: The English vocabulary and syntax of this old Elizabethan language is difficult to explain to the users of modern English.

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. James 1:13-14.

Similarly the text quoted in the Opening post can be easily misunderstood by today's English reader or hearer.

"It is a great evil to want anything that is good". Very confusing to the modern mind, since the very sentence preceding it states, "So that we here Pray for every thing that is or can be good for us:"

Of course the accurate modern rendition should be: "It is a great evil to lack, (or want for), anything that is good".

Thus the need for clarity in liturgy, understandable to the average English speaker in today's church.

 

If I remember correctly, in the Lamsa translation of the Peshitta Bible, he used "let us not enter into temptation."

 

From what I understand Francis wants to change “lead us not into temptation,” to “keep us from the testimg,” (TNJB). Francis wants to change it because in modern tongues “lead us not into temptation” sounds like God can lead you into temptation when He does not, “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” (James 1:13). What “lead us not into temptation,” meant back in King James times was “keep us from temptation or the tempter” hence the better trans “keep us from the testing” (TNJB 1963-68).

Words change. Take for instance the word begotten which once meant “to come forth from or be sent from” but now means “beget, birth and create.” The same has happened to the word may, “Son and whoseover believes in Him may have eternal life,” (John 3:16 TNJb and NRSV). May in this case was “may have, as in you may have it; certainty” but mat now mwans “well you may or may not get it.” Hence why may is now replaced witj wjat if once meant, “you shall have eternal life.”

 

I love how "Manga Messiah" (book 1 - the Gospels) translates The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13!

Father in Heaven,
May your Holy name
Be honored and
Glorified above all
Creation...

May your
Earthly kingdom
Be welcolmed...
So that your
Leadership is
Respected and
Obeyed here...

... Just as
Completely
As it is in
Heaven!

Give us the
Supplies we
Need to
Today...

And forgive our
Sins in the very
Same way we
Forgive others
For their sins
Against us!

Keep us from
Falling into sin
When we are
Tempted...

And save us from
The evil one!

https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/co...ks/1348588401i/1821147._UY630_SR1200,630_.jpg

 

There is value in Bp. Beveridge's commentary on the Lord's Prayer. He expands upon the words and calls to our minds what we are asking God for. An example:

Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. That is, Grant we beseech Thee, that we, and all Mankind, may, by thy Assistance and Grace perfectly submit to, obey, and do thy Will on Earth; as the holy Angels, and the Spirits of just Men made perfect, do it continually in Heaven: That we may be Perfect as they are, and fulfil Thy holy Will perfectly as they do.​

What Beveridge somewhat reveals, but doesn't explicitly state, is that the Lord's Prayer was given by Jesus as a pattern or outline for a good prayer. They asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and His response is presented thusly in Matt. 6:9, After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father... Jesus didn't actually say, "Memorize and repeat these words, verbatim." I think Jesus was telling them the components of a respectful and effectual prayer. To start, Jesus said, we are addressing our heavenly Father. We address Him with reverence and give glory to His holy name. We ask that He bring about the fullness of His Lordship over all creation and to fulfill the end-time prophecies He has given us. We ask Him to work through us as well as through His sovereign, miracle-working power to exert His perfect will on the earth and to thwart the plans of the adversary in this physical realm, just as He does so in the heavenly realm. And so on.

Praying the Lord's Prayer by rote is fine, so long as our intentions are not to simply mouth the words while our brains are in 'neutral' (not engaged). We should be thinking about the meaning behind the words, and we should mean what we are saying. But it is not the precise words that matter, so much as our purpose in praying to our Father. Our purpose is to glorify and honor Him, to express our desire that His will should triumph, to express our complete dependence on Him, to present our petitions (perhaps in detail), to request His continuing assistance, and to conclude our prayers by once again giving Him glory, honor and thanks for all that He has done, is doing, and will do. Many people do this extemporaneously or impromptu in their own heartfelt words; their prayers are equally (and sometimes more) effective, compared to a word-for-word recitation.

 

Hey Rexlion,

Here's something to compliment your terrific post; this one -- memorizing Scripture.

When we can recall something easily from the Bible, it can help us fight the urge to sin should our temptation be strong. It rescues us from the personal despair of depression.

The least difficult way to learn something is to hear it. Then, of course, we read it, which helps intimate us further with our Bible experience. Studying is great for creating personal habit, with the goal making us take our Bible resources seriously. We meditate on it too so that, what we absorb, we can personalize and apply in our lives. By doing this, the Word warns us, reprove us, and comforts us.

The main reason why memorizing is so important is that it helps to build discipline, not to offer up empty thoughts towards our worship of God, but to act as a personal aid on our behalf, to exchange demoralizing thoughts for wholesome ones.

I appreciate what you've shared above. I have been enjoying my time here, learning all kinds of things to help understand and deepen my faith. Your contribution is a fine example of that.

Hebrews 4:12-13 NASB
12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we must answer.

In my own words.

(Swindoll, Chuck; Living Beyond the Daily Grind Book 1; 1988; P. 193)

 

Any good teacher will tell you also that there is no other more stimulating way to learn your subject than to have to teach it to others in the very near future. All good sermons are preached by someone who has learned a lesson or two recently.
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