Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 4].
objective and subjective elements in the temptations. Jesus
quotes De 8:3 in reply to the devil.
4:5 {The world} (\t•s oikoumen•s\). The inhabited world. In Mt
4:8 it is \tou kosmou\. {In a moment of time} (\en stigm•i
chronou\). Only in Luke and the word \stigm•\ nowhere else in the
N.T. (from \stiz•\, to prick, or puncture), a point or dot. In
Demosthenes, Aristotle, Plutarch. Like our "second" of time or
tick of the clock. This panorama of all the kingdoms of the world
and the glory of them in a moment of time was mental, a great
feat of the imagination (a mental satanic "movie" performance),
but this fact in no way discredits the idea of the actual visible
appearance of Satan also. This second temptation in Luke is the
third in Matthew's order. Luke's order is geographical
(wilderness, mountain, Jerusalem). Matthew's is climacteric
(hunger, nervous dread, ambition). There is a climax in Luke's
order also (sense, man, God). There is no way to tell the actual
order.
4:6 {All this authority} (\t•n exousian taut•n hapasan\). Mt
4:9 has "all these things." Luke's report is more specific. {And
the glory of them} (\kai t•n doxan aut•n\). Mt 4:8 has this in
the statement of what the devil did, not what he said. {For it
hath been delivered unto me} (\hoti emoi paradedotai\). Perfect
passive indicative. Satan here claims possession of world power
and Jesus does not deny it. It may be due to man's sin and by
God's permission. Jesus calls Satan the ruler of this world (Joh
12:31; 14:30; 16:11). {To whomsoever I will} (\hoi an thel•\).
Present subjunctive with \an\ in an indefinite relative sentence.
This audacious claim, if allowed, makes one wonder whether some
of the world rulers are not, consciously or unconsciously, agents
of the devil. In several American cities there has been proven a
definite compact between the police and the underworld of crime.
But the tone of Satan here is one of superiority to Jesus in
world power. He offers him a share in it on one condition.
4:7 {Wilt worship before me} (\proskun•s•is en•pion emou\). Mt
4:9 has it more bluntly "worship me." That is what it really
comes to, though in Luke the matter is more delicately put. It is
a condition of the third class (\ean\ and the subjunctive). Luke
has it "thou therefore if" (\su oun ean\), in a very emphatic and
subtle way. It is the ingressive aorist (\proskun•s•is\), just
bow the knee once up here in my presence. The temptation was for
Jesus to admit Satan's authority by this act of prostration (fall
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/LU4.RWP.html (3 of 16) [28/08/2004 09:05:04 a.m.]