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What is the difference between, Cannot sin and did not sin? Cannot sin and without sin?

(Hebrews 4:15) “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin.”

Does God word, say, Jesus cannot sin or could not sin; or does it say, he did not sin or would not sin?

Think about it:

If one cannot fail a test, then it isn't a test.

And if it wasn't a text, then Jesus wasn't tested.

Update:

Fireball:  True, Jesus never sinned.

But is it because he couldn't or didn't?

What is the difference between can't and didn't?

You didn't answer the original question.

Update 2:

Malcolm,

true, but you didn't answer the original question. Please answer the question.

Update 3:

"No Chance without Jesus" was the first to answer the question.

12 Answers

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  • Favorite Answer

    as you put forth the bible says Jesus was tempted which means He could sin, but He did not

  • Rico
    Lv 6
    1 year ago

    'Can not' implies incapacity

    'did not' implies capability. 

    Jesus was certainly capable of sinning, that is why when he was in the wilderness fasting for forty days, Satan came to tempt him. 

    In the verse you ask about, Paul was saying that Jesus was without sin because he did not sin.  

  • lillie
    Lv 6
    1 year ago

    (1 Peter 2:22)" He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth".

    Like all Jehovah Gods creations Jesus also had the choice of free will. And unlike the spirit creature who became known as Satan chose to sin, Jesus died free of sin and faithful and was resurrected to immortal life in heaven to rule as King of God's Kingdom.

    Source(s): New World Translation Bible
  • Anonymous
    1 year ago

    Jesus was the only person to have ever been born without the sinful nature (since Adam*), i.e. as the alpha and omega, the only One of His kind, the promised Christ, the Messiah. I suppose you could call this the ultimate test of the ultimate power and sovereignty of the Holy Spirit, by which Jesus was conceived.

    So it was not that Jesus was unable to sin and you are right that He would not have been tested otherwise, but that He was simply strong enough to resist every and any temptation and that, as you may well know, is one of the promises which were made …..  that in Him, His followers are able to overcome the world, no matter what it throws at them, even up to the point of death, I believe.

    * Note that Adam was the first to have the spirit of man breathed into him and at that point he was pure and perfect but fell from grace through temptation. He was not, however, conceived of the Holy Spirit otherwise he would have known or been strong enough not to yield to that temptation and would have remained sinless and probably childless so we might not actually exist if that had been the case …. ?

    What this seems to indicate or prove is that without that spiritual assistance man is unable to resist yielding to temptation and so if left unaided a spirit will begin the downward spiral or slippery slope of the law of sin and death and our spirits will become dead ones.

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  • Paul
    Lv 7
    1 year ago

    Jesus clearly demonstrated that He was God, by constantly doing things only God could do. God cannot sin, since sin by definition is something opposed to the will of God.

  • TeeM
    Lv 7
    1 year ago

    Please answer the actual question.

  • 1 year ago

    Jesus was continually tested, Mt. 4:1-11. The context of Hebrews reveals that Jesus is the perfect high priest.

  • Anonymous
    1 year ago

    One who has born from holy spirit, evils do not able to pull him on their path. So he does not commit sins. Disciples of saints are at different levels. 

    Path of saints (inner).

  • 1 year ago

    I understand your confusion, but you are talking about two different aspects of God.  

    God the Father cannot sin.  Jesus the Son was fully human and fully God, and had all the human capabilities to sin, but chose not to when tested.

  • Anonymous
    1 year ago

    JESUS WAS tempted by the devil but never sinned..

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