Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[jasonlulu_2000]

Sorry for being fussy and slow.

But in the previous post:

He lived on starvation rations and spent his money on food for miners. When children in one family contracted fever, though feverish himself, he packed up his bed and took it to them.

A wealthy family in the community offered him free room and board. Van Gogh refused the offer, stating that it was the final temptation he must reject if he was to faithfully serve his community of poor miners.

What does "final temptation" mean here? Could you paraphrase it?
why did the author use "last" or "final" since it doesn't indicate any sense of order?

Thanks

[redset]

The author means final in the same sense as ultimate - maybe Van Gogh had faced temptations before, and this would be the last or the most important one. If he'd given in to the temptation he would have failed to serve the miners, but he was able to reject the temptation, and then nothing could stop him.