The Truth comes to Corinth

Paul Exhorts Reliance, Dependence, and Trusting in God Completely

1 Corinthians 10:13-15 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. NKJV

Paul in the last verse in this chapter of his letter to these Corinthian believers and to us sternly warned them and us to be diligent to make our election and call sure in Christ Jesus our Lord and his words were most certainly for those Corinthians and those today and of every generation that would be faithless and unbelieving just as the “major portion” of the people of Israel that came out of Egypt with Moses. Paul now turns his focus and attention to that remnant of believers in the Corinthian church and us today and makes them and us his focal point to exhort them and us to enter in fully to God the Father’s Rest for His Chosen people. The Apostle Peter reminded those scattered persecuted Jewish Christians of who they were “in Christ” when he said these words to them, “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His Divine Power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2 Peter 1:1-4).

The Apostle Peter declares that God has already through Christ Jesus our Lord given us “in Christ” everything in this Resurrection Life to live out our daily lives in a godly manner walking and living a “holy life” before Him in His Love. Paul then drawing on this very truth now exhorts and encourages the faithful believers in Corinth and the faithful believers among us today that we can be confident that nothing can cause any of them or us “to come short” of God the Father’s Rest as declared by the writer of Hebrews as we learned in the last study in Hebrews 4:1. The English phrase the writer of Hebrews uses “to come short” is translated by the Greek word hustereo which means to be inferior or to be in want or to suffer need or to be destitute or to lack or to come behind or to be deficient. The writer of Hebrews warns his readers to be alarmed or be frightened or fear lest they should find themselves in the same spiritual condition as the “major portion” of the people of Israel who were determined, divulged, and declared by God to be in want or destitute or deficient of true faith and therefore, they were judged by God accordingly and removed not only from the earth but most dreadfully from His Presence Eternally and Forever in hell.

Paul understanding this truth and reality likewise wanted to write to these Corinthian believers and to us and put in our memory bank the reminder of God’s dealings with these faithless unbelieving people as he did earlier on in the letter and now exhorts and urges the Corinthian believers and us with these words, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Paul uses some very strong language in this verse beginning with the most obvious and that is the phrase “God is faithful” and the English word faithful Paul uses is translated by the Greek word pistos which means trustworthy, trustful, and true. Paul exhorts, urges, and encourages them and us to rely on and believe and trust God and take Him at His Word. Paul says in this verse that we can so trust and believe God, trusting that by His Sovereign Power He will not “suffer” us to be tempted, tested, or enticed to fall into sin and that English word suffer is translated by the little Greek word eao which means to allow or permit or to leave us alone or to give us up to sin and unbelief. Paul declares our Precious Heavenly Father will never give us over to the enemy’s enticements trying to get us to be faithless, ungodly, and unbelieving as the “major portion” of the people of Israel who came out of Egypt. We can recall these words from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself when He said this speaking of His Elect during the Great Tribulation, “For false Christ and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).

Our Lord uses the English phrase “if possible” and it is translated by the Greek word dunatos which means to be powerful or capable or able or strong. Our Lord Jesus declares exactly what He inspired Paul to write here in verse 13 and that is the enemy of our souls is not powerful or capable or able or strong enough to deceive those faithful believing Corinthians and us today by tempting or enticing them or us into sin, error, apostasy, or unbelief. Those faithful Corinthians and us today who will completely rely on and trust in and depend upon God are always kept, guarded, and protected by the Power of God as the Apostle Peter declared with these words, “Who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5). Paul says also in verse 13 that God will “make a way of escape” for them and us every time we are attacked by the enemy, his minions, or any of his human instruments (John 16:2). The English phrase “a way of escape” is translated by the Greek word ekbasis which means to go out or an exit out of all of the enemy’s temptations against us. Paul then commands and demands (out of a heart filled with love for these faithful Corinthian believers and for us) that we would flee or run away from all forms or manners of heathen worship, from the things and the people that the enemy would use to lead them and us into idolatry or worshipping anything other than Christ Jesus our Lord.  

“Our faithful God! The tempter must get permission before assailing us, Luke 22:32. No temptation is unprecedented, and as others have conquered so may we, Hebrews 4:15. The pressure of temptation is always accompanied by a corresponding store of grace, if only our eyes were open to perceive it.” F. B. Meyer

“Seeing you have such encouragement to trust God, and to be faithful, do you approve yourselves men, be not shaken by any discouragements your heathen enemies may lay before you. God will succour and assist, help you in your trials, and help you out of them; and therefore be not guilty of any idolatrous compliances. Note, We have all the encouragement in the world to flee sin and prove faithful to God. We cannot fall by a temptation if we cleave fast to Him.” Matthew Henry

“Our God (the One True and Only God) will never let us (His sheep, children, brethren, or friends) ever fall into the enemy of our souls schemes, traps, plots, or devices where we would become apostates and live like the faithless, ungodly, unbelieving “major portion” of the people of Israel that came out of Egypt, but instead we who are His Elect are safe in His Hands and guarded by His Power and covered eternally by His Blood. Amen!” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…