The verse we’re studying this week is a favorite within my church, and particularly in our Biblical Counseling ministry. My first assignment as a counselee upon registering for counseling was to memorize 1 Corinthians 10:13, which states, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to mankind; 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.” My assignment then was to circle the four promises found in this verse, and to name and explain which promise is my favorite, or which provides me the most hope in my situation.
So let’s take a look at these four promises. Did you spot them the first time?
Promise 1: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to mankind.”
The implication of this first promise can be easy to overlook or take for granted. The word for temptation here is the Greek peirasmos, which means solicitation or provocation. Essentially it means an experience of evil. The word for common to man is the Greek anthropinos which, literally translated, means belonging to human beings (especially as contrasted with God) 1. It doesn’t say that we are somehow exempt from temptation, or that temptation won’t overtake us. What it does say, however, leaves us with two absolutely critical points to consider about God’s character, and the nature of our suffering.
Temptation doesn’t come from God.
The fact that the phrase “common to man,” considering the original Greek translation, highlights specifically the contrast of something from God. What this says is that God isn’t the source of temptation. God doesn’t operate in trickery or solicitation. He didn’t give us free will just so He could tempt us with wrong choices. James provides further insight on this. James says that “no one is to say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone” (1:13). Instead, James argues, that when we are tempted we are being “carried away and enticed by [our] own lust” (1:14). This means that not only is all suffering common, but it comes from within. We, with our fallen, sinful natures, are the sources of our own suffering.
This verse also tells us, more openly, that our suffering isn’t unique.
The temptations that we face, the sins we commit, they’re shared experiences. Maybe not every one of them with every person, but we can rest a little more easily knowing that whatever struggle we’re facing, we’re not alone. That fact alone is a source of much comfort for many people. And the explanation is simple. We live in a fallen world. Since Genesis 3 mankind has been cursed with sinful hearts, filled with sinful desires. Our wants by nature stand in direct opposition to God’s will and commands.
Promise 2: “God is faithful”.
This promise is named again and again throughout the Scriptures, because it’s so important to remember. The Greek word here is pistos, meaning also reliable and trustworthy. I consider it like this: so much of the conflict I have with others boils down to a lack of this characteristic. Whether somebody lets me down, or I let them down, one of us wasn’t reliable. One of us was not faithful. That’s because we’re fallen, sinful flesh. We’re fallible.
Only one man has every existed, or ever will exist, who is truly faithful. Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God. God, the faithful. When conflicts arise due to a lack of faithfulness, I must remember this. Only God is capable of being faithful. The rest of us can only strive to be conformed to His image. But we can trust anything He says. Moreover, we can trust anything He puts in our way. He’s not only faithful, He is sovereign. Sovereign over our lives, and sovereign over our suffering. He won’t allow anything into our lives that won’t accomplish His purpose. And no matter what, there is nothing we can do that will alter His plan.
Promise 3: “who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able”
These next two promises could easily go hand-in-hand. But I think it’s important to ruminate on them separately. This is partly because I believe many people misunderstand this statement. I think a lot of people use this to rationalize a wholly inaccurate and epically irresponsible cliché. (Ever heard someone say, “God won’t give you more than you can handle”?) That’s not what this verse means, in context. Context is everything. The Greek word dunamai means able; it also means possible, may be possible. I think a better way to think of this is that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can possibly bear. But our strength doesn’t come from within. And in my experience, when God allows us to be tempted, it’s often to remind me to rely on Him, rather than on my own power. Notice the final promise.
Promise 4: “but with the temptation, will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it”
Here it is. God isn’t saying “I won’t give you more than you can handle.” God is saying, “If I allow temptation or trial into your life, I’ll show you the way out. Just follow me. Lean on me. Trust me.” The final promise is that God will get us through. Not by teaching us to rely on our own strength. This last promise could actually further be broken into two separate promises.
First, that God will provide an escape; and second, that we will be able to endure it. But, we don’t want to lend further credence to the idea that our endurance comes through our own ability. Even our salvation doesn’t depend on us. Psalm 37:39 says that “the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, He is their strength in time of trouble.” Let us never forget that only God will get us through. But, let us never forget that God will get us through.
Final Thoughts
I recently had an emergency appointment with my doctor because I was feeling tempted beyond my ability. After talking it through, she afforded a lot of effort into trying to coax me into agreeing that I was strong enough to withstand temptation. I know she had good intentions, and I know she didn’t want me to feel insecure in my recovery. But I struggled, and eventually told her simply, that I got through it because I prayed relentlessly the entire time. I got through it because of God.
When we start relying on our own strength, we run the risk of relying on our own righteousness. Our own religion. We start “going the way of Cain” offering empty sacrifices on our own behalf. Then pride swims up to choke us and we’re left on our own. And once we’re on our own, that’s when we realize how desperately we need God. He is our hope, and our salvation.
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Emily is a Christian mother and blogger who lives in sunny Florida with her three children. She works full-time setting appointments at a home remodeling company and in her scarce free time she enjoys serving her fellow brothers and sisters in Christ however possible, and spending as much time in prayer, Bible reading and studying, and fellowship as possible. As a recovering addict, she has a heart for addiction ministry, and for creating things so she can give back to those who have need.