One amazing part of first person video is watching amazing daredevil accomplishments. Seeing a cyclist, climber or skier using a go-pro camera in first person detail is exhilarating. However, the blooper reels are full of daredevil's who pushed the envelope one step too far and tumbled. Often their confidence exceeded their observation.
One of the surest ways to fall into temptation and sin is to become overconfident. Many of the Corinthian believers thought, and perhaps had said in the letter to Paul (7:1), that they felt perfectly secure in their Christian lives, that they had arrived, They were saved, baptized, well taught, lacking in no gift, and presumably mature. They thought they were strong enough to freely associate with pagans in their ceremonies and social activities and not be affected morally or spiritually, as long as they did not participate in outright idolatry or immorality.
How do you approach the choices you have in life? Do you frequently find yourself putting your foot in your mouth and need to apologize or back peddle? Living life to the full pursuit of all out liberty no only will harm weaker believers but put our own lives in spiritual danger. We can't live long on the far edge of freedom without falling into temptation and then into sin. The mature, loving Christian does not try to stretch their liberty to the extreme, to see how close to evil we can come without being harmed.
When a Christian becomes so confident of their strength that they think they can handle any situation, they are overconfident and in great danger of falling. The danger is not of failing from salvation but of falling from holiness and from usefulness in service. Graciously, in times of trial and temptation God provides a way out of the situation so we don't need to fall into sin. We must however take that way out and not overconfidently believe we are beyond falling into sin.
Ancient Israel provided Paul with sobering illustrations of the pitfalls of overconfident living. Using incidents from their forty–year wandering between Egypt and Canaan, Paul discusses 1) The Assets of Liberty (vv. 1–4), 2) The Abuse of Liberty (vv. 5–10), and 3) The Application of Liberty (vv. 11–13).
1) The Assets of Liberty (1 Corinthians 10:1–4)
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 [10:1]For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, [2]and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, [3]and all ate the same spiritual food, [4]and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. (ESV)
For refers back to the disqualification for service of which Paul had just spoken (9:27) and introduces the examples that follow. I want you to know/don't want you to be unaware, brothers/brethren, prepares his readers for new insights into old and familiar stories. It is an urgent statement, pleading with his readers to remember what happened to Israel in the wilderness. He is partly reminding and partly giving new teaching.
All Hebrews were the physical descendants of Abraham. But to truly be God’s children they also had to be his spiritual descendants. “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel … That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants” (Rom. 9:6, 8). Abraham was father of all the faithful (Rom. 4:11; Gal. 3:29), and in this sense Paul’s reference to our fathers could be addressed to Gentile as well as Jewish Christians, for they were spiritual descendants of all who believed. Therefore, by calling Israel “our fathers,” he emphasizes at the outset the Corinthians’ continuity with what God had done in the past (Fee, G. D. (1987). The First Epistle to the Corinthians (p. 444). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
In verses 1–4 Paul emphasizes the oneness of Israel as a corporate community and the commonness of their experiences under Moses’ leadership. All is used five times in those four verses to indicate that oneness in experience and blessing.
Please turn to Exodus 15 (p.57)
After a few years of favored treatment because of Joseph, Israel spent 400 years as slaves in Egypt. They were under total subjection to a foreign and pagan people, who abused, maligned, and severely overworked them. After the ten plagues God sent against the Egyptians, He miraculously delivered Israel. He opened the Red Sea for them to pass through the sea on dry land and then closed the waters on their pursuers. He guided them by “a pillar of cloud by day” and “a pillar of fire by night” (Ex. 13:21). As the Lord’s supreme deliverance of His chosen people from bondage to freedom, the Exodus became the touchstone of Jewish religion and remains that today.
Exodus 15 is a song of praise which is a celebration of the triumph over Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea as representative of the Lord’s power and rule. It celebrates particular events that reveal God’s character (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 168). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Exodus 15:11-14 [11]"Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? [12]You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. [13]"You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. [14]The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.(ESV)
The deliverance is described in verse two that: all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and all pass through in the sea. The pillar of cloud that guided the Israelites by day was the Shekinah cloud, the cloud of God’s presence, which at night turned into a pillar of fire. And the sea was parted so that the people could walk through on dry land (Ex. 14:16). For the Israelites, being “baptized into Moses” signified that they were members of the covenant which God had made with his people (Exod. 24:4b–8). Moses served as mediator of that first covenant, which became obsolete, but Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant (Heb. 7:22; 8:6; 9:15). Just as God’s people became a nation with Moses as its leader, so God’s people today are incorporated into Christ, who is their spiritual head (Eph. 5:23) (Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (Vol. 18, p. 323). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
The fact that all the Israelites ate the same spiritual food described in verse 3 indicates that Paul is speaking of the source, not the type, of sustenance. God provided physical food and drink, through spiritual means, for all of Israel, believers and unbelievers alike. The Lord miraculously provided manna for food (Ex. 16:15) and water for drink (17:6). In this sense they were all spiritually sustained, that is, given provisions from a divine source rather than a natural one. Paul is not denying that the manna and the water were anything but very physical. He seems to be indicating that, as well as being necessary for physical sustenance, they were also of spiritual value, nourishing their whole relationship with God (Prior, D. (1985). The message of 1 Corinthians: life in the local church (p. 167). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
The source indicated in verse 4, of their spiritual drink was a spiritual rock that followed them; and the rock was Christ. Even at the time of the Exodus, the Messiah was with Israel providing for them! In the Old Testament, “rock” frequently appeared as a metaphor closely associated with God. It focused on his life-giving role as a victorious warrior-king who saved his people from their enemies. (Pratt, R. L., Jr. (2000). I & II Corinthians (Vol. 7, p. 162). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
The spiritual rock that followed them throughout their journeys was not that small boulder but the great rock of Christ. That supernatural rock protected and sustained His people and would not allow them to perish. Old Testament believers did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but even during the Exodus they had the sustaining presence of the preexistent Messiah, the preincarnate Christ, caring for and fulfilling the needs of His people. The point of all these affirmations is to recount the privileges of Israel, "the assets" of her deliverance.
Illustration: 3823 Rock Of Ages
One of the “Jubilee Singers,” a student of Fisk University, was on board a steamer that took fire. He had the presence of mind to fix life-preservers on himself and wife. But in the agony of despair, when all on board were trying to save themselves, someone took from his wife her life-preserver, so that she found herself helpless amid waters. But she clung to her husband, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders as he swam on. After a little while her strength was exhausted. “I can hold on no longer,” was her cry. “Try a little longer,” was her husband’s agonized entreaty; and then he added, “Let us sing “Rock of Ages.” ” Immediately they both began faintly to sing; and their strains fell upon the ears of many around them, while they were thus seeking to comfort each other. One after another of the nearly-exhausted swimmers was noticed raising his head above the waves and joining in the prayer: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.” Strength seemed to come with the song; and they were able to hold out a little longer, still faintly singing. A boat was seen approaching, and they did get strength enough to keep themselves afloat till the crew lifted them on board. And thus Toplady’s hymn helped to save more than one from death by the sea, as it has often helped to save souls ready to perish (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 886). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.).
Christ is the Rock in the water of this torrent life for those who cling to Him.
2) The Abuses of Liberty (1 Corinthians 10:5–10)
1 Corinthians 10:5-10 [5]Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. [6]Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. [7]Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." [8]We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. [9]We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, [10]nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. (ESV)
All Israel shared in the common blessings of liberty, baptism, and sustenance in the wilderness. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased. Most of them is an understatement. Even Moses and Aaron were disqualified from entering because the rock at Meribah was struck with Moses’ rod rather than spoken to as God had commanded (Num. 20:8–12, 24). All the fathers shared in God’s grace and all were in the race described in 1 Cor. 9:24–27, but only Caleb and Joshua entered Canaan and won the prize (Mare, W. H. (1976). 1 Corinthians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, pp. 248–249). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Because of disobedience verse 5 refers to the fact that all but two Israelites were overthrown/laid low in the wilderness. Overthrown/Laid low (katastrônnumi) means literally “to strew or spread over.” Theirs is not simply natural death. It is God’s sentence against the rebels (Morris, L. (1985). 1 Corinthians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 7, p. 140). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
The corpses of those with whom God was not pleased were strewn all over the wilderness. All Israel had been graciously blessed, liberated, baptized, and sustained by the Lord in the wilderness, but in that “race,” that test of obedience and service, most of them were “disqualified” (cf. 9:24, 27). They misused and abused their freedom and their blessings. In self–centeredness and self–will they tried to live on the edge of their liberty, and they fell into temptation and then into sin. Overconfidence was their undoing. If baptized and communicant Israel was not spared divine judgement, those Corinthians who blithely visit pagan temples should not imagine that they are immune to God’s wrath. Further, the bridge between ‘all’ (10:1–4) and ‘the majority’ (10:5) might be a hint that Paul sees history repeating itself, idolatrous tendencies being not uncommon in the church. If so, his readers have a most serious problem. (Naylor, P. (2004). A Study Commentary on 1 Corinthians (p. 248). Darlington, England; Webster, NY: Evangelical Press.)
The judgments experienced by the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness verse 6 notes were examples for us, that we might/should not desire/crave evil, as they did. Those who “were hid low in the wilderness” had not brought their bodies under control as Paul had done with his (9:27) but had indulged their every desire, lust, and craving. A controlled body is useful to the Lord; an indulged one is not. The Christian who controls their body and life–style is qualified to serve the Lord; the one who indulges their body and is careless in life–style is disqualified.
• Deliverance from the old life, identification with a new life, communion with Christ and other believers—these are certainly not insignificant! And, fortified with these wonderful blessings, the so-called strong Christians were ready to dismiss any talk of sacrifice, commitment, or discipline, whether it came from Paul or someone else. Can’t you hear them now? ‘Wait just a minute. We’ve been saved and baptized. We participate in the church. What else is there?’(Ellsworth, R. (1995). Strengthening Christ’s Church: The Message of 1 Corinthians (pp. 158–159). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.)
Still using Israel as an example, Paul warned in verse 7, And do not be idolaters, as some of them were. The Israelites were hardly out of Egypt before they fell into idolatry. There were no pagan priests, temples, or idols to lure them, but they managed to make their own idols and improvise their own ceremonies (Ex. 32).
• Today we can allow many things to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshiping these things. But by the amount of time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods (Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). 1 & 2 Corinthians (p. 140). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.).
Quoting Exodus 32:6 Paul continues, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose/stood up to play. The eating and drinking refer to the excessive feasting that followed the sacrifices. Play is a euphemism for sexual relations. It means sexual play. Some three thousand of the Israelites who had instigated that idolatrous and immoral orgy at Sinai were put to death (Ex. 32:28).
• Philosophies have developed that virtually make gods of success, love, social service, self–image, or simply humanity. Anything that takes our first loyalty and allegiance is an idol. Many people who would not take a second glance at a carved idol will sacrifice health, time, family, moral standards, and anything else required in order to achieve the idol of success or recognition they want. The sin of idolatry, like every other sin, is of the heart. As God told Ezekiel about the elders of Israel, “These men have set up their idols in their hearts, and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity” (Ezek. 14:3).
Please turn to Numbers 25 (p.133)
The second major sin which was alluded to in verse 7, about sexual immorality (play) is treated explicitly in verse 8. We must not indulge in sexual immorally, as some of them did, and twenty–three thousand fell in one day. The incident to which Paul refers is recorded in Numbers. While in the wilderness:
Numbers 25:1-9 [25:1]While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. [2]These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. [3]So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. [4]And the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." [5]And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor." [6]And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. [7]When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand [8]and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. [9]Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. (ESV)
The difference in numbers between the numbers from 1 Cor. 10 and Numbers 25 is probably best explained by taking 23,000 to mean those killed during one day and 24,000 to include others who died later due to the plague.
• Many Christians fall into moral problems simply because they are overconfident in themselves. They enter into and continue relationships that may not be wrong in themselves but which offer strong temptations. And when temptations come they think they can handle it, often finding out too late that they could not. Or they go places and do things that are closely associated with immorality, stopping short of doing anything immoral themselves. But even if a person never commits an immoral act in such situations, their mind is filled with vulgar ideas and images, and their spiritual life and testimony are seriously weakened.
The third major sin of which the Corinthians were in danger was that of trying, or tempting, God. Verse 9 records the warning that We must not put Christ to the test/try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Numbers 21 gives the story behind this reference. “And the people spoke against God and Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food’ ” (Num. 21:5). God had provided manna to eat and water to drink, but the people were not satisfied. They wanted more variety and more spice. They complained and complained, questioning God’s goodness and trying His patience. They had no concern for pleasing God, only for His pleasing themselves. They did not use their new freedom to serve Him better but to demand that He serve them better.
• Christians sometimes use their freedom to push God to the limit, trying to see how much they can get out of Him and how much they can get by with before Him. Many of the Corinthians were pushing their liberty to the limits, to see how much of the flesh they could indulge and how much of the world they could enjoy. They were trying God and risking severe discipline. As some Christians today, they probably said, “This is the age of grace. We are free and God is forgiving. We can’t lose our salvation so why not get everything out of life that we can?” The Israelites found the answer to that question. “And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died” (Num. 21:6). God’s people have always lived under His grace. Every blessing Israel had, including her being called as God’s special people, was by His grace. She had been delivered from Egypt by God’s grace and she was being sustained and protected by His grace. When she put the Lord to the test, however, she discovered that He had limits which He would not let them cross over without punishment. Some of the Corinthians had gone past that limit and become sick or even died (1 Cor. 11:30).
The fourth major sin about which Paul warns in verse 10 is complaining. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. After Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their fellow rebels were destroyed by the Lord (Num. 16:32–35), “all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’s people’ ” (v. 41). God was so infuriated at their complaints about divine justice that He immediately sent a plague that killed 14,700 people. The destroyer was the same angel who had slain the firstborn of the Egyptians before Israel left Egypt (Ex. 12:23), who would kill 70,000 men because of David’s census (2 Sam. 24:15–16), and who, in response to the prayer of Isaiah and Hezekiah, would destroy the entire Assyrian army that was besieging Jerusalem (2 Chron. 32:21). The Lord knows how to destroy as well as to save (Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28). God is an awesome God and deserves our highest respect. A person or a group of persons will reap what they sow (Staton, K. (1987). First Corinthians: Unlocking the Scriptures for You (p. 182). Cincinnati, OH: Standard.).
To grumble/murmur is to give audible expression to unwarranted dissatisfaction. Back of all grumbling/murmuring against God and against his representatives is unbelief. God is no longer trusted, in fact, he is charged with leading us and treating us in a way that is wrong. (Lenski, R. C. H. (1963). The interpretation of St. Paul’s First and Second epistle to the Corinthians (p. 400). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.)
• Murmuring is dissatisfaction with God’s sovereign will for our lives and the lives of others, is a sin that He does not take lightly, even in view of His grace. When God’s people question or complain, they are challenging His wisdom, His grace, His goodness, His love, and His righteousness. Our need for contentment is not merely for our own well–being, which it is, but for God’s honor and glory. Complaining dishonors our heavenly Father; contentment glorifies Him. Paul had “learned to be content in whatever circumstances” he was in (Phil. 4:11) and advises the Corinthians to have this same contentment , lest they suffer God’s discipline.
Illustration: Complaints
While working in the 1980s on the computing staff of the University of Illinois, computer programmer Steve Dorner created the Eudora e-mail system that in 1997 was used by some 18 million people. Yet He gets about 100 e-mail messages a day and says that having 18 million users “is very gratifying, but it can also make me feel a little hunted sometimes. “I’m the one who has to, in the final analysis, deal with every single problem, and I tend to concentrate on what’s wrong,” Mr. Dorner said. “There are days when I think that every one of those 18 million people thinks I’m wrong, stupid, and out to get them.” (Jo Thomas, “Satisfaction in Job Well Done Is Only Reward for E-Mail Software Inventor,” New York Times, 21 January 1997, sec. A, p. 6.)
God must feel something like this computer programmer. As the Creator, he takes all kinds of blame from people who don’t like his program for their lives. Often these people blame him for their own mistakes. Often they blame him for situations that are for the best, though they cannot begin to understand. Worst of all, people think God is out to get them, when in fact the opposite is true. God has employed his infinite genius to program goodness into every person’s life (Larson, C. B. (2002). 750 engaging illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers (p. 77). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
3) The Application of Liberty (1 Corinthians 10:11–13)
1 Corinthians 10:11-13 [11]Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. [12]Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. [13]No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (ESV)
The punishments that came upon the disobedient Israelites not only were an example to their fellow Hebrews but also to believers in every age since. More than that they were given for our instruction, for the benefit of Christians, those on whom the end of the ages has come. Instruction (nouthesia) is more than ordinary teaching. It means admonition and carries the connotation of warning. It is counsel given to persuade a person to change behavior in light of judgment. The end of the ages refers to the time of Messiah, the time of redemption, the last days of world history before the messianic kingdom concludes. Believers live in the Kingdom of God, inaugurated at Jesus’ first coming, to be consummated with His Second Coming (Utley, R. J. (2002). Paul’s Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians (Vol. Volume 6, p. 117). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.).
• Although we are living in a greatly different age from that of the Hebrews in the wilderness under Moses, we can learn a valuable lesson from their experience. Like them we can forfeit our blessing, reward, and effectiveness in the Lord’s service if, in overconfidence and presumption, we take our liberties too far and fall into disobedience and sin. We will not lose our salvation, but we can easily lose our virtue and usefulness, and become disqualified in the race of the Christian life.
Every believer, especially when one becomes self–confident in their Christian liberty and spiritual maturity, should as verse 12 warns take heed lest he fall. Paul expresses a timeless principle, articulated in Proverbs as “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall/stumbling” (Prov. 16:18).
• Christians who become self–confident become less dependent on God’s Word and God’s Spirit and become careless in their living. As carelessness increases, openness to temptation increases and resistance to sin decreases. When we feel most secure in ourselves—when we think our spiritual life is the strongest, our doctrine the soundest, and our morals the purest—we should be most on our guard and most dependent on the Lord.
After the strong warning about self–confidence and pride, Paul concludes with a strong word of encouragement about God’s help when we are tempted in verse 13. First he assures us that none of us has temptations that are unique. Then he assures us that we can also resist and overcome every, temptation if we rely on God. Christian should recognize that victory is always available, because a believer can never get into temptation that they cannot get out of. For one thing, Paul explains, No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.
The basic meaning of temptation (peirasmos) is simply to test or prove, and has no negative connotation. Whether it becomes a proof of righteousness or an inducement to evil depends on our response. If we resist it in God’s power, it is a test that proves our faithfulness. If we do not resist, it becomes a solicitation to sin. The Bible uses the term in both ways, and Paul has both meanings in mind here. Therefore, temptation in itself is not sinful; the sin comes when the person gives in to temptation. Believers must not be shocked or discouraged, or think that they are alone in their shortcomings. Instead, they should realize their weaknesses and turn to God to resist the temptation (Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). 1 & 2 Corinthians (p. 142). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.).
The phrase: Common to man is one word (anthrôpinos) in Greek and simply means “that which is human, characteristic of or belonging to humanity.” In other words, Paul says there is no such thing as a superhuman or supernatural temptation. Temptations are human experiences. The term also carries the idea of usual or typical, as indicated by common. Temptations are never unique experiences to us. We can never have a temptation that has not been experienced by millions of other people. Circumstances differ but basic temptations do not. Even the Son of God was “tempted in all things as we are” (Heb. 4:15), and because of that “He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (2:18).
• Because temptations are common to us all we are able to “confess [our] sins to one another” (James 5:16) and to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). We are all in the same boat.
Please turn to Matthew 6 (p.811)
Not only are temptations common to all but God is faithful, and he will not let/allow you to be tempted beyond your ability/what you are able. No believer can claim that they are overwhelmed by temptation or that “the devil made me do it.” No one, not even Satan, can make us sin. No temptation is inherently stronger than our spiritual resources. People sin because they willingly sin.
God has provided a solution to dealing with temptation:
Matthew 6:5-13 [5]"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. [6]But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. [7]"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. [8]Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. [9]Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. [10]Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. [11]Give us this day our daily bread, [12]and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [13]And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
• The solution to deal with temptation is to pray. We must not treat prayer as an exercise (v.5) but tools of temptation warfare. We must pray before the temptation occurs (v.6) to recognize it and deal with it appropriately. Our prayer is to see the context of the Kingdom and God's desires (v.10) not the mine of temptation before us. When we focus on our needs and not wants, we avoid the mines. In doing so we see the way of escape (v.13) and not run into the snare of the enemy.
The Christian, has their heavenly Father’s help in resisting temptation. God is faithful. He remains true to His own. When our faithfulness is tested we have God’s own faithfulness as our resource. We can be absolutely certain that He will not let/allow [us] to be tempted beyond [our] ability/what [we] are able. That is God’s response when we pray, “do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13). He will not let us experience any test we are not able to meet.
With the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. The phrase the way is formed by the definite article and a singular noun. In other words, there is only one way. The way of escape (ekbasis) is almost exactly the same word as ‘exodus’, and Luke (Lk. 9:31.) describes the redemptive death of Jesus as the ‘exodus’ he will achieve at Jerusalem. God himself provides the oppressed and sorely tried with his exodus. He is not vindictive. He is not waiting to hit the presumptuous with punishment. Nor are we on our own; we are in this situation along with countless others, for whom the time of testing is equally, if not more, nerve-racking. It is the certain consummation of an exodus already achieved that enables us to endure: we see the light at the end of the tunnel and we press on (Prior, D. (1985). The message of 1 Corinthians: life in the local church (pp. 171–172). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
The way of escape from every temptation, no matter what it is, is the same: it is through. Whether we have a test by God to prove our righteousness or a test by Satan to induce to sin, there is only one way we can pass the test. We escape temptation not by getting out of it but by passing through it. God does not take us out; He sees us through by making us able to endure it. Temptation which cannot be fled must be endured. Often the only escape is through endurance (Jas. 1:12)(Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 242). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.).
(Format Note: some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1984). 1 Corinthians (pp. 218–231). Chicago: Moody Press.)
