Verse of the Day – 1 Corinthians 10:13

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

It’s me again, Christiaan, if you missed yesterday’s study, you can reference it here: Ecclesiastes 3:1 as I want to build on some of the things I covered yesterday.

If you grew up in church, ever had a sunday school, been to youth group, or if you’re a guy been to any sort of men’s group, you’re familiar with this verse. It’s almost exclusively used in terms of temptation. And that’s not surprising. Almost every translation (28/31) uses the term temptation.

But what if temptation isn’t really the best term? The bible that we have is largely translated into our native language from either Hebrew or Greek. Tools like the Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament (MOUNCE) give us a better idea of what was really intended because it’s the most literal translation out there. It takes the individual words in Greek, factors in the tenses, and gives us an exact English phrasing. The biggest problem is that it’s not always readable.

“No trial has overtaken you that is not distinctively human; and God is faithful; he will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear, but with the trial [He] will also provide the way through, so that you will be able to endure it.” – 1st Corinthians 10:13 (MOUNCE)

The word that’s translated in Trial/Test/Temptation is the Greek word, Peirasmos, which when used in scripture can mean anything from “direct temptation to sin,” being put on trial or suffering a “trial, calamity, and affliction.”

This is much deeper than just a temptation to sin, which while true isn’t the complete and total truth. Paul is telling us that nothing we go through is ultimately unique, and this can provide comfort in the fact that we know we’re not alone. It also tells us that that no matter what trial, calamity, or affliction we face, God will provide us a way to get through it so we can endure.

When paired with the two translations of Ecclesiastes 3:1 from yesterday: “Everything has a season, and a time for every matter under the heavens.” (Alter) and “Everything that happens in the world happens at a time God chooses.” GNT we can agree upon the following truths:

• Trials, calamities, afflictions, temptations and everything we go through has a season. Just as they began at one point, they’ll end.
• You’re not alone in your suffering, others have and will go through suffering like you are at some point.
• God won’t prevent you from going through these seasons, but he will ensure that you can endure them and one of the ways that God does this is by his choosing the time to have you go through it.

And that is an encouraging thought.

Christiaan.