I do
not doubt the authors of these two blog pieces were in the morass of
despondency when they challenged the veracity of St. Paul’s statement – or
rather, the veracity of the Holy Spirit’s statement to us through the apostle. I am sure the authors of these articles were
hurting, and their confusion and heartache clouded their spiritual eyes of
faith. But to suggest God's word in 1 Corinthians 10:13 is either a lie or
claptrap is a serious charge and rife with several errors of judgment. Further,
calling it a lie or claptrap turns our eyes inward, onto our suffering, and not
upward to God who, as the Psalmist learned, “is a very present help in trouble.”
(Psalm 46:1)
Let’s look at the passage in question. This is from the New American Standard Bible:
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.
This from the New International Version:
No
temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Those are only two of many versions which
translate the Greek word πειρασμός (peirasmos) as
‘temptation,’ and πειράζω (peirazo) as ‘tempted.” But a word study (I used Blueletterbible.org,
or the book Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) demonstrates the word can be
used to describe not only temptation to sin, but can also be translated as
‘proving’, “trial’, or ‘testing’. For example, Sirach (written in Greek)
27:5,7; Galatians 4:14; Hebrews 3:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 4:12; Revelation 3:10.
That is why the New American Bible
got it right when they translated the verse:
Further,
the context of 1 Corinthians 10:13 guides us to the correct understanding of
the word. The first 12 verses of this chapter talk about Israel’s 'testing' or
'trial' in the wilderness.
Even
the secular world says, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” So why is
it incredible that God will sometimes test us to see what we’re made of (or
rather, so that we will see what our
mettle is like, since He already knows us from the beginning to end and all
parts in between). To say, as these two authors say, that God gives us more
than we can handle (and without the critically important follow on from
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”) is
to make God either 1) a monster who willfully tries to destroy us, or 2) an
impotent God who cannot affect our world or our circumstances, or 3) a God who is
ignorant of what is happening in our lives.
None
of those options describe the God of the Bible. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16).
And Love does not seek to destroy His beloved. And God is omnipotent and omniscient.
God's overriding purpose is to make us into the image of Christ. He says so in Romans 8:29. (It would be instructive to read the context of that verse, too – all the way through verse 39). And often suffering is part of His plan to conform us into Christ’s image. For example, see 1 Peter 1:3-7 and Hebrews 5:7-9.
Suffering is part of life because we live in a fallen world. That is not, as some might call it, claptrap sentimentality and platitude. It is simply reality. But how we handle suffering is what determines our outlook both on life and, more importantly, how we view God – as either One who loves us and causes all things (even evil) to work together for good . . . or, as (as I said earlier) a monster.
Job is a great illustration of this point about suffering and about our choice how to handle suffering. I think most Christians have heard (or even memorized) his words in 13:15, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." The prophet Habakkuk, who lived through a horrible invasion of his land and subsequent torture and exile of his people, proclaimed something very similar in Habakkuk 3:17-19.
God's overriding purpose is to make us into the image of Christ. He says so in Romans 8:29. (It would be instructive to read the context of that verse, too – all the way through verse 39). And often suffering is part of His plan to conform us into Christ’s image. For example, see 1 Peter 1:3-7 and Hebrews 5:7-9.
Suffering is part of life because we live in a fallen world. That is not, as some might call it, claptrap sentimentality and platitude. It is simply reality. But how we handle suffering is what determines our outlook both on life and, more importantly, how we view God – as either One who loves us and causes all things (even evil) to work together for good . . . or, as (as I said earlier) a monster.
Job is a great illustration of this point about suffering and about our choice how to handle suffering. I think most Christians have heard (or even memorized) his words in 13:15, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." The prophet Habakkuk, who lived through a horrible invasion of his land and subsequent torture and exile of his people, proclaimed something very similar in Habakkuk 3:17-19.
Life is full of trials (and,
yes, even temptations to sin). Devastating trials. Heart-wrenching trials.
Bloodcurdling trials. But in each case, in all cases, God never tests us beyond
our ability to be victorious. To do so would make Him less than a loving Father
whose purpose is to make us into the image of His Son.
How can we be sure of this?
Because the Holy Spirit tells us so through the pages of Holy Scripture and
through the lives of Christians – especially the Martyrs – throughout our
history of faith.
God is good. In all situations
and in all circumstances, God is good. He can never be anything less.
Thanks be to God.
