We’re all tempted, and none of our temptations are truly unique; what we go through is common to man. Others before you have found strength in Jesus Christ to overcome the same temptation you experience, or even worse. Therefore, you can be victorious, but in the strength of Jesus, not in your own strength. We fight temptation with Jesus’ power, like the girl who explained what she did when Satan came at the door of her heart with temptation: “I send Jesus to answer the door. When Satan sees Jesus, he says, ‘Oops, sorry, I must have the wrong house.’”

The truth is God is faithful and has promised to supervise all temptation, whether it comes at us through the world, the flesh, or the devil. God promises to limit temptation according to our capability to endure it, or at least according to our capability as we rely on Him, not our capability as we rely only on ourselves.

Satan would destroy us in a moment if God would allow him, even as he wanted to destroy Job (Job 1:6-12) and Peter (Luke 22:31), but God will not let him. God faithfully supervises what comes to His children and though we may face grievous hardship, in Him we have the power to endure.

God has promised to not only limit our temptation, but also to provide a way of escape in tempting times. He will never force His children to use the way of escape, but He will make the way of escape available. It’s up to us to take God’s way of escape.

One commentator noted that in the original language, the word for a way of escape has the idea of a mountain pass, with the idea of an army being surrounded by the enemy, and then suddenly seeing an escape route to safety. Like a mountain pass, the way of escape isn’t necessarily an easy way—but it is available.

At a market, a little boy stood by a candy display, looking as if he was going to take some without paying. A clerk watched the boy, and finally said, “Looks like you’re trying to take some candy.” The boy answer, “Mister. I’m trying to not take any.”

For the time, that boy was able to bear it. In Christ, you can also bear temptation.

In this case, it was meat that was offered to idols. In the Roman world, the meat offered on pagan altars was usually divided into three portions. One portion was burnt in honor of the god, one portion was given to the worshipper to take home and eat, and the third portion went to the priest. At a busy temple, a lot of meat came to the priests. They often sold the meat they didn’t eat, either at a restaurant at the temple or a take-away meat market at the temple. In addition, the meat served and sold at the temple was generally cheaper. Then, as well as now, people loved a bargain (including Christians).

The whole issue of buying, eating, and serving meat that was offered to idols raised many questions for the Corinthian Christians.

– As I Christian, can I eat at the restaurant at a pagan temple?
– As I Christian, can I purchase and eat meat purchased at the temple meat market?
– As I Christian, if I am served meat as a guest at someone’s home, should I ask if it came from the pagan temple before I eat it?

These were sometimes complicated and controversial subjects among the Christians in Corinth. While most of us don’t deal directly with the issue meat offered to idols, there are many places where the practices and thinking of the world around us are a challenge for believers.

Pay attention to how Paul first addressed these issues. Instead of talking about food, Paul first spoke of the principles of knowledge and love. Christian behavior is founded on love, not knowledge; and the goal of the Christian life is not knowledge, but love.

Both knowledge and love make something grow. In the way Paul meant it here, knowledge often leads to swelling pride. Love often leads to growing in grace and the likeness of Jesus. The difference between puffs up and edifies is striking; it is the difference between a bubble and a building. Some Christians grow, others just swell.

Here is a great starting point for controversial subjects, those that relate to Christian holiness: recognize that when it comes to getting along in God’s family, love is more important than knowledge. The “love-them-all” honors God more than the “know-it-all,” especially when we mean real love, not mere unoffensive niceness.

Don’t be afraid of controversy, but make sure to lead with love – real love, not superficial niceness.

In explaining how wrong it was for them to act this way, Paul pointed out that Christians were – or should be – fully capable to judge these matters on their own. After all, Paul noted, the saints will judge the world. Believers shall even judge angels. Christians should be fully able to judge their own matters because of our destiny. As we reign with Jesus Christ, we will (in some sense or another) judge the world, and even judge angels.

The idea of Christians judging angels is fascinating. It does not mean we will sit in judgment of faithful angels, as if we could penalize them for letting us down or not being there for us in a critical time. However, we will have a part in judging evil angels. We can’t exactly say when or how this will happen, but it does remind believers of their glorious future.

The destiny of redeemed men and women – to one day be higher than the angels and to even sit in judgment of them – must greatly annoy a certain high angelic being. He did not want to serve an inferior creature in the present age and did not want that inferior creature to be raised up higher than he in the coming age. So, this high-ranking angel rebelled against God, and remains determined to keep as much of humanity as possible from sitting in judgment of himself. We can imagine the perverse, proud pleasure Satan takes over every soul that goes to hell: “They won’t sit in judgment over me!”

Knowing this leads to a few practical applications. First, Christians should take to heart the importance of solving issues among themselves, without taking things to secular courts. Of course, this doesn’t mean criminal matters, but disputes among believers should be kept out of law courts. There is wisdom among God’s people to decide such things.

Second, take to heart the amazing destiny God has appointed for His people. Redeemed men and women will be so glorified in the age to come that they will judge angels. This is one of the ways God gives His people more in Jesus than they ever lost in Adam’s fall: in some sense raising them above angelic beings. God’s salvation is great in where it lifts His people from, and where it lifts them to. Let your heart rest in that today!

Paul asked that he, and the other apostles (us), be regarded by the Corinthians as servants. There are several different words in the language of the New Testament to describe a servant. Here, Paul used the word hyperetas, describing a subordinate servant functioning as a free man. He did not use the more common word for a servant (doulos) which designated a common slave.

The word hyperetas literally means an “under-rower,” in the sense that someone was a rower on a big galley ship. So, though it is not the lowest word for a servant, it certainly was not a prestigious position. It’s a place a bit lower than the “over-rower.” A rower on a galley ship simply did what they were required to do, and they worked hard. That’s a good picture of how Paul and other apostles served Jesus and His people.

In addition to servants, Paul asked to be considered as stewards, who were the managers of a household. In relation to the master of the house, stewards were slaves; but in relation to the other slaves the steward was a master. They planned and managed the work, the finances, the strategy, and the records of the master.

What did Paul and the other apostles “manage” in the household of God? Among other things, they were stewards of the mysteries of God. They “managed” (in the sense of preserving and protecting) and “dispensed” (in the sense of distributing) the truth (mysteries) of God. Whenever Paul heard criticism of his style or manner, he could simply ask, “Did I give the truth to you?” As a good steward, that’s what he first cared about.

For stewards, the important thing was faithfulness – to be found faithful. They had to be efficient managers of the master’s resources. A steward never owned the property or resource he dealt with; he simply managed it for his master and had to manage it faithfully.

Today, God people (especially those responsible to lead in some way) should have the same attitude: “Consider us servants and stewards.” As servants, they shouldn’t think too much of themselves, and work hard. As stewards, they should faithfully manage on behalf of their Master.

We don’t need more celebrities and superstars; we need more faithful servants and stewards. If we faithfully fulfill those roles, God will be honored, and His kingdom will progress.

In Paul’s day, Corinth was already an old city, a commercial center with two busy. Because of its busy economy and many visitors, Corinth had a remarkable reputation for loose living and especially sexual immorality. In classical Greek, to act like a Corinthian meant to be sexually immoral, and a Corinthian companion was a prostitute. This immorality was permitted (even encouraged) under the widely popular worship of Aphrodite (also known as Venus, the goddess of fertility and sexuality).

When Paul came to such a challenging field of ministry, he did the only thing he could: preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Only Jesus could be the answer for such an immoral place. Preaching to entertain wouldn’t work. Preaching the gospel of self-help couldn’t help. The messages of salvation by good works or noble intentions wouldn’t change lives.

That’s why Paul didn’t come to Corinth as a philosopher or a salesman, worried about the excellence of his speech. Paul came as a witness (declaring to you the testimony of God). Paul was a smart man who could reason and debate persuasively, but he didn’t use that approach in preaching the gospel. He made a conscious decision (I determined) to put the emphasis on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Paul was an ambassador, not a salesman.

In taking this approach, Paul understood he didn’t cater to what his audience wanted. He already knew the Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:22), but he didn’t care. He was determined to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

If a preacher is not careful, he will get in the way of the gospel instead of being a servant of the gospel. Paul could say, “All I know is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified for me.”

There’s a story of a little girl who went to a traditional church with her family every week. The church had stained glass windows, and there were beautiful images of different Bible characters in the window behind the preacher. One day a very short man was the guest preacher, and because he was much shorter, the girl could see the stained-glass window with Jesus behind the guest. She wanted to know where the regular pastor ways, so she asked: “Where’s the man who usually stands in the pulpit so we can’t see Jesus?” Whether you’re a preacher or not, make sure you don’t get in the way of Jesus. Proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified.