Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Corinthians 10:12

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." — 1 Corinthians 10:12 (ASV)

Paul now applies these examples for the Corinthians. They have been written down to warn us, he says. His warning amounts to this: “Do not be smug in your firm stand for Christ. Keep alert lest you fall.” “The fulfillment [GK 3463] of the ages [GK 172]” is the entire stretch of time Between the coming of Jesus and the end of the world.

Verse 13 is one of the most helpful verses in the NT and presents the great antidote to falling into sin through temptation. “Temptation” (GK 4280) is not itself sinful. God allows it as a way of purifying us (James 1:12), but the devil uses it to entice us into sin (cf. Matthew 4:1). The temptations that come to the Christian are those all human beings face—they are unavoidable. But, says Paul, God is right there with us to keep us from being overwhelmed by the temptation. He will provide a way out, not in order to avoid the temptation, but to meet it successfully and to stand firm under it.