John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 10:13

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." — 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ASV)

No temptation has taken you. Let others take their own way of interpreting this. For my part, I believe it was intended for their consolation, so that on hearing of such appalling instances of God's wrath, as he had previously related, they would not feel discouraged, being overpowered with alarm. Therefore, so that his exhortation might be beneficial, he adds that there is room for repentance, saying: “There is no reason why you should despair, for I have not intended to give you cause for despair, nor has anything happened to you except what is common to people.”

Others believe that he rather chides their cowardice in yielding when so lightly tested; and unquestionably, the word rendered human is sometimes taken to mean moderate. The meaning, then, according to them would be this: “Was it fitting for you to yield in this way under a slight trial?” But since it agrees better with the context if we consider it as consolation, I am for this reason more inclined to that view.

But God is faithful. Just as he exhorted them to be of good courage regarding the past, so that he might stir them up to repentance, so he also comforts them regarding the future with a sure hope, on the basis that God would not allow them to be tempted beyond their strength. He exhorts them, however, to look to the Lord, because a temptation, however slight it may be, will immediately overcome us, and it will all be over for us, if we rely upon our own strength.

he speaks of the Lord as faithful, not merely as being true to his promises, but as though he had said: The Lord is the sure guardian of his people, under whose protection you are safe, for he never leaves his people destitute. Accordingly, when he has received you under his protection, you have no cause to fear, provided you depend entirely upon him. For certainly this would be a type of deception if he were to withdraw his help in the time of need, or if he were, on seeing us weak and ready to sink under the burden, to prolong our trials still further.

Now God helps us in two ways, so that we may not be overcome by the temptation: for he supplies us with strength, and he sets limits to the temptation. It is of the second of these ways that the Apostle here chiefly speaks. At the same time, he does not exclude the former—that God alleviates temptations, so that they may not overpower us by their weight. For he knows the measure of our power, which he himself has conferred. According to that, he regulates our temptations. The term temptation I take here as denoting, in a general way, everything that allures us.