IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

First, these things occurred as examples (1-11). The history of Israel was a painful example of failure. They were delivered by God's mighty hand, and were led by him directly, by a pillar of cloud and fire. They were accompanied by Christ himself. What happened? They persisted in idolatry and sexual immorality. They rebelled against their deliverer by testing him and grumbling against him. Now the fulfillment of God's redemptive history had come to the church in Corinth. They had received the gospel of Jesus and the warnings from Israel's history. How would they receive such blessings?

Second, God provides a way out (12-13). Paul gave yet another warning to the church. They were proud of themselves, thinking they were standing firm. But nobody is immune to temptation, and history shows that people alone are no match for such temptation. But God the faithful is ruling over each of us, and he provides the way out. Apart from him we can only fall; when we stand firm on the gospel of Jesus, he is faithful to provide a way out of temptation and back to himself.