What does it mean that we are not to cause others to stumble?

(Vv. 13-18). Hitherto, the Apostle has shown us that plain duty would preserve us from interfering with one another in the matter of meats and days. Now he shows there is another motive that would keep us from judging one another in such matters; we are to walk according to love (15). Moved by considerations of love for our brother, we should be careful not to put any stumbling block in his way.

Paul was fully persuaded that no meat in itself was unclean, but if to eat meat would give a brother a bad conscience, it would become an occasion of defilement to him. We are to be careful then not to use our liberty in the endeavour to persuade a brother to do something about which he has a conscience. We are persuading him to act beyond his faith, and as far as the bearing of our act goes we are leading him to violate his conscience and thus drive him from Christ.

Thus the liberty of Christianity, which we may rightly enjoy, may become an occasion for stumbling others and thus be evil spoken of.

Necessarily, the things in which one has to yield here, therefore, are things indifferent. That is what the apostle is speaking of, of meats and drinks and days. It is supposed that on both sides the authority of the Lord is owned. One cannot be really liberal in things that are not one's own. One can give up one's own liberty where it is simply a question of that, and not only we can, but we ought. The supposition here is of religious scruple entirely, not of people without conscience, but of conscience in fact rigidly governed by that which to them, whatever be the truth of it, is the will of the Lord. If a man eats, he eats to the Lord, or if he eats not, it is still to the Lord; if he observes the day, he observes it to the Lord, or to the Lord he does not observe it. Here a question may be raised with regard to the Lord's Day. How does the principle here affect that? It would seem that it does not come into the question; just because the Lord's Day is given us not in the way of legal command, but as a privilege which must be accepted as privilege in order for the observance to be anything really acceptable to God, — not that it is supposed that a Christian could have a scruple religiously about observing the day in this case or on this ground. Religious scruples are the whole matter here and who could scruple to avail himself of the privilege of giving up a day to the Lord, a day free for him to be occupied with his own things, and in such a manner as we find Scripture before us? Question here, therefore, could scarcely be made. What the apostle has before him is, of course, as the meats and drinks show, the Jewish distinction of meats and days, which has passed away, but which, nevertheless, may have a real power over the minds of some who realize that these things were once given of God, and who do not see how He has brought us out of them. Here the principle applies which the apostle has stated elsewhere, that to those who were under the law he became as under the law, "not being myself under the law," as he carefully adds; "that I might gain those that are under the law." These are the questions, but the principle as we have said, the first principle here, is that the conscience is to be before the Lord alone; and that we are to leave every Christian free to act before God. We must not judge. The Lord will do that. "Every knee shall bow to Him and every tongue confess to God." It is of the first importance that in every question of conscience this should be maintained.

But there is another motive beside, that of duty to our brother. Our love to our brother is to be a motive. We are to consider what it means to put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in a brother's way. Let it be the lightest thing imaginable, the use of only meat to him unclean, yet our use of it may lead him into that which he has not faith for, and how could love possibly do this? A terrible thing it is to lead a person to act without conscience; that is, therefore, to sin against God. It is a thing which will necessarily have influence, if self-judgment do not come in, upon the whole character of his life and ways. We may be for ourselves doing that which is perfectly lawful to us, (in itself lawful,) and yet the question of a brother's conscience with regard to it cannot be ignored. We are not forced to eat or drink, because it is our privilege to do so. The Kingdom of God does not in its character consist of eating and drinking and such like things, but in "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Here the one who is, while free in his inmost soul, a bond-servant to Christ, — (the apostle puts the strongest term) — will not allow the freedom that he really has to prevent him forgetting that he is bound in every way to use his freedom to glorify Christ with it; this man is "well pleasing to God and approved of men." We are to pursue, therefore, the things that are for peace, and the things that are for edification with regard to others. Think of destroying God's work in another for the sake of a piece of meat; for while the things themselves may be clean, it still is evil to the man who eats while he stumbles over it. "It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is weak." You may say, you have faith. Well, he says, but faith is after all the lowliest of things. Faith is realized dependence, is it not? Act in it in lowliness, "Have it to thyself before God;" and remember that, "Happy is he who does not bring judgment upon himself in that which be approveth;" but this is the very thing that the doubter does. He is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; "for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." How important is this principle, and in how wide a sphere! How important it is that we should so act in every case as not to induce the weakest or those nearest to us, — where our conduct is apt to have the strongest weight, — to walk without God! It will be no excuse for them before Him, to say that they have followed us. God's will is not so far to seek and not so hard to be understood as to allow of excuse here on the part of any, but the point is clearly especially for the strong, that they are not, by their strength, really to force others into paths, which, because doubtful to them, are necessarily wrong, even though the path looked at in itself may be a right one.

Verses 13-15. The certainty of a coming judgment of the saints of God imposes on them severally a new and especial responsibility, and that of a mutual kind. Instead of judging one another, they are to "judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way" (verse 13). Every Christian has a living interest in his brother, as a member of the body of Christ. As a consequence of this, he is interested in his brother's ways. He has to make straight paths for such as are out of the way (Heb. 12:13). He is to look diligently to his own way, lest, by too heedless a use of his liberty, he unwittingly become a hindrance in his brother's path. The effects of the conduct of God's saints upon each other's way, as those effects are made apparent in the day of the Lord, will alone discover to the full the practical importance of a careful walk — of keeping a conscience void of offence towards man as well as towards God. Meanwhile there is but one way of avoiding occasion of stumbling. Love of the brethren, if real, is a sure preservative from offence (1 John 2:10). It ought to be an easy thing to them who are born of love to walk in love. Yet alas! it is here that the root of all difficulty lies. One's soul droops with shame while pondering the precepts of the Spirit of grace (founded as they are on the perfect testimonies of accomplished mercy), at the thought how little there is found the mind to care naturally for the estate of one's brethren. Alas! it has ever been so. Nor will love have its perfect course until the mighty change from flesh to spirit once wrought upon these bodies of humiliation shall leave no longer anything of our own to be cared for (Phil. 3:20-21), and we shall know, in the light of His own joy, that when seeking the things of Jesus, we were seeking best our own.

Mr. P.: Softly, dear Jane, that sounds too much like what Cain said after he had killed his brother, “Am I my brother's keeper?” You or I cannot help others looking at us; and whether we wish it or not we have an influence, for good or for evil, over those around us. By the power of God believers have been made one in Christ; not only children of the same family, but in closer bonds even than that members of the same body (1 Cor. 12:25-27). On this account we have that weighty warning in 1 Cor. 8:9-12, “Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. For if any man see thee, who hast knowledge, sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.” Now this “sin against Christ” was all about a “trivial matter” as to whether a Christian should or should not eat meat that had been offered to idols. To those who saw that the meat was none the worse for being thus offered, and that they themselves were made neither better nor worse by eating it (1 Cor. 8:8), to those, I say, it truly seemed a trifling thing; but to the weak ones, eating such things seemed a very serious matter — a most heinous sin. The apostle's counsel here is of extreme importance. The strong ones were to look at the matter, not from their own standpoint, but from that of the weak ones (Rom. 15:1). That which was so trifling in itself becomes of the utmost importance because of the weak brethren. And if any despised this way of looking at it and spoke, as you have spoken, Jane, the apostle says, “Why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Rom. 14:10). And from this we learn that we have to give an account to God as to whether, even in trifling things, we have been stumbling blocks to weak ones for whom Christ died. How solemn this is!

While possessing the fullest liberty in regard to what may be eaten, the apostle yet enjoins two things: first, tender consideration for the conscientious scruples of one who is "weak in the faith"; and, secondly, that we should follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. In the firmest way possible he lays down - he knows and is persuaded by the Lord Jesus - that there is nothing unclean of itself. As he says in another epistle, "Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer." (1 Tim. 4:4-5.) Still, "to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, it is unclean"; and, consequently, if such a brother ate what he deemed to be unclean, he would have a bad conscience before God. This has to be borne in mind; and hence for those who are "strong" to eat before the weak brother that which he regarded as unclean would be to put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall, in his way. (v. 13.) It would also be a failure in love, as it would show an utter disregard for his spiritual welfare. For these reasons it is never according to God to assert our liberty where its exercise might produce a bad impression or effect upon our fellow-believers who may have less light, or not be so well instructed as ourselves. "It is good," Paul says, "neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." (v. 21.) Must we, then, altogether surrender our liberty because of the scruples of others? By no means; and on this account the apostle proceeds, "Hast thou faith?" Do you believe that it is according to the mind of God, as expressed in His Word, that you may eat or drink that which might be a stumbling-block to others? If you are fully persuaded of this, exercise your liberty in private, but not before others. This we judge to be the meaning of the words - "Have it [faith] to thyself before God." But it must be a matter of faith, and hence the added warnings, lest the liberty claimed should degenerate into licence: "Happy is he that condemneth [judgeth] not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned [condemned] if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (vv. 22, 23.) What a perfect rule of conduct! We are set down, on the one hand, in the presence of God, where we are to act in faith, as having His mind; and, on the other, we are to be governed, in our relationships with our brethren, by love, and love will ever lead us to avoid doing anything which might be a snare or an offence to them, and also always to seek their welfare and edification.

But if one had liberty to eat meat offered to idols, without any conscientious scruples, he must still be careful not to stumble those whose conscience is weak. True knowledge is considerate, not overbearing. If the one who had knowledge would sit at meat in the idol's temple, this might embolden others to do the same thing, at a time when their own conscience spoke against it. This principle may be applied to various circumstances in which we may be found today. A weak Christian may see another go to a place that his own conscience forbids him to go; but because the stronger Christian has gone, then he does also. The stronger has therefore encouraged the other to ignore his conscience. And it is asked, ''Through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?'' Not that God would allow any believer to perish, but my heartless treatment of him is virtually having no concern as to whether he would even perish. But Christ died for him!

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (ver. 4). It is not merely the becoming like little children as begotten of God, but there is the practical humbling of ourselves. And not only the humbling of ourselves, but how we feel toward others: "Whosoever shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me." Whatever may be the lowliness of the Christian, he should be viewed with all the glory of Christ, which is meant by receiving him in the name of Christ. It is a person that does not defend his rights, nor assert his own glory, but is willing to bend and make way for any one, while conscious of the glory that rests upon him. There may be the very opposite of this — "Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me." What is meant by this? Anything calculated to shake their confidence in Christ, to put a stumbling-block in their way. It does not mean anything said in faithful love to their soul. People may take offence at this; but it is not what is spoken of here. It is what tends to shake the confidence of the little one in God Himself. "Whoso shall offend one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." These things are constantly occurring in the world. Therefore, says the Lord, "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." What is to be done? The Lord shows in two forms the way to guard against these stumbling-blocks. The first is this — I must begin with myself. This is the most important means of not stumbling another. "Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off and cast them from thee." It may be in one's service, or in one's walk; but if thy hand or foot become the occasion of stumbling (something in which the enemy takes advantage against God), deal resolutely at once with the evil thing. "It is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire" (vers. 6-8).

149 Then, again, the whole system of the world is a stumbling-block: there is not one thing in it which is not calculated to turn the heart from God. Take the merest trifle - dress, vanities in the street, flattery of man, of brethren, perhaps, etc. - all tend to elevate the flesh. What a different thing is heaven opening on a rejected Saviour! And this is our light and pathway through the world, for now the heavens are open to faith, as we pass through it to Him whom we see in glory. There is an active energetic flow of God's love in carrying on souls. Is our walk a witness? Take care you are not a stumbling-block. You may say, A person must be very weak to feel such or such a thing, but it is the very reason why he is to be cared for. The Lord give us never to hinder but to help the weak! These things are the stumbling-block of the enemy, and the man by whom they come is so far an instrument of Satan. The Lord loves His little ones. Better for that man that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of them.

From the account we shall render to God each concerning himself, the apostle draws the conclusion, "Let us not then judge one another any more, but judge this rather, not to put a stumbling-block or an occasion of fall before one's brother" (ver. 13): a principle as true for the strong as for the weak; for though the weak were the more prone to judge, the strong to despise, both are called to make this their determination, if they would not be an occasion of stumbling or offence, whether in act or thought.

Verse 9. "But take heed lest by any means," etc. The liberty of God's children is absolute,6 but they are expected to use it as imitators of God. We have to consider not ourselves only, but both our brethren and the world. A saint may be walking without circumspection, and yet with an unruffled conscience. But this is dangerous. Heed must be taken lest, while enjoying, in one sense blamelessly, our liberty, we become unwittingly a stumbling-block to others. An ostentatious use of liberty rarely fails to injure both the boaster and those who may observe his ways. True grace, because it is free, and knows its happiness in fellowship with God, makes no effort to seem free. Rather it will seek to use its liberty in love, considering the weak, and neither despising them, nor tempting them by wrong example to act in any thing beyond their faith. In what follows we have a strong example of the possible effect on others of a heedless and unseasonable assertion of what is still undoubted Christian liberty.