If you’re not careful, you will do the same thing in your Christian life. You will trip up your brothers and sisters in Christ without realizing it. When you do this, whether on purpose or by accident, you have become a stumblingblock, and this is what the Apostle Paul deals with in I Corinthians 8.
1. The Reality of the Situation (v. 4-7)
A. Idols don’t exist, and there is only one God (v. 4-6)
Paul has to mention this in order to get it out of the way. Obviously, the issue here has nothing to do with idols because Paul is speaking to Christians, and they know that there is only one God.
B. What might be wrong for one person to do might not be so for another (v. 7)
This has to do with those gray areas in life (usually standards). Here your conscience is a big help.
Let me give you an example. Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, was an avid cigar smoker. On one occasion, he and another preacher, G. F. Pentecost, were sharing the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Spurgeon got up and preached on the danger of sin, and Pentecost was invited to make the application. Pentecost got up and preached fervently against smoking tobacco, and cigars in particular. After he concluded Spurgeon stood before the congregation and said, “Well, dear friends, you know that some men can do to the glory of God what to other men would be sin. And notwithstanding what brother Pentecost has said, I intend to smoke a good cigar to the glory of God before I go to bed tonight.”
Concerning this, Kenneth L. Chafin states, “Often the gray areas are a reflection of the area or of the times and have little to do with the biblical faith. When I was a teenager I heard many ministers say that it was a sin to attend movies, but Dr. Hendricks, who pastored the county seat church, saw nothing wrong with attending movies. An association of churches in West Texas wouldn’t allow boys and girls to swim in the pool at the church camp at the same time, while the churches along the coast didn’t have a qualm about what their West Texas brethren thought was a sin. When a missionary couple came home from Peru and were visiting the churches to report on their work, one church wouldn’t let the wife stand behind the pulpit to speak because they felt it violated the teaching of the Scripture, while another church in the same city not only let her stand behind the pulpit, but listed her in the bulletin as ‘preaching the sermon.’”
2. The Importance of the Conscience (v. 8-12)
Every person has a conscience, a built-in alarm system. To go against your conscience will lead to guilt, which is why most people won’t do it.
A. To wound another’s conscience is wrong
Paul’s concern IS NOT that someone may see the Corinthians eating meat offered to idols and then assume the Corinthians are in sin. Paul’s concern is that a fellow believer may join the Corinthians in eating food offered to idols even though it goes against his conscience. Paul is ultimately concerned that the Corinthians will encourage fellow believers to act against their consciences.
Realize that the conscience is a gift from God.
—could cause them to sin (v. 9)
Illustration: Jack Phillips and his decision not to make a cake for a gay wedding. Why? Because it went against his Christian beliefs and his conscience. In his heart, this would be a sin because it would be condoning something that he believes to be sinful.
But how much worse when a Christian causes another Christian to sin! God takes this very seriously.
Matt. 18:3-6.
The Greek word for “offend” is skandalizo, which means “to cause to stumble, to cause to sin.”
—could embolden them to do what is wrong (v. 10)
Gal. 2:11-13.
What Peter did was wrong, but even worse, he caused Barnabas to do the same thing, thinking that it was okay. How many times has a baby Christian done something wrong because he was following the bad example of an older Christian. What about parents? Your kids are watching, and they will do what you do (example: cussing).
—could ruin them (they perish) (v. 11)
What a tragedy that this happens. Imagine a Christian being the cause of another Christian’s ruined life. When a Christian consistently becomes a stumblingblock to another Christian, it will lead eventually to destruction. This is why if someone is causing you to stumble, you need to tell them.
B. This is not only a sin against them, but against Christ (v. 12)
How does this work? Think about it like this: If the church is the body of Christ, and Christians are the members, then when you hurt a fellow Christian, you are hurting Christ. Jesus takes this sin personally.
Remember, every sin is a sin against God.
Psalm 51:4a, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight…”
3. The Conviction of the Apostle (v. 13)
A. This is self-denial
We live in a very selfish culture. People have pampered themselves in that they never deny themselves anything. Because of this, self-denial is very difficult! But remember, you’re not doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for someone else.
To deny yourself something for someone else’s benefit, that is Christlike!
Sir Walter Scott said this about self-denial: “There never did, and never will, exist anything permanently noble and excellent in a character which was a stranger to the exercise of resolute self denial. Teach self denial, and make its practice pleasurable, and you create for the world a destiny more sublime than ever issued from the brain of the wildest dreamer.”
Philippians 4:11b, “…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
B. Learn to be aware of others’ weaknesses
Philippians 2:3-4, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
Galatians 6:1-2, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
The motivating factor must be love!
C. Do not force your standards onto someone else
This is wrong because your standards are not THE standard (which would be God’s Word). Do not hold someone to your standards. Everyone has to have their own standards for what they believe is right for them and their family. They will answer to God for it, and you will answer to God for yours.
CONCLUSION
We’ve seen why stumblingblock Christians are so dangerous. They not only hurt a fellow Christian and wound his conscience, but they also sin against Christ.
So let me ask you, are you a stumblingblock to someone? You might say, “I don’t know.” Then you need to start looking on the things of others and bearing their burdens. It’s time to deny yourself and put others first.
Instead of being stumblingblocks, God has called us to be the exact opposite: builders.
Romans 15:2, “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”
I Thessalonians 5:11, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
Don’t just be sensitive to the needs and weaknesses of others, but actively look for ways to build one another up. How can you encourage that brother who’s hurting? What can you do for the one who is struggling with her health? How can you be a blessing to the one who seems overwhelmed with life? Let’s build, and not tear down!
Beware of stumblingblocks! Make sure you’re not guilty of being one, but also roll up your sleeves and build. Why? Because that is exactly what Christ has done for us.
