9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer[b] for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers[c] by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble. (1 Cor. 8.9-13 NLT)
Paul says here, and rather clearly, that if someone around you does not have the faith or clarity of conscience to be able to eat the food you are eating, then do not eat it in front of them. Go without. You never want to be in a position where you have the burden of causing someone else to stumble and miss it.
Paul said I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble. In Romans 14.13 he says “decide never to put a stumbling block in the way of a brother”. It means never do something that gets in the way of someone growing in Christ.
So, what is that talking about. Firstly, you have to be doing something that isn’t wrong. The context is that some Christians are stronger than others. And those that are stronger – and hopefully as the pastors we are among some of the strongest saints in the church – must treat those who are weaker with dignity and compassion.
Often weaker Christians see things as wrong that are not wrong. When I first became a Christian, in Scotland, there were some Christians in the church that believed that playing cards was wrong. It’s obviously not, but they believed it was. They believed that to play cards was inherently sinful. So, I would never suggest playing cards with those people or I would become a stumbling block. Today, some of the biggest stumbling blocks in the church are alcohol, eating meat, TV, films, computer games, certain styles of clothing, certain types of music. So, if they upset someone, just cut it out of your life when they are around. Play cards in your house if you like it, but not in the church, not in their house! I hope you can see this is not deceptive, it is wise.
I recently took some pastors out for dinner and we all had a meal of a certain animal, and I told the pastors not to put this on social media because I know some people in our church would have been stumbling over that. This is what I am talking about.
The stumbling block is you doing something that isn’t wrong, but because someone else is grieved by it. In Romans 14.15 Paul says if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are not walking in love by your eating. So, it’s not a mature Christian that goes “well, you can eat that, but I can’t, but we are both free in Christ”, this is the weaker Christian that is really cut by it. They are really upset. When that happens you have become the stumbling block.
Now, there are some people who will say they are upset by anything just to control you, and so you need to learn wisdom and discernment. But if someone is genuinely upset, you must not be their stumbling block. It might not be wrong for you to, it does not distract from your walk with Christ at all, but it might be an upset to others.
What will happen is that the weaker brother will copy you – not out of revelation but because you are the pastor – and as they copy you they will sin against their own conscience. They haven’t been persuaded from the Word, they are just copying you, and that’s not enough to resist guilt and condemnation after doing it.
You are strong enough to step over this issue, but they stumble over it and fall. Romans 14.23 says if you eat doubting, you will be condemned as you eat. They will go away feeling guilty for what they did and their fellowship with God will be damaged, and it is on you as the pastor for causing them to stumble. Do not do that!
Inspiring and Challenging Dreamers 