But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
Liberty means Christian freedom and personal example, and the weak are those who are weak in faith, tender in conscience, or uninformed. In its first setting about food offered to idols, buying such food could seem to approve idol worship and sharing a table with Gentiles could shock Jewish believers, so even conduct innocent in itself must be avoided when it could offend another's scruples. The verse allows no freedom that will prove a stumbling block to a weak brother, requiring believers to guard words, actions, motives and character, and to refuse to make crooked paths that turn weak feet aside. In health reform this means not pressing sudden dietary changes or making diet an early test, but leading gradually and attractively, since extreme words, excessive enthusiasm, and public use of tea while teaching others to abandon it create prejudice and turn souls away. The same care forbids costly fashionable dress that tempts poorer and less experienced women to ruinous imitation, forbids inconsistent conduct that hinders truth more than open opposition, and warns that those who give others excuse to do wrong must answer to God when the lost reproach those who caused them to stumble.
Meaning and Original Setting
Liberty in the verse means Christian freedom and the power of personal example, which must be exercised with care so as not to become a stumbling block to others. The weak are those who are weak in faith, who have a tender conscience, or who are uninformed. Conduct that gives others an excuse to follow practices they believe to be wrong places a cause of stumbling before them. Even sound Bible teaching confuses and weakens others when the minister's conduct contradicts what is preached, so personal piety and practice must support words. In applying the principle to health reform, those unfamiliar with it must not be pressured into sudden dietary changes nor have diet made an early test, but its principles are to be presented attractively so people are led rather than driven, since even praise of a good practice urged too enthusiastically can turn hearers away.
In its original setting concerning food offered to idols, Christian freedom had to be exercised with regard for its effect on others lest it lead someone with a tender conscience into offense or confusion. Buying such food could appear to approve idol worship and could distress Jewish believers. Sharing a table could also shock them because of Gentile customs involving blood.
Even conduct innocent in itself must be avoided if it could seem to approve idolatry or offend another person's scruples. Believers must therefore consider how their words and actions affect others.
No liberty may be taken that will prove a stumbling block to a weak brother. This requires guarding every point against temptation, watching words and guarding the spirit that prompts them, and watching actions and motives so that selfish conduct does not become a cause of stumbling to weaker believers. It requires standing as faithful sentinels over defective attributes of character. Those for whom Christ has died must be treated with care, and crooked paths must not be made that turn a weak brother's feet out of the way of life.
Loving Use of Freedom
In health reform liberty must be used with care so as not to hinder those who are weak or uninformed. Those unfamiliar with it must not be pressured into sudden dietary changes, and diet must not be made an early test. Its principles should instead be presented attractively, with people led rather than driven and allowed to advance gradually. Sudden demands and excessive enthusiasm may turn people away, and even praise of a good practice can turn hearers away if urged too enthusiastically.
Extreme words and conduct by inexperienced advocates create prejudice and harm the cause. Such extremism makes unbelievers reject health reform together with the truths about the Sabbath and Christ's soon coming. Those whose actions obstruct others from hearing these truths bear a great responsibility. Even what is claimed as allowable or necessary must be withheld from public example if it will tempt others. Therefore tea must not be served at the common table while tea drinkers are being taught to abandon it, and if in some circumstance its use is deemed necessary it must be given only in a private room, so that every cause of stumbling may be removed.
Following inclination or appetite rather than principle must be avoided, because neglecting known health and dress reform leads others to use that example as an excuse to indulge their appetites. Costly fashionable dress and self-adornment by professed Christian women sets just such a harmful example for less experienced and poorer women. Those who feel pressure to imitate it are exposed to temptation and may be driven to privation, dishonesty, theft, ruin, or the sacrifice of virtue. The example thus opens a door of temptation and brings serious accountability at the final judgment.
The tongue, though a little member, does a weight of mischief by sowing seeds of bitterness and suspicious thoughts. In this way it becomes a plague spot and rock of offense that wrecks souls. Even sound Bible teaching confuses and weakens others when a minister's conduct contradicts what he preaches, so personal piety and practice must support his words. Inconsistency by a professed defender of truth who acts contrary to what he claims to believe hinders the cause more than open opposition. His inconsistency gives an unbeliever greater reason to doubt.
Those whose conduct gives others excuses to follow practices they believe wrong place a cause of stumbling before them. They must answer to God for that influence at the final judgment. In the day when every case is revealed, those eternally lost will reproach those who caused them to stumble. The same warning applies to Brother Smith, whose influence was a stumbling block to Brother Rupert and many others by hindering Rupert's work of confession.
Liberty means Christian freedom and personal example, and the weak are those who are weak in faith, tender in conscience, or uninformed. In its first setting about food offered to idols, buying such food could seem to approve idol worship and sharing a table with Gentiles could shock Jewish believers, so even conduct innocent in itself must be avoided when it could offend another's scruples. The verse allows no freedom that will prove a stumbling block to a weak brother, requiring believers to guard words, actions, motives and character, and to refuse to make crooked paths that turn weak feet aside. In health reform this means not pressing sudden dietary changes or making diet an early test, but leading gradually and attractively, since extreme words, excessive enthusiasm, and public use of tea while teaching others to abandon it create prejudice and turn souls away. The same care forbids costly fashionable dress that tempts poorer and less experienced women to ruinous imitation, forbids inconsistent conduct that hinders truth more than open opposition, and warns that those who give others excuse to do wrong must answer to God when the lost reproach those who caused them to stumble.
Meaning and Original Setting
Liberty in the verse means Christian freedom and the power of personal example, which must be exercised with care so as not to become a stumbling block to others. The weak are those who are weak in faith, who have a tender conscience, or who are uninformed. Conduct that gives others an excuse to follow practices they believe to be wrong places a cause of stumbling before them. Even sound Bible teaching confuses and weakens others when the minister's conduct contradicts what is preached, so personal piety and practice must support words. In applying the principle to health reform, those unfamiliar with it must not be pressured into sudden dietary changes nor have diet made an early test, but its principles are to be presented attractively so people are led rather than driven, since even praise of a good practice urged too enthusiastically can turn hearers away.
In its original setting concerning food offered to idols, Christian freedom had to be exercised with regard for its effect on others lest it lead someone with a tender conscience into offense or confusion. Buying such food could appear to approve idol worship and could distress Jewish believers. Sharing a table could also shock them because of Gentile customs involving blood.
Even conduct innocent in itself must be avoided if it could seem to approve idolatry or offend another person's scruples. Believers must therefore consider how their words and actions affect others.
No liberty may be taken that will prove a stumbling block to a weak brother. This requires guarding every point against temptation, watching words and guarding the spirit that prompts them, and watching actions and motives so that selfish conduct does not become a cause of stumbling to weaker believers. It requires standing as faithful sentinels over defective attributes of character. Those for whom Christ has died must be treated with care, and crooked paths must not be made that turn a weak brother's feet out of the way of life.
Loving Use of Freedom
In health reform liberty must be used with care so as not to hinder those who are weak or uninformed. Those unfamiliar with it must not be pressured into sudden dietary changes, and diet must not be made an early test. Its principles should instead be presented attractively, with people led rather than driven and allowed to advance gradually. Sudden demands and excessive enthusiasm may turn people away, and even praise of a good practice can turn hearers away if urged too enthusiastically.
Extreme words and conduct by inexperienced advocates create prejudice and harm the cause. Such extremism makes unbelievers reject health reform together with the truths about the Sabbath and Christ's soon coming. Those whose actions obstruct others from hearing these truths bear a great responsibility. Even what is claimed as allowable or necessary must be withheld from public example if it will tempt others. Therefore tea must not be served at the common table while tea drinkers are being taught to abandon it, and if in some circumstance its use is deemed necessary it must be given only in a private room, so that every cause of stumbling may be removed.
Following inclination or appetite rather than principle must be avoided, because neglecting known health and dress reform leads others to use that example as an excuse to indulge their appetites. Costly fashionable dress and self-adornment by professed Christian women sets just such a harmful example for less experienced and poorer women. Those who feel pressure to imitate it are exposed to temptation and may be driven to privation, dishonesty, theft, ruin, or the sacrifice of virtue. The example thus opens a door of temptation and brings serious accountability at the final judgment.
The tongue, though a little member, does a weight of mischief by sowing seeds of bitterness and suspicious thoughts. In this way it becomes a plague spot and rock of offense that wrecks souls. Even sound Bible teaching confuses and weakens others when a minister's conduct contradicts what he preaches, so personal piety and practice must support his words. Inconsistency by a professed defender of truth who acts contrary to what he claims to believe hinders the cause more than open opposition. His inconsistency gives an unbeliever greater reason to doubt.
Those whose conduct gives others excuses to follow practices they believe wrong place a cause of stumbling before them. They must answer to God for that influence at the final judgment. In the day when every case is revealed, those eternally lost will reproach those who caused them to stumble. The same warning applies to Brother Smith, whose influence was a stumbling block to Brother Rupert and many others by hindering Rupert's work of confession.