1 Corinthians 8:9-13 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

But take heed lest this liberty of yours To eat indifferently of such meats; become a stumbling-block An occasion of doing what they judge unlawful; to them that are weak Uninformed in the truth, or unsettled as to their knowledge of it. For if any man see thee Whom he believes to have more knowledge than himself, and who really hast this knowledge, that an idol is nothing; sit at meat in the idol's temple To an entertainment there; shall not the conscience of him that is weak Scrupulous; be imboldened Encouraged by thy example; to eat those things which are offered to idols Though with a doubting, or perhaps condemning conscience. And through thy knowledge Thy abuse and unseasonable discovery of thy knowledge; shall the weak brother perish Be drawn into sin, which is the way to destruction; for whom Christ died And for whom thou wilt not lose a meal's meat: so far art thou from laying down thy life for him! We see Christ died even for them that perish. Observe this, reader. But when ye sin so Act so uncharitably and contrary to your duty; against the brethren Who, as well as you, are the children and heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; and wound their weak conscience Their ill-informed and scrupulous consciences, leading them into guilt, and hazarding their salvation; ye sin against Christ Whose members they are, and who had such regard for their souls, that he died in ignominy and torture to redeem them, and hath done all that example or precept could do, to make his followers enter into such humane and compassionate views. Wherefore For a conclusion, I lay down this general rule, that all things indifferent in their own nature are to be forborne, when the use of them would be a cause of scandal, or an occasion of falling to others, of turning them out of the right way, or hindering them therein; yea, though such things may have a great deal of apparent expediency in them. So that if meat Of what sort soever it be; make my brother to offend Lead him into sin, and cause him to contract guilt, and wound his conscience I will eat no flesh while the world standeth But live entirely on vegetables; lest I make my brother to offend That I may not scandalize and insnare him in evil, if there be no other way of avoiding it. Of such importance do I esteem the preservation of one endangered soul: and in this, and other things of a similar nature, I pray that God may incline you to use the like self-denial for your own sakes, and for the peace and honour of the Christian Church. But who will follow this example? What preacher or private Christian will abstain from any thing and every thing, lawful in itself, when it offends a weak brother?