The idea of not being a stumbling block to weaker believers is an idea I have had difficulty in understanding how to practice. You must understand, I like clear, obvious, well-defined rules and where the lines are regarding them. I constantly desire to know what exactly is wrong or sinful and what is permissible. I do not desire to know this from a place of wanting to toe the line and push the boundaries of what is permissible, to get as close to sinning as possible without doing it. No. The desire comes from a place of fear. I am afraid to condemn a believer for something that is not actually a sin. I do not wish to stumble into legalism by claiming a brother is amid sin when in fact what he is doing is not condemned scripturally.

I hope this helps to explain my confusion when I would be told do not do this or that for you may cause a brother to stumble or keep this or that secret to not cause a brother to stumble even though scripturally those things were allowed. The issue for me was where does it end? What even is stumbling? Must I indulge every legalistic fancy to not offend sensibilities? To what extent does hiding something from fellow believers to ensure they do not stumble become hiding something out of shame or to look like a better Christian? As you can see, I cannot remember ever being given a clear sense of how to go about not stumbling a brother. I have desired to be obedient to God in this area but up until now I have felt like a blind man trying to go north and the only advice, I have been given is “make sure that you go north, or you might lead those younger who are following you astray”. I have been told what to do but not necessarily how. And this is what my desire for this essay to be, a clear scriptural explanation of what it means to be a stumbling block to a fellow believer.

There are two primary uses of the term stumbling block one is in reference to how Jesus will be a stumbling block to the unrighteous but a sanctuary to the righteous in Isaiah 8:14 which is also quoted in Romans 11:9. The second manner is where the term stumbling block is used in reference to causing someone to mess up and fall into sin. Notably throughout Ezekiel there is this repeated idea that the iniquity within Israel is a stumbling block to the rest of Israel. But the primary passages I would like to focus on are in the New Testament in Romans 14:13-22.

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

                This passage appears to indicate that we must change how we live to avoid offending our more legalistic brothers in the fact that we are told “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.” But that would not be an accurate view because in Galatians 2 Paul condemns Peter for preaching that the Gentiles should be circumcised. Because as Galatians 2:16 says.

nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

                Paul has no issue calling out legalistic practices, so for him to encourage the Roman church to just go along with legalism to not cause stumbling would be hypocritical. The point is not following legalistic whims but having what we do be from faith and that our fellow believers are doing it from faith and not doubt. If we know that to do something improperly could lead to sin, we should not engage in that thing either at all or at least not around the weaker brother. A common modern issue in the church is alcohol, while the Bible only condemns getting drunk many Christians are entirely against alcohol and while many may condemn alcohol from a place of legalism many truly believe drinking alcohol to be a sin. If the weaker brother, then sees another Christian drink alcohol they may go “oh, well, I suppose this is fine.” And instead of drinking moderately they fall back into how they were before they were saved and become intoxicated. This is what is being referenced that what a stronger believer may know is fine when done a certain way could easily lead to sin for another. But if a meeting were to actively preach that drinking alcohol is a sin and no true Christian would ever drink it then that is legalism and is also actively leading the weaker brothers astray and therefore, we should be as Paul in Galatians and condemn that teaching. To make sure we do not cause a brother or sister to stumble we should not overreact and start teaching commands that are not in the Bible. If someone were to tell you, they are offended at the fact you drink alcohol, but they are not tempted to indulge in alcohol themselves then you are not a stumbling block for them because they are not tempted to violate their conscience.

                The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God We should follow our convictions and not grow angry or exasperated when our fellow believers’ convictions differ. If our convictions do not run counter to scripture, then we should not take issue with what each other is doing.

In the second major passage that deals with this issue 1 Corinthians 8.

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

The phrase Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies Is an excellent mindset to keep when deciding how to approach issues that might be stumbling blocks. We want to avoid being in a mindset where we are like, “Well I know there is nothing wrong with drinking Alcohol, so I am going to drink it with my meals I do not care what people think or who sees me because my drinking a beer is not sinful for me to do.” Yet by acting with this attitude, we sin because our knowledge has made us arrogant. We should instead focus on love. Making sure to the best of our ability everything we do edifies, or builds up, our fellow believer. Now doing this is more difficult because it requires us to think critically about everything we do and determine if by copying us someone could be led into sin.

Romans 14:3 tells us how weaker and stronger believers should treat one another.

The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.

Our interactions should come with an understanding that though we may disagree we are still both children of the king.

The reason food was such an issue is that some Christians had no issue eating food offered to idols understanding that the idols are not real deities and that God created the food and so therefore there was nothing wrong in eating them but weaker believers who still saw the idols as having real power could become tempted into returning to idolatry by witnessing the stronger Christians eat food from the pagan temples. While us today may not have to worry about stumbling a believer based on what we eat there are still many things that can. As mentioned above there is alcohol, but also our language, reading other religious texts, and types of entertainment could all be stumbling blocks.

Now as Christians grow in their faith and more confident in their convictions, they should grow less susceptible to stumbling, they should know how to look out for stumbling blocks. An older, more scripturally knowledgeable, and mature Christian is not the person you should be concerned about stumbling; they may be offended or criticize you but that does not equate to stumbling. The ones susceptible to stumbling are new believers, ones who have not read or studied the Bible and are not even familiar with the term stumbling block.

In conclusion a stumbling block is an activity that is not sinful that could lead a less mature and weaker Christian into sin. Out of love we should abstain from those activities while being around the weaker believer, and we should not allow our understanding of what is allowed make us arrogant.