1 Corinthians 8:9
◄  1 Corinthians 8:9  ►
New International Version (©2011)
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

New Living Translation (©2007)
But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.

English Standard Version (©2001)
But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.

International Standard Version (©2012)
But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak.

NET Bible (©2006)
But be careful that this liberty of yours does not become a hindrance to the weak.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
But take heed, lest this your power shall be a stumbling block to the weak.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
But be careful that by using your freedom you don't somehow make a believer who is weak in faith fall into sin.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to them that are weak.

American King James Version
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak.

American Standard Version
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But take heed lest perhaps this your liberty become a stumblingblock to the weak.

Darby Bible Translation
But see lest anywise this your right to eat itself be a stumbling-block to the weak.

English Revised Version
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak.

Webster's Bible Translation
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours should become a stumbling-block to them that are weak.

Weymouth New Testament
But take care lest this liberty of yours should prove a hindrance to the progress of weak believers.

World English Bible
But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.

Young's Literal Translation
but see, lest this privilege of yours may become a stumbling-block to the infirm,

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:7-13 Eating one kind of food, and abstaining from another, have nothing in them to recommend a person to God. But the apostle cautions against putting a stumbling-block in the way of the weak; lest they be made bold to eat what was offered to the idol, not as common food, but as a sacrifice, and thereby be guilty of idolatry. He who has the Spirit of Christ in him, will love those whom Christ loved so as to die for them. Injuries done to Christians, are done to Christ; but most of all, the entangling them in guilt: wounding their consciences, is wounding him. We should be very tender of doing any thing that may occasion stumbling to others, though it may be innocent in itself. And if we must not endanger other men's souls, how much should we take care not to destroy our own! Let Christians beware of approaching the brink of evil, or the appearance of it, though many do this in public matters, for which perhaps they plead plausibly. Men cannot thus sin against their brethren, without offending Christ, and endangering their own souls.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - Lest this liberty of yours become a stumbling block; rather, this power or right of yours. To lead any one to do that which he thinks to be wrong is to place a stone of stumbling in his way, even if we do not think the act to be wrong. For we make men worse if by our example we teach them to act in contradiction of their conscience. "Let your motto be forbearance, not privilege, and your watchword charity, not knowledge. Never flaunt your knowledge, seldom use your privilege" (Evans).

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But take heed lest by any means,.... This is either a reply to the instance of such as argued in favour of eating things offered to idols; or a limitation and explanation of the apostle's own concession, that it made a man, with respect to the favour of God, neither better nor worse: yet care should be taken, lest

this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak; he owns they had a liberty, or a right, or power, as the word may be rendered, of eating, or not eating, as they pleased; but then they ought to be cautious, lest they should be the means of offending, or causing to offend, such who were weak in the faith, and had not that knowledge of Christian liberty they had: not the use of their power and liberty is here denied, but the abuse of it is guarded against; for though the action itself was indifferent, yet as it might be used, it might be sinful, being attended with very bad consequences, such as hereafter mentioned.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. this liberty of yours—the watchword for lax Corinthians. The very indifference of meats, which I concede, is the reason why ye should "take heed" not to tempt weak brethren to act against their conscience (which constitutes sin, Ro 14:22, 23).

1 Corinthians 8:9 Parallel Commentaries

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Food Sacrificed to Idols
…8But meat commends us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. 10For if any man see you which have knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; …

Romans 14:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.
Romans 14:2 One person's faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
Romans 14:20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
Romans 14:21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
1 Corinthians 8:10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol's temple, won't that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?
1 Corinthians 10:28 But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.
2 Corinthians 6:3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
2 Corinthians 11:29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.