![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.ministryofgrace.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/Banner-MOG-701.gif\" "\\"Ministry")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor<\/strong> do anything<\/em><\/span> by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Consider the good of others more important than your own.<\/p>\n The word translated \u201cgood<\/span>\u201d is a form of kalos<\/em><\/span>, which means \u201cgood as to quality or character.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStumbles<\/span>\u201d is translated from the Greek verb proskopt\u014d<\/em><\/span>, which we have seen a couple of times recently. It means to \u201cto stub on\u201d or \u201cto trip up.\u201d<\/p>\n The word \u201coffended<\/span>\u201d is translated from the verb scandalidz\u014d<\/em><\/span>, the noun form of which we have also talked about recently. This word means, \u201cto entrap\u201d or \u201cto entice to sin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs made weak<\/span>\u201d is from the Greek verb astheneo<\/em><\/span>, which means \u201cto be weak or sickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Now Paul summarizes what he has been saying in the past few verses. Since it is a summary of his instruction, let\u2019s look carefully at what he does and what he doesn\u2019t say. First of all Paul says that \u201cIt is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor<\/span> do anything<\/em> <\/span>\u2026\u201d So what he is saying is that these things are not good for us to do.<\/p>\n Now, notice that there are qualifications to those things which are not good for us to do. The first qualification is, \u201cby which your brother stumbles.<\/span>\u201d If your drinking wine or eating a certain kind of food causes your brother to stumble in his walk with God, then it is not a good thing for you to do.<\/p>\n The second qualification is, \u201cor is offended.<\/span>\u201d We should not do anything that will lead a brother or sister to act contrary to his or her own convictions. If we know that other Christians are convicted that eating certain foods is wrong, we should not eat those types of food in their presence or try to convince them that it is OK for them. To them it is a spiritual conviction and it is up to God to convince them otherwise (if their conviction is wrong). Because of the unfortunate translation of scandalidz\u014d<\/em> <\/span>as \u201coffended<\/span>,\u201d we may be inclined to read this verse as if it said, \u201cit is good not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor anything that your brother takes offense at, or disagrees with.\u201d Just because a brother or sister considers wrong something which our own conscience allows doesn\u2019t mean we stop doing it. But by the same token we don\u2019t argue with them about it, we don\u2019t force them to do it, and we don\u2019t flaunt it in front of them.<\/p>\n The third qualification is, \u201cor is made weak.<\/em><\/span>\u201d Again, we see that our actions could cause the faith of a brother or sister to be negatively affected because of his or her convictions. So, how do we know what we should do and what we shouldn\u2019t do when it comes to spiritual convictions that we hold different from our brother or sister in Christ? Paul will answer that question in the following two verses.<\/p>\n There is a fine line between what Paul is teaching here and situational ethics. Situational ethics says that something may be wrong to do in one situation but not wrong in another. What Paul is teaching is that it is always wrong to consider your own needs more important than a fellow Christian. The bottom line is that we should do those things that build-up other Christians and we should avoid those things which will cause other Christians harm. If we always consider the good of others more important than our own, God will be pleased with our actions.<\/p>\n In God\u2019s service, for His glory,<\/strong><\/p>\nTruth to Learn<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Behind the Words<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Meaning Explained<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Application<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.ministryofgrace.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/Signature1.gif\" "\\"Will\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n