1 Corinthians 8:9

1 Corinthians 8:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
• New International Version (NIV)Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.

Context of 1 Corinthians 8:9

7But not everyone knows this. Some people are so used to worshiping false gods that they believe they are eating food offered to a false god. So they feel guilty because their conscience is weak. 8Food will not affect our relationship with God. We are no worse off if we eat ⌞that food⌟ and no better off if we don’t. But be careful that by using your freedom you don’t somehow make a believer who is weak in faith fall into sin. 10For example, suppose someone with a weak conscience sees you, who have this knowledge, eating in the temple of a false god. Won’t you be encouraging that person to eat food offered to a false god? 11In that case, your knowledge is ruining a believer whose faith is weak, a believer for whom Christ died.

1 Corinthians 8:9 word by word

βλέπετε δὲ μή πως ἡ ἐξουσία ὑμῶν αὕτη πρόσκομμα γένηται τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• take heedβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• lest by any meansμήπωςmēpōs mē pōs · so thatG3381
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• libertyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• libertyἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
• of yoursσύsu · youG4771
• becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• a stumblingblockπρόσκομμαproskomma · stumbling blockG4348
• that are weakἀσθενέωastheneō · be weak: weakG770

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 8:9

• 1 Corinthians 8:10For example, suppose someone with a weak conscience sees you, who have this knowledge, eating in the temple of a false god. Won’t you be encouraging that person to eat food offered to a false god?
• 1 Corinthians 10:24People should be concerned about others and not just about themselves.
• Matthew 18:6“These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be drowned in the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.
• Luke 17:1Jesus told his disciples, “Situations that cause people to lose their faith are certain to arise. But how horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith!
• Romans 14:20Don’t ruin God’s work because of what you eat. All food is acceptable, but it’s wrong for a person to eat something if it causes someone else to have doubts.
• Galatians 5:13You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don’t turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love.
• 1 Peter 2:16Live as free people, but don’t hide behind your freedom when you do evil. Instead, use your freedom to serve God.
• 2 Peter 2:19They promise these people freedom, but they themselves are slaves to corruption. A person is a slave to whatever he gives in to.
• 1 Corinthians 10:32Don’t cause others to stumble, whether they are Jewish, Greek, or members of God’s church.
• Leviticus 19:14Never curse deaf people or put anything in the way of blind people to make them stumble. Instead, fear your God. I am the Lord.
• Isaiah 57:14It will be said: “Build a road! Build a road! Prepare the way! Remove every obstacle in the way of my people!”
• Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these people are devoted to their idols, and they are allowing themselves to fall into sin. Should they be allowed to ask me for help?
• Ezekiel 44:12But they served the people by standing in front of their idols and by making Israel fall into sin. So I raised my hand and swore that they would be punished for their sins, declares the Lord.
• Romans 14:13So let’s stop criticizing each other. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make other Christians have doubts or lose their faith.
• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you: You have among you those who follow what Balaam taught Balak. Balak trapped the people of Israel by ⌞encouraging⌟ them to eat food sacrificed to idols and to sin sexually.
• 1 Corinthians 8:12When you sin against other believers in this way and harm their weak consciences, you are sinning against Christ.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9But take heed - Lest by frequenting such feasts and eating things offered to idols, under the conviction that an idol is nothing, and that you may eat those things innocently, this liberty of yours should become a means of grievously offending a weak brother who has not your knowledge, or inducing one who respects you for your superior knowledge to partake of these things with the conscience, the persuasion and belief, that an idol is something, and to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9But take heed - This is the reply of Paul to the argument of the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 8:8. “Though all that you say should be admitted to be true, as it must be; though a man is neither morally better nor worse for partaking of meat or abstaining from it; yet the grand principle to be observed is, so to act as not to injure your brethren. Though you may be no better or worse for eating or not eating, yet if your conduct shall injure others, and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10Believers should ensure their actions, like eating sacrificial meat, do not cause others to struggle (compare Romans 14:13, 20–21; Galatians 5:13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. 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).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 8:9

• Commandments
• Conscience
• Evil
• Example
• Expediency
• Fraternity
• Idolatry
• Neophytes
• Prudence
• Stumbling
• Temptation

In the dictionaries

• Charity
• Commend
• Offend
• Perish
• Touching
• Authority in Religion
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Drunkenness
• Food
• Gnosticism

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings