1 Corinthians 8:13
in 1 Corinthians 8Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble.
KJV
Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 8
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Wherefore - As the conclusion of the whole matter. If meat ... - Paul here proposes his own views and feelings, or tells them how he would act in order to show them how they should act in these circumstances. Make my brother to offend - Lead him into sin; or shall be the cause of leading him into error and guilt. It does not mean, if the eating of meat should “enrage or irritate” another; but if it is the occasion of his being led into transgression. How this might be done is stated in 1Co 8:
This site's exposition
Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble
Paul applies the argument to himself first: if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again. The resolve is his own example, and chapter 9 develops the same pattern through the rights he gave up as an apostle.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
It is all right to have a wife, but if she commits adultery she is to be rejected. Likewise, it is all right to eat meat, but if it has been sacrificed to idols it is to be refused.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoTHE WAY OF LIFE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 71 · Written before 430.
proposed
Those who are stronger and are not troubled by scruples are nevertheless commanded to abstain so as not to offend those who, on account of their weakness, still find abstinence necessary.
"Wherefore, if meat make my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for ever." This is like the best of teachers, to teach in his own person the things which he speaks. Nor did he say whether justly or unjustly; but in any case. "I say not," (such is his tone,) "meat offered in sacrifice to an idol, which is already prohibited for another reason; but if any even of those things which are within license and are permitted causes stumbling, from these also will I abstain: and not one or two days, but all the time of my life." For he saith, "I will eat no flesh for ever." And he said not, "Lest I destroy my brother," but simply, "That I make not my brother to stumble." For indeed it comes of folly in the extreme that what things are greatly cared for by Christ, and such as He should have even chosen to die for them, these we should esteem so entirely beneath our notice as not even to abstain from meats on their account.
Moreover, what a number of serious mischiefs we see to have arisen hence; and what a multitude of virgins we behold corrupted by unlawful and dangerous conjunctions of this kind, to our great grief of mind! But if they have faithfully dedicated themselves to Christ, let them persevere in modesty and chastity, without incurring any evil report, and so in courage and steadiness await the reward of virginity. But if they are unwilling or unable to persevere, it is better that they should marry, than that by their crimes they should fall into the fire.
And if we would persuade any of our fellow-guests to virtue, we are all the more on this account to abstain from those dainty dishes; and so exhibit ourselves as a bright pattern of virtue, such as we ourselves have in Christ. "For if any of such meats make a brother to stumble, I shall not eat it as long as the world lasts," says he, "that I may not make my brother stumble." I gain the man by a little self-restraint.
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
As an excellent teacher, he proves by his own example what he speaks about. And he did not say: "if it causes to stumble" justly, but in whatever way it may be. He also did not say: "I will not eat" food offered to idols, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When it is certainly foreseen that my doing what I may forbear will occasion a fellow-christian to do what he ought to forbear, I shall offend, scandalize, or lay a stumbling-block in his way, which to do is a sin, however lawful the thing itself be which is done. And, if we must be so careful not to occasion other men's sins, how careful should we be to avoid sin ourselves!
Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
meat--Old English for "food" in general. make . . . to offend--Greek, "is a stumbling-block to." no flesh--In order to ensure my avoiding flesh offered to idols, I would abstain from all kinds of flesh, in order not to be a stumbling-block to my brother.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Wherefore, etc. - Rather than give any occasion to a Christian to sin against and so to harden his conscience that he should return to idolatry and perish, I would not only abstain from all meats offered to idols, but I would eat no flesh, should I exist through the whole course of time, but live on the herbs of the field, rather than cause my brother to stumble, and thus fall into idolatry and final ruin. The following words of Origen contain a very solemn lesson and warning: “If we did more diligently attend to these things, we should avoid sinning against our brethren and wounding their weak conscience, that we might not sin against Christ; our brethren that are among us, for whom Christ died, often perishing, not only by our knowledge, but by many other ways, and things, in which things we, sinning against Christ, shall suffer punishment; the souls of them that perish by us being required of and avenged upon us.” See Whitby on this place. 1. The greater our reputation for knowledge and sanctity, the greater mischief we shall do by our influence and example if we turn aside from the holy commandment delivered unto us. Every man should walk so as either to light or lead his brother to heaven. 2. It is the duty of every Christian to watch against apostasy in his own case, and to prevent it as much as possible in that of others. That a person for whom Christ died may finally perish is strongly argued, says Dr. […]
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διόπερ | dioper | Therefore | G1355 → | |
| εἰ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| βρῶμα | broma | food | G1033 → | 17 times |
| σκανδαλίζει | skandalizei | snares | G4624 → | |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφόν | adelphon | brother | G80 → | 343 times |
| μου, | mou | of mine, | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| οὐ | ou | certainly | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| φάγω | phago | shall I eat | G5315 → | 93 times |
| κρέα | krea | meat | G2907 → | |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰῶνα | aiona | age | G165 → | 121 times |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφόν | adelphon | brother | G80 → | 343 times |
| μου | mou | of mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| σκανδαλίσω.¶ | skandaliso | I may snare. | G4624 → |
διόπερTherefore
dioperG1355 →
εἰif
eiG1487 →508 times
βρῶμαfood
bromaG1033 →17 times
σκανδαλίζειsnares
skandalizeiG4624 →
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφόνbrother
adelphonG80 →343 times
μου,of mine,
mouG3165 →1936 times
οὐcertainly
ouG3756 →1664 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
φάγωshall I eat
phagoG5315 →93 times
κρέαmeat
kreaG2907 →
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
αἰῶναage
aionaG165 →121 times
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφόνbrother
adelphonG80 →343 times
μουof mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
σκανδαλίσω.¶I may snare.
skandalisoG4624 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 13:5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:24
No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.
- Philippians 2:3–5
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
- 1 John 3:16–17
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
- James 1:19
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
- 1 Corinthians 10:24
Through
1 Corinthians 6:12“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:23–33
“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.
- 1 Corinthians 9:27
No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
- Hebrews 12:15–16
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
- 1 Corinthians 10:23–33
Through
2 Corinthians 6:3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.
it leads to
- Romans 14:13
Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 14:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Augustine of Hippo, THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 71; Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor Book 2; Cyprian, Epistle LXI; Frederic Godet, Commentary on First Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 20; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.