The Danger Of Offenses

"Woe to the world, because of the scandals, because it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to that man for whom the stumbling comes!" (Mt 18,7)

It is very evident that our Lord Jesus Christ places a very great weight on this matter relative to offenses, he represents them as a two-edged sword:

1. "Woe to the world because of the scandals!" - The world that is scandalized without reason, with Christ and with the gospel, and with the good testimony of its servants, and that for this rejection remains under condemnation.

2. "Woe to the one for whom the scandal comes!" - Those that provoke scandals, to bear the name of Christ, and that by not having a procedure according to the faith they profess to have, serve as a stumbling block for many who do not come to Christ or who leave him, for thinking that He has something to do with the behavior of those insubordinate.

John Owen put it this way like this:

"Therefore, our Lord shows these two things together.
It is necessary that there be offenses; God appointed them, and it must be like that.
We must therefore consider for ourselves the time when we can be sure that the scandals will be abundant, so that we are cautious about this.
First, it is a time of persecution. Offenses will be abundant in times of persecution.

Secondly, a time of great sins is a time of great scandals, both against an exemplary testimony of the gospel, and in relation to the opposite of this.

This, the Holy Spirit says expressly, that "in the last days there will be difficult times." All dangers arise from offenses. Because? The lusts of men will be plentiful. When there is an abundance of lusts (covetousness), there will be an abundance of crimes, which make times dangerous.

Third, when there is a decline of the churches, when they grow cold, it is time for scandals to abound: "because iniquity multiplies, the love of many will grow cold." This is a time when offenses will abound; as all the churches of Christ seem to be in this day. All the virgins, wise and foolish, are sleeping. It is what I told them many times, and I would like to be able to say that I told them with tears, that we are under a lamentable mismatch, - falling from our first faith, love and works.

Now, if all these times must come upon us-a time of persecution, as it is now in the whole world, the apostle says: "Beloved, do not miss the ardent trial ... sure that sufferings equal to yours are being fulfilled in your brotherhood scattered throughout the world, "a time of abundance of great sins in men; and a time of great decay in all the churches, - if so with us, with certainty it is very good for us to attempt for the warning of our Savior: "Herald the scandals".

God appointed Christ to be the greatest offense in the world, Isaiah 8:14. He was designated to be a stumbling block and a rock of scandal, - an insurmountable offense. The poverty of Christ in the world and his cross would be a rock of offense, in which Jews and Gentiles have stumbled and fallen, and ruined for eternity. "

Jesus never offends anyone but is not mistaken for many as a crime, a scandal.

And so also his disciples have from God only this unique concession of being a cause of scandal for some of the world, because of the good testimony they give, in their identification with His Savior and Lord.

Now, we must be careful about all other forms of scandals (offenses) that are caused, especially against the consciences of brothers still weak in the faith. Although these offenses are caused by a misapplication of the truth.

"Now what is weak in faith, however, to discuss opinions." Rom 14,1.

"You, why do you judge your brother, and you, why do you despise yours, because they all stand before the judgment seat of God?" As it is written: "For my life, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me, and every tongue will give praise to God, so that each of us will give an account of himself to God, do not judge each other, otherwise, make a decision not to put any obstacle or obstacle in his brother. " (Rom 14, 10-13)

The apostle spoke of the tribunal of God for the judgment of all the scandals and offenses that we have done, especially those that serve as a stumbling block to the people who offend with our procedure and who for their cause have been prevented from coming to Christ or from signing in. faith, for what they saw or received from us and that does not accord with our condition as servants of God.

"And so if the food serves scandal to my brother, I will not eat meat again, so I will not offend him." (I Corinthians 8:13)

If we give scandal accounts produced when we are committed to defend what seems fair.

What will be said then of the scandal produced by a bad procedure, whether intentional or not?

"Without giving any scandal, because the ministry is not vituperated." (2 Cor 6.3)

"Be without offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God" (I Cor 10:13)

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