Stumbling block

A stumbling block is anything that causes another person to fall into sin or turn from faith. This page lists verses on not putting a stumbling block before others, care for the weaker brother, warnings against causing others to stumble, cutting off what causes offense, the stumbling block of iniquity, the stone of stumbling, and being kept from stumbling.

Not putting a stumbling block before others

• Romans 14:13
  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.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.
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• Romans 14:21
  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.
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• 1 Corinthians 8:9
  But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
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• 1 Corinthians 10:32
  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God—
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• 2 Corinthians 6:3
  Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.
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• Leviticus 19:14
  Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
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Care for the weaker brother

• 1 Corinthians 8:10-13
  ¹⁰For if any man see thee which hast 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;For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? ¹¹And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹²But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.
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• Romans 14:15
  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.
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• Romans 14:20
  For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.
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• Romans 15:1-2
  ¹We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves. ²Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
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• 1 Corinthians 10:23-24
  ²³All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying. ²⁴Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.
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Woe to those who cause others to stumble

• Matthew 18:6-7
  ⁶But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
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• Mark 9:42
  And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.
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• Luke 17:1-2
  ¹Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! ²It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
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• Revelation 2:14
  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
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If your eye or hand offends you

• Matthew 5:29-30
  ²⁹And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.
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• Matthew 18:8-9
  ⁸Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
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The stumbling block of iniquity

• Ezekiel 14:3-4
  ³Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way? ⁴Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry,
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• Ezekiel 7:19
  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.
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A stone of stumbling

• Isaiah 8:14
  And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.And He will be a sanctuary— but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare.
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• Romans 9:32-33
  ³²Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
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• 1 Peter 2:7-8
  ⁷Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” ⁸And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.
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• 1 Corinthians 1:23
  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
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Kept from stumbling

• Psalm 119:165
  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your law; nothing can make them stumble.
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• 1 John 2:10
  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.
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• Jude 1:24
  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—
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• Proverbs 4:12
  When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
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See also

• Temptation
• Conscience
• Freedom
• Food and dietary laws
• Influence

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.