Yes — Christians should be willing to lay aside even permissible liberties when those actions would cause another believer to stumble.
Les Feldick shows that an idol has no real power over food, so eating meat offered to an idol is not wrong in itself. Yet if a weak believer would be confused or troubled, the believer should refrain for that person's sake, and every action should ultimately be done for God's glory.
1 Corinthians 8:9 — This verse directly warns believers not to let their liberty become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
1 Corinthians 10:31 — This is the governing principle Paul gives for every action: do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 8:7 — It explains that weak believers can have their consciences defiled even by things that are not inherently wrong.
The Bible teaches that believers have liberty in areas that are not explicitly forbidden, yet that liberty must be restrained when it hurts others. Paul warns, "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak" (1 Corinthians 8:9). He even says that a weak believer's conscience can be defiled by seeing a knowledgeable Christian do something that, while not evil in itself, offends that weak conscience (1 Corinthians 8:7). Paul also instructs that if a person tells you food was offered to an idol, you should not eat it for the sake of the one who told you (1 Corinthians 10:28). The broad rule for all of life is: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Les Feldick explains Paul's teaching to the Corinthians in the context of a pagan culture where meat often came from temple sacrifices. The idol was a dead, dumb idol with no real power, so the meat itself was not affected by being offered to it. But the real problem was people: a brand-new believer who still had pagan scruples could be defiled or stumble if he saw a mature Christian eating that meat. So Paul tells the mature believer to set aside his liberty for the sake of the weak one. Les applies the same principle far beyond idol meat. It can apply to diet, alcoholic beverages, or any other area not clearly spelled out in Scripture, where a believer's freedom might cause a weaker brother to stumble. He also notes that when a pagan host identified meat as sacrificed, the believer should refuse it for the sake of the person making the statement — not because the idol changed the meat, but because of what the action communicated.
Les Feldick says the idol has no power over the meat, so eating it is not wrong in itself. Paul told believers they could freely eat unless doing so caused a weak believer to stumble. The problem is not the meat but the effect on a young believer whose conscience is still weak and defiled by the association with the idol.
Yes. Les Feldick says the principle is not limited to meat offered to idols. It can apply to diet, alcoholic beverages, and many other things that are not necessarily spelled out in Scripture. In those areas, the individual believer has liberty before God, but he must be careful not to do something that would cause a weak believer to stumble.
Les explains that Paul never told believers to stay away from pagan wedding feasts; they were free to attend and to eat. But if someone at the feast said the meat had been offered in sacrifice, the believer should not eat it for the sake of the person who said it. The refusal showed the pagan host that the Christian wanted nothing to do with demonic gods, even though the meat itself was unchanged.
The underlying principle is that whether a Christian eats, drinks, or does anything else, it should be done for God's glory. This puts concern for the other person above insistence on personal rights, because a spiritually damaging use of liberty would not bring glory to God.
Do Everything for the Glory of God — 1 Corinthians 10:31 Explained
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The Principle Extends Beyond Meat
Les teaches that the stumbling block concern applies to diet, alcoholic beverages, and any other area of personal liberty, not just meat offered to idols.
Liberty Must Not Become a Stumbling Block
Les quotes 1 Corinthians 8:9 and explains that a mature Christian should not eat meat if it will stumble a weak believer; he should give it up for that believer's sake.
The Weak Conscience Is Defiled
Les explains how weak young believers, still influenced by pagan superstition, have their consciences defiled when they eat meat connected to an idol.
The Idol Has No Power
Les states that if eating meat causes a young believer to stumble, the mature believer should not eat it, but the idol itself has no power over the meat.
Pagan Wedding Feast Scenario
Les explains that Paul did not tell believers to stay away from pagan wedding feasts; they were free to attend, but a brand-new believer's response still mattered.
Refusing for the Sake of the One Who Speaks
Les teaches that if someone says the meat is offered in sacrifice, the believer should not eat it for the sake of that person, even though the idol did not affect the meat.
What the Bible Really Says About the Lord's Table — 1 Corinthians 10:16
And so here again as we come now back to chapter 10, even their practicing of what we call the Lord's Table, or the communion service, or whatever your particular denomination may call it, the Corinthians had made it a problem. They were having all kinds of things going on that should have never taken place in the church, and Paul has to address it.
1 Corinthians 8:7: Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
This shows that a weak believer's conscience can be harmed by something the mature believer knows is harmless.
1 Corinthians 8:9: But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak.
This is the key warning: liberty must not become a stumbling block to weak believers.
1 Corinthians 8:10: For 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;
Paul describes the exact situation where a knowledgeable believer's example emboldens a weak believer.
1 Corinthians 10:28: But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
This tells the believer to refuse meat when told it was offered to an idol, for the sake of the one who mentioned it.
1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
This is the overarching principle that governs even the most ordinary actions.
No, not in itself. The idol has no power and the meat is not affected. But if eating it would cause a weak believer to stumble, the believer should refrain for that person's sake.
Yes. Les Feldick says the principle goes beyond meat offered to idols and can apply to diet, alcoholic beverages, and other areas where a believer has liberty before God.
No. Paul never told believers to stay away from such feasts. They could attend freely, but if someone identified the meat as sacrificed, they should not eat it for the sake of that person.
Watch the Teaching: Do Everything for the Glory of God — 1 Corinthians 10:31 Explained