A mature Christian should willingly set aside the liberty and refrain from the action when it would offend or stumble a weaker believer.
Paul makes clear that the food itself is neutral—eating or not eating does not make a believer better or worse—but warns that liberty must not become a stumbling block. Les Feldick extends this to every area of Christian freedom: diet, alcohol, and anything else left to the individual believer. The strong are to bear the infirmities of the weak and not simply please themselves.
1 Corinthians 8:9 — This is the most direct verse: liberty must not become a stumbling block to the weak.
Romans 14:1-2 — It shows the weak believer is to be received without disputing over doubtful things like eating meat or herbs.
Romans 15:1 — It commands the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please themselves.
First Corinthians 8:8 states plainly that "meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse." In other words, the food itself is spiritually neutral. But verse 9 immediately adds a warning: "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak." So the Bible itself defines the issue as liberty that must be guarded, not the food itself. Romans 14 opens with instruction to receive the weak in faith "but not to doubtful disputations." It acknowledges that one believer may eat all things while another, being weak, eats only herbs. Romans 15:1 then tells the strong: "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."
Les opens with the marketplace background of 1 Corinthians 8: meat from pagan temples often ended up in the butcher shop, and believers asked Paul whether they could eat it. Les stresses Paul's answer: the meat itself makes no difference to God, but the believer's liberty must not become a stumbling block to someone else (Clip 0). He then broadens the principle: it is not just meat offered to idols; the same care applies to diet, alcoholic beverages, and "so many things that are not necessarily delineated in Scripture." Whatever liberty the individual believer has before God, he must not do something that is not wrong in his own mind if it will cause a weak believer to stumble—this is the whole concept of Romans 14 (Clip 1). Les emphasizes that mature believers—those who have been believers for years on end—are to bear "the infirmities of the weak, or the hang ups of younger believers." These may be 70 years old physically but only recently saved. The mature believer must take the weak ideas of that younger believer into consideration and not cause him to stumble; he is to give in to the infirmities of the weak, not to please himself, but to please the person next to him (Clip 2). Applying this practically, Les shows Paul's own willingness to go to the extreme. If eating ordinary, perfectly legitimate meat would upset a believer who had become a vegetarian through conviction, Paul said, "I won't eat another bite of meat as long as I live, if it's going to be a stumbling block" (Clip 5). The same goes for meat offered to idols: if an unbeliever says, "This is offered in sacrifice to an idol," the believer should not eat it for that man's sake, to teach the pagan that he does make a difference. If a young believer at the same table does not have the strength to say the idol can't affect the meat, abstain for that young believer's sake as well (Clip 6). Rather than debating the issue, the weaker believer should be received into fellowship without doubtful disputation (Clip 7).
No. Les says it doesn't have to be just eating meat offered to idols; it could be in the matter of diet, it could be in the matter of alcoholic beverages, and it could be in so many other things that are not necessarily delineated in Scripture. These become the option of the individual believer before God. The believer has to be careful that he does not do something that in his own mind is not wrong if it is going to cause a weak believer to stumble. That was the whole concept of Romans 14.
Les says those who are strong—who have been believers for years on end—ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, or the hang-ups of younger believers. "Younger" does not necessarily mean chronological age; they may be 70 years old but have only been believers for a few years. The mature believer has to take the weak ideas of that younger believer into consideration and not cause him to stumble. He is to give in to the infirmities of the weak, not to please himself, but to please the person next to him.
Les points out that Paul applies the same reasoning to an unbeliever. If a pagan host at his table says, "This is meat that I got back from the temple," the believer should reject it for that man's sake, to show him that he does make a difference. The same is true if a fellow believer at that same banquet lacks the strength to say the idol can't affect the meat: the mature believer should not eat it for that young believer's sake.
Les, commenting on Romans 14, says to receive the one weak in faith into fellowship, but not to doubtful disputation. Don't let the weaker believer turn the issue into a big argument when he sees you eating meat from the market that may have come from a temple. Don't get into a big argument over it; instead, receive him and bear with him.
Meat from the Temple and the Stumbling Block
Les sets the scene: meat from pagan temples often ended up in the market, and believers asked Paul whether they could eat it. Paul first shows the food is spiritually neutral (1 Cor 8:8), then warns that this liberty must not become a stumbling block to the weak (1 Cor 8:9).
The Principle Beyond Meat
Les extends the principle beyond meat offered to idols: it applies to diet, alcohol, and many other areas not listed in Scripture. The whole concept of Romans 14 is to be careful not to do something—even something not wrong in your own mind—if it would cause a weak believer to stumble.
Bear the Infirmities of the Weak
Les teaches that mature believers—those who have been believers for years on end—are to bear the infirmities or hang-ups of younger believers, even if those believers are older in age but new in the faith. We are not to please ourselves but to give in to the weaknesses of the person next to us.
What the Bible Really Says About Judging Other Christians
You don't condemn them and say, well, so be it. All right. Then he says, do it in the spirit of meekness, not with pride. Hey, you know, this would never happen to me. Oh, yes, it could. So we go to that person in a spirit of meekness, realizing, as it says next, that we also could be tempted and fall into the same trap. None of us are totally immune. Never forget that.
What the Bible Really Says About Judging Other Christians
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, in other words, a rather gross sin, you who are spiritual, as the church leadership, restore such a one. But you see, what is the attitude of the average church today if someone falls into a gross sin? Make light of it. They joke about it. They laugh about it. Hey, have you heard? Isn't that the way it goes? Sure it is.
Paul's Willingness to Stop Eating Meat
Les says Paul would stop eating meat altogether if his eating would ruin the Christian experience of a vegetarian believer. The mature believer should be willing to lay aside even a legitimate liberty for the sake of the weaker one.
Considering Both Unbelievers and Younger Believers
Les shows that the same restraint applies when an unbeliever points out that food was offered to an idol: the believer refuses it for that man's sake, to show the difference. It also applies for the sake of a young believer who lacks the strength to ignore the idol.
Receiving the Weak Without Disputation
Les explains that the weak believer is to be received into fellowship, but not into doubtful disputation. Don't argue over doubtful things like eating meat that may have come from the temple; instead, bear with the weak believer.
1 Corinthians 8:8: But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
Paul establishes that food itself is spiritually neutral, so the issue is not the meat but how the believer's liberty affects others.
1 Corinthians 8:9: But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
This is the direct warning that liberty must be guarded when it could make a weak believer stumble.
1 Corinthians 8:13: Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Paul expresses his own willingness to give up meat entirely if it would cause a brother to stumble, a point Les paraphrases in this teaching.
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.
Paul applies the same principle when an unbeliever or weaker believer identifies meat as having been offered to an idol.
Romans 14:1: Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Paul instructs believers to welcome the weak without turning doubtful matters into arguments.
Romans 14:2: For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
This acknowledges that believers can hold different convictions about food, and the weak are not to be stumbled.
Romans 15:1: We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
This explicitly tells mature believers to set aside self-pleasing and help carry the weaknesses of the weak.
No. As Paul writes, "meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse" (1 Cor 8:8). The problem is never the meat itself but whether exercising that freedom stumbles a weaker believer.
Very far. Les notes Paul's attitude: if his eating meat would upset a believer who had become a vegetarian through conviction, Paul said he wouldn't eat another bite of meat as long as he lived if it would be a stumbling block.
Receive him, but don't turn it into a doubtful disputation. Les says not to get into a big argument over it; the mature believer should give in to the infirmities of the weak and not please himself.
Watch the Teaching: Should You Eat Meat Offered to Idols? 1 Corinthians 8 Explained