Respecting A Brother's Conscience

When we love our fellow Christians (brethren) as Christ loved us, we will avoid doing anything that might cause them to stumble and lose their faith.

To live this way, we must develop true love, forbearance (patient self-control or restraint), longsuffering (patient endurance of difficulties), and patience. Even if a certain action is not sinful in itself, we may need to refrain from doing it in the presence of a brother or sister whose conscience would be troubled by it.

The Lesson of Meat Offered to Idols

We see a clear example of this principle in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, where Paul discusses eating meat that had been offered to pagan idols. Strictly speaking, eating this meat was not condemned. The meat itself was just food.

However, the real problem arose when a mature Christian ate this meat in front of a brother who believed doing so was sinful. By exercising their freedom, the mature Christian risked encouraging the weaker brother to violate his own conscience. In doing so, they used their personal liberty in a way that caused another believer to stumble.

Sinning Against Christ

If a brother violates what he sincerely believes God has commanded, his conscience is wounded, and he sins. We must never place our brothers and sisters in such a dangerous spiritual position.

The apostle Paul used incredibly strong language to describe this in verse 12:

But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

Doing something that is technically permissible, but doing it in a way that harms another’s faith, is a sin against Christ Himself. It is a sobering thought: our actions can lead to a brother’s spiritual ruin, even if we act with correct knowledge.

Sacrificing Liberty for Love

Paul’s solution to this challenge is simple: if eating certain food causes a brother to stumble, do not eat it.

A brother’s conscience is far more valuable than food, entertainment, or any other personal preference. Making this sacrifice is a practical, everyday way of showing genuine Christian love and bearing with one another.