Quote:
Originally Posted by gloryseeker
What do you think about how everybody gets offended at everything?
On the spiritual side people leave churches, break relationships, and live in offense when the Bible is very clear that we are not supposed to be offended. Of course, it is impossible to live without the opportunity to get offended, but we control what we hold on to.
For me I think people should get a grip on life and quit being so sensitive...what do you think?
|
The Bible shows in several places that we can offend the weak and cause them to fail. My emphasis in on the "weak".
The pastors that scattered sheep in the Book of Jeremiah. Malahi 2:8 says that you have departed out of the way and caused many to stumble. Stumble means to fail or fall down and be ruined.
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend (trip up) 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.
Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged (disheartened/spiritless).
Romans 14:21 says that it is good to neither eat flesh, nor drink wine,
nor anything whereby we cause our brother to stumble, be offended or made weak.
I Cor 8:11-12 says that
if we sin against our brother by wounding his weak conscience we sin against Christ.
Matthew 18:7 speaks of offenses coming and woe to the one that caused the offense.
Offense has two meanings - skandalon and skandalizo. In our terms it would be defined as scandal and scandalize.
Skandializo is used primarily as something we often come against - just being annoyed or slighted by someone.
Skandalon means a trigger of a trap that has bait placed on it. The animal will touch the bait and the trap springs. In the moral sense it is referring to an enticement to some conduct that will ruin a person. In
Matthew 18:7 Jesus is concerned with the temptation or the enticement that will cause others to sin.
The Bible speaks in all of these verses of NOT being instrumental or having been instrumental in causing another to stumble and thereby fall into temptation and sin.
I heard a preacher once say, and I agree with him, "A preacher makes his worst mistakes when he is tired."
In other words, it is my firm contention, that when pressure is put on a person and you continually wound a person where he is weak and vulnerable, you can cause him to sin. You can be the offense or the stumblingblock and you have sinned against Christ. Again, my focus is damaging those that are weak. The scriptures wouldn't deal with not offending or becoming a stumblingblock if it was not possible that it could happen.
One of the definitions in “sin” also includes “offend”. hamartanō - offend, sin, trespass.
We should take great care of our treatment toward others. Politically or in society, in general, it is always a lack of morality at play in all matters concerning the Word of God and our actions to our spouse, family, community and nation at large.
which would be an offensive statement. But how I deal with it would determine if I am offended or not. 
and continue to walk in love and never allow our relationship to be damaged by it, or I could walk way thinking you were the biggest jerk I've ever met, everyone I see tell them how you hurt me, and continually think about it and stew over it.
Linear Mode
