Give no occasion for stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God;
Parallel translations
- KJV Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
- BSB Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God—
- NKJV Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,
- NASB Do not offend Jews or Greeks, or the church of God;
- NLT Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Believers should avoid putting stumbling blocks before Jews, Greeks, or the church. Consideration for others' faith shapes Christian conduct.
Overview
Paul calls for behavior that does not needlessly hinder anyone, whether unbelieving Jews, Gentiles, or fellow believers, from coming to or growing in faith. Love seeks the spiritual welfare of all groups. This concern for not causing offense in the gospel sense reflects a missionary heart that subordinates personal freedom to the salvation of others.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Acts 20:28Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.
- 1 Cor 10:33even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.
- Rom 14:13Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling.
- 2 Cor 6:3We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,
- 1 Cor 8:13Therefore if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble.
- Acts 24:16Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.
- 1 Cor 11:22What, don’t you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly, and put them to shame who don’t have? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you.
- 1 Tim 3:15but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
- 1 Tim 3:5(but if a man doesn’t know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)
- Phil 1:10so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 10:32 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.