Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!
- BSB Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
- NKJV Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
- NASB Now He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to one through whom they come!
- NLT One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!
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
Jesus warns that temptations to sin are inevitable, but woe to the one who causes them. Leading others into sin is gravely serious.
Overview
Turning to His disciples, Jesus acknowledges that stumbling blocks will come in a fallen world, yet holds accountable those who cause them. The warning guards the community of faith against those who lead others astray. It reflects God's tender concern for the vulnerable among His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Matt 18:7Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
- Rom 14:13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
- 1 Cor 11:19For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
- Rom 16:17Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
- 1 Cor 8:13Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
- Matt 16:23But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
- Rom 14:20–21For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
- 1 Cor 10:32Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
- 2 Th 2:10–12And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- Rev 13:14–18And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
- Rev 2:20Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
- Rev 2:14But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 17:1 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.