Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
Parallel translations
- WEB “Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!
- KJV Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
- NKJV Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
- NASB “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!
- NLT “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, 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 pronounces woe on a world full of temptations and on those through whom they come. Stumbling-blocks are inevitable in a fallen world, yet those who cause them remain guilty.
Overview
Temptations to sin will surely arise because the world is fallen, but this inevitability does not excuse the tempter. God holds responsible those who lead others astray. The double 'woe' underlines both the danger to the church and the accountability of offenders before God's judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 29
- Luke 17:1Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
- 1 Cor 11:19And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.
- Matt 26:24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
- 1 Tim 4:1–3Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- Jude 1:4For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
- Rev 2:14–15But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
- Jude 1:11–13Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
- 2 Tim 3:1–5But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.
- Titus 2:8and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.
- 2 Pet 2:15–17They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
- 2 Th 2:3–12Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.
- 2 Tim 4:3–4For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
- Titus 2:5to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.
- Rev 19:20–21But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
- Rom 2:23–24You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
- 1 Sam 2:22–25Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
- 2 Pet 2:2–3Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed.
- Rev 2:20–23But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
- 1 Tim 5:14–15So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.
- John 17:12While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
- 1 Sam 2:17Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
- 1 Tim 6:1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited.
- Matt 23:13–28Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
- Matt 13:41–42The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.
- Acts 1:16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus.
- 2 Sam 12:14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”
- Mark 13:7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
- Acts 1:18–20(Now with the reward for his wickedness Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, and all his intestines spilled out.
- Gen 13:7And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 18:7 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
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