Is an offence something you DO, or SAY? Can you offend a babe in Christ by telling them something too soon – by correcting their evil before “they’re ready”? The question stems from a dreadful misunderstanding of this scripture…

Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend 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.

What does He mean? What is He saying? Let’s take a case in point. If someone has been coming to church for a few weeks, then you have a potluck, and they bring pork chops. Should you FEAR to tell them you can’t eat unclean meats – lest you offend them? Is THIS what this scripture is warning you about? Absolutely not! But WHAT does AN OFFENCE mean – as the BIBLE defines it??

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Notice carefully! Whatever you DO, must be right. You must be BLAMELESS in your actions, so that you give no OFFENCE…

2 Corinthians 6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

Is this talking about condemning sin too soon? About correcting a babe before he is “ready”? Certainly not! These scriptures are all talking about SIN – about DOING THINGS that offend them. Why is YOUR SIN an OFFENCE?

Leviticus 19:14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

How do you put a stumblingblock before the blind? By laying a stone in the way, and blocking the road so they can’t pass. How does that apply in the new testament?

Revelation 2:14 But 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.

The STUMBLINGBLOCK that Balac put before Israel was THEIR SIN! This is a critical point. THEIR SIN blocked their way, as surely as the stone blocked the way of the blind!

Ezekiel 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face:…

THEIR INIQUITY is THEIR STUMBLINGBLOCK! And what is the difference between a STUMBLINGBLOCK and an OFFENCE? Simply put, the offence, or the SIN, PLACES a stumblingblock in the way of the babe!

Matthew 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

Those things that offend are those who do iniquity!

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

You OFFEND by BREAKING THE LAW! Now, let’s re-read the scripture, this time WITH CONTEXT, that started all this…

Matthew 18:6-7, 14-15 But whoso shall offend 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. 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! … Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Notice that the context is your brother sinning against you… THIS is the context of AN OFFENCE to a little one! SINNING against a brother – not telling him he’s wrong! Or telling him that he is SINNING!

And notice, too, that He’s concerned with you offending little ones “WHICH BELIEVE IN ME”! He isn’t concerned about offending “little ones” that are planted by Satan, or which DON’T believe in Him! He, Himself offended THEM all the time – In fact, that’s the one of the REASONS He came! To save those who LOVE His word, and to OFFEND those who hate it!

1 Peter 2:7-8 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

If you stumble at His word – at Him (or His followers) telling you that you are sinning – ANYTIME, regardless of when or where – then you are not planted by His Father!

Matthew 15:12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

He OFFENDED them! So either HE SINNED (?) or this was a good thing!

Matthew 15:13-14 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

If GOD didn’t plant them – they WILL be rooted up. Maybe now, or possibly later – after they’ve stayed in the church and corrupted dozens of others with their disbelief, and CAUSED AN OFFENCE – but they WILL be rooted up. And this is a good thing! Don’t misunderstand, it’s a terrible shame for this person, but it will happen sooner or later BECAUSE THEY DON’T LOVE GOD, and IT IS NECESSARY to sort out those who CAN be offended by truth, and those who CAN’T!

John 6:60-64 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? [He had just talked about drinking his blood and eating his flesh….] When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

And here is the real POINT of what he’s trying to say…

John 6:65-66 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

And MANY of the disciples left Him for good. He OFFENDED them. Again showing that GOD MUST PLANT the person, and if God didn’t plant a person… they WILL be pulled up, and offended. And Christ doesn’t condemn anyone for doing this – how could He, He did it Himself all the time!

On the other hand, those who LOVE the truth, those who GOD PLANTED, CAN’T BE OFFENDED BY TRUTH!

Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Now, you may ask, HOW can we tell who LOVES THE TRUTH and WHO DOESN’T? WE DON’T!! That’s the beautiful part! You confront sin on every level possible, as aggressively as you know how, and if they are offended by this, GOD DIDN’T PLANT THEM!

But back to the original question… WHY DID CHRIST WARN YOU ABOUT OFFENDING A LITTLE ONE?

BECAUSE, if you say “you should not steal”! and you, yourself, STEAL – you give them a REASON to hate you, and your God – THIS is an offence, and God HATES this!

Romans 2:17-22 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

They are offended by YOUR HYPOCRISY – by you, WHO SAY that you shouldn’t sin – SINNING! David was guilty of this too… after the “incident” with Bathsheba, Nathan the prophet told him…

2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

David OFFENDED those “little ones” by BREAKING THE LAW HE CLAIMED TO KEEP! NOT by convicting sin!

Daniel 6:4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

Daniel on the other hand, GAVE NO OFFENCE – gave no REASON for the enemies of God to blaspheme. THIS is what Christ wanted you to do! Not to fear to correct sin too soon in a “babe in Christ”! If the case still needs more proof,

Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

For the final nail in the coffin! If an offence comes by confronting sin too soon, by saying the wrong words and hurting someone irreparably, HOW CAN YOU OFFEND GOD?? But if an OFFENCE comes by SIN, it’s very easy to OFFEND GOD isn’t it! And His “LITTLE ONES”!!

Malachi 2:7-8 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to STUMBLE at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

By DEPARTING out of the LAW, you cause them to stumble! You CAUSE an offence! And it would be better for you to have a millstone around your neck and be cast into the sea than to do THIS!

Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.