1 Corinthians 8:12

12 And in this way you will be sinning against Christ by sinning against other Christians and wounding their weak conscience.

1 Corinthians 8:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 8:12

But when ye sin so against the brethren
Through sitting at meat in an idol's temple, and thereby violating the new commandment of love; by which saints are obliged to love one another as brethren, and take care to do nothing that may hurt and prejudice one another's peace and comfort, it being an incumbent duty upon them by love to serve one another: and

wound their weak conscience:
as before observed: it is contrary to the law of love to wound a brother; it is an aggravation of the sin to wound a weak one; what greater cruelty than to strike or beat, as the word here used signifies, a sick and infirm man? and greater still to strike and wound his conscience than any part of his body; for a wounded spirit is insupportable without divine aid and influence; and what serves most to enhance the crime and guilt is,

ye sin against Christ,
who has so loved this weak brother as to die for him; and between whom there is so close an union, as between head and members; and from whence such a sympathy arises, that what is done to or against such a person, Christ takes as done to himself. The Syriac version emphatically adds, (wh) , "himself".

1 Corinthians 8:12 In-Context

10 Suppose a person whose conscience is weak in this matter sees you, who have so-called "knowledge," eating in the temple of an idol; will not this encourage him to eat food offered to idols?

11 And so this weak person, your brother for whom Christ died, will perish because of your "knowledge"!

12 And in this way you will be sinning against Christ by sinning against other Christians and wounding their weak conscience.

13 So then, if food makes a believer sin, I will never eat meat again, so as not to make a believer fall into sin.