Luke 17:1

1 And he said unto the disciples, `It is impossible for the stumbling blocks not to come, but wo [to him] through whom they come;

Luke 17:1 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 17:1

Then said he unto his disciples
In the Alexandrian copy, and in "three" of Beza's exemplars it is read, "his disciples"; and so read the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; that is, Jesus said to his disciples what follows, as the Syriac and Persic versions express, and the latter reads, he said "again". About the time that he delivered the above parable concerning the rich man and Lazarus, he repeated to his disciples what he had before said to them on another occasion, ( Matthew 18:7 )

it is impossible but that offences will come;
considering the decree of God, the malice of Satan, the wickedness of men, the corruption both of their principles and practices. The Ethiopic version renders it, "temptation will come"; that which will be trying to the faith of the saints, and a stumblingblock to weak minds, as reproach and persecution, errors, and heresies, and the evil lives of professors:

but woe [unto him] through whom they come;
(See Gill on Matthew 18:7)

Luke 17:1 In-Context

1 And he said unto the disciples, `It is impossible for the stumbling blocks not to come, but wo [to him] through whom they come;

2 it is more profitable to him if a weighty millstone is put round about his neck, and he hath been cast into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to stumble.

3 `Take heed to yourselves, and, if thy brother may sin in regard to thee, rebuke him, and if he may reform, forgive him,

4 and if seven times in the day he may sin against thee, and seven times in the day may turn back to thee, saying, I reform; thou shalt forgive him.'

5 And the apostles said to the Lord, `Add to us faith;'