Luke 17:1

1 And he said to his disciples, It cannot be but that offences come, but woe [to him] by 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 to his disciples, It cannot be but that offences come, but woe [to him] by whom they come!

2 It would be [more] profitable for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should be a snare to one of these little ones.

3 Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother should sin, rebuke him; and if he should repent, forgive him.

4 And if he should sin against thee seven times in the day, and seven times should return to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him.

5 And the apostles said to the Lord, Give more faith to us.