Bible Study series: Luke 17:1-4. These are short commands with far-reaching effects. Let’s take them seriously.
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together.
I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click here:
In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Luke 17:1-4
1 He said to his disciples, “It is impossible that stumbling stones not come, but woe to anyone through him they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were tied around his neck and thrown into the sea than he would cause one of these little ones to stumble! 3 Guard yourselves!
If your brother sins, rebuke him. And if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” (Luke 17:1-4)
Comments:
The little ones are not children here. The context says they are “easily offended” brothers and sisters—weak ones. If you want a pericope (pronounced puh-RIH-koh-pea) or unit or section of Scripture telling of Jesus welcoming children, please see 18:15-17.
1-2:
“disciples”:
Jesus turns towards his kingdom community. In Luke 16, he had been speaking to the crowds with an eye on the money-loving Pharisees, so he discussed money. Now he addresses the disciples. And he gets down to the nitty-gritty. He tersely issues clear warnings. He is firm about them. He gets relational, but he exposes the negatives that happen in relationships. More specifically, some children must have been playing nearby, and he took the opportunity to point them out. Matt. 18:6 and Mark 9:42 say that the little ones believed in Jesus. Interpreters say the “little ones” are weak disciples. They are disciples like Lazarus (16:20-22), the prodigal son (15:11-32), tax collectors and sinners (15:1), the poor, crippled, lame and blind (14:13, 21), the man with dropsy (14:1-6) and the woman bent double (13:11-16). The phrase connotes immature pupil or young, immature scholar in rabbinic Judaism, on the scale of worldly of values. Jesus will soon discuss children, but not here (18:15-17). Perhaps the “little ones” are also like certain Roman Christians, as in Rom. 14. Their conscience is so weak that they cannot eat various foods, or they have to keep some days as holy (vv. 5-7). Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (v. 5). Everyone with their different practices and convictions about food “should make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification” (v. 19).
Then what does causing them to stumble mean?
“stumbling stones”: The Greek noun for the stumbling block or stone is skandalon (pronounced scan-dah-lon), and it is clear we get our word scandal from it, but the meaning back then is not quite the same. The noun means, depending on the context: (1) “trap (symbolically)”; (2) “temptation to sin, enticement”; (3) “that which gives offense or causes revulsion, that which causes opposition, an object of anger or disapproval.”
We are supposed to get angry at and feel revulsion for a skandalon.
“stumble”: some translations say, “causes to sin.” The Greek language adds the suffix –izō to a noun and changes it into a verb. We do that too: modern – modernize. So the noun becomes skandalizō (pronounced scan-dah-lee-zoh). And it means, depending on the context, (1) “cause to be caught … to fall, i.e. cause to sin” a. … Passive: “be led into sin … fall away”; b. “be led into sin or repelled by someone, take offense at someone”; (2) give offense to, anger, shock.”
Jesus does not specify what a skandalon or skandalizō are in this context. Hypocrisy (talking one way but living another)? Dysfunction and fighting in the household? Meanness? Sexual stumbling?
In extreme cases those two words can mean “cause to sin.”
3a:
“guard”: the verb can mean, depending on the context: (1) active: “turn one’s mind to”; a. “pay attention to, give heed to, follow”; b. “be concerned about, care for, pay attention to”; c. “occupy oneself with, devote or apply oneself to … be addicted” [in the sense of complete devotion]; (2) middle: “cling to.” Here it can also be translated: “pay attention to yourselves”; “watch yourselves.” Guarding and paying attention to your mind—the thoughts that cross it—is imperative. Slowing the mind down through meditation on positive and edifying things is beneficial. Scriptural advice: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8, ESV). Thinking on these things steers the mind away from sinning and putting stumbling blocks before little ones and yourselves.
3b:
“your brother”: the term is generic in this context. It could be translated as “brother or sister.” I kept it as brother because it is a bother to write: “forgive him or her” and so on. I think the meaning of “brother” can apply to a family, but includes the larger Christian community, as well.
“sins”: it is the verb hamartanō (pronounced hah-mahr-tah-noh), and BDAG, considered by many to be the authoritative lexicon of the NT, says it means, depending on the context: “to commit a wrong (in the sense ‘transgress’ against divinity, custom, or law”). Then it is used in a variety of contexts: “with a fuller indication of that in which the mistake or moral failure consists” … (so the details of the sin are clarified); “with indication of the manner of sinning” (e.g. lawbreaking); “with indication of the one against whom the sin is committed” (against God or in front of the youth’s father in Luke 15:18).
Let’s look at the related noun hamartia (pronounced hah-mahr-tee-ah). A deep study reveals that it means a “departure from either human or divine standards of uprightness” (BDAG, p. 50). It can also mean a “destructive evil power” (ibid., p. 51). In other words, sin has a life of its own. Be careful! In the older Greek of the classical world, it originally meant to “miss the mark” or target. Sin destroys, and that’s why God hates it, and so should we.
Bible Basics about Sin: Word Studies
Human Sin: Original and Our Committed Sin
“rebuke”: the verb means “rebuke, censure, warn.” I like rebuke or warn here. In other words, there is nothing wrong with approaching your sibling or Christian brother and cautioning him. But the hypersensitive should not be so easily offended. That’s too self-focused.
“repents”: it is the verb metanoeō (pronounced meh-tah-noh-eh-oh), and “to repent” literally means “changed mind.” And it goes deeper than mental assent or agreement. Another word for repent is the Greek stem streph– (including the prefixes ana-, epi-, and hupo-), which means physically “to turn” (see Luke 2:20, 43, 45). That reality-concept is all about new life. One turns around 180 degrees, going from the direction of death to the new direction of life.
“forgive”: it comes from the verb aphiēmi (pronounced ah-fee-ay-mee), and BDAG defines it with the basic meaning of letting go: (1) “dismiss or release someone or something from a place or one’s presence, let go, send away”; (2) “to release from legal or moral obligations or consequence, cancel, remit, pardon”; (3) “to move away with implication of causing a separation, leave, depart”; (4) “to leave something continue or remain in its place … let someone have something” (Matt. 4:20; 5:24; 22:22; Mark 1:18; Luke 10:30; John 14:18); (5) “leave it to someone to do something, let, let go, allow, tolerate.” The Shorter Lexicon adds “forgive.” In sum, God lets go, dismisses, releases, sends away, cancels, pardons, and forgives our sins. Likewise, we should forgive those who sin against us because God forgives us every day.
Please read these verses carefully and devotionally:
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Ps. 103:10-12, ESV)
From Micah:
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea. (Mic. 7:18-19, ESV)
In this verse 3, however, Jesus is talking about one person forgiving another. Yet the principle of letting the offense go still applies here, whether from person to person or God down to the repentant human.
4:
And then Jesus uses the number of completeness: seven. We should not take the number so literally that we will not forgive our brother on the eighth sin in the one day. No, we should be completely willing to forgive him, however many times he sins against us, every day. Does this mean be a doormat? No, because forgiveness is not the only response. Remember, Jesus said to rebuke and warn him, too. “Yes, I forgive you because God has forgiven me, but I must caution you about your behavior. Don’t do it again.” Only a forgiven heart can fully forgive the seemingly unforgiveable.
“returns”: it comes from the verb epistrephō (eh-pea-streh-foh), and it means, depending on the context: “turn” literally and figuratively; “turn around … turn back, return … be converted.” It can be a synonym for “repent.” I like the idea of your sibling or brother in Christ realizing his mistake after he walked away and coming back and repenting. May we have more of it!
In summary, this pericope or passage is about being offensive and being easily offended and forgiveness. Which one are you? Be careful when you get involved in a Christian fellowship. Don’t offend people. On the other side of the coin, don’t be easily offended to touchy. People will say things that offend you (but not someone else). You must get over yourself. Learn to forgive. Say, “This is simply what people do. They say stupid things. I forgive and more on.”
GrowApp for Luke 17:1-4
1. What is the best way to help little ones maintain their relationship with God?
2. Study Gal. 6:1-2. What does it mean to warn your brother or sister about sinning against you? How is this done?
3. Study Eph. 4:32. Why should you be willing to forgive completely (the number seven denotes completeness) every time someone sins against you each day?
RELATED
11. Eyewitness Testimony in Luke’s Gospel
3. Church Fathers and Luke’s Gospel
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
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