Luke 17:1 · Bible study
Luke 17:1 Commentary: Stumbling Blocks and Personal Guilt
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Luke 17:1 presents a tension: stumbling blocks are inevitable, yet woe to those who cause them. A study on divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus teaches that stumbling blocks are morally certain in a fallen world, yet pronounces divine judgment on those who cause them.
- Key words: anendekton (inadmissible, impossible, unique in NT), skandalon (stumbling block, trap trigger), ouai (woe, exclamation of judgment).
- Main debate: Does the inevitability stem from divine decree (Gill, Henry) or from human moral corruption (Clarke, Cambridge)? Most see both at play.
- Theological theme: The coexistence of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, particularly regarding the spread of sin.
- Best use: Teaching on accountability, warning against leading others into sin, and pastoral preparation for the reality of offence in the church.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
WEB World English Bible 2000
He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!
KJV King James Version 1769
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he said unto his disciples, It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they come!
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And he said unto the disciples, `It is impossible for the stumbling blocks not to come, but woe to him through whom they come;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he said to his disciples, It cannot be but that offences come, but woe [to him] by whom they come!
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come. But woe to him through whom they come!
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Á SUS discípulos dice: Imposible es que no vengan escándalos; mas ¡ ay de aquél por quien vienen!
E disse aos discípulos: É impossível que não venham ofensas, mas ai daquele por quem estas ofensas vierem!
Jésus dit à ses disciples: Il est impossible qu’ il n’ arrive pas des scandales; mais malheur à celui par qui ils arrivent!
Er sprach aber zu seinen Jüngern: Es ist unmöglich, daß nicht Ärgernisse kommen; weh aber dem, durch welchen sie kommen!
En Hij zeide tot de discipelen: Het kan niet wezen, dat er geen ergernissen komen; doch wee hem, door welken zij komen;
Disse poi ai suoi discepoli: E’ impossibile che non avvengano scandali: ma guai a colui per cui avvengono!
I rzekł do uczniów: Nie można, aby zgorszenia przyjść nie miały; ale biada temu, przez którego przychodzą!
Сказал также Иисус ученикам: невозможно не придти соблазнам, но горе тому, через кого они приходят;
耶穌又 對 門徒 說：「絆倒人的事 是 免不了的；但 那 絆倒人的 有禍了。
And he said to his disciples, It is necessary for causes of trouble to come about, but unhappy is he by whom they come.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 17:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jesus is not making a fatalistic statement but describing a moral certainty in a fallen world. The key Greek term anendekton (ἀνένδεκτον) occurs only here in the New Testament and means “inadmissible” or “unallowable” as a possibility, a stronger word than “impossible” in English. Adam Clarke notes that “such is the corrupt state of the human heart that men will continue to sin.” The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges calls it “morally impossible in the present condition of the world.” On the second half, the conjunction plēn (πλήν), “but” or “nevertheless”, sharply pivots from inevitability to judgment. The Cambridge Bible adds firmly: “No moral necessity, no predestined certainty, removes the responsibility for individual guilt.” Matthew Henry sees both divine purpose and human perversity at work: the wise purpose of God bringing good out of evil, alongside the frowardness of human nature. Wesley identifies the Pharisees as the primary stumbling-block causers. The shared conclusion: inevitability and accountability stand together in this verse.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Divine decree reading: Gill and Matthew Henry cite the decree of God and his wise purpose; stumbling blocks are part of his sovereign plan
- Moral inevitability reading: Clarke and the Cambridge Bible point to the corrupt state of the human heart and the present condition of the world as the source of certainty
- Both/and reading: Most commentators hold that God's permission and human sinfulness work together, with personal responsibility preserved by the woe
What is clear: The person through whom a stumbling block comes is not excused by its inevitability; divine judgment rests on that person.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the impossibility | Jesus means that stumbling blocks are certain to occur in the present age, not that God makes them necessary. | Gill and Matthew Henry emphasise the decree of God and the wise purpose behind offences; Clarke and the Cambridge Bible stress human corruption as the source. Both traditions affirm that God permits but does not cause sin. |
| Identity of 'the little ones' | The phrase refers to those who are vulnerable in faith, children, new believers, or the weak in conscience. | Some interpreters (especially within Reformed traditions) see a primary reference to actual children, given the parallel in Matthew 18:6. Others read it as metaphorical for all 'little ones' in the kingdom, including adult believers who are immature. |
| Relationship of this verse to the forgiveness passage that follows | Verses 3-4 are connected as a practical response to the reality of offences: when they happen, forgive. | Some see a direct sequence (when someone stumbles you, you must forgive, the offence itself is inevitable but the response is commanded). Others treat verses 1-2 as a separate saying and verses 3-4 as a new topic, since Luke often groups sayings thematically. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse opens a new teaching unit in Luke 17. Jesus has just finished the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (chapter 16), which condemned the Pharisees for their love of money and disregard for the law. Now he turns from the Pharisees to address his disciples directly. The verb “said” (εἶπεν) is a simple aorist, reporting a specific moment of instruction.
In first-century Judaism, a “stumbling block” (σκάνδαλον, skandalon) originally meant the trigger stick of a trap. By Jesus’ day it included anything that caused someone to sin or fall away from faith. The image carried moral force: it was not just a physical obstacle but a snare set by someone, often deliberately. The Old Testament law commanded not to put a stumbling block before the blind (Leviticus 19:14), and Jesus deepens that command to include spiritual blindness.
The mention of “these little ones” in verse 2 (immediately following) suggests that the primary danger is to vulnerable believers, new converts, the weak in faith, or even children. In a Mediterranean honour-shame culture, causing a loss of standing in God’s community was a serious offence. The millstone (μύλος ὀνικός) in verse 2 was a massive stone turned by a donkey; its weight dramatises the severity of the punishment for causing such harm.
Luke’s arrangement of sayings here may be a collection of Jesus’ teaching on related themes: stumbling blocks (v.1), rebuke and forgiveness (vv.3-4), faith (v.5-6), and humble service (vv.7-10). While Matthew 18:6-7 parallels part of this passage, the version in Luke is distinct and seems to be directed specifically at disciples who live in a world where offence is guaranteed.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note one minor textual variant: several manuscripts (including the Alexandrian copy and three of Beza’s exemplars, as well as the Vulgate Latin and Oriental versions) read “his disciples” (τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ) rather than “the disciples.” The difference does not affect the meaning. The critical editions adopt “the disciples” as the most likely original reading, but the variant shows that early scribes assumed the disciples belonged to Jesus. No significant variants affect the main statement about stumbling blocks and woe.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Luke 17:1 has been used to address the tension between God’s sovereignty and human sinfulness. Early church fathers such as John Chrysostom and Augustine cited it to warn against causing weaker believers to stumble, while also affirming that God uses even evil for his purposes. Medieval commentators like Thomas Aquinas noted the distinction between a skandalon that is given (active) and one that is taken (reactive). The Reformers, Luther and Calvin, both preached on this verse to argue that the inevitability of sin does not excuse it; the wicked choose to be instruments. In modern evangelical and Catholic teaching, the verse remains a standard text for sermons on the seriousness of leading others into sin, especially in contexts of spiritual abuse and false teaching. The millstone image has become proverbial for the heaviness of judgment awaiting those who corrupt the faith of others.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Reality of Stumbling Blocks, Jesus begins with a hard truth: offences are not optional in a fallen world. The word anendekton means it is unallowable even to think otherwise. This protects believers from naivety and prepares them for disappointment.
- The Culpability of the One Who Causes Them, The conjunction plēn turns the sentence on its hinge. Inevitability does not erase guilt. The “woe” (οὐαί) is a divine exclamation of judgment. The person through whom stumbling comes is held accountable, not excused.
- The Call to Watchfulness, The context moves immediately to forgiveness (vv.3-4) and faith (v.5). These are the antidotes to being a stumbling block: quick forgiveness and a faith large enough to avoid being a snare to others.
Five-point outline
- Jesus addresses his disciples directly (v.1a), This is insider teaching, not public debate. The warning is for those who already follow him.
- Stumbling blocks are certain (v.1b), The impossibility is moral, not mechanical. The source is human sin, Satan’s malice, and God’s permission to test and refine his people.
- The “woe” falls on the agent (v.1c), The preposition dia (δι᾽) with the genitive “through whom” specifies the instrument. The woe is not a wish but a pronouncement of doom.
- Comparison with the millstone (v.2), A millstone drowning is better than causing a little one to stumble. The hyperbole shows how seriously Jesus views this sin.
- Following verses provide the remedy (vv.3-10), Rebuke, forgiveness, faith, and humble service keep a disciple from becoming a stumbling block.
Illustration hooks
- A parent who leaves a toy at the top of the stairs knows someone will trip on it. The toy could be put away, yet leaving it out still makes the parent responsible for the fall.
- A hiker on a narrow trail who kicks loose stones onto the path below. The stones may fall inevitably, but the kick was a choice.
- A church leader who spreads gossip, knowing that “people will talk anyway.” The inevitability of gossip does not remove the sin of starting it.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God already knows stumbling blocks will come, why does he judge the people who cause them?
- How can I tell if I am being a stumbling block to someone else?
- What do I do when I realise I have caused someone to stumble, is forgiveness possible for me?
Leading a Discussion
Luke 17:1 forces us to sit with a tension. Jesus says two things that seem to pull in opposite directions: stumbling blocks are unavoidable, yet the person through whom they come is guilty. The conversation that follows, about rebuke, forgiveness, and faith, suggests that Jesus gave this teaching not to paralyse his disciples but to prepare them. Discuss the text together, letting the question of responsibility land where it must.
Discussion questions
- Read the verse aloud. What stands out to you about the way Jesus words this statement?
- The Greek word anendekton means “inadmissible”, it is not permitted for a disciple to imagine a world without stumbling blocks. Why does Jesus start with that reality?
- How would you explain the difference between something being “morally impossible” and something being “divinely decreed”? Which view do the commentaries you read support?
- Why does Jesus attach a “woe” to the person through whom stumbling blocks come if they are inevitable? What does this teach about human responsibility?
- Look at verse 2. The millstone image is brutal. What do you think Jesus wants his disciples to feel when they hear it?
- Verses 3-4 move immediately to rebuke and forgiveness. How does that sequence protect a community from becoming a place of stumbling?
- What is one step you could take this week to ensure you are not causing someone else to stumble in their faith?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 16:23 | But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” |
| Matthew 18:7 | “Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes! |
| Romans 14:13 | Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling. |
| Romans 14:20 | Don’t overthrow God’s work for food’s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating. |
| Romans 14:21 | It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak. |
| Romans 16:17 | Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them. |
| I Corinthians 8:13 | Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble. |
| I Corinthians 10:32 | Give no occasion for stumbling, whether to Jews, to Greeks, or to the assembly of God; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that offenses are unavoidable because the human heart stays corrupt even with God's grace and promises. He insists people will keep sinning, so God's justice must keep punishing.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that when Jesus says "it is impossible," he means such things cannot fail to happen; they are inevitable given the state of the world. The word describes not a logical impossibility but a certainty that offenses will occur.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that while stumbling blocks are certain to arise in this fallen world, this inevitability in no way excuses the person who causes them. The weight of woe falls squarely on the individual through whom the offence comes.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads this passage as a connected lesson where the demand for unlimited forgiveness drives the apostles to
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the Greek word translated as "impossible" appears nowhere else in the New Testament and carries a distinct meaning. It suggests something inadmissible or not to be tolerated, rather than merely impossible in a physical sense.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the primary source of inevitable stumbling blocks as people who trust in their own righteousness and look down on others. For him, these Pharisees are the chief channel through which offences come into the church, a pattern that has continued from the beginning.