1 Corinthians 8:11

Weak brother. See on Rom. 14:1; 1 Cor. 8:9. The weak brother is the one who above all others should be treated with considerate patience and forbearance. He is a brother in the faith, one who is united to the Lord by the same tender family tie that unites those whose faith is stronger. He has a claim upon the love and tender helpfulness of all others in the church. Everything possible should be done to avoid endangering the spiritual interests of such a person.

Perish. See on Rom. 14:15. This fearful result shows the serious nature of the matter under discussion.

Christ died. This brings to view the strongest argument against the wrong use of liberty to do a certain thing when that exercise of liberty endangers the salvation of someone else. Nothing should be done that will render vain the shedding of the blood of Christ for a soul. The possibility of such is here presented, and that possibility should be enough to deter anyone from taking any action that might have this tendency. Surely the Christian who has a vivid sense of what the Saviour has done for him will not insist on being so selfishly indifferent to the welfare of his brethren as to do anything that would lead the “weak” brother to violate his conscience.