Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
— Numbers 31:16
Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
— Jeremiah 6:21
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
— Revelation 2:20
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
— Mark 7:7
Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
— Hebrews 13:9
Stumbling Over False Doctrine, by William Perkins.
But, I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.—Revelation 2:14
Balaam, the false prophet, taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel to cause them to eat of things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication, so this church maintained among them Nicolaitans, who taught it was lawful to eat things sacrificed to idols at idols’ feasts and to commit fornication. The first part of this similitude is in the end of verse 14: “who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block,” etc. The second part is in verse 15.
Touching the doctrine of Balaam, we are to observe three points: first, what a stumbling block or an offense is; secondly, what it is to cast or put a stumbling block; and, thirdly, by what means Balak did cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel.
Point 1. For the first, a stumbling block is properly anything, as wood or stone or such like, that is cast in a man’s way to hinder him in his gate and to cause him to trip or fall. And by resemblance in this place, an offense is anything that causes a man to sin against God and so to slip or fall or to go out of his way that leads to life. Further, an offense is twofold—either given or taken. An offense given is any speech or deed whereby a man is provoked to sin. And so was Peter an offense unto Christ, though He took it not (Mat 16:23). An offense taken is when any man takes occasion to fall and sin by that which is well done by others. So were the Pharisees offended at the sacred teaching of our Savior Christ.
Point 2. The casting or putting of a stumbling block or giving an offense is the doing or saying of anything whereby a man is occasioned to sin. And this is done either about things evil in themselves or in things indifferent. Evil things are such as God’s Word forbids, and they are twofold: either persuasions or examples. Bad persuasions are false doctrine and evil counsel. Bad example is also a giving of offense because it does embolden evil men in their sin and draw the godly to evil. Again, in things indifferent, as meat, drink, apparel, etc., offense may be given when as they are used unreasonably, not in fit time and place and before fit persons. And of this Paul speaks, saying, “If I knew my eating did offend my brother, I would not eat flesh while the world standeth” (see 1Co 8:13). The offense here spoken of was an offense given in evil things, for it was an evil act done by Balaam and accordingly received and taken of the Israelites; for he used outward provocations to allure them unto sin.
Point 3. The means whereby King Balak did cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel is set down in the end of the verse: by provoking them to eat of things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication. That we may understand this fully, read Numbers 25. The sum of the history is this: when Balaam had assayed sundry ways to curse the children of Israel and could not, he gave Balak counsel to use means to cause them to sin. At his counsel, Balak sent forth the most beautiful women in his kingdom into the camp of Israel to entice them to the service of their idols and to banquet with them at their idol feasts, so that they might draw them to fornication, whereunto the Israelites condescended and so sinned against God.
Thus much for this section on the meaning of the words.
Use 1. First, here observe a special property of false teachers: namely, to cast offenses before men to cause them to fall in the way that leads to salvation. By this, Christ intends to make known unto this church the false doctrine of Balaam. Paul in his epistles calls the doctrine of the gospel a truth “according to godliness” (1Ti 6:3), because the intent of the gospel is to lead men to true godliness (Ti 1:1). On the contrary, the doctrine of antichrist is called “the mystery of iniquity” (2Th 2:7) because the scope thereof is to draw men to all iniquity and abomination. Here, then, we have a rule whereby we may judge between true and false doctrine, even by looking into the end and scope thereof. If it aims at true piety and sincere obedience, we may judge it to be good. But if it tends to draw men to idolatry and sin, then it is a false doctrine.
Now, whereas some do charge the doctrine of our religion to be sundry ways scandalous, they may be easily answered.
Charge 1. They say it is a doctrine of desperation because it imports that God created men so as He will save but a few, making them for this end: to cast the greatest number to hell. Answer. To this I answer two things. First, touching the number of them that are to be saved, of which little is said in Scripture, and therefore I will not say much, yet this may be averred: the number of the elect in itself is a great company (Rev 7:9). But, being compared with them that shall be damned, it is but small. Second, touching the end of man’s creation, our doctrine is not that God created men for this end to cast them to hell, but this we teach: that God created all men to manifest His glory in them, in some by their just and deserved damnation for sin. We teach not that men are other ways condemned than for their sins, and therefore he that is condemned has his just reward.
Charge 2. They say further that our doctrine is a doctrine of blasphemy, for we teach God to have decreed the Fall of man and so make God the author of man’s sin. Answer. We teach indeed that God decreed Adam’s fall, but thence it follows not that He is the author of man’s sins. For God’s will is twofold: general and special. God’s general will is to permit that which is evil, not simply, but because with God evil has some respect of good. And in this respect, we say God decreed Adam’s fall. God’s special will is His approving will, whereby He takes pleasure and delight in that which is good; and in this regard God nilled Adam’s fall and man’s sins, and yet in some respect He may be said to will them. A magistrate, though he takes no comfort or delight at the death and execution of a malefactor, yet he does decree and appoint it and so may be said to will it. Even so, God, Who can bring light out of darkness, permits evil because with Him it has some respect of good, and so He may be said to will it.
Charge 3. They say also that the doctrine of our church is a doctrine of security because we teach that a man may be certain of his salvation and of perseverance in the faith to the end. Answer. This is not a doctrine of carnal security because we do not impose necessarily the use of means to them that would be certain of their salvation and perseverance unto the end—as, namely, denial of themselves and humbling themselves in continual prayer, with hearing and meditating in the Word of God and receiving the sacraments for the increase of faith and renewing of their repentance—all which will rather make a man fearful and careful than secure. For with the means is certainty of salvation, both attained and preserved, so that our doctrine is not a doctrine of offenses but a true doctrine that beats out the plain way that leads unto life.
Use 2. Secondly, Christ’s detestation of this doctrine of Balaam must admonish us to be careful of our behavior every way, so that we give no offense unto any; for if we do, we are Balaam’s scholars. This is a point of special observation. We must look to our communication, that it be void of railing and bad speeches, and to our conversation, that it be holy and blameless. In everything, we must have care not to hinder others in the way of life. “Woe be to them,” says Christ, “that give offences: it were better that a huge millstone”—such as an ass can but turn about, as the word imports—“were tied all about his neck, and that he were cast into the sea” (see Mat 18:6). The reason is because when a man by any means gives his brother offense, he does as much as in him lies to plunge his brother’s soul into the pit of destruction. Therefore, we must flee from offenses as hell itself. Yea, rather, on the contrary, we must help our brethren forward in the way of salvation and remove from them all stumbling blocks that cause them to fall. If this duty were practiced, our church would abound with grace and godliness. But this duty is wanting—and hence becomes, for example, that we have so small increase after much labor in preaching; evil counsel does quench the graces of the Spirit in men’s hearts.
Use 3. Thirdly, hereby we must learn to have special care against offenses given by evil counsel or bad example. For if it is the property of the false prophet to cast stumbling blocks before others, then it is a dangerous thing to fall upon them when they are laid before us. While we live in this world, we shall see many offenses given; but we must take heed we take them not. Therefore, Christ bids us, “If thy foot offend thee, or thine hand, cut it off; or thine eye, pluck it out” (see Mat 18:8-9), teaching us to forgo the dearest thing that can be unto us if it would cause us to sin against God.
We put offenses or stumblingblocks in the way of men’s souls whenever we do anything to keep them back from Christ, to turn them out of the way of salvation, or to disgust them with true religion. We may do it directly by persecuting, ridiculing, opposing, or dissuading them from decided service of Christ. We may do it indirectly by living a life inconsistent with our religious profession and by making Christianity loathsome and distasteful by our own conduct. Whenever we do anything of the kind, it is clear from our Lord’s words that we commit a great sin. There is something very fearful in the doctrine here laid down. It ought to stir up within us great searchings of heart. It is not enough that we wish to do good in this world. Are we quite sure that we are not doing harm?—J. C. Ryle
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