18:6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, 5 it would be better for him to have a huge millstone 6 hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. 7 18:7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It 8 is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.
26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 9
“Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble
and a rock that will make them fall, 13
yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 14
14:1 Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions. 17
5:1 For freedom 23 Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke 24 of slavery.
1 tn Grk “whoever.”
2 tn Grk “is temporary.”
3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
4 tn Grk “people.”
5 tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”
6 tn Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42.
7 tn The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”
8 tn Grk “For it.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
9 sn A quotation from Zech 13:7.
10 tn This term refers to the heavy upper stone of a grinding mill (L&N 7.70; BDAG 660 s.v. μυλικός).
11 tn Grk “if a millstone were tied…and he were thrown.” The conditional construction in Greek has been translated by English infinitives: “to have… and be thrown.”
12 tn Or “to stumble.” This verb, σκανδαλίσῃ (skandalish), has the same root as the noun σκάνδαλον (skandalon) in 17:1, translated “stumbling blocks”; this wordplay is difficult to reproduce in English. It is possible that the primary cause of offense here would be leading disciples (“little ones”) astray in a similar fashion.
13 tn Grk “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
14 sn A quotation from Isa 28:16; 8:14.
15 sn Here clean refers to food being ceremonially clean.
16 tc A large number of
17 tn Grk “over opinions.” The qualifier “differing” has been supplied to clarify the meaning.
18 tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).
19 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
20 sn That is, if Paul still teaches observance of the Mosaic law (preaches circumcision), why is he still being persecuted by his opponents, who insist that Gentile converts to Christianity must observe the Mosaic law?
21 sn The offense of the cross refers to the offense to Jews caused by preaching Christ crucified.
22 tn Or “nullified.”
23 tn Translating the dative as “For freedom” shows the purpose for Christ setting us free; however, it is also possible to take the phrase in the sense of means or instrument (“with [or by] freedom”), referring to the freedom mentioned in 4:31 and implied throughout the letter.
24 sn Here the yoke figuratively represents the burdensome nature of slavery.
25 tn Or “worked through”; the same word is also used in relation to Paul later in this verse.
26 tn Or “his ministry as an apostle.”
27 tn Grk “to the circumcision,” i.e., the Jewish people.
28 tn Grk “also empowered me to the Gentiles.”