A Good Word – σκάνδαλον (Trap)

Losing weight is hard because I like food. I am particularly partial to potato chips. And by partial, I mean if there is a bag of chips in the house, I’m drawn to it like a moth to a flame. One time when I was in high school, I ate an entire bag of sour cream and onion chips by myself in one sitting. Not a snack-size bag–a full, party-size bag. Needless to say, chips are a weakness, and to lose weight, I’ve had to be very careful around them lest I stumble.

This idea of something that makes us stumble shows up in the New Testament in the important word σκάνδαλον (scandalon). Its meaning revolves around the idea of a snare or trap. In biblical Greek, it occasionally means a literal trap, but the more common meaning is that of a temptation to sin. Imagine a person walking and then stumbling over a stone in their way. Walking figuratively refers to the spiritual life, and the thing that caused her to fall is the σκάνδαλον, an enticement to sin.

There are two key uses of this idea in the New Testament. The first refers to the temptations to sin that confront us in this broken world. Jesus lamented to his disciples that there will always be stumbling blocks in this world (Matthew 18:7; Luke 17:1). Paul cautioned the church in Rome not to put stumbling stones in front of others regarding to food (Romans 14:13) and to beware of those who entice others to sin through false teaching (Romans 16:17). All of this rings true: Stumbling blocks are part of life. Recognizing their presence is maturity. It involves navigating around them, and when we do stumble, seeking forgiveness from God and help from our brothers and sisters. Fortunately, we know that God will ultimately remove all temptations to sin when his final purposes for this world are accomplished (Matthew 13:40-43).

The word σκάνδαλον has a second meaning which is also important to know. This meaning is similar to that of the English word “scandal,” defined as a circumstance or situation which causes offense. Christ was a σκάνδαλον to those who do not believe. Paul stated this clearly: “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23). He clarified further by citing Isaiah to identify Christ as the stumbling stone God had laid among Israel (Romans 9:33). In another place, Paul identified the cross of Christ, that is, the preaching about his death on the cross for sin, as causing offense (Galatians 5:11). The news about Jesus is indeed good news, but some are offended by it because of their unbelief.

Two key applications emerge for us from the study of this word: We must walk close to Jesus to avoid the stumbling blocks in our way, and we must remember that when we share the gospel, some people will take offense because Christ himself is a stumbling block to unbelief.