stumbling block

Any obstacle that may cause someone’s downfall, whether literal (Lev 19:14) or figurative. In Ezekiel it is idolatry (e.g., Ezek 14:3-4, Ezek 14:7), while in (Jer 6:21) it is left unspecified. According to (Isa 8:14-15), the disobedient stumble over their God, and in the NT this thought is applied to unbelievers who stumble over Christ (Rom 9:32-33; 1Pet 2:8). Paul specifically calls Christ’s death a stumbling block for the world (1Cor 1:23; Gal 5:11); he also warns that believers who flaunt their newfound freedom in Christ may place a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of others who do not share their knowledge (Rom 14:13; 1Cor 8:9).