Offense is said to be taken when a thing otherwise done, not wickedly or unseasonably, is made an occasion of offense from malevolence or some sinister feeling. For here offense was not given, but sinister interpreters ceaselessly take offense. By the former kind, the weak only, by the latter, the ill-tempered and Pharisaical are offended. Wherefore, we shall call the one the offense of the weak, the other the offense of Pharisees, and we will so temper the use of our liberty as to make it yield to the ignorance of weak brethren, but not to the austerity of Pharisees....
....Whatever I have said about avoiding offenses, I wish to be referred to things indifferent. Things which are necessary to be done cannot be omitted from any fear of offense. For as our liberty is to be made subservient to charity, so charity must in its turn be subordinate to purity of faith. Here, too, regard must be had to charity, but it must go as far as the altar; that is, we must not offend God for the sake of our neighbor. We approve not of the intemperance of those who do every thing tumultuously, and would rather burst through every restraint at once than proceed step by step. But neither are those to be listened to who, while they take the lead in a thousand forms of impiety, pretend that they act thus to avoid giving offense to their neighbor, as if in the meantime they did not train the consciences of their neighbors to evil, especially when they always stick in the same mire without any hope of escape....
....Let my readers only bear in mind, first, that whatever be the offenses by which Satan and the world attempt to lead us away from the law of God, we must, nevertheless, strenuously proceed in the course which he prescribes; and, secondly, that whatever dangers impend we are not at liberty to deviate one nail’s breadth from the command of God, that on no pretext is it lawful to attempt any thing but what he permits.
But I can’t seem to help myself.
We need to get Calvin to come to Tampa and work with the Buccaneers, they haven’t taken an offense in 40 years.
This should be in bold, as well.
When we take offence...or , “get hurt” it is usually the sin of pride in us
I think offense can only exist where there is pride and that pride is challenged.
Forgiveness is the proper response when an offense is taken.
John, paragraphs are our friends. ;-)
Ultimately, offense can never be given unless it is taken. You may try to offend me, but if I refuse to be offended, you cannot succeed in doing so.