Scandal in the Body

Hey all,

I am kinda in the middle of a word study on the greek words
"Skandalon" and "Skandalizo" .. Boy - is this one that will shake you up... because it's SO prevalent within the Church today.... We can probably name off a dozen prominent ministries whose modus-operandi appears to be to besmirch, impugn, and hamstring otherwise vibrant ministries and leaders who are bearing very good fruit....

Between these two words - there are approximately FIFTY references in the New Testament....

And.. Yes - this is where the word "Scandal" and "Scandalize" come from....

A "Skandalon" is a booby trap... It's a hidden, concealed trap made to spring all at once... The intention is to injure and incapacitate.... In the bible sense - it's a "hidden Trap" that is intentionally constructed to incapacitate or damage a ministry or someone's faith...

"Skandalizo" is the process of setting the hidden trap with the intention of catching and injuring another..... It's the ginning up of news and gossip centered around the one in the Scandal....

Frequently - this is translated along the lines of "Stumbling blocks", "Stumble", "Offenses" and "Offend".......

One thing that struck me is how Harshly Jesus and the Spirit always treats this behavior within the Church.... It should give us pause that Paul commands "Marking" those who create "Scandal"

Romans 16:17 "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences (Skandalon) contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."

Interesting how often we interpret this verse as direction to call out those who are trapped in sin.... but it's NOT saying this at all... It's saying to IDENTIFY those which cause Divisions and "SET TRAPS"... That we are to identify and cast out those who create Scandal - to injure other Believers!

and in Revelation 2:14 - Jesus declares he will come against those who gin up Scandal with the Sword of his Mouth.... This sword is NOT Paul's "Sword of the Spirit" - a slicing sword that divides truth from error, but rather a "Piercing" sword that is used to pierce and destroy....

Here's a good measuring stick....
Brotherly concern seeks to bring people INTO fellowship.
Brotherly concern seeks to INCREASE involvement with ministry and grow fruit....
Brotherly concern seeks to reconcile
Scandal seeks to Impugn and destroy people
Scandal seeks to hamstring and incapacitate ministries
Scandal seeks to drive those OUT of fellowship
Scandal seeks to drive those OUT of Ministry
Scandal will not be reconciled - those using Scandal are not attempting to fix or to unify, but to destroy.... If the object of their complaint is remedied - they will come up with 500 new reasons to impugn and besmirch and hamstring and incapacitate....

Thanks
 
Here's a start on the word "Skandalizo".
These are only a small fraction of the "Skandalizo" references....
I will start only with Matthew. (Mark and Luke basically follow Matthew's references on Scandalizing...)

For your enjoyment - I simply replaced "Skandalizo" with Scandalize.

Matt 5:29-30 - If your right eye SCANDALIZES you... or if your right hand SCANDALIZES you cast it out of cut it off...

Matt 11:6 - Blessed is he who is not Scandalized in me

Matt 13:21 - in the parable of the sower - He has no root.... By and by he is Scandalized

Matt 13:57 - (Speaking of those in his own town) - And they were SCANDALIZED in him

Matt 15:12 - (Speaking of the Pharisees and Jesus response to the dietary laws) - and the pharisees were Scandalized after they heard this saying

Matt 17:27 - (Speaking of the temple tax money demanded) - Lest we should scandalize them....

Matt 18:6 - (Speaking with the little children) - But whoso shall scandalize one of these little ones

Matt 18:8 - Wherefore if thy foot Scandalize thee....

Matt 18:9 - And if your eye Scandalize thee.....

Matt 24:10 - And then many shall be scandalized, and shall betray...

Matt 26:11 - (To the disciples before his Crucifixion) All ye shall be Scandalized because of me.

Matt 26:33 - (Peter to Jesus) - Though all men be Scandalized because of you - I will never be scandalized
 
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