"The Gospel of Luke (71): When Offences and Offenders Come July 28, 2024

Paul’s Arrest and Defense Before the Sanhedrin

Of the book of Acts and today Pastor Jason will read for us Acts 22 and Last week we considered the arrest of the Apostle Paul in Jerusalem. It was all in the purpose of God. God told him he was going to preach to Kings.

He was going to go to Rome and so he was arrested and Beat here in Acts 22. He once again recounts his conversion experience and then some more details as the Ongoing conflict that he had with the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.

This was all arranged by the province of God to get him a free trip to Rome. And so we continue to read of this stage latter stage of Paul's ministry. Acts chapter 22. Acts 22 brothers and fathers hear the defense that I now make before you.

And When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language They became even more quiet and he said I am a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia brought up in this city Educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers being zealous for God as all of you are this day I persecuted this way to the death Binding and delivering to prison both men and women as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness from them.

I received letters to the brothers and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me Saul Saul, why are you persecuting me?

And I answered who are you Lord? And he said to me. I am Jesus of Nazareth Whom you are persecuting. Now those who are with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me and I said what shall I do Lord.

And the Lord said to me rise and go into Damascus and there You will be told all that is appointed for you to do. And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light I was led by the hand by those who are with me and came to Damascus and One Ananias a devout man according to the law Well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there came to me and standing by me said to me brother Saul receive your sight and at that very hour I received my sight and saw him and He said the God of our fathers Appointed you to know his will to see the righteous one and to hear a voice from his mouth for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

And Now, why do you wait rise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on his name? When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple I fell into a trance and I saw him saying to me make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly.

Because they will not accept your testimony about me and I said Lord They themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him and He said to me go for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.

Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said away with such a fellow from the earth. For he should not be allowed to live. And as they were shouting and throwing Throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air.

The Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks saying that he should be examined by flogging To find out why they were shouting against him like this. But when they had stretched him out for the whips Paul said to the centurion who was standing by is It lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned.

When the centurion heard this he went to the Tribune and said to him What are you about to do for this man is a Roman citizen? So the Tribune came and said to him tell me are you a Roman citizen? And he said yes the Tribune answered.

I bought this citizenship for a large sum Paul said but I am a citizen by birth. So those who are about to examine him withdrew from him immediately and the Tribune was also afraid. For he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

But on the next day desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and All the council to meet and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

God’s Providence in a Fallen World

Let's go to the Lord in prayer our father. We thank you that you are a sovereign God and that your hand is over every circumstance even in this circumstance in Acts Where it seemed like the Jews had the upper hand Lord.

You were sovereign over all of these circumstances and you used all of these difficulties in Paul's life for your glory and for his good and Lord we recognize that you and your hand of Providence are still guiding us today and we thank you for that.

We thank you that we can entrust ourselves and our circumstances to him who judges justly. Just as Paul just as the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we pray that as we continue our worship through the preaching of the word.

We pray for Lars that you would give him clarity of thought clarity of voice. We pray Lord that we would hear the Word of God that we would hear it Proclaimed and that we would believe it and that you would teach us how to apply it to our lives.

We pray Lord that we would leave here with a greater understanding of your magnificence and your glory and a greater Responsibility for what we are to do. Thank you Lord in Jesus name. Amen. Well, let's turn to Luke chapter 17 today.

We're making our progress through this gospel and today is what the 71st Lord's Day that we've addressed this this third gospel Luke 17. Wow. This section of Luke's gospel Contains several teachings of our Lord Jesus to his disciples.

It's very practical straightforward. Our Lord took every opportunity to instruct his disciples on what to believe and and how to live. And so as such there's much that is practical for us. Here in these well ten verses.

I hope to address this morning. We are in need of instruction for sin has rendered us ignorant of spiritual truth. And sin has blinded us to the way God would have us live in this world his world. But because God loves his people he instructs them through his Son and what to believe and how to live before him among others both among other Christians, but also before non-christians in the world and we have that kind of instruction for us here.

We of course have a responsibility to order our lives according to the manner that he's instructed us. This is what people of faith do. This is what his disciples do and so here's Luke 17 verses 1 through 10.

Then he said to the disciples it is impossible that no offenses should come but woe to him. Through whom they do come. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

And that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you rebuke him if he repents forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times in a day.

Returns to you saying I repent you shall forgive him. And the Apostle said to the Lord increase our faith. So the Lord said if you have faith as a mustard seed you can say to this mulberry tree be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea and it would obey you.

And Which of you having a servant plowing or tending sheep will say to him when he's come in from the field. Come at once and sit down to eat. But will he not rather say to him prepare something for my supper and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk and Afterward you will eat and drink.

Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him. I think not. So likewise you when you've done all those things which are commanded. Say we are unprofitable servants. We have done.

What was our duty to do? The Lord addressed several issues in these verses that we just read. He gave warnings to those who attempt his disciples to sin verses 1 through 3 a. He then instructed his disciples.

I'm dealing with sinning persons and he warned them not to have an unforgiving spirit. Verses 3 B and 4. He then said a word about the nature and power of faith verses 5 and 6 and then he concluded his teaching session by giving forth this parable of the unprofitable Servant verses 7 through 10.

So let's work through these. First God's treatment of tempters to sin. Our Lord was instructing his disciples how to respond to various life situations. He tells them it would be their common experience to encounter people whose words or behavior draw others to sin.

Jesus said it's impossible that no offenses should come it's going to happen. Life is full of offensive encounters and experiences. Offenses happen in the home in the workplace in church and always out in the world.

Again Jesus said it's impossible that no offenses should come. You won't be able to escape them in this world in this life. And so here the thought is that you will commonly encounter stumbling blocks, which would trip you up.

That which would cause you to fall into sin. Now the ESV translation conveys this idea perhaps more clearly it reads. And he said to his disciples. Temptations to sin are sure to come but woe to the one through whom they come.

But the Greek word translated in the New King James Version means offenses or More literally translated of the cause of offenses now clearly from the context of the passage. Temptation to sin is involved and that certainly the ESV Zeros in on that emphasis, but the word itself is a little bit broader.

It speaks about stumbling blocks. It's the same word is found in Romans 16 7 which reads. I appeal to you brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles. Contrary to the doctrine that you've been taught avoid them.

But again, the context does suggest that our Lord was addressing occasions in which his disciples would face enticement to sin. The fact is there are many causes to sin that we face. Jesus first declared that offenses must come.

Why must offenses come? Why must this take place? Well, there are several reasons that offenses must occur in God's world. John Gill succinctly stated the reasons why Jesus made this statement. About the time that he delivered the above parable concerning the rich man and Lazarus.

He repeated to his disciples what he had said before to them on the another occasion. It's impossible, but that offenses will come and then he lists and italicized and emboldened his words. Considering the decree of God.

The malice of Satan and the wickedness of men the corruption both of their principles and practices. That's why offenses must come in this fallen world. And so Gill identified three reasons that offenses will most assuredly come.

Let's consider briefly each one of these causes. First of all, however, let's emphasize it was in the decree of God. It is ultimately in the plan and purpose of God that we live out our lives in a world in which we must deal with sin and sinners.

Of course God does not tempt sin tempt you to sin that is entice anyone to sin. It's not possible for a holy God and James specifically states that in his epistle. But God does test people and he does so frequently as to whether or not they will remain true and faithful to him.

Or if they will yield to sin. God had decreed all that takes place in the history of his world including sin tempters to sin sins consequences before Creation. God decreed all that would take place in the history of his world.

It was a single infinite thought and purpose the decree of God even before he created anything. Our confession of faith states the matter. Well, God hath decreed in himself from all eternity. By the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably all things.

Whatsoever comes to pass. Yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin. Nor hath fellowship with any therein and nor is violence offered to the will of the creature. He doesn't force people to do these things they choose themselves, but God oversees their choice.

He decreed it to take place. Nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away. That's how God is not the chargeable author of sin. He uses the devil and secondary causes rather than directly.

But rather established these secondary causes are established in which his appears his wisdom and disposing all things power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree. Everything that happens in history is the working out of God's eternal decree.

And so it was in the plan and purpose of God that sin entered prevail through the history of the world. We should never think that sin had entered the world Irrespective of the will of God. It's not as though God were absent or withdrawn from his creation and Satan slipped one over on him.

Rather God works all things after the council and that word council means decree. God works all things after the council of his will. Arthur Pink Challenged his readers in the opening words of his classic book the sovereignty of God.

Those readers who envisioned a different God than what is revealed in the Bible. Who is regulating affairs on this earth today God or the devil? Now would you answer that? What impression is made upon the minds of those men of the world who occasionally attend a gospel service?

Who occasionally go to church? What are the conceptions formed by those who hear even those preachers who are counted as Orthodox? They're viewed as evangelical. Is it not that a Disappointed God and that's an impossibility.

God cannot be disappointed in himself. He's not affected by things outside of himself is the one whom Christians believe in. From what is heard from the average evangelist today is not any serious here obliged to conclude that he professes to represent a God who's filled with benevolent intentions Yet unable to carry them out that he's earnestly desiring a blessing men, but they will not let him.

Then must not the average hearer draw the inference that the devil has gained the upper hand and that God is to be pittered pitied rather than blamed good questions. Why would our good all-powerful God decree all the evil that takes place in the history of the world.

That's a question we Perhaps are frequently asked maybe we ourselves asked that question. Why did God create his angels decreeing that a third of them perhaps would rebel against him and follow the devil in his rebellion?

Why would God decree the fall of man and all the miseries that come forth from fallen man in the history of this world? It's because it was in accordance with the overall purpose of God and creating all things All of history and all its wretchedness was ordained to take place in history by our sovereign God in Order to display before the angels in all mankind his glory that is the true nature of his being that we might know him and who he is and what he is like and So through the history of this fallen world.

That God decreed in eternity to create and rule God has revealed to us and This too is expressed in our confession. The Lord our God is but one only living and true God whose subsistence Existence is in and of himself Infinite and being in perfection whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself a most pure spirit Invisible without body parts or passions.

Now there's you're not controlled by or affected by emotions like you and I are who only hath immortality Dwelling in the light which no man can approach on to who is immutable unchangeable immense eternal Incomprehensible almighty every way infinite most holy most wise most free most absolute Working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory most loving gracious merciful long-suffering abundant and goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin the rewarder then that diligently seek him and with all most Just and terrible in his judgments hating all sin and who will by no means clear the guilty.

And so that's a wonderful description of who our God is and what he's like. We would not know or understand many of these attributes of our God if it were not for sin and it's evil in his world and Reading and watching God's dealings with this fallen world down through history.

We would be impoverished with regard to our understanding who God is. God has decreed all that takes place in history to reveal himself to us that we might glorify him and enjoy him forever. We would be impoverished in our understanding of God and our knowing him if it were not for his dealings with this fallen world.

To defeat and judge sin and sinners and to redeem sinners through his son Jesus Christ. When you consider it, it's a perfect world In which the glory of God is or will be displayed in all that transpires.

It was due to God's decree then that Jesus took could declare. It's impossible that no offenses should come. We wouldn't know about the wisdom of God the mercy of God the love of God the power of God.

If it were not for his dealings with sin and saving us from our sin. This world is a stage in which God reveals himself and displays himself both to angels and to you and me. He's in he's a sovereign God who decreed all that takes place and that's why we live in a fallen world and offenses must Certainly come but Gil rightly said what answered the question why else must offenses come forth in God's world and Certainly because of the malice of Satan.

This is one of the secondary causes we alluded to earlier. We know that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. He is the prince of the power of the air the God of this age. But the yielding of temptation to sin by our first parents.

They were yielding to the devil's enticement was also in the purpose of God. Again, God wasn't absent. This serpent came in and and and caught God on a unattentive and unaware. It was in the purpose of God and our confession states this our confession is a wonderful document That sets forth the truths of God's Word although God created man upright and perfect and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it and Threatened death upon the breach thereof yet.

He did not long abide in his honor. Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve and then by her seducing Adam who without any compulsion Did willfully transgress the law of their creation and the commandment given to that the command given unto them In eating the forbidden fruit, which God was pleased According to his wise and holy counsel to permit having purpose to order it to his own glory.

So there's a clear statement in the confession of what we had just reiterated. The Apostle Paul wrote of why God raised up Pharaoh of Egypt to oppress his people Israel. Romans 9 17. For the scripture says to Pharaoh.

This is what God declared through Moses to Pharaoh for this very purpose I've raised you up that I may show forth my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth. And We could similarly say to Satan for this very purpose God raised you up that he may show forth his power in you that his name may be declared in all the earth same principle.

And so Jesus could say it's impossible that no offenses should come Because of the presence and malice of the devil in God's world. But then Gil rightly, of course set forth the third reason that Offenses must occur in God's world because of the wickedness of men.

And then he goes into some detail because of the corruption of both their principles and practices. The following people of the world as well as our own flesh have many ways to cause us to stumble to sin against God.

Each of our foes is subtle in its ways. The world affects us by providing an environment in which the opportunity to sin is always present. It's easy to sin in today's world. And many times we embrace unwittingly the world's values and ways of thinking we're assaulted with it daily Without being aware of it.

Perhaps that we are being influenced and assaulted by it and then of course again aside from the world you have the devil. He's a wily person who's subtle as a serpent Slithering about quietly unnoticeably Tricking us while unsuspecting.

He's wiser than you are. Or I am. He's described as waiting in the shadows along our path as a lion waits to pounce on its Unsuspecting prey and the devil is frequently a source of our temptation to sin.

He's the tempter. But perhaps most troubling to us is our own flesh that is our own propensity to sin the desire to indulge in forbidden things and the best of Christians has that sin dwelling within him.

The ways in which we might be led to sin are many and the variety of ways in which we may be enticed to sin Are equally numerous and so we can readily see what the Lord said in verse 1 is true. Temptations to sin shall certainly come our way.

There's no avoiding it. But although the world our flesh and the devil are always present to lead us into sin often temptation to sin comes to people. And that's what the Lord is dealing with here specifically.

Through people about us and this is what the Lord is addressing More directly in these few verses. The fact is many temptations to sin come through people about us. When you study scripture when you see a statement such as what is before us in verse 1 ask yourself questions and then to seek the answer to those questions from scripture and Meditate on them as you think on these things God will reveal himself in his ways to you.

And so ask yourself the question. All right. Granted many temptations to sin come through people about us. But in in what ways may people lead others to sin. In what ways may people lead me to sin? Well first people tempt us to sin due to their ways of thinking that influence and persuade us.

This is how the world affects us. We hear others talk and how they view and assess various issues and if we're not resistant to their influence We're not informed and confront Conform to God's Word then we'll be prone to embrace their attitudes and opinions about matters.

There's a worldview that permeates the world and we're sucked up in it and influenced by it unless we're attentive to it and Shaped have our thinking shaped by the Word of God. The Apostle wrote do not be deceived.

Evil company corrupts good habits. Go talked a lot, even though he was a righteous man and see what happened to him living in Sodom and his family. Our thinking will be shaped by hearing those we respect or admire.

And if their thinking is contrary and opposed to the will of God we do sin when we embrace and act upon that thinking think of Psalm 1. We shouldn't be sitting in the seat of scornful. We shouldn't be hearing and embracing the things that ungodly people teach us.

That is not the way of the wise man, but the way of the fool according to the Word of God. And this is why we should always be very careful regarding who we choose as our closest friends. You will tend to become like the one you walk with walk with Christ.

You'll become like Christ walk with one opposed to Christ and before long you will be opposed to Christ as well. Proverbs 13 20 he that walks with wise men should be wise but a companion of fools should be destroyed.

Because we tend to be like those we walk with we have fellowship with. And then secondly similarly people tempt us to sin by their permissive behavior as we observe them. But we see people allow and indulge for themselves.

We will tend to excuse in ourselves. We're never as bad as they are or so we think. We're in this way tempted to sin. We should be very cautious that our behavior is not a cause of leading others to sin.

Jesus said woe to that person to whom temptations come. And Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome the church at Rome. He's all this not to put a stumbling block or cause to fall in our brother's way. It's a great sin to lead or cause others to sin against God.

And then of course people tempt us to sin by their direct enticements when we yield to them. The tempter may come to us in a direct manner like the strange woman of Proverbs 7. She used her words to entice the young man to sin.

Remember Proverbs says Solomon said he should have listened to his own counsel that the adulterous seeks the valuable life. The devil can make even you or me look attractive to an adulterous. Be on guard.

She flattered him. She offered him the opportunity to sin and she suggested to him that he could sin without discovery without consequences. And that's all it took for the young fool to yield to her. The temptation to sin may also come to us indirectly through a movie a magazine or Essential dress of those who pass by day by day and through the Internet which we welcome into our own homes and televisions.

Incredible. And so people tempt us to sin by direct enticements. And people tempt us to sin by their offenses against us if we react to them. The temptation to sin may come in the way we react and respond to those who mistreat us.

This is one of the most effective and damaging ways in which the devil seeks to destroy your soul. And so when we're maltreated we want to respond perhaps in a number of ways. Sinful ways. We may sit in the way we try to remove ourselves from the cause of pain.

Sometimes people are hurting so much. They purpose to escape their pain, even if it means violating the will of God to do so. How many times I have heard the justification for a Christian to divorce because of the desire to escape the pain of a relationship?

And if and when the pain comes from one and authority there'll be a temptation to sin by Murmuring or perhaps rebelling against God appointed authority. It wouldn't be very hard to find reasons to discredit me or one of the elders from our responsibility and and Authority that God has given us each one of us are easy targets.

There's something there that can be found that would justify discrediting or dismissing us. Or we may sin in the way we retaliate against the offender the desire to get even Or to see we just want to see justice done.

We want to see the other would get his due. This is a powerful motive that leads people Christian people to transgress God's laws. There's sometimes a desire even a cry for justice when continual or repeated pain is inflicted on us by others.

And we feel that injustice has been done to us. And so we long for that person to reap the consequences to suffer a measure of the pain that he's inflicted on us on me and We sin when that is our desire and attitude when we want to retaliate.

We're to desire mercy for that one as God had mercy on us. Mercy triumphs over justice. Or we may sin when we refuse to trust the Lord with these matters. We in effect want to be the judge to determine what and how the offender will receive is just recompense and in this way, we usurp God.

Insisting on avenging ourselves when vengeance is the exclusive right of God not yours or mine. For we know him who said vengeance is mine. I will repay says the Lord. And we sin when we long for our pound of flesh to get even or pay back.

No sin committed in history Is gonna go undealt with. It's either dealt with on the day of judgment and eternity in hell or thank God. It was dealt for us on the cross by Jesus Christ. But every sin is dealt with by a just God in a just manner in his own time and so we may say it also when we refuse to forgive the offender.

The Lord deals with this matter in the next few verses of Luke 17 when we fail to respond to our offenders as the Lord instructs us we do sin. Even though the offenses came because of the guilt of others.

We're responsible for God respond in a biblical fashion. Well, we see at verse 2 that there are dire consequences for the person who would cause the Lord's little ones to sin. Jesus said of the offender.

It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And he should offend one of these little ones. What is implied is that the judgment of God will be so severe on that one who leads little ones into sin.

It would be better for his life to end Before he leads them into sin. You see that he's not saying that a millstone around your neck is the fitting punishment. For leading a little one to sin. He's saying it's better if you die.

Rather than continue to live and lead little ones into sin. That's a serious serious statement I Howard Marshall wrote. Jesus is saying admits that there are bound to be causes of sin in the world, but men are morally responsible.

If they act as such it would be better for them to die before they commit such an offense. Than to do so and then suffer divine judgment. Divine judgments going to be far worse than a man being You know tied to a millstone and cast into the sea.

And so be very careful that you're not a cause to others to become tempted to sin. Things that cause people to sin are bound to come but woe to that person through whom they come. The Lord refers to little ones.

Well Who are these? It's probably referring to disciples as little ones. Ones who are For whom he's concerned. The idea of little suggests vulnerability and defenselessness. And he's watching over them and he takes it to heart when people abuse his disciples.

The Lord has purpose to avenge all his little ones. Can you imagine the rage and retaliation you would impose upon anyone who? Harmed one of your little ones one of your children. The Lord will avenge those that are leaded to sin by others.

And of course, however. Regarding little ones we can think of children. It's a metaphor perhaps of children, but we can think of little children literally as well. And in these days, they are great unspeakable crimes against little ones in our world.

The open border down south hundreds of thousands of children. Are you know taken and I won't go into detail you can imagine it, but they're being Marketed shipped all over this land and all over the world and the Lord Jesus is what God is watching it all and They're building up wrath against the day of wrath when it's poured out upon them.

The Lord's wrath is unquenchable against all the offenders of these little ones. But he has the same view of those who would lead his disciples astray from him who lead them into sin. And so what Jesus is saying?

It'd be better for you to die right now then offend or be a stumbling block to persons tomorrow. The threat that our Lord gave toward offenders might include persons of different kinds of offenses. There will be great wrath against Persecutors there around those who injure injure even in the least degree Christ little ones whether in words or actions.

And so doing these offenders discourage and dissuade disciples from serving or obeying Christ. From doing their duty the Lord will avenge himself on those persecutors. But it also applies as we've already alluded to seducers.

Those who twist and corrupt the truth of God's Word thereby troubling or confusing minds of his disciples or they entice his disciples drawing them away to follow them and their aberrant teachings and that happens frequently as well and the internet is certainly filled with such enticements by the way.

Our Lord's warning may also apply to those who are scandalous in their words or behavior. Under the claim to be Christian. They nevertheless live scandal scandalously and thereby weaken and sadden the hearts of God's people.

Their guilt is great and God's judgment on them will also be great. And so there's a need to watch one self respecting these things again. Jesus is talking to his disciples. Jesus had take heed yourselves.

He's saying to you individually take heed yourself about these matters. How careful we should be respecting these matters. We should be watchful of ourselves for there are tempters all about us. Take heed to yourselves.

Do not yield to their enticements in any of their forms avoid them make known verbally to them your commitment to live to honor God's Son and his Word. Be willing to receive their rejection. Peter wrote of what what many of us have experienced.

Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh arm yourselves also with the same mind. For he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men.

But for the will of God for we've spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles. When we walked in licentiousness lust drunkenness revelry drinking parties. Abominable idolatries in regard to these they think it's strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation.

Speaking evil of you. They will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. And I imagine memories come into your mind. My memory comes into my mind of a fellow I went to college with and was drunk with for a year and Then we went home.

And was converted and Norm Thurston Found me where I was working in a grocery store, of course, he wanted to go out and party. And I didn't know what to tell him. I said I can't do that. He got this puzzled look on his face.

He was really troubled by that. What's what's going on? I Learned later, of course. He talked to some of my former friends. So he got religion and You know. Really Mary ruined them. That's what my brother said regarding me after I was converted.

Mary ruined him. They didn't credit Christ. They credited her but you know Peter speaks about that. They speak evil of you because you don't Run with them like you formerly did. Second we should be watchful of ourselves that we not be tempters to others leading them to sin.

So watch yourselves. We should be watchful of ourselves that we are not tempters to others. As the commentator William Hendrickson wrote though, it's impossible to eradicate Temptations by God's grace.

It's possible to prevent oneself from belonging to the company of the tempters. May we not be them. And then to disciples. Treatment of sinners we read in verses 3b through 4 if your brother sins against you rebuke him.