If you study, I Corinthians 8-10 and Romans 14-15, you realize that in the early church there was a problem about eating meat sacrificed to idols. In those polytheistic pagan cultures, the meat from animals offered to pagan deities was often better and could be purchased more cheaply than meat from the common market. Mature believers understood there was nothing wrong with that meat.

Less mature Christians who came out of that pagan culture were offended in their consciences by having anything to do with anything associated with those temples. In today’s verse, Paul admonished the mature believers to look after those who were weaker, newer believers.

Paul said in verse 13, “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” He wasn’t a PETA fanatic; he simply refused to cause a weaker brother to stumble. So “weak” may refer to a Christian who has not yet learned to enjoy his freedom in Christ.

Second, “the weak” may refer to a believer who stumbles with habitual sins. Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you struggle with this now. There is a sin in your life that weighs you down. You try to kick it. You try to avoid it. But you always seem to come back to it. One of the reasons we struggle like this is because we struggle alone. We don’t depend on one another. We don’t trust one another. We don’t open up and share our struggles with others who care and will help us.

I encourage you to be open and honest with a mature believer who can uphold you.