1 Cor. 8:11. And through your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died.
Thus, your perfection will be the cause of the ruin of another, and moreover a weak one, and one for whom Christ died. "If Christ did not refuse even to die for him, how can you not abstain from foods, so that he may not be scandalized by your eating (επί τη ση βρώσει)," says Chrysostom.
1 Cor. 8:12. And sinning in this way against the brethren and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
He did not say: causing to stumble, but: "wounding," in order to show their cruelty, when they wound even a weak conscience. And he elevated this sin to the very height of transgression when he said: "you sin against Christ." In what sense then is this sin committed against Christ? Not in one sense only, but namely: Christ takes upon Himself what is done to His servants; those who are wounded are His body and members; they destroy what He accomplished through His own sacrifice, that is, salvation.
1 Cor. 8:13. And therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat, so as not to cause my brother to stumble.
As an excellent teacher, he proves by his own example what he speaks about. And he did not say: "if it causes to stumble" justly, but in whatever way it may be. He also did not say: "I will not eat" food offered to idols, but meat in general, even if it were permitted. He did not say, again: for one or two days, but for his whole life; for this is what "forever" means. He did not say, finally: so as not to destroy, but only: "so as not to cause to stumble."