In the nineteenth century, Robert Milligan (1814-1875) was influential as a preacher, writer, and professor. He did much work in each of these areas despite physical infirmities that plagued him throughout his life. As can be seen in the following quote, he was deeply concerned as a professor for his students, even going so far as to refuse certain treatments for his sickness so as not to be a stumbling block to his students.
“One incident is often related in connection with his concern for his students. Because of his many maladies, Milligan consulted with physicians who regularly advised him that a daily dose of strong whiskey or brandy had great medicinal value and would, in fact, add ten years to his life. He refused the alcohol because he did not want to be a stumbling block to his students. He said that he would rather die ten years early than to have the students suffer the possible effects of knowing their professor, whatever the reason for it, kept up a habitual use of alcohol” (He Still Speaks: A Literary Biography of Robert Milligan, p. 92).
Milligan’s decision was obviously a judgment call. On one hand, you could argue that the medicinal use of alcohol might be legitimate in his condition in light of what Paul told Timothy: “No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” (1 Timothy 5:23).
On the other hand, Christians are to take care that their actions do not influence others to sin. Notice what Paul wrote after affirming that no sin was committed by eating meat that had previously been used in a sacrifice to an idol (1 Corinthians 8:4-6).
“However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
“For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
“Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:7-13).
Paul’s point was that he was willing to give up a liberty so as not to become a stumbling block to a brother – leading him to sin against His conscience, thus emboldening him to turn away from God altogether.
This was Milligan’s concern. He decided it would be better not to use the alcohol – even for purely medicinal purposes – so that it would not embolden his students to consume it for recreational purposes. It is impossible for us to say – without understanding the circumstances of his time and the individuals involved – how likely his actions would have caused others to stumble. Regardless, his attitude toward others – which is the attitude described by Paul to the Corinthians – is the attitude we must have. We must put others ahead of ourselves. Notice what Paul wrote:
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4)
This is what Milligan did. He did what he believed to be best for others, even if it was not necessarily in his best interest. We should strive to have the same attitude.
