Sunday School Notes: Romans 15:1-3
1 But we, the strong, ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not strive to please ourselves. 2 Let each person please [his] neighbor unto the good, toward edification. 3 For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The reproaches of those reproaching You fell upon me.”
We began this week with a reminder that the chapter and verse divisions are not Scripture, and didn’t originate with Paul. They are merely there for our referencing convenience, and hold no other significance. So this is a continuation and development of Paul’s thought from the end of chapter 14: don’t judge your brother over secondary issues, and don’t violate your conscience on secondary issues simply because of peer pressure or bullying. See last week’s notes for a fuller discussion of this.
Paul has already indicated his agreement with the “strong” with regard to Christian liberty (14:14, 21). Here he explicitly counts himself one of them by using the pronoun “we” with reference to those who are “strong.” It’s interesting that Paul uses the Greek word dunatos for “strong.” If Paul has in mind physical, mental, or spiritual strength, contrasting the “weak” (for which, up to now, he used the word asthenês), then ischuros would be a better word, since that’s the range of meaning. But not only does he use dunatos of the “strong”, he now uses adunatos to refer to the “weak.” These words, dunatos and adunatos refer to power, and also ability. Perhaps Paul is telling us that “weakness” and “strength” in this instance are not a matter of spiritual maturity, or moral fortitude, but simply one of being able to apply the truth of Christian liberty. For the Christian who was raised Jewish, with all that comes with that background, while he may be strong in the Word, and have a vibrant ministry within the church, he might struggle in this area–it is an area of weakness for him. That’s not to say the “weak” brother couldn’t be a new believer, but from the vocabulary Paul uses, I don’t think that’s the only option.
It’s the responsibility of those who are strong to “bear the weaknesses” of the weak, and not just look out for themselves. I take the sense of the Greek verb bastazô as “endure” or “put up with,” not simply “bear,” in the sense of bearing one another’s burdens (though that would be part of this). Even if the weak are irritating and annoying because of their views on these things, they are brethren in Christ, part of the church, and the rest of the body needs to put up with them, with love and respect. A theme that runs throughout this chapter is implicit here: this is not about us! The gospel, the church, Christian liberty–none of it has anything to do with us, how we feel, or what offends or doesn’t offend us. It’s all about Christ. It’s about the Lord, and honoring Him. And striving to live in peace with the brethren, and to honor and be thoughtful to one another, honors to Christ and adorns his gospel.
“Let each person please [his] neighbor for the purpose of good, toward edification” says Paul, according to my somewhat literal translation. In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus summed up the Law in the words “love God, and love your neighbor as yourself,” defining love for neighbor in the story of the Good Samaritan. Paul reiterates this in Galatians 5:14, possibly recounting the saying of Jesus. There is no room in Christianity for pleasing oneself, especially at the expense of others; love of self is incompatible with a profession of faith in Christ. The call to love your neighbor as yourself is not an endorsement of narcissism, but a recognition that we are, by (sinful) nature, self-loving people, self-pleasing people. Even those who claim to have low self-esteem, by the fact that they draw attention to their low self-esteem show that they do, actually, have some regard for themselves. Such low esteem is still a form of inward-looking, navel-gazing. Denying oneself is not about thinking little of yourself; it’s not thinking of yourself AT ALL! True Christian humility is not about having a low opinion of yourself; it’s about not factoring yourself in the equation. It’s about putting the focus on others, and not even considering your own feelings, thoughts, or opinions.
The best expression of love for one’s neighbor is constantly looking out for their best interests, whatever serves to build them up and doesn’t tear them down (remember 14:19-20). Paul uses the word oikodomê, the noun form of the “building” word he used before. Our attitude toward our brethren should be constructive. If they fall into wrong thinking, we shouldn’t delight in their error, or beat them up about it and make them feel stupid or outcast. Rather, we should do what we can to exhort, encourage, and correct them in such a way that they know we have their good and their best in mind.
The thought that Christianity is not about us spawned some brief discussion about what the gospel message is, and also what it really means to be self-satisfied as a Christian. Often, a gospel message is presented in terms of “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” However, if you look at the first words from Jesus’ mouth in Mark’s Gospel, his message was “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The gospel message is not about what you can get out of God, but what you ought to do for God. All creation is obliged to give God glory and honor, and ultimately, the gospel call is that we can be restored to a right relationship with God in Christ, so that we can truly honor God with our lives. It’s not about us; it’s about Him. Granted, there are numerous references to the benefits of the Christian life in the New Testament; but these are sometimes coupled with reminders of persecution, and enduring under difficult times. We are not promised an easy life, but if we are truly Christ’s, then pleasing him is where we find our true fulfillment. John Piper’s notion of “Christian Hedonism” is simply this: the regenerated heart, the heart of a Christian, beats to glorify God and enjoy Him forever; and insofar as we live God-centered, God-honoring lives, we are satisfying that desire of our hearts. So, in this sense, living a life that is all about Christ and not about us ends up giving the Christian true self-satisfaction.
“For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those reproaching You fell upon me.'” Paul underscores his point about Christian self-denial by pointing to the example of Christ. It’s interesting that this quote from Psalm 69:9 actually begins with “Zeal for Your house has consumed me”–a passage Jesus’ disciples recalled after the cleansing of the Temple in John 2:17. Paul understands that in this psalm David is speaking, but knowing all that Jesus went through, he finds application of these words to the life of Christ. Clearly Paul was well aware of the mocking and beating Christ endured for our sake, and he was willing to do this even though he gained nothing from it–at least at the time. Jesus wasn’t seeking his own good, but was glorifying God in his obedience to the plan they had set out for our salvation.
If Christ put up with suffering for our sake, and for the sake of God’s glory, surely the “strong” should do likewise. By putting up with the “weak,” reaching out to them in love and acceptance, not for our glory, but for the glory of God and the good of the brethren, they are truly reflecting the attitude of Christ.
We started into verse 4 but didn’t finish, so we’ll begin there next time.
