powerful or capable (literally or figuratively) · adjective — nominative plural masculine
ought
ὈφείλομενOpheilomen
G3784
to owe (pecuniarily) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person plural
bear
βαστάζεινbastazein
G941
to lift · verb — present active infinitive
infirmities
ἀσθενήματαasthenēmata
G771
a scruple of conscience · noun — accusative plural neuter
weak
ἀδυνάτωνadunatōn
G102
unable · adjective — genitive plural masculine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
not
μὴmē
G3361
(adverb) not · particle — negative
please
ἀρέσκειν·areskein
G700
to be agreeable (or by implication · verb — present active infinitive
ourselves
ἑαυτοῖςhe'autois
G1438
him- (her- · reflexive pronoun
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
Romans 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Galatians 6:1-2 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest…
1 Corinthians 12:22-24 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
2 Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
1 John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are s…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Romans 15:1-4
The apostle here lays down two precepts, with reasons to enforce them, showing the duty of the strong Christian to consider and condescend to the weakest.
I. We must bear the infirmities of the weak, Rom 15:1. We all have our infirmities; but the weak are more subject to them than others - the weak in knowledge or grace, the bruised reed and the smoking flax. We must consider these; not trample upon them, but encourage them, and bear with their infirmities. If through weakness they judge and censure us, and speak evil of us, we must bear with them, pity them, and not have our affections alienated from them. Alas! it is their weakness, they cannot help it. Thus Christ bore with his weak disci…
We then that are strong - The sense of this verse is supposed to be the following: We, Gentile Christians, who perfectly understand the nature of our Gospel liberty, not only lawfully may, but are bound in duty to bear any inconveniences that may arise from the scruples of the weaker brethren, and to ease their consciences by prudently abstaining from such indifferent things as may offend and trouble them; and not take advantage from our superior knowledge to make them submit to our judgment.
John Gill on Romans 15:1
We then that are strong,.... Meaning not only ministers of the Gospel, who are men of strong parts, great abilities, mighty in the Scriptures, valiant for the truth on earth, and pillars in God's house; for though the apostle includes himself, yet not merely as such, but as expressing it to be his duty in common with other Christians; and the rather he does this, to engage them to the practice of it: but the stronger and more knowing part of private Christians are here intended; the Apostle John's young men, who are strong, in distinction from little children, or new born babes, that are at present weaklings; and from fathers who are on the decline of life, and just going off the stage; see…
Once again, Paul is speaking to the Gentiles, who looked down on the Jews because they kept the law.
If you really are strong, Paul says, do as I did and become weak in order to win the weak.
After giving the doxology then, he again goes from prayer to exhortation, directing his discourse against the stronger, and saying as follows: "We then that are strong, ought"-it is "we ought," not "we are so kind as to." What is it we ought to do?-"to bear the infirmities of the weak." See how he has roused their attention by his praises, not only by calling them powerful, but also by putting them alongside of himself. And not by this only, but by the advantage of the thing he again allures them, and by its not being burdensome. For thou, he says, art powerful, and art no whit the worse for condescending. But to him the hazard is of the last consequence, if he is not borne with. And he does not say the infirm, but the "infirmities of the weak," so drawing him and bending him to mercy. As in another place too he says, "Ye that are spiritual restore such an one." (Gal. vi. I) Art thou become powerful? Render a return to God for making thee so. But render it thou wilt if thou settest the weakness of the sickly right. For we too were weak, but by grace we have become powerful. And this we are to do not in this case only, but also in the case of those who are weak in other respects. As, for instance, if any be passionate, or insolent, or has any such like failing bear with him. And how is this to be? Listen to what comes next. For after saying "we ought to bear," he adds, "and not to please ourselves."
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Achaia — The name originally of a narrow strip of territory in Greece, on the north-west of the Peloponnesus. Subsequently it was applied by the Romans to the whole Peloponnesus, now called the Morea, and the…
Fellowship — (1.) With God, consisting in the knowledge of his will (Job 22:21; John 17:3); agreement with his designs (Amos 3:2); mutual affection (Rom. 8: 38, 39); enjoyment of his presence (Ps. 4:6);…
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Fellowship · OF THE RIGHTEOUS — OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Kindness · 6:30,34,35; — 6:30,34,35;
Missionaries, All Christians Should Be As · In encouraging the weak — In encouraging the weak
Righteousness · FRUITS OF — FRUITS OF
Self-Denial · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Selfishness · 1:10; — 1:10;
Unselfishness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
on Romans 15:1-3
Romans 15:1-3
1. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
1. Debemus autem nos qui potentes sumus, infirmitates impotentium portare, et non placere nobis ipsis:
2. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
2. Unusquisque enim nostrum proximo placeat in bonum, ad aedificationem.
3. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
3. Etenim Christus non placuit sibi ipsi; sed quemadmodum scriptum est, Opprobria exprobrantium tibi, ceciderunt super me.
1. We then who are strong, etc. Lest they who had made more advances than others in the…
We who are strong: Paul aligns himself with those he identifies as strong in faith, and he reveals that the division in the Roman church was not simply between Jews and Gentiles. Like Paul, some Jews had enlightened consciences and so were counted among the strong. Similarly, some Gentiles were so strongly influenced by Jewish teaching and tradition that they were among the weak in faith. • must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this: This phrase is reminiscent of Gal 6:2. Paul did not want the strong to simply put up with those who were weak in faith; rather the strong were to actively and sympathetically assist the weak in living out their Christian faith with int…
