Romans 15.2-The Strong Is To Please His Neighbor For His Good, Specifically His Edification
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday May 4, 2010
Romans: Romans 15:2-The Strong Is To Please His Neighbor For His Good, Specifically Edification
Lesson # 496
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 15:1.
This evening we will study Romans 15:2, which teaches that those who are strong with respect to conviction are to please their neighbor for his good, specifically to build him up spiritually.
Romans 15:1, “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.”
Romans 15:2, “Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”
“Each one of us” makes clear to the strong that “each and every one” of them “without exception” must obey this command to please their neighbor, i.e. the weak for their good and edification.
By including himself in this command, Paul is emphasizing that every Christian who is strong with respect to conviction is to be characterized as pleasing their neighbor for their good to build them up spiritually.
“Is to please” is the third person singular present active imperative form of the verb aresko (ἀρέσκω) (ah-res-koe), means “to please” and is used with Paul and the strong as its subject and their neighbor, i.e. the weak as its object as indicated by the articular form of the adverb plesion, “his neighbor.”
The verb aresko refers to the strong not exercising his freedom in Christ with respect to eating and drinking so that the weak is not tempted to go against his convictions and eat unclean meat and wine offered in pagan sacrifices, which will result in the weak sinning in their own mind and losing fellowship with God.
The present imperative form of the verb is a “customary present imperative” whose force is for Paul’s Christian readers in Rome who were strong with respect to conviction like himself to simply continue pleasing their neighbor, i.e. the weak for their own good and edification.
Paul’s statements in Romans 1:8 and 15:14-15 indicate that the strong were in fact already doing this.
Therefore, the present imperative form of the verb indicates that Paul’s command is simply giving his readers who are strong with respect to conviction a reminder to continue doing what they were doing and was designed to protect their fellowship with God, with the weak and their testimony among the unsaved.
“His neighbor” refers to those Christians who are weak with respect to conviction since in context Paul is addressing the strong’s proper conduct towards the weak and is a reminder to obey the command in Romans 13:10.
If they exercised their freedom in the presence of the weak without regard for their scruples, the strong would not love their weak brother as themselves since love never commits evil against a neighbor.
“For his good” is composed of the preposition eis (εἰς) (eece), “for” and the articular accusative neuter singular form of the adjective agathos (ἀγαθός) (ah-ga-thoce), “good.”
The adjective agathos is describing the spiritual growth of the Christian who is weak with respect to conviction as being “intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent.”
It is described as agathos because it is in accordance with the will of the Father that every believer, whether strong or weak grow to spiritual maturity and become like Christ in an experiential sense (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 4:11-16).
It is good in that it fulfills the purpose of Christ’s crucifixion, spiritual and physical deaths, His resurrection and session as well as the purpose of the various ministries performed by the Holy Spirit on the weak believer’s behalf.
It is good in that it fulfills the Father’s eternal purpose for the weak believer in electing and predestinating and delivering them from the sin nature, personal sins, Satan and his cosmic system, i.e. salvation and setting them apart to do His will exclusively, sanctification.
The adjective agathos functions as the object of the preposition eis, which itself functions as a marker of purpose indicating that the strong are to please their fellow weak Christian “for the purpose of that which is good in character.”
“To his edification” is composed of the preposition pros (πρός) (proce), “to” and the accusative feminine singular form of the noun oikodome (οἰκοδομή) (ee-koe-thoe-mee), “his edification.”
The noun oikodome means “edification” and is used of the strong building up the weak spiritually in the sense of promoting and developing their spiritual growth, health, strength and esteem by refraining from exercising their freedom with respect to eating and drinking while in the presence of the weak.
They are to do this by refraining from exercising their freedom with respect to eating and drinking while in the presence of the weak so that the weak won’t be tempted to go against their convictions and eat unclean meats or wine offered in pagan rituals.
If the weak go against their convictions and eat unclean meat or drink wine offered in pagan sacrifices they will sin in their own mind and lose fellowship with God since it is not their conviction that they can do these things but rather it is the strong’s convictions that they can partake of these things.
If the weak sin in their own minds and lose fellowship with God, this would hinder their spiritual growth and advance to spiritual maturity.
The noun functions as the object of the preposition pros, which functions itself as a marker of a close connection of content indicating that Paul wants the strong to please their weak brothers in Christ for the purpose of that which is good in character, i.e. the spiritual growth of the weak “with regards to” edification.
Romans 15:2, “Each and every one of us without exception must continue to make it their habit of pleasing his neighbor for their benefit for the purpose of that which is good in character specifically, edification.” (My translation)
So in this verse, Paul commands the strong to continue making it their habit of pleasing the weak for their benefit, for the purpose of that which is good in character, specifically, their edification, i.e. their spiritual growth.
This does not mean that the strong are to conform to the scruples of the weak or that the strong are to let the weak control the local assembly since this would not further the spiritual growth of the weak.
Rather, this command means that the strong are to refrain from exercising their freedom in Christ with respect to eating and drinking while in the presence of the weak for the purpose of the spiritual growth of the weak.
The strong would hinder the spiritual growth of the weak by exercising their freedom since this would tempt the weak to live according to their convictions rather than their own and thus they would sin in their own mind and lose fellowship with God.
Paul simply wants the strong to be considerate of the scruples of the weak by operating in God’s love, which involves self-denial and self-sacrifice for the benefit of the weak.
Romans 15:1-2 emphasizes with the strong that even though they have the freedom to eat unclean meats and drink wine offered in pagan sacrifices, they must be willing at all times to deny themselves of this freedom for the sake of their spiritual brother or sister in Christ who is weak.
God’s love does insist upon its own rights but rather denies oneself of his rights for the sake of others.