Romans 15:1,2 - Not to please ourselves

15:1

We continue with the “weak” and “strong”. Here Paul addresses the “strong” directly. He also identifies himself as one of the “strong”, in the previous chapter he declared that no food is unclean in itself. This first verse expresses the fundamental principle, we are not to please ourselves. Self-centeredness is a fruit of our rebellion against God. Instead we “have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak”. Garland states that “failings” is a misleading translation here. Indeed, it would be at odds with the one of the previous chapter. The attitude we are to have is one of helping each other.

15:2

So instead of living for ourselves, or to please ourselves, or to prove how right or clever we are, we are to “please his neighbour for his good, to build him up”. We are to live for others. So we should seek to build the “weaker” brother up. In the situation in Rome this would mean not getting bogged down in matters of eating, nor trying to persuade the “weaker brother” that eating meat is OK. Instead they should focus on righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). The brother may at some point decide that eating meat is OK, but whether he does or not doesn't matter.