Romans 15:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is precisely to such people that a man enlightened by Christian teaching must condescend. He must please and serve his neighbor for good, unto edification. One must not mock his neighbor's superstition or despise him for his pitiable religious notions.

No, one must listen to him patiently and with love explain to him that he understands many things incorrectly, and that there is much falsehood in his beliefs. Believe me, this good and reasonable word, spoken to a darkened man out of love, will kindle in his soul a thirst for knowledge. It will also remove from him many other false thoughts.

The one who turns back and enlightens his neighbor from the error of his way will save both him and his own soul (Jas 5:19-20). How many occasions there are, very convenient for being useful to one's neighbor without special labor in his religious and general human development.

In every ordinary conversation, at home or while traveling, one can communicate good and useful knowledge to one's neighbor. Therefore, you who are strong in religious knowledge and educated in other branches of general human knowledge, love the one who knows less. Do not mock him, do not despise him, but pity him.

Use every occasion to enlighten the darkened man, without boasting and with humility. Do not do it so that people praise you, or because your influence over others flatters your self-love. Please your neighbor, not yourself, for good, unto edification.

May the light of faith and knowledge go forth and be poured out from you, learned men, among people who are darkened but desire the light.

There are among us those strong in wealth. But there is a countless multitude weak and powerless in the means of life. Almost everywhere we see that the death of a father plunges orphans and a widow into poverty. Or a large family, or the father's illness, makes it impossible to be freed from poverty.

Or a constant illness in the family, needing medicines and physicians, demands continual and extraordinary expenses. Or the difficult but necessary education of children, the purchase of textbooks and payment for the right to attend lessons, takes the last coins from the home. At home there is sometimes not even stale, daily bread.

If anyone has entered into the condition of these unfortunate people, if he has visited such wretched corners and huts even once, then he can hardly sit down each time with a peaceful conscience at his abundant, full table without setting aside something each day for the poor.

Therefore, you who are strong in wealth, set aside, set aside a portion of your money for the poor. Do not reproach or rebuke them, and do not make them feel your strength. The holy Apostle Paul says to the holy bishop Timothy: "Command those who are rich in this present age not to think highly of themselves, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, Who gives us richly all things for enjoyment. Let them do good, be rich in good works, be generous and ready to share" (1 Tim 6:17-18).

There are people strong in authority. Authority is given by the Lord so that the one clothed with authority may truly be God's servant for the good of those subject to him (Rom 13:4). The higher the authority, the more obligations it has to serve society.

So also, the higher a tree grows, the more weight of fruit should be on it, and the deeper it sends down roots. Therefore, "the greater you are, the more humble yourself" (Sir 3:18).

Christ said to His disciples: "Whoever wishes to be great among you, let him be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be servant of all, and slave of all" (Mk 10:43-44).

Therefore, you who are clothed with authority, enter into the condition of your subordinates. Love them and live one life with them, and do not please yourself. Do not merely wait for honor toward your person, special reverence, and praise.

If there are true virtues and ruling strength in you, then even without currying favor or making claims, your subordinates will value them and render them what is due.

There are also those strong by their influence, thanks to kinship, connections, and ancient ancestral social position. For such people, a word spoken in defense of the weak, innocent, poor, or sick, or in intercession for him, costs nothing. Yet this word is worth more than much money.

For such influential people, doing good is easy and close at hand, if only there is zeal. Therefore, strong Christians, bear, receive, and take into your care the infirmities, illnesses, deficiencies, and poverty of the powerless, and do not please yourselves.

Each of us must please his neighbor for good, unto edification (Rom 15:2).

We do not serve Jesus Christ, but become fellow servants and accomplices in our neighbor's sins. Of this ruinous pleasing the same Apostle said: "Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Gal 1:10). He also commanded us not only to avoid such pleasing, but to reprove others in sinful deeds: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph 5:11). He confirms this teaching by the example of Jesus Christ, saying: Verse 3. "For Christ also did not please Himself, but, as it is written: The reproaches of those who reproached Thee fell on Me."

" the Apostle adds, "that Jesus Christ became a minister to the circumcised, for the truth of God, to fulfill the promises made to the fathers, and to the Gentiles, out of mercy, that they might glorify God," as the prophets foretold. The Apostle Paul himself gave a living example of how one should bear the infirmities of the weak. As Chrysostom observes, "he himself circumcised, cut his hair, offered a Jewish sacrifice, and so on." Or, as the Apostle says of himself: "I became all things to all men," certainly in indifferent matters, "that by all means I might save some" (1 Cor 9:22).

God is well pleased by the inner disposition: faith, fear of God, devotion to God, heartfelt cleaving to Him, and hope. Nearly all our outward activity comes into contact with the brethren, and here lies the chief matter: not to please oneself, not to seek one's own, whatever the subject may be. It may seem that by this you will be ruined or crushed. In reality, only by this is the good of each and all firmly built. Whence comes the strength for this? From love, which counts everything belonging to the brethren as its own, for it loves them as itself. Opposed to it is self-pleasing, the source of every evil and of all disorders among us, great and small. As soon as someone is drawn toward pleasing himself, harm at once comes to another. From this comes displeasure, and then discord. The Apostle mentioned the suppression of self-pleasing because he is speaking about abstaining from foods so as not to scandalize a brother. Turning away from yourself, direct your gaze toward your neighbor, as he says elsewhere: 'Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others' (Phil 2:4), or: 'Let no one seek his own good, but each one the good of his neighbor' (1 Cor 10:24). The Apostle himself always acted in this way, and therefore offered himself as an example: 'Just as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many. That they may be saved' (1 Cor 10:33)." "Therefore," Chrysostom concludes, "whether you are rich or clothed with authority, do not please yourself, but the poor man and the one in need. Through this you will gain true glory and bring much benefit. Worldly glory quickly passes away, but spiritual glory remains forever, if you do this for edification. Christ Himself acted in this way: He did not please Himself." Then, explaining the words of verse 4, Chrysostom says: "Many struggles lie before us, inward and outward. Their inevitability has been appointed so that, drawing strength and consolation from the Scriptures, we may show patience. By living in patience, we may abide in hope. One disposes toward the other: patience toward hope, and hope toward patience. Patience and hope are drawn from Scripture."

"For one may please another to harm, both oneself and the neighbor" (blessed Theodoret). "Let each do what is pleasing to his neighbor and serve his brother, but only for good" (blessed Theophylact). But why did the Apostle add, "for edification"? This was required by the conduct of the strong among the Romans. They were leading toward good by demanding that distinctions of foods not be held as a condition of salvation. Yet because they did this in disorder, they did not edify but tore down. They should have persuaded them anew. Then the distinction of foods would have fallen away by itself. Instead they wanted to break everything at once by force, and they caused harm instead of benefit. Therefore, "lest one of the perfect should say, 'See, I am drawing my brother toward good,' by reproving and compelling him, the Apostle added, 'for edification.' For although what you are now doing is good, yet because it is untimely, your work turns into destruction. Untimely reproof does not edify" (blessed Theophylact). In very many cases this limitation has saving application: do good, but with understanding. "Therefore, whether you are rich or clothed with authority, do not please yourself, but the poor man and the one in need. Through this you will gain true glory and bring much benefit. Worldly glory quickly passes away, but spiritual glory remains forever, if you do this for edification" (Chrysostom).