“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.” (Romans 15:1-2 NASB1995)

When Paul penned this letter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to the believers in Jesus Christ in Rome, to the beloved of God, called as saints, it was all one continuous long letter. It was not separated by chapters and verses like it is now for our convenience. And we need to be aware of that so that we don’t interpret these words out of context and thus reach erroneous conclusions. So, I would encourage you to begin reading in Romans 14:1-23, because Romans 15:1-13 just continues on that same thought.

For Romans 14 is all on the subject of those who are “weak in the faith,” not weak, having to do with sin, but having to do with some Jews who believed in Jesus but who were unable to let go of the dietary and Sabbath laws of the Old Covenant which God had with his people. This also had to do with those believers in Christ who were free from the Old Covenant dietary and Sabbath laws who were casting judgment on those who were still bound by the dietary and Sabbath laws. But each side was condemning the other.

So, although God definitely regarded the Jewish Christians who were not able to let go of the dietary and Sabbath laws of the Old Covenant as those who were “weak in the faith,” he did not condemn them for it. Rather he honored them as those who were of genuine faith in Jesus Christ who did what they did for the Lord, in worship of God, and in honoring God. And so he encouraged them and he encouraged those free to eat and to not have to obey the Sabbath to not cast judgment on one another, but to get along.

Thus enters chapter 15 which so many people are taking out of context and are misinterpreting. And they are teaching that this is teaching tolerance of sin. It is not! We are not to bear the deliberate and habitual sinful practices of those who profess Jesus as their Lord. We are not to be nasty to anyone, but as fellow Christians we are to be exhorting one another daily so that none of us are led astray by the deceitfulness of sin. And if a fellow believer is caught in sin, we who are righteous are to help them to freedom from sin.

So many people who call themselves Christians today are teaching us to “stay in your own lane” and to not judge others for their sins. But the Bible does not teach that all judgment is wrong. It teaches us that hypocritical and false judging is wrong. We are not to judge by appearances, or without a hearing, or according to the flesh, or hypocritically, or by ourselves. But we are to judge sin as something that is wrong, that is against God and our fellow humans, and as something we need to put to death in our lives.

[Matthew 7:1-5,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 7:24,51; John 8:15-16; Romans 2:3; Romans 6:1-23; Galatians 6:1-5; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 10:12; Hebrews 3:13; James 5:19-20; Jude 1:22-23]

So, whenever you read Romans 15, at least the first 13 verses, read them in the context of chapter 14, and interpret them in that context, which is where they belong. For pleasing our neighbors for their good, to their edification, is not ignoring blatant and deliberate and habitual sin in the life of one who professes faith in Jesus Christ. It has to do with not condemning one another over disputable matters and differences of opinions which are not in contradiction to the commands of our Lord under the New Covenant.

But rampant sin being tolerated within the gatherings of “the church” is something that needs to be addressed and dealt with biblically (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-13).

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

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Bearing Their Weaknesses
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