Romans 15:2

Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Roman Christian community to resolve disputes between mature and immature believers regarding secondary matters of faith. He instructs those with stronger convictions to subordinate their personal freedoms to the welfare of the weak.

The words — ἀρέσκω (areskō) means "to please" or "to seek to gratify," and πλησίον (plēsion) literally denotes "neighbor" or "one nearby." These terms frame the command as a deliberate choice to gratify another's welfare rather than one's own desires.

The thread — This directive echoes the pursuit of peace and mutual edification in Romans 14:19, the prohibition against self-seeking in 1 Corinthians 10:24, and the call to regard others' interests in Philippians 2:4. The same ethical thread runs through Paul's instructions on Christian liberty and communal responsibility.

Why it lands — The text commands believers to actively choose actions that strengthen others, even when those actions conflict with personal preference. It requires readers to measure their conduct by its constructive effect on neighbors rather than by personal comfort or rights.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.