Romans 15:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."

NIV: For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."

NASB: For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: 'THE TAUNTS OF THOSE WHO TAUNT YOU HAVE FALLEN ON ME.'

CSB: For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.

NLT: For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, 'The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.'

KJV: For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

NKJV: For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

Paul is speaking directly to those who are strong enough in their Christian faith that they feel secure in the grace of God. Such believers feel free to enjoy things formerly restricted for them by the law, including meat, wine, and not observing special religious days. In a broader sense, these are believers who don't feel led to add additional "do not" restrictions beyond those made clear in Scripture.

Paul is saying two important things about this attitude of Christian liberty. First, the "strong" believers are right to recognize that nothing is, itself, unclean (1 Timothy 4:4). Second, these believers should be willing to forego that freedom for the sake of those who are not yet strong enough in their faith to participate in those things (Romans 14:1–2).

Put more bluntly, Paul said in the previous verse that they should put pleasing their neighbors above pleasing themselves. After all, Paul now writes, they are following Christ. Christ did not please Himself in this life. He lived a life of self-sacrifice in serving and pleasing others.

Paul quotes from Psalm 69:9, applying it to Jesus. In that context, the reproaches—the mockery and criticism—of those who reproached God the Father fell on Christ. By comparison, Paul seems to be saying, strong-faith Christians should be willing to give up meat, or give up wine, or to skip the Sabbath, or any other matter of their personal freedom, for the sake of building up their weaker siblings in Christ.

Romans 15:1–7 concludes Paul's teaching on how Christians with strong faith, those who understand their freedom from the law, should live with those of weaker faith. All Christians must please each other and not themselves. After all, Christ didn't come to please Himself. With God's help and encouragement, everyone in the church can live together in harmony and glorify God with one, unified voice, as they serve each other ahead of themselves. They must welcome each other as Christ has welcomed them.

Romans 15 begins with Paul's encouragement to those strong in faith: to please other Christians before themselves so the church can be unified. Christ came to fulfill God's promises to Israel and about the Gentiles. Paul is satisfied with the faith and practice of the Roman Christians. His work of taking the gospel to unreached regions of Gentiles in his part of the world is completed, and he longs to come see them. First, he must deliver financial aid to Jerusalem, a trip about which he asks them to pray along with him.

Romans 15 concludes Paul's teaching that those strong in faith ought to sacrifice their own desires to live in harmony with other believers. Paul shows that God always planned to welcome the Gentile nations, and his mission is to introduce Gentiles to the message of salvation by faith in Christ. He longs to visit the Christians in Rome and plans to do so as soon as he delivers financial aid to poor Christian Jews in Jerusalem. He begins Romans 16 by greeting many friends and acquaintances in Rome by name, as part of a drawn-out ending to this letter.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.