Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 15 · Section 3 · Subsection 2 – Subsection 7
Quest. 2. Whome, and wherein the strong should support the weake.
1. We which are strong. 1. Chrysostome observeth well how the Apostle allureth the strong, and speaketh lovingly vntounto them: not onelyonly in calling them strong, but in suum ordinem eos collocavit, he placeth them in his owne order, and this he doth, because he had seemed before somewhat sharpely to take them vp, for vsing their Christian libertie so freely without respect had vntounto their weake brethren. 2. the strong foreign, or mightie, are not here onelyonly those, which were instructed concerning the indifferent vse of all meates, as Haymo: but such as were plenius edocti, more fully taught and instructed in matters of faith, Par. and such also as were purioris vitae, more perfect and pure in life, Origen: for the Apostle speaketh generally of all infirmities of the brethren touching doctrine, or manners.
2. Ought to beare. 1. we ought debemus, non donamus, it is our dutie so to doe, not a gift, Chrysost. 2. to beare foreign, is not onelyonly to tolerate and support their infirmities, sed in se suscipere vt curant, but to take them in hand to cure them, Bulling: erigere, non contemnere, to raise them vp, not to despise or contemne them, gloss. interlin. it is a metaphor taken from the fashion of building, where the pillars doe carrie the weight and burthen of the house: as the faithfull are called pillers, Reuel. 3.17. and as it is said, that Salomon laied great stones to make the foundation of the temple, to support the rest, 1. King. 5.17. Hugo: or it may be taken from the frame and constitution of a mans bodie, where the sinewes and bones are made to beare vp the flesh, and other tender parts, Lyran.
3. The infirmities of the weake. 1. The Apostle vseth two words, he saith, not the weake, but the infirmities of the weake, vt ad maiorem commiserationem alliciat, to draw them to greater commiseration: Theophyl. 2. it is a metaphor taken from children or sicke persons, which are weake, and impotent, and there is no man, but will be readie to pitie and helpe such. 3. these infirmities are not onelyonly concerning the difference of meates, as Haymo, but the Apostle meaneth others also, qui alio infirmitatis genere lab…rant, which are troubled with any other kind of infirmitie, as if one be giuen to anger, to rayling, and such like: Chrysost. 4. but the Apostle speaketh of infirmities onelyonly, non hic agitur de sceleribus, he entreateth not of great offences, as of theft, murder, and such like: for these are not to be borne with at all: Osiand. he meaneth not then vitia …perta, manifest sinnes, which are directly against the word: but onelyonly of slippes in life and doctrine which proceed of ignorance and common infirmitie. 5. These then are the infirmities here mentioned, either concerning spirituall things, or temporall: the spirituall concerne either saith, as ignorance, error, not beeing fundamentall, or manners, as are the slippes and fayling in life and conuersation, which ouerthrow not good manners: in temporall things, there are diuerse kind of infirmities; 1. as in the state and condition, as the rich must support the necessities of the poore. 2. or in respect of the sex, the husband must beare with the wife, as the weaker vessell. 3. or of the bodie, such are the infirmities of sicknes, and old age, wherein the weake are also to be supported. But the two first kinds of infirmities touching faith, and manners, are specially here vnderstood, and intended by the Apostle: though it may be extended also to corporall necessities; as Origen inferreth, he that is richer in substance, onus pauperioris portet, let him beare the burthen of the poore: so also Chrysost. si dives fueris, &c. if thou be rich, please not thy selfe, but the poore.
Quest. 3. Of the reasons why the weake should be supported.
1. Christ supporteth and beareth our infirmities: no man is so perfect, qui non in aliquo apud Deum inveniatur infirmus, which is not in some one thing or other week before God, and had neede to be supported of Christ: we therefore, as Christ hath borne the infirmities of vsus all, so we should one beare an others infirmities, Origen.
2. Thou art strong, repende Deo mercedem qui te talem fecit, shewe thy thankefulnes to God, who hath made thee strong: and thus shalt thou doe it, if thou dost correct the infirmitie of the weake, Chrysost.
3. Si condescenderis nihil damniferes, if thou condescend to the weake, thou shalt suffer no losse: but if thou condescend not, the other is in great danger: it is no losse to thee, but againe to him, therefore beare with him, Chrysost.
4. Illi non possunt se ad nos erigere, they cannot rise vp to vsus, therefore we should condescend, and apply our selues to them, gloss. interlin.
5. Nullus est, qui non in se habeat aliquid, &c. there is none, that hath not somewhat himselfe to be supported: and therefore the Apostle saith, Galat. 6. Beare one anothers burthen, Gorrhan: therefore he that is strong, wherein he is strong, must beare with the weake, that wherein he is weake he may be supported likewise of his brother.
6. The Apostle also perswadeth herevnto by his owne example, counting himselfe among the number, we which are strong, who will thinke scorne to beare with the weake, vntounto whom S. Paul so great an Apostle vouchsafeth to condescend, Gualter.
7. This is the end why God hath giuen vntounto some greater gifts, and more strength, then vntounto others, that by their strength they might support the weake, Pareus.
8. And hereunto we are perswaded both iure naturae, by the law of nature, which mooueth and stirreth vp men to helpe and succour the weake: and iure divino, by the lawe of God which prescribeth, that if our enemies asse should lie downe vnderunder his burthen, we should helpe him vp, Deut. 22.4. how much more ought we to shewe this compassion to our weake brother?
Quest. 4. How the Apostle here counteth himselfe among the strong, els where maintaining himselfe among the weake.
The occasion of this doubt, is mooued by Origen out of that place, 1. Cor. 9. v. 22. to the weake I became as weake, how then doth the Apostle here call himselfe strong: and beside he seemeth to praise himselfe contrarie to the saying of the wiseman, Prou. 27.2. Let thy neighbour praise thee, and not thine owne mouth, &c.
Answ. 1. Origen answeareth to the first doubt, that the Apostle in that place doth not say he is weake, sed fieri infirmum, but that he was made or became weak: for if he had beene weake, he could not be made weake: so then there the Apostle doth but shew the practise of that which he prescribeth here, namely, to condescend vntounto the infirmitie of the weake, and so to become weake like vntounto them, in supporting of their infirmities. 2. Neither doth the Apostle here praise himselfe, non pro laude propria, sed pro rerum consequentia, he doth not call himselfe strong for his owne praise, but because the matter in hand so required: for if the Apostle in modestie had forborne to count himselfe among the strong, who would hauehave presumed of himselfe, to be so strong, as to take vponupon him to beare others infirmities, Origen: this then the Apostle doth, vt ad suum exemplum excitaret, to stirre them vp, to follow his example, that they should support the infirmities of the weak, as he did, Mar.
Quest. 5. What it is not to please our selues but our neighbour, v. 1.2.
1. Haymo vnderstandeth this of that particular instance, of making no difference of meates: that the stronger would not please himselfe, either in eating of all meates in the presence of the weake, or in perswading him to do the like: but this sense is too much restrained: for the Apostle speaketh generally of all infirmities both touching faith and manners, as is shewed before q. 2.3.
2. Chrysostome seemeth to interpret it of giuing content, and satisfying the desire of the weake, as the rich man should not please himselfe in not giuing, sed placeas pauperi, but please the poore, but this is not all the meaning: for the poore are often froward and importunate, and in some cases are not to be pleased and contented with giuing.
3. Origen thinketh this to be pleasing: when the life is without reproofe, and irreprehensible, vt ex eo proficiant omnes, that others might profit by it, but this sense is likewise particular: in necessarie duties, we are so to please in well doing: but there is an other kinde of pleasing, that is, not offending in things indifferent.
4. Sometime for one to please himselfe, is to seeke his owne glorie: as Herod pleased himselfe, when the people gaue applause vntounto him Act. 12. but it is not so taken here: Bez.
5. Not to please our selues, but to please our brother, is here, not nostro iure vti, to vse our owne libertie without respect vntounto our brother: Pellic. but satisfacere, to content, satisfie, obsecundare morem gerere, accōmodare, to applie and accomodate our selues to our brother: Vatablus, Erasmus: not to seeke that, quod nobis prosit, which is profitable for vsus, but quid conducat fratri, what is beneficiall to our brother: Ambrose, Martyr: not to attend onelyonly that, which pleaseth our selues, neglecto proximo, with neglect and contempt of our brother, Pareus: as many are peremptorie in vsing their libertie, hauing no respect at all vntounto their brethren, whether they be offended or not: thus the Apostle elswhere himselfe expoundeth what it is to please men, 1. Corin. 10.33. euen as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine owne profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saued.
Quest. 6. How farre and wherein we must please our neighbours.
v. 2. Let euerie one please his neighbour in that which is good to edifying, &c. yet S. Paul elsewhere saith, If I should please men, I should not be the seruant of Christ.
To remooue this doubt, three things must be considered. 1. who are to be pleased. 2. wherein. 3. to what ende.
1. If I should please men, that is, incredulis & infidelibus Iudaeis, the incredulous Iewes and infidels, I should not please Christ: for if S. Paul would hauehave pleased such, he should hauehave brought men and women bound to Ierusalem, when he was sent to Damascus, Origen: but we must seeke to please the brethren and beleeuers, and such as are weake.
2. Neither must we please men in things, that are euill: as Origen well obserueth, si quis nos aliquid exigit agere contra iustitiam, if any man would hauehave vsus doe any thing against iustice and holinesse, therein we should not please him, cum ergo bene agimus, & bene docemus, placemus proximo, when we teach well, and doe well, we please our neighbour, &c. herein then appeareth the vanitie and impietie of Popish indulgencies, and dispensations, which doe often giuegive license and libertie euen in such things, as are against the word of God directly: as in dispensing with vnlawfull marriages, within the prohibited degrees, and such like.
3. Now the ende which men must propound in pleasing their neighbours, is in seeking the good, and furthering their salvation, non vt laudem quaerant, not to seeke their owne praise, that men may profit by their good example, Origen: 1. so the Apostle saith, for good, that is, to his profit and benefit, as the Apostle vseth the same phrase, Rom. 8.28. all things worke together for the good or best: some doe reade, in that which is good, but the words are in the originall foreign, to good, Beza. 2. and the Apostle addeth, to edification, because as Theophylact obserueth, that which is good, si minus fit opportune, if it be not done in fit time and place, tendeth to destruction, then edification. 3. this terme of edifying is familiar with S. Paul, for the faithfull are as liuely stones which go to the building of Gods spirituall house: he then that offendeth his brother, and so remooueth stones fit for Gods building, destroyeth Gods house, and him will God destroy, 1. Cor. 2.…7. Gods house is destroyed, not onelyonly by pulling of it downe, but also by not building of it vp. 4. and two wayes are our brethren edified, either by winning of them vntounto Christ, or beeing come vntounto Christ, when they doe still encrease and goe forward in faith. 5. But the weake must not be so supported, vt indulgentia largiore infirmos dissolvat, that the strong doe make them more dissolute by their indulgence, but so long, till either vitium corrigit, he amend his fault, vel non proficit in peius, or if he be not much amended, yet he become not worse, Origen: but si infirmitas eorum degeneret in pertinaciam, if their infirmitie degenerate into stubbornenes, we must support them no longer: as the Iewes or Papists, are not now to be counted weake, and to be borne with in their superstitious observation of meats and dayes, for now they erre of obstinacie, not of infirmitie. Par.
Quest. 7. How Christ is said not to hauehave pleased himselfe.
1. Haymo inserteth by way of explanation, he pleased not himselfe, but his father: so also Lyranus, and the ordinar. gloss. doe expound it by that place, Ioh. 6. I came not to doe mine own wil, but of him that sent me: but then the Apostle had not applyed this to purpose, which is by the example of Christ, to please and not offend our weake brother.
2. Neither by not pleasing himselfe, must be vnderstood, the not liking or approouing of that which he did: for so Christ alwayes pleased himselfe, and so must we also please our selues, in approouing our actions done in faith: but the meaning is, non servivit suis commodis, he sought not his owne profit: quod nostrum erat respiciens, suum neglexit, respecting our good, he neglected his owne, Chrysost. he sought not his owne glorie, but suffered reproach and infamie to promote mans salvation.
3. Origen vnderstandeth this of Christs not pleasing himselfe, of his abasing himselfe, that whereas he thought it no robberie to be equall vntounto God his father, made himselfe of no reputation: Chrysostome addeth further, that he onelyonly abated not himselfe to become man, sed & convitijs impetitus est, he was raised vponupon, and reuiled: but this not pleasing, is better referred to Christs whole life, and death; that he refused no shame or ignominy while he sought to further the worke of mans saluation: for he not onelyonly tooke vponupon him the forme of a seruant, beeing Lord of all; but beeing most holy, vouchsafed to eate with Publicans and sinners: and beeing most chast, yet suffred a woman that had beene most infamous to wash his feete: and beeing most innocent, was put to death with theefes and murtherers, and wicked persons: Martyr.
4. But the meaning is not, he pleased not himselfe, as though he did not with his will vndertake the work of our redemption, for he did it most willingly out of his exceeding great louelove vntounto mankind, and he laid downe his life of himselfe: but he spared not his bodie, nor his name and fame for vsus, so that he might accomplish our saluation.