“1 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. 2 Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 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. 4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.”
In verse 1, Paul told us that those Christians who are strong have an obligation to bear the burdens of the weak. In verse 2, he is telling us how we can do that. We must build them up. What does this entail? The life of Paul can be a good example.
“To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.” — 1 Corinthians 9:22
Just as was described in Romans chapter 14, we can first serve and build up these weak Christians by being sensitive and considerate to their consciences. Right after Paul finishes telling the Corinthians to build one another up, he provides this explanation:
“No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.” — 1 Corinthians 10:24
To build one another up is to be sensitive to other’s needs and convictions and to seek their good rather than our own! Verse 3 contains the ultimate example of what it means to serve others, “For even Christ did not please himself.” (v. 3a) Jesus is the prime example of someone who denies oneself and seeks the good of others. We see an example of this in Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will in the garden as He prays about His coming death.
““Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me — nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”” — Luke 22:42
In His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus serves the will of the Father and He serves us by providing the way for us to be saved, rather than serve His own desires! “On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” (v. 3b) This quotation comes from Psalm 69:9, where even the prophets foretold that Jesus’ focus would be completely fixed upon bringing glory to the Father. How then, does Jesus serve the weak by bearing the insults of those who hate God? How is Jesus’ obedience and submission to the Father an example of the strong helping the weak? It is because, by God’s grace and mercy, God’s elect have benefited from what glorifies the Father. Jesus’ submission to the sovereign will of the Father meant that God’s elect would be provided the way to be saved. If Jesus does not live a sinless life, if He does not submit to the Father and does not die on the cross as a once-for-all sacrifice for sin, there is no chance at salvation for anyone. Jesus, in His strength, did what is impossible for anyone else to do. Jesus bore the wrath of God for the sin of all His elect whom He would save, was raised in bodily form on the third day, and ascended to the Father in Heaven until He comes again. What an ultimate picture of self-sacrifice. There is no better example of the strong bearing the burdens of the weak than Jesus’ sacrifice.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” — 2 Corinthians 8:9
Verse 4 gives us another tool by which the strong can serve the weak. God has given us His infallible Word, the Bible, as a means of serving the weak. Time spent reading, studying, and being surrounded by the Word of God is one of the ways we can serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. God has given us the tools both for instruction and for the building up and the encouragement of our fellow Christians. The Bible is the foremost of these tools!
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Paul tells Timothy in these verses exactly how we can use the Scriptures for the building up of others. The Bible is to be used to teach, rebuke, correct, and to train. These are exactly the types of activities that build strong Christians. Not only that, but Paul is telling us here that the Scripture gives us hope and encourages the believer. As well it should, for it contains the very words of God, through which He reveals to us the very nature of Himself and the way by which we are to be saved!