“For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”
My Notes
What Does Romans 15:3 Mean?
"For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me." Paul quotes Psalm 69:9 and applies it to Christ: the insults aimed at God fell on Jesus. Christ didn't please himself — he absorbed the reproaches that belonged to the Father. The Son took upon himself the criticism, the hatred, the mockery that was directed at God. He stepped between the Father and the world's contempt and said: aim at me instead.
The context (15:1-3) is about the strong bearing the weak: we who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not please ourselves. Christ is the model: he didn't please himself. He absorbed the weight that belonged to others. The strong carry what the weak can't — because Christ carried what everyone couldn't.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where are you pleasing yourself when Christ's model says: absorb the weight for someone else?
- 2.What would 'bearing the infirmities of the weak' look like in your specific community?
- 3.How does Christ absorbing the Father's reproaches model how the strong should treat the weak?
- 4.What right or freedom do you need to limit for the sake of someone whose conscience is more sensitive?
Devotional
Christ pleased not himself. The most selfless sentence about the most selfless person in the most selfless act of history: Jesus didn't live for his own comfort. He absorbed the reproaches that were aimed at God.
The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. The insults aimed at the Father landed on the Son. Every blasphemy, every mockery, every hostile word directed at God — Jesus stepped in front of it. Like a bodyguard absorbing bullets meant for the one they protect. Except the bodyguard is the one's own Son. And the bullets are the world's contempt.
Christ pleased not himself. Five words that demolish every self-centered version of Christianity. If Christ — whose rights exceeded everyone's, whose authority outranked everyone's, whose comfort was his divine prerogative — didn't please himself, then nobody who follows him has the right to make self-pleasure the organizing principle of their life.
Paul uses this as the model for how the strong should treat the weak (15:1): bear their infirmities. Don't please yourself. The strong Christian who has freedom of conscience (to eat, to drink, to observe or not observe) should limit their freedom for the sake of the weak Christian whose conscience is more sensitive. Not because the weak person is right. Because Christ didn't please himself — and the strong should follow the pattern.
The principle inverts the world's power dynamic: strength exists for bearing, not for asserting. Your freedom exists to serve others, not to express yourself. Your rights exist to be limited for the sake of those who can't handle them. Because Christ had more rights than anyone in history — and he surrendered them for the people who were attacking the God he came to represent.
Christ pleased not himself. That's the standard. And every act of self-limitation for another person's benefit is a small echo of what Jesus did on the cross: absorbing reproaches that weren't his so the ones who deserved them wouldn't have to.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For whatsoever things were written aforetime,.... In the books of the Old Testament; the apostle says this, to vindicate…
For even Christ - The apostle proceeds, in his usual manner, to illustrate what he had said by the example of the…
For even Christ pleased not himself - Christ never acted as one who sought his own ease or profit; he not only bore with…
The apostle here lays down two precepts, with reasons to enforce them, showing the duty of the strong Christian to…
For even Christ Here first in the Epistle St Paul explicitly quotes the Lord's Example. He soon repeats the reference,…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture