Christianity challenges the world’s thinking concerning the strong and the weak. The world thinks those who are strong should use their strength to take advantage of the weak; another’s vulnerability is seen as an opportunity for the strong to gain at their expense. Such thinking is evil.
Christianity teaches that those who are strong have an obligation to the weak. They are to come to their aid (James 1:27). Jesus had strong words of rebuke for Israel’s leaders who abused their power (Matthew 23). He taught His disciples that while the Gentile leaders misused their power, causing the weak to serve them, His disciples were to use their power as leaders to serve others, just as He Himself did (Mark 10:35-45). The strong are to support those who lack strength in their areas of weakness. Such service must be sacrificial—a denial of self-interest and of self-serving.
Paul’s command here to please others contradicts his statements elsewhere which condemn pleasing men (Galatians 1:10; I Thessalonians 2:4). How do we resolve this tension? The solution is simple: When the choice is between pleasing others or pleasing ourselves, it’s right to please others. But when the choice is between pleasing others and pleasing God, pleasing God must always prevail.
Paul’s instruction is not meant to suggest that we should please our neighbor in any way our neighbor dictates. We are to please our neighbor as God dictates. We are not instructed to make our neighbor feel good about himself, to make him comfortable, and to fulfill his desires or expectations. God is the One who defines what is pleasing to our neighbor, not the neighbor. Paul speaks of pleasing in a long-term, eternal sense—not in a short-term way.
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