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Observe here, 1. A great doctrine asserted, and a special duty declared, namely, that the strong, that is, such as do thoroughly understand their Christian liberty, should bear with the infirmities, the ignorance, frowardness, and scrupulousness of the weak, and also forbear the doing of that which may scandalize and hurt the souls of men who have not the same measures of knowledge with ourselves; The strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.
Observe, 2. The universality of the duty: We, that is, not only all private Christians, but all church-governors. he puts himself into the number, that he may propose himself as a example of the following duty; we, that are the officers, the pastors, and governors of the church, like parents who bear with children in their waywardness, so must we bear, though not with heresies in doctrine, or enormities in practice, yet with such errors and mistakes in both as proceed from ignorance, or common infirmities.
Observe, 3. A further duty urged and enforced, namely, not to please ourselves, but others: Let every one of us not please ourselves, but our neighbour; that is, not please ourselves by insisting upon the use of our lawful liberty, but rather, for the sake of others, depart a little from our own right.
Yet observe, 4. The limitation and restriction of this duty: for his good to edification. It is not simply and absolutely said, " Let every one please his neighbour." The heretic, the drunkard, and others, would like that well, to have every one speak and act as they do: but the rule is, to please every man for his good to edification; thus far we may please them, but no farther. Edification is the rule, the scope, and boundary, of all our complacency in and compliance with others.
Observe, 5. How the apostle urges and enforces this duty, from the example of Jesus Christ: he pleased not himself, therefore such as profess faith in him must study to by as he was. Nothing was more remote from Christ when here on earth, than self-seeking and self-pleasing; he did not consult his own ease or satisfaction, but rather respected others' benefit than his own; yea, he was so far from pleasing of himself, that he did willingly expose himself to all the reproaches and insults of men, in obedience to his Father's will; and was so tender of God the Father's honour, that all the reproaches which fell upon the one affected and afflicted the other: The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Now from the whole we note, That Christians ought to be very tender towards one another in the use of their lawful liberty; they must not do whatever they please in things of an indifferent nature, without showing any regard to others; much less should they please themselves in a proud reflecting upon their own knowledge, and in contemning those that have not so great a latitude and liberty as themselves. We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, &c.