The passage
      v1-3. Those who are strong should bear the encumbrances of the weak and not act in a way that pleases themselves; they should act in a way that builds up their neighbor. Consider the example of Christ, in no way did he please himself. As the Psalmist puts it in Psalm 69:9, Christ willingly accepted the concentrated hatred of mankind, so as to save mankind. Therefore, it would be rather ungrateful of us if we couldn't accept a little inconvenience for the sake of a brother.
      v4. This verse serves as a little aside to explain why Paul supports his case with an Old Testament verse. These scriptures speak of Christ and they were written, not just for their day, but also for us, that we might grow in Christ-likeness. This, of course, is our hope.
      v5-6. Paul's greatest wish for his readers is that they will be a united group. By being one they give glory to God; they honour him.
      v7. Here Paul exhorts his readers to accept one another, just as Christ has accepted them. Such behavior rebounds to God's glory.
      v8. Paul now supports his exhortation; he reminds his readers that Jesus was a Jew who worked exclusively among the Jewish people. Jesus was a Jewish Messiah fulfilling the promises given to the Patriarchs. Therefore, Jewish believers have special privileges in the gospel church and should be shown consideration.
      v9a. Christ came to the children of Israel, "but" (rather than "so that") the Gentiles are the ones to receive mercy and so glorify God. It is therefore, only reasonable that Gentile believers (the strong) act with care toward Jewish believers (the weak).
      v9b-12. Paul goes on to give biblical support for the ingrafting of the Gentiles into God's historic people:
        Psalm 18:49. Paul has taken this as a messianic Psalm which promises a proclamation of praise among the Gentiles, in and through the messiah's evangelists (possibly the apostles).
        Deuteronomy 32:43 is a summons that the Gentiles rejoice with God's people. Psalm 117:1, makes the same point.
        Isaiah 11:10. This is a promise that the one who will rule the nations is the one in whom the Gentiles will find their hope, and he is a Jewish messiah, the shoot from the root of Jesse.
      v13. In a closing prayer, Paul expresses his desire for the members of the Roman church that they may experience joy and peace within the fellowship rather than discord, and this by grace through faith.

Christian liberty
      Libertarianism is a problem which concerned Paul, and it is the one addressed in our passage for study. Our identification with Christ and thus, the possession of his righteousness, moves us to act in a Christ-like way. I might be free in Christ, but I am not free to sin. We must strive not to use our freedom as an excuse for sin.
      So, when Paul writes to the libertines in the Roman church, he reminds them of the service they owe due to "God's mercy". They are not free to slip all over the place; they have obligations. In their particular situation they were riding rough-shod over the sensibilities of their "weaker" brothers and sisters. These weaker brothers were pious conservative law-orientated believers (mostly ex Jews). Being free from the moral law did not give them the freedom to act immorally. Being the "strong" in Christ, the free in Christ, does not mean being the sinful in Christ.
      Consider some of the principles Paul lays on these libertines, these "strong" believers:
        i] Help the weak, 15:1-2.
        ii] Follow the self-denying example of Christ, 15:3-6.
        iii] Welcome one another, 15:7-13.
      Christian liberty is seen in freedom for service, not freedom for sin. Christian freedom is not easy-going with sin. A believer who is relying on Christ will find within themselves a desire to honour Christ. Of course, if we have drifted in our reliance on Christ, then our drive to honor him will be weak. So, serving Christ comes down to this: first, we must identify those areas of sin from which we need to flee; second, we must rely on the indwelling presence of Christ to daily renew us; and third, we must strive to live in a way that honours Christ, by grace through faith.
      Christian liberty demands that we be daily liberated through the death and resurrection of Christ, by grace through faith. It demands that we know the truth as revealed in the scriptures, so that we can see sin for what it is. "I am bound by the text of the Bible, my conscience is captive to the word of God", Luther. Finally, Christian liberty demands that we make moral decisions in the midst of life's circumstances, knowing before whom we must one day stand.

v1
      hJmeiV "we" - With the first person plural Paul now includes himself among the "strong"
      oi dunatoi adj. "strong" - strong, capable. "Strong in the faith", TEV. They are the ones who know that their standing in the sight of God is not gained, maintained or progressed by obedience to the law, but by grace through faith.
      bastazein (bastazw) inf. "to bear" - carry. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "ought". "Bear", in the sense of "put up with", misses the point, "help", TEV, is closer, but the NEB is spot on "accept as our own burden the tender scruples of weaker men." "Carry" as Christ carried our weakness. The "strong" have no need to, nor should they refocus on the law, but they can be gentle with a brother who is law-bound and so not offend their sensibilities.
      asqenhmata (a atoV) "failings" - weaknesses. Possibly "burdens", TEV, here the burden of their religious sensibilities.
      adunatwn adj. "the weak" - not strong. Up to this point, Paul has used the particular Greek word for "weak" to identify this group. As noted above, the "weak" are most likely Jewish believers, still very much law-bound. It is likely that they have yet to understand the full extent of justification and will never understand it if the "strong" constantly offend their religious sensibilities on matters such as those identified at the Jerusalem conference, ie. eating meat offered to idols, strangled, unbled and marrying within prohibited relationships, Act.15:20

v2
      aresketw (areskw) imp. "should please" - let him please. Cause him to be happy, blessed.
      plhsion adv. "neighbor" - A brother in the Lord is obviously intended.
      to agaqon adj. "good" - In the sense of a "benefit", spiritual profit
      proV oikodomhn "to build him up" - toward building up, strengthening. Noun phrase. Toward, in the sense of, with a view to building up. Possibly building up the Christian community (cf. NEB. Weak + strong), but more likely the "weak". Build up what? Possibly their faith, in the sense of their dependence on Christ rather than on the law.

v3
      hresen (areskw) aor. "[for Christ did not] please [himself]" - Constantive aorist, ie. denoting the point of occurrence of the action of the verb. Christ didn't live for his own benefit, for his own happiness, his own good pleasure.
      Psalm 69:9. "People insulted you, but what they said has really insulted me", ATH.

v4
      oJsa ... proegrafh "everything that was written in the past" - whatever things were written before. Obviously referring to the Old Testament scriptures, so "everything written in the scriptures."
      didaskalian (a) "teaching" - The prime function of the law, namely, to make sin more sinful, has found its fulfilment in Christ and is therefore, no longer applicable to a believer, yet the Old Testament still speaks of Christ and is therefore, a source of sound teaching.
      iJna + subj. "so that" - Most likely a final (purpose) clause indicating the intended purpose of the teaching, "in order that ....we may maintain our hope", NEB.
      dia + gen. "through" - through, by means of. That by the instrument of teaching scriptural truth hope might be established in a believer's life. "By steadfastness...." NRSV.
      uJpomonhV (h) "endurance" - perseverance.
      paraklhsewV (iV ewV) "encouragement" - comfort, consolation. Possibly "exhortation", but "consolation" is better, Cranfield, etc.
      twn grafwn (h) "scriptures" - writings. Genitive of source, probably applying to both "endurance" and "encouragement".
      ecwmen (ecw) pres. subj. "we might have [hope]" - we may have. Present tense indicating ongoing hope, even growing hope: "hold fast their hope", Cranfield, "go on hoping", Moo.

v5
      dw/h (didwmi) aor. opt. "give" - Used here to express a desire. "I pray that God ...."
      "who gives" - Added for meaning. God is the source of endurance and encouragement.
      to auto fronein (fronew) inf. "a spirit of unity" - the same thing to think / have in mind, set one's mind on. Paul's "prayer", his wish/desire, is either, that his readers have a single mind on matters of the Christian faith, or that they be united, in harmony with each other, "agree with one another", NEB. The second option is best. They may still disagree on issues of theology, but at least they can recognize their unity in Christ.
      kata + acc. "as you follow" - according to. Follow what, the example of Christ or the will of Christ?

v6
      iJna + subj. "so that" - Final (purpose) clause expressing the object of the unity, namely, the glorification of God.
      oJmoqumadon adv. "with one heart" - with one accord, in unity of mind. "All of you together", TEV. Originally, a term used of political solidarity.
      en eni somati "mouth" - in one mouth. Superfluous to the meaning, although the preposition "in" is probably instrumental which reminds us that the "all of you together" serves as an instrument of the glorification of God.
      doxazthe (doxazw) subj. "you may glorify" - "Declare openly your good opinion of."
      kai "[God] and [Father ....]" - and. Possibly, where God is taken as an absolute, "God, even the Father..." AV.

v7
      dio "-" - therefore. Given the argument so far, the believers in Rome should .....
      proslambanesqe (proslambanw) imp. "accept" - receive, welcome. "Accept each other fully", not just tolerate.
      kaqwV "just as" - as. The sense is comparative, believers should accept one another in the same way as Christ has accepted us.
      uJmaV "you" - Variant "us".
      eiV "in order to" - to, for. The sense of this preposition here is final (purpose), "so that / in order that people will praise God." Is it the unity of believers or the union of the lost to God that brings him praise?

v8
      gegenhsqai (ginomai) perf. pas. inf. "has become" - to have become. Infinitive use to introduce indirect speech.
      diakonon (oV) "servant" - Christ has come to help/do good for. Literally "the circumcision"
      uJper alhqeiaV qeou "on behalf of God's truth" - for truth of God. The sense is possibly "to show God is faithful" TEV, "to show God's truthfulness" RSV. Here taking "truth" in the Old Testament sense of faithful, ie. God does what he says he will do.
      eiV bebaiwsai (bebaiow) inf. "to confirm" - to confirm, make firm, establish. This phrase introduces a clause that serves to illustrate God's faithfulness, "by making good his promises to the patriarchs", NEB, namely, the creation of a people of God through which the whole world is blessed.

v9
      de "so that" - but. The conjunction does not carry a final sense ("in order that") but rather an adversative sense. The promise to Abraham was fulfilled in Christ for Israel, although now the Gentiles are reaping the benefits. Given this fact, the Gentile believers (the "strong") should give deference to the Jewish believers (the "weak").
      exomologhsomai (exomologew) fut. "I will praise" - confess. Although the word normally means "confess", in the LXX it takes the sense "praise" when followed by a dative, as here.
      The quotations, Ps.18:49 (poss. 2Sam.22:50), Deut.32:43, Ps.117:1, Isa.11:10. All illustrate that God always intended the Gentiles to be included with Israel to the glory and praise of his name.

v11
      epainesatwsan (epainw) aor. imp. "sing praises" - let all peoples praise.

v12
      oJ anistamenoV (anisthmi) pres. mid. part. "one who will arise" - one rising up. A rising up in the sense of appearing. Possibly a passive sense, the one raised up, brought into being, by God.
      rJiza (a) "root" - root, scion. A "scion", in the sense of "a new shoot", is a better understanding of the word. "Descendent of Jesse", "a member of the family of Jesse"
      elpiousin (elpizw) fut. "will hope" - The Gentiles will look with confidence toward him.