Weak and Strong Faith

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. or whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye be of one mind and with one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Romans 15:1-7

No, I was not finished with the book of Romans. God had more to teach me. I looked up the definition of the word infirmities this morning in the dictionary. I hadn't done this back when I was actually doing this study. Having been in church during the years before this particular church, I didn't have to because I knew what the word meant. But just for the sake of doing this study, I wanted to make sure we understand it today, and here is what it means in Greek and Hebrew.

   There are many times where this word is translated as sick but really means ‘weak’ in the context. For example:

• Joram is described as sick, but he’s actually weak (2 Kings 8:29).
• In Song of Solomon 2:5, “sick with love” more than likely means “weak with passion”.

machaleh- sickness.

Related: What Does The Word ‘Heal’ Mean In Hebrew and Greek?

What Does The Word ‘Infirmity’ Mean In Greek?

astheheia- feebleness; malady.

This word means lacking strength, weakness, or infirmity. It’s translated into:

• sickness (John 11:4)
• infirmities (Matthew 8:17)
• diseases (Acts 28:9)
• weakness (1 Corinthians 2:3)

“I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.”

– 1 Corinthians 2:3

Conclusion

In conclusion, the word infirmity definitely means some sort of illness or sickness.   

source: What Does The Word 'Infirmity' Mean In Hebrew and Greek?

And so, if we wanted to get right down to it, if that word means being weak, and it also means some kind of sickness, back then I could say both applied to me. I was a weak Christian, with an eye disease that required me to wear glasses or just not be able to see.

So to further explain the first few scriptures of Romans 15, I found the following at:   What does Romans chapter 15 mean

Paul wraps up how those strong in their faith in Christ Jesus should live in relationship to those that are weaker. From Romans 14, we know that Paul equates strong faith with a sense of freedom to participate in things formerly forbidden by the law of Moses or Jewish tradition. Now though, Paul insists that those strong in faith should trust God enough to please others above themselves. After all, our example is Christ who did not come to earth to please himself or to demand his rights. In fact, He did just the opposite. Instead of engaging in conflict over issues of practice, all Christians should make it our goal to live together in harmony and unity, glorifying God with one voice. How has Christ welcomed us? We should do the same with each other. Romans 15:1-7 source: What does Romans chapter 15 mean?

This church that I had gone to had some serious issues as I look back on those days. I had been happy to be far removed from it. God was good. And he still sits on the throne of my heart today as he did then. 

Hello, Friends. Chapter 16 is the final chapter of Romans. I will most likely conclude my experiences on this subject in the next post and will add just a bit from this chapter and a little of how the book of Romans further impacted me in my life in the years since God's Word really became alive in me during this time.

Thanks for coming by. God bless!