Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the writer of the letter and the readers).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 15:1:
Uma: “We whose faith is strong in God must be patient with the uncertain hearts of others whose faith is not yet strong. Let’s not just seek our own happiness.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “We (incl.) the ones whose trust in God is strong, we (incl.) ought-to/must help the ones whose trust is weak in their troubles/worries. Don’t let’s please ourselves (incl.).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now as for us (incl.) whose faith in God is drawn tight, it’s necessary that we just endure our not doing activity which might cause our fellows to sin whose faith is not yet drawn tight. And let us not insist on what we want,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “We whose faith is mature, it is necessary that put-up-with the failings of people whose faith is weak while at-the-same-time we sympathize-with (lit. feel-with) them. Let us not think of what will please ourselves,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “We who understand well about how we must live must be patient with our fellow believers who do not understand how they must live. We must not look for just our own good, but for the good of others.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
It is interesting to note that Paul includes himself among those who are strong in the faith. The words in the faith are not a part of the Greek text as such, but they are included by the Good News Translation to make explicit the meaning of the word strong.
To carry (translated support in 11.18) is used of Jesus carrying his cross in John 19.17 and of believers carrying their cross in Luke 14.27. This verb also occurs in Galatians 6.2. In light of these passages, it is most likely that the verb means more than simply “to tolerate” or “to put up with.” It perhaps indicates that those who are strong in faith should be willing to experience self-denial for the sake of believers whose faith is weak.
To carry their burdens seems so natural a metaphor that sometimes translators are not aware that this cannot always be transferred literally into another language. In some instances the metaphor must be changed to a nonmetaphor—for example, “to help the weak to deal with their problems” or “to cause the weak to continue in faith.”
We should not please ourselves may be translated as “we should not do just what we ourselves want to do” or “we should not do just what is going to make us happy.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
In this section, Paul said that believers who are strong, as he defined “strong” in 14:1–9, should help believers who are weak (also as in 14:1–9). The strong are to encourage the weak, with the result that all may have hope in God.
Paul prayed that God would help the believers, strong and weak, to live in unity and glorify God.
Paul urged the believers to always welcome one another, because doing that glorifies God. Jesus served the Jews to show that God’s word was true and confirm his promises, which in turn encourages the non-Jews to glorify God for his mercy to them.
Then Paul prayed that God would fill them with joy and peace in their faith, with the result that the Holy Spirit would fill them with hope.
Here are other possible headings for this section:
Carry weak believers, encourage them and accept them
-or-
Help believers who are not strong
Paragraph 15:1–4
15:1a
We who are strong ought to: The word ought refers to something that is required to be done. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
We who are strong have a duty to
-or-
it is necessary that we who are strong
-or-
We who are strong are required to
-or-
We who are strong must
We who are strong: Here the word strong refers to believers who are strong in the freedom of behavior we have as believers. The “weak” believers restrict their freedom by only following Jewish behavior (chapter 14).
This clause does not refer to physical strength. In some languages a literal translation would refer only to physical strength. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:
We who are strong ⌊in our freedom⌋
• Translate literally and explain the meaning in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:
This refers to being strong in the freedom we have as believers. The weak here are tied to Jewish behaviors.
bear with: The Greek word refers to carrying something heavy. Here it refers to coming alongside the weak believers and helping them. It does not imply trying to change their minds about their weaknesses. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
help the weak to carry their burdens (Good News Translation)
-or-
bear the weaknesses of (New American Standard Bible)
shortcomings: The Greek word is literally “weaknesses.” It refers here to any weakness that a believer might have. The main example in chapter 14 was eating only vegetables, perhaps out of fear of being influenced by idols should he eat meat dedicated to them. The word does not refer to sins or physical weaknesses here. Here are other ways to translate this word:
weaknesses (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
whose freedom is not strong
15:1b
and not to please ourselves: The words “we who are strong ought” are implied from 15:1a. Some languages must repeat all or some of those words for a natural translation. For example:
and ⌊we have an obligation⌋ not to please ourselves
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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