Note 17 at 1 Cor. 8:13: Paul loved others more than himself (Rom. 9:3). In these non-essential issues where he had liberty before God to do certain acts, he was willing to forgo his rights to reach others. He expands on the things he had rights to do but had given up for the sake of the gospel in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verses 4-6, 12, 14-15,20-23. Paul left us an example that "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves" (Rom. 15:1).