Romans 12:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As far as it depends on you, give no one occasion for enmity and quarrel, neither Jew nor pagan. But if you see that piety is somehow being violated, do not prefer agreement to truth. Stand for it courageously, even unto death. Yet even in this case do not be hostile in soul, nor turn away in goodwill. Rise up only against the deeds. This is what the words mean: “As far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” If another does not keep peace, do not raise a storm in your own soul. Be inwardly his friend, yet without changing the truth in the least, as I noted above.

Why do you marvel if this is not always possible in relation to other men, when the Apostle loosened this necessary bond even between husband and wife, who are one flesh, saying: “But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart” (1 Cor 7:15)?

I myself am not sinless, and I do not seek sinless friends, because I will not find sinless men. But those whose advances are many and great, while their shortcomings are few and not serious, I include in the list of friends.

Those in whom I find the opposite of what has been said, I neither include nor exclude. I do not include them, lest they give occasion to slander the whole assembly, for everyone usually judges a man by those close to him.

But neither do I exclude them, leaving them a good hope. Some are for me counselors and friends. With others I do not fight, but maintain such peace as is possible, trying to preserve the apostolic command: “If possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

I advise them to refrain from vice and hold fast to virtue. But if they turn my advice into an occasion for enmity, they will cause me no small grief, not because they have shown hostility, but because they have not profited from it.

There is, O wise one, a holy battle, and there is a peace worse than every irreconcilable battle, according to what is said: “I was zealous against the lawless, seeing the peace of sinners” (Ps 72:5).

For robbers also make agreements among themselves when they arm themselves against those who have done them no injury. Wolves gather into a pack when they thirst for blood. The adulterer and adulteress, and the fornicator and prostitute, live in peace.

Therefore do not suppose that peace is everywhere a good. Often it is worse than every war. When someone makes peace with those who blaspheme Providence, and makes agreements with men who are worthless in life, who plot and harm common life, then he settles somewhere outside and far from the bounds of peace.

Therefore Paul also said: “If possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” For he clearly knew that sometimes this is impossible.

Although the offended man did not, as he promised, present a complaint in court against the offender for his insolence, otherwise he would have subjected him to punishment for what he had done, the injuries still resound in the ears of the one offended.

Therefore, since justice demands that he be healed, there is no other physician for these wounds than the one who struck the blow. He must dispose himself to offer an apology to the one offended.

But when, by the will of God, without which nothing except sin occurs in the world, various punishments, offenses, and losses befall us, then we murmur. We do not acknowledge God's will in the misfortunes or unpleasant things that have overtaken us.

We turn away from them as though they came from God's displeasure. We attribute them to human malice against us, lack of goodwill toward us, envy, and similar sinful motives in others.

We do not understand, or we forget, that even the gravest sin of another, which has caused us harm, is permitted by God as punishment for us, for our own correction.

In this lies our greatest blindness and our failure to understand the true meaning of the calamities sent to us by Providence.

Let it be known to us, then, that throughout the whole breadth of the earth and the height of heaven nothing is done or occurs unless it proceeds from the primordial cause, the will of God.

Sin alone is an exception to what has been said. It received its beginning and origin from the evil spirit of falsehood, who opposes God, the Truth.

The very word of God bears witness to this, spoken through the mouth of Christ, the Son of God, and through the holy prophets and apostles.

The prophet Jeremiah cries out with tears: "Who is he who speaks, and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that evil and good proceed? Why does a living man complain? Let every man complain of his own sins" (and not of the sins of others; Lam 3:37-39).

When the Jews who maliciously persecuted Jesus Christ asserted that their father was God, the Savior answered: "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded from God, and He sent Me.

Your father is the devil, and you desire to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.

When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (Jn 8:42-44).

"He who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 Jn 3:8).

How senseless and shameless is the man who asserts that everything in the world, good and evil, occurs without the cooperation or permission of God's will.

Cassian, or Cassiodorus of the sixth century, spoke clearly: "We must believe that nothing in the world happens without the will of God. It either brings a good work to completion by manifold and often incomprehensible ways, or merely permits evil to occur so that it may be turned to good for the one who has suffered."

Pagan antiquity invented giants who united and began war against the gods, intending to drive them from Olympus. But mythological fables are unbecoming for Christians. Let us leave them.

I turn to you who complain, grieve, and sorrow over offenses and misfortunes. You are like the giants just mentioned. They wanted to cast down their gods from Olympus.

You do the very same, and nothing else, in your pride and boldness. You would like to take from the Most High the scepter of world-rule and deprive the universe of God's providence.

All created nature serves, obeys, and submits without contradiction to the laws of the supreme Lawgiver. Yet the fairest of creatures, man alone, raises rebellion against his Creator and wishes to resist the Almighty.

Why do we grow angry in vain? All punishments unpleasant to us, and all painful corrections through illnesses, losses, and other calamities, are sent by God for our correction. They are also sent to preserve outward order in society and an inward life pleasing to God.

Because of the disorder and sinfulness of an entire community, in one place the earth swallows whole cities. This happens by God's good pleasure.

In another place, many thousands of people have been destroyed by pestilence. This too happened by God's providence.

Here and there, however many robberies, wars, and tyrannical rulers there may be, all this happens by God's permission.

But let us leave the enumeration of public calamities and turn to private ones. Your enemy, my beloved brother, has stolen your property. Another has insulted your honor. A third has grieved you by various other wrongs.

All this came to you not only by God's permission, but also by a sending down upon you from above. Be completely assured of this, for everything is sent from God.

Therefore the divine will does not merely require that we do no wrong and no injustice to anyone, as though only because we cannot avenge ourselves upon our adversaries.

God wills that we bear wrongs done to us with good courage and patience. He wills that we have and preserve peace with all, even when they do not live and do not wish to live peaceably with us.

In order to know more clearly the mysteries of God's will, let us briefly recall the teaching concerning it already set forth above.

Among those who live according to the spirit of this age, that is, with earthly aims alone, in selfhood and self-pleasing, true peace scarcely exists. If it does exist, it is accidental and unstable.

Those who have denied themselves and followed the Lord have within themselves a firm foundation of peace. Yet the old man does not die in them all at once. Therefore even in them fits of irritation are often felt, trying to destroy mutual peace.

Therefore one must keep watch. Not much is required. Always sacrifice what is yours for the benefit of another, and your peace with others will never be broken.

This seems to bring loss, but in practice it always proves profitable. Through this, inner, spiritual, unearthly progress and satisfaction are made firm. Earthly matters also prosper, either by blessing from above or by the effect of such conduct upon others.

If we act in this way, peace will not be broken from our side. But can one guarantee that it will not then be broken by others? One cannot, for there are people who hate peace, as the prophet David tells us (cf. Ps 119:6).

What is to be done in such a case? The same thing that holy David did. "With those who hated peace, I was peaceful," he says. Everyone must act in this way.

Be peaceful in your heart, and outwardly allow yourself nothing that usually destroys peace. Do nothing that can turn the first spark of discord into the flame of strife and hostile enmity.

For this reason the Apostle added, "if possible, as much as depends on you." On your part, use every possible means so that peace is not broken. If it is accidentally broken, strive to restore it as quickly as possible.

If such effort is not crowned with success, let the will of God be done. Endure, without ceasing your efforts to establish peace. And may God arrange what is pleasing before Him.

"He who does not repay evil for evil, but strives to overcome evil with good, is already a peacemaker. Let another not be a lover of peace. Yet you, striving to be at peace as far as depends on you, fulfill the commandment to have peace with all. Let us be ready to live in peace with all. If others resist this, the fault is not ours" (Ambrosiaster).

But there are cases when truth is trampled underfoot and righteousness is violated. The commandment orders us to defend one who is unjustly wronged and to stand for the truth. Yet neither can be done without stirring up discord.

What should be done? Stand courageously for the truth and defend the wronged. But in your heart be at peace with the one against whom you rise up for truth and righteousness. Do this in the spirit of love, not from motives of self-love.

Saint Chrysostom applies the Apostle's words, "if possible, as much as depends on you," to such cases. Sometimes it is impossible to be at peace, for example, when piety is at stake or when you defend the wronged.

The meaning of the apostolic words is this: "As far as it depends on you, give no one occasion for hostility or strife, neither Jew nor Gentile. But if you see piety being violated, do not prefer concord to truth. Stand for it courageously, even unto death.

Even in this case, do not be hostile in your heart and do not lose good disposition. Rise up only against the deeds. This is what the words mean: 'As much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.'

If another does not keep peace, do not raise a storm in your own soul. Inwardly be his friend, yet without in the least betraying the truth, as I noted above."

Blessed Theophylact expresses the same thoughts in this way: "The Apostle teaches: fulfill your own duties and give no one occasion for enmities and disturbances.

But if you see that piety is being insulted, then rise courageously, fighting for the truth. Yet do not war against the man, but against impiety. Toward the man, on the contrary, have pity and spare him.

Thus what previously seemed impossible becomes possible. As far as you are concerned, you are at peace with him, while you wage war against impiety alone."