Romans 12:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Since love can also exist in evil deeds, such as the love of corrupt people, or of those who think only of money and plunder, or of those given to drunkenness and feasts, the Apostle purifies love from this and says: hate what is evil. He did not say, “withdraw from evil,” but “hate it,” and not simply hate it, but hate it very strongly. The preposition apo in many places in the Apostle signifies intensification, as in apokaradokia, “earnest expectation” (Rom 8:19), apekdechomenoi, “awaiting” (1 Cor 1:7), and apolytrosis, “redemption” (Rom 3:24). Since many, though they do not do evil, still have evil desires, the Apostle said apostygountes, “turn away with hatred.” He wants our thoughts to be pure, and for us to have complete enmity, hatred, and warfare against vice. From what I have told you, the Apostle says, “love one another,” do not conclude that I propose helping one another in evil deeds. I prescribe to you the complete opposite: be estranged from evil not only in deed, but also in disposition. Do not merely be estranged from such a disposition, but completely turn away from evil and hate it. But the Apostle is not content with this alone. He requires the practice of virtue, saying: “cling to what is good.” He did not say, “do good,” but “be disposed toward it.” He expressed this by commanding them to “cling.” So God, joining husband and wife, said: “He shall cling to his wife” (Gen 2:24). After this, the Apostle sets forth the reasons why we must love one another.

Therefore, he says, I require you to hate evil with the whole heart, so that the soul may be purified. Since, he says, I have prescribed that you love one another, do not think I am urging you to assist one another in evil deeds. Quite the contrary. I desire that you be estranged not only from the evil deed, but also from every disposition of soul toward it. It is not enough to withdraw from evil. One must also be devoted to doing good. Therefore he said: cling to what is good, that is, have disposition and love for it. In this sense God also said, when joining a man to his wife: “He shall cling to his wife” (Gen 2:24).

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Again, he did not simply say, “This must be fled, and that must be pursued.” On the contrary, he commanded that vice be hated intensely, and prescribed that one be extremely attached to doing good. One’s disposition toward it must be like a soldering bond.

“Whoever has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 Jn 3:17). From this one can see what unhypocritical love consists in. If we keep God’s commandments and help our neighbor in every way according to our ability, then our love is unhypocritical. This is the love Paul teaches. But he also prescribes hatred to us as a virtuous work, saying: hate what is evil. We certainly do a virtuous work when we hate sin and turn away from it with all our heart and soul. “Cling to what is good.” By these words he teaches that we should not do good works only from time to time. Rather, we must always do them and remain in them inseparably. If David’s words are compared with these words of Paul, one can see the perfection of the evangelical legislation. David said: “Depart from evil and do good” (Ps 33:15). Paul says: “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” The Old Testament law taught one to flee the doing of evil. The Gospel preaching also legislates an inner hatred of soul toward evil. The Mosaic law required the doing of virtue. The Gospel requires inseparable and unbroken union with virtue.

The awareness that this must be so lies deeply in the hearts of Christians, and all try to show themselves, by word and deed, as loving others. But since the display of love does not always proceed from a loving heart, the Apostle added: let love be without hypocrisy.

That is, do not merely display love outwardly, but above all nourish it in the heart. St. Chrysostom therefore says further: “As the Apostle requires not simply giving, but giving with simplicity, not simply ruling, but ruling with diligence, and not simply almsgiving, but with gladness, so he requires not simply love, but love without pretense.

“For true love is such. If it is such, everything else will follow of itself.”

The Apostle does not prescribe the commandment of love, since for him this is a truth acknowledged by all. Rather, he indicates the quality of love, as a warning against deviation into unrighteousness in this chief matter.

Love is imprinted in the heart together with the reception of regeneration, which is built upon the destruction of selfhood. As the Apostle writes elsewhere: “The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5).

But afterward it is possible for selfhood to creep back into the heart. While leaving outward kindness in action, it weakens the heart’s love, or drives it out altogether and takes its place. Then love will be visible in deeds, but it will already be hypocritical. This is what the Apostle warns against.

“Hating what is evil, cleaving to what is good.” By evil and good, men are not meant, but evil and good deeds, words, thoughts, every evil and every good.

It need hardly be said that in Christian conduct there must be nothing bad, reproachable, or shameful. On the contrary, Christians must be holy and blameless in their whole life.

Yet what is required is not only conduct alien to sin and full of virtue. A heart is required that turns away with horror from everything bad and loves every good thing with fire. Since this is not always the case, the Apostle reminds us of it with a special commandment.

St. Chrysostom says: “The Apostle commands us not only to refrain from evil, but to hate it. Not simply to hate it, but to turn away from it with horror. Since many people, though they do not do evil, nevertheless have evil desires, the Apostle said: turn away with horror.

“He wants our thoughts to be pure. He wants us to declare open enmity, hatred, and war against vice. Since I have prescribed to you, says the Apostle, that you love one another, do not conclude from my words that I command you to assist one another in bad deeds.

“I prescribe to you the very opposite: to be alien to evil not only in deed, but also in disposition. And not only to be alien to evil dispositions, but in every way to turn away from evil and hate it.

“Paul is not content even with this. He requires the practice of virtue, saying: ‘cleave to what is good.’ He did not say, ‘Do good,’ but, ‘Be attached to it.’ He expressed this when he commanded us to cleave to the good. Thus God, joining husband and wife, said: ‘He shall cleave to his wife’ (Gen 2:24).”