Overcome Evil With Good; Be Subject to the Governing Authorities (Romans 12:20–13:1)

Rom. 12:20. If your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head.

These words are taken from the Proverbs of the Wise One (Prov. 25:21, 22) and point to the sole blessed way of vengeance—doing good to those who have done and do us something unpleasant and evil. The Saviour Himself commanded the same, saying: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you” (Matt. 5:44). This is the one kind of vengeance that brings to his senses, and most powerfully, him who shows us enmity. The figurative expression: “you shall heap coals of fire on his head”—means nothing evil, but expresses the remorse into which the wrongdoer is brought by his evil deed when the one he has wronged does good to him in place of evil. This “coal of fire”, heaped “upon his head” by benefaction, quenches or disperses the fire of enmity burning in his heart and brings about peace. For the one who does good to his enemy, this reconciliation is what must be kept in mind, not the sorrowful state into which his enemy will be placed: for then a feeling of vengeance might slip in, which is likely to hinder the beneficial effect of benefaction. Perhaps, however, the Apostle’s words also contain a threat to the enemy—that if he does not amend, the good done to him in place of evil will increase the punishment that God will send him in avenging the injured. Thus, these words on one side encourage the injured, on the other restrain the wrongdoer with fear. Such a thought is evident in all our interpreters. Saint Chrysostom sees here a certain concession or yielding to the feeling of vengeance. This feeling, blending with the right of self-defense, is so persistent that it seems there is no possibility of turning away from the desire to see the wrongdoer suffer something unpleasant. The Apostle seems not to contradict this, encouraging the hope that the wrongdoer will yet suffer more from God if you do good to him. But he does not speak thus in order to justify this feeling, rather in order to, somewhat satisfying it, to pave the way for a willing acceptance of the rule that follows: “Be not overcome of evil”. Here is exactly what Saint Chrysostom says: “What do I say, continues the Apostle, that we must live in peace with an enemy? I command you to do good to him. Feed him and give him drink, it is said. But since this commandment is very difficult and great, it is added: ‘for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head’. The Apostle said this in order to restrain the wrongdoer with fear and encourage the injured with hope of repayment (of retribution on the enemy by God). For when the injured one weakens in spirit, not so much his own good sustains him as the punishment of his offender. Most pleasing to man is to see his enemy punished. And whatever a man desires, the Apostle gives him first. When the poison is extracted, he proposes to him loftier exhortations, saying: ‘Be not overcome of evil’. The Apostle knew that the enemy, though he were a beast, once fed, would not remain an enemy and that the injured, however vengeful he might be, once he has fed and given drink to his enemy, will no longer desire vengeance. Therefore, being assured of the conclusion of the matter, he not only threatens but becomes generous even in the punishments themselves. He does not say that you will bring down vengeance (that is, God’s), but: ‘you shall heap coals of fire on his head’. The Apostle gives his commandment, saying: ‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ Through this he also subtly teaches that it is not with such an intention that you should do good to your enemy (that is, to heap coals on his head). For to remember an injury means already to be overcome by evil. And although the Apostle did not say this at first because it was still inopportune, yet as soon as he had satisfied his listeners’ wrath, he immediately added: ‘overcome evil with good.’”

Here are the words of the blessed Theodoret: “Having pointed out the Judge and declared His righteous determination (for this is what the words mean: ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay’), the Apostle commands us to bear manfully the wrongs inflicted, to return wrongs not with wrongs, and to provide for the hostile what is needful for them. For this weaves crowns for the wise, and increases punishments for the wrongdoers. Yet one must know that it is not in order that they may suffer greater punishments that one should serve the hostile. For the divine Apostle introduced these words with the intention of quenching irritation in the injured, not seeking to increase evil with good.” Here are the words of Ambrosiaster: “The Apostle commands not only to leave vengeance to God but also to render acts of kindness to enemies; to show that by our deeds we have not made enemies for ourselves, when, to appease their enmity, we strive to overcome them with services to them. If they harden themselves in their enmity, through the impiety of their mind, then our services will serve to increase their punishment; but perhaps, being moved by the zeal of our services, they will kindle in good will toward us, as sometimes cold embers glow again. Therefore, wishing to make us perfect and to teach not only ourselves but also others to acquire eternal life, the Lord through Solomon not only forbids vengeance on our enemies but persuades us by kindness toward them and deeds corresponding to that to return them to friendship.” Here are the words of the blessed Photius at Oecumenius: “Do not do good to your offender in order to bring greater punishment upon him. This has been said for your consolation—that in feeding and giving drink to him, you ‘heap coals of fire on his head’; but not that with precisely this feeling should you do good to him. Let God, by reason of your doing good to your enemy, be all the more angry with him, in avenging you, and turn the fire of trials and evils that he stirred up for his neighbor upon his own head: but you should not do good to him with that goal, that you might see him subjected to such calamity, otherwise you will be overcome by evil. And it will be that he will suffer nothing more than what was due him, but you will lose your reward, being overcome by evil. And what is more—if God sees such intention in you, He will not avenge you. For He avenges for the good and meek when they are wronged, but not for the one who avenges himself with wrath and ill will, through the good deed of benefaction plotting evil against his offender and wishing to see him ruined. Therefore, do good in order to overcome evil with good and to be a son of your Heavenly Father, as the Lord said.”

Rom. 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

This is the most exact determination of what was said above. When one, meeting insult, injury, and slander, yields to the feeling of insult, then he is overcome by evil; and all the more when he grows angry, and even more when he plots vengeance. But when one yields to none of these, and on the contrary, instead of evil, resolves to do good, then he shows himself a conqueror. The Apostle commands us: first, not to permit the former; second, to take the latter as a rule of life. “For to avenge is to allow evil to gain victory over you; and the glorious victory is to repay evil with good” (the blessed Theodoret). “By these words the Apostle persuades us not to render to enemies mutual evil. For us it is more profitable to yield to malice; for he overcomes evil who appears to be overcome by it for a time. Vengeance acts against itself and thinks it is gaining victory when it suffers defeat. Here too the enemy acts, striving, by drawing us away from good will, to plunge us into sin. But when we, being kindled by him, do not render evil for evil, then we overcome him with good. We do not resist evil in order to preserve the good (of peace), leaving justice unsatisfied: for to requital, ordinarily, impels the feeling of right (though not always a just one)” (Ambrosiaster).

“Saint Chrysostom speaks at length on this: ‘overcome evil with good’. For this is indeed victory. A fighter gains victory not when he exposes himself to the blows of his opponent, but when he brings himself into such a position that his opponent is forced to strike at air alone. In this way he both saves himself from blows and his opponent wastes his strength in vain. The same happens with insults: when you repel insult with insult, then you are not conquered by man but, which is far more shameful, by a base passion; for you are dominated by anger. When you are silent, you have conquered and without effort raised yourself a trophy; thousands of people stand ready to crown you and acknowledge the lie of slander. Whoever refutes slander shows by his response that it has wounded him; and whoever is wounded suggests suspicion that he confesses the thing he is slandered for. But if you answer with laughter, the very laughter refutes the evil judgment against you. And if you want clear proof of the truth of my words, ask your enemy himself, what is more painful for him—that you, heated by the insult, pay him back with insult, or that you laugh at the offender? He will say that the latter is far more painful for him. Not so much is it pleasant for him that he does not hear insults from you as it is torment that he cannot drive you into impatience. By depriving your enemy of success in what he especially desires, you humble him, show that he is worthy of scorn, that he is a child, not a man. You yourself gain thereby the glory of a wise man, while he is made to be thought of as a vile beast. Let us use the same measures if it happens we receive blows; and to him whom we wish to strike, let us not return blow for blow. To him who strikes you on one cheek, offer him the other also; in doing so you will inflict thousands of wounds upon him. Those who will applaud you and marvel at you will become for him more fearful than those who stone him; and even before that, his conscience will condemn and judge him to a terrible punishment, and he will depart in shame, like one condemned to death. If you also care for human glory, you will acquire it in greater measure by such action. For toward the evils suffered by others, in any case, we have some pity. But when we see a man who does not repay blow for blow but himself offers his cheek, then we do not so much pity him as marvel at him. To overcome by doing evil is one of the devil’s laws. Not such is the law of rewards in the arena of Christ; there it is appointed to crown not the striker but the struck. Such is the arena of Christ; all its ordinances are opposite; not by one victory alone, but by the very manner of victory it awakens wonder. What in another place is counted as defeat is here a victory. This is the power of God, this is a heavenly arena, this is an angelic spectacle!”

Both of these—both how those who manage the affairs of Christian society should act and how all other Christians should act and with what virtues they should be adorned, not excepting even those who manage affairs—relate to Christians as Christians. Now the Apostle wishes to show:

b) How they should act as members of civil society or the state (Rom. 13:1–14)

Aa) The first point here—obedience to authorities (Rom. 13:1–7)

Rom. 13:1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

“Having formed morals (that is, having shown in the previous chapter what Christians should be like in character), the Apostle commands that proper honor be rendered even to rulers. For, as one abundantly receiving the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, he foresaw that some, being led more by arrogance than by zeal (for good), would despise the rulers of the world, regarding themselves as superior in knowledge; moreover, he does this to suppress the rumor spread about the Apostles; for they were slandered, supposedly overthrowing the public order; and some said: ‘These that have turned the world upside down are come here also’ (Acts 17:6); and others: “they introduce other “customs” (Acts 16:21). Therefore, he deemed it necessary to establish a law on this as well” (the blessed Theodoret).”

“The Apostle reasons much on this in his other Epistles when speaking of submissiveness—both of slaves to masters and of subordinates to rulers. And by this he wishes to show that Christ introduced His laws not to overthrow the general civil order but to correct and improve it; and at the same time he wishes to teach us not to undertake unnecessary and useless wars. It is enough for us to face those plots that are raised up against us for the sake of truth; we should not add unnecessary and useless trials. Notice how timely the Apostle brought up this subject. After he proposed to his listeners various demands of Christian wisdom, prepared them to live in peace with friends and enemies, taught them to be useful for both the fortunate and the unfortunate and for the needy, in short, for all, planted ordinances of community life befitting the Angels, exhausted wrath, cast down pride, and completely softened their hearts—after all this he proposes his exhortations about obedience to authorities. He calls us to obedience by representing it as a duty. And, wishing to teach that his command extends not merely to secular people but to all, both priests and monks, he declares this beforehand, saying: ‘Let every soul be subject to the higher powers’. Even if you were an Apostle, even if an Evangelist, even if a Prophet, or anyone else, obey. Submission to authority does not undermine godliness. The Apostle here means not mere obedience but submission (humble, with bowed head). The first foundation of such an order, satisfying the reason of the faithful, lies in the fact that powers are instituted by God. ‘For there is no power but of God’—says the Apostle. How is this? Is every ruler appointed by God? Not so, I say, the Apostle would answer. My discourse now is not about each ruler individually but about rulership itself. That there are rulers, that some rule while others are subject to them, and that there is no disorder whereby things happen haphazardly without order, that peoples are not tossed about like waves—all this I call the work of God’s wisdom. Therefore the Apostle does not say that there is no ruler who was not appointed by God, but, reasoning generally about rulership, he says: ‘For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God’. Similarly, when the Wise One says that: ‘Every wise woman builds her house’ (Prov. 19:14)—[he means through this that marriage is established by God, not that God unites each who enters into marriage. For we see that many enter into marriage with evil motives and not according to the law, which we cannot attribute to God. But what Christ said: ‘Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female? And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife’ (Matt. 19:4, 5)—the Wise One understood the same.] Since equality often leads to strife, God established many forms of rulership and subordination: between husband and wife, between son and father, between elder and youth, between slave and free, between ruler and subject, between teacher and pupil. And should we marvel at such an order among men, when God Himself established the same in the body? For He so arranged it that not all members have equal honor, but one is lower, another more important, and some govern, others are governed. We observe the same among the beasts: among bees, among cranes, in herds of wild sheep. Even the sea is not without such good order, but even there among many kinds of fish one governs and leads many, and under its leadership they set out on long journeys. On the contrary, lawlessness everywhere is evil and produces confusion” (Saint Chrysostom).

However, from other places in Scripture it is evident that rulers, whether good or bad, exist by God’s providential order; only God appoints the good and beneficial rulers, but permits the evil ones to be rulers as punishment for the sins of the people. Thus the blessed Theodoret writes: “If God wills, He gives rulers who respect justice. For it is said: ‘I will give you pastors after mine own heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding’ (Jer. 3:15); and again: ‘I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counsellors as at the beginning’ (Isa. 1:26). But to instruct those who go astray, God permits even evil rulers to govern. For it is said: ‘I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them’” (Isa. 3:4).