If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
If it is possible, each person is to do all that lies within his own power to live peaceably with everyone. Diligence cannot preserve harmony in every case, for dissension may arise when others oppose Christ and act in un-Christlike ways, and that failure is not the fault of the one who did his part. Peace must never be bought by surrendering truth, sacrificing principle, or making any concession to evil, and when union cannot be kept without such sacrifice, separation becomes duty. Living peaceably requires walking humbly before God in kindness, tenderness, sympathy, love and true courtesy toward brethren and even toward opposers. It depends on governing speech by the Holy Spirit, avoiding words that provoke strife, refusing retaliation and revenge, and overcoming evil with patience, forbearance and Christlike tenderness.
Words and Context of Peace
If it is possible, and as far as it lies within a person, the command is to live peaceably with all people, each one doing everything in his own power to preserve peace. The qualifying words recognize that peace will not always be attained, for others may oppose Christ and His followers, and the church militant is not the church triumphant, so expecting much from men brings disappointment. Yet the failure of harmony in such cases is not the fault of the one who has done his part, for the duty is bounded by what one can rightly do and does not require becoming hostile even toward those who are suspicious and unjust, speak unadvisedly, oppose advance, make the work hard, and cause perplexity. Peace so understood is expressed through kindness and courtesy and belongs with refusing retaliation and responding to enemies with good, and it must never be bought by compromising with evil or by the smallest concession to Satan's agencies.
The instruction stands among the practical duties of Romans 12, to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, to be of the same mind one toward another, to mind not high things but to condescend to men of low estate, and not to be wise in self-conceit. It stands with recompensing no one evil for evil and providing things honest in the sight of all men. It stands with refusing personal vengeance because vengeance belongs to the Lord, with feeding a hungry enemy and giving drink to a thirsty one, and with overcoming evil with good rather than being overcome by evil. This peaceable, humble, non-retaliating spirit requires a pure, clean, healthy mind controlled by the Holy Spirit and wholly surrendered to God, sanctified through the truth, so that the mind stays at all times under God's control for good work and a higher standard, exercising patience and forbearance and avoiding dislike even toward those who cause hurt.
The verse lays down a principle for the conduct of Christians toward one another as members of the heavenly family, to live in peace with all and to help and strengthen each other. Living by this rule is part of overcoming as Christ overcame, in order to win heaven and sit with Him in His throne, with Christ's example set before all so that no one need walk in darkness and all may be overcomers while joining in the work of helping others to overcome. It belongs to instruction of high value that stands as history for all churches and calls the work of God to be carried on a higher plane of action, where those with position to act as shepherds must represent the great Shepherd and where dominating, masterly power that dictates to the Lord's people what they shall do and shall not do is a strange and dangerous element, not of God, another gospel, not the righteousness of Christ, and a spoil to the church that must no longer be allowed. The principle demands careful study and doing in small matters as well as large by men of God's appointment, who will not be sustained unless they are doers of it. Neglect brings positive danger, for Satan tries by every device to weaken appointed workers, to exalt them in their own opinion, and so to gain power over them, while God, who is high and lifted up, uses men as His instruments as long as they work humbly, seeking wisdom from Him.
The call to peace reflects the plan of redemption formed to bring unity and peace to men because the world was at war with the law of Jehovah and sinners were at enmity with their Maker. Therefore Jesus came to make overtures of peace, and His birth was announced to watching shepherds as good tidings of great joy to all people. The Saviour, Christ the Lord, was born in the city of David and was to be found as a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. With Him a multitude of the heavenly host praised God, saying glory in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men, expressing heaven's joy in the salvation of the fallen world as one lost sheep.
Limits That Preserve Principle
The opening condition acknowledges that even full diligence cannot preserve harmony in every case. Dissension may arise when others oppose Christ and His followers, or when church members act in un-Christlike ways through envy, jealousy, suspicion and false accusation. When peace fails for such reasons, the failure is not the fault of the one who did all that lay within personal power to live peaceably. The church militant is not the church triumphant, so expecting much from men brings disappointment.
One who has been wronged without cause, who has conscientiously done duty and patiently borne abuse, must not falsely admit guilt or take the offenders' guilt upon self merely to restore peace. Such untrue concession gratifies the offenders, wrongly assumes guilt, and allows their wrongdoing to be mistaken for zeal for God. It leaves the root of bitterness in their hearts untouched to grow again, while heaven's books record the facts truthfully. True peace in such a case requires the offenders' genuine heart change and conversion, not a sacrifice of truth or principle to create false reconciliation.
Peace must never be bought by compromise with evil, by surrendering truth to prevent discord, by sacrificing even one iota of principle, or by the smallest concession to Satan's agencies. Concessions may properly be made on points of feeling between man and man, but never on principle, for peace so obtained is too dearly purchased and entangles in snare. When union and harmony can no longer be kept without sacrificing principle, separation becomes an absolute duty. The pattern is Christ, who loved men but did not indulge their sins, who sternly reproved vice and sacrificed no principle, and who requires returning kind acts for mischief and malice knowing that all words and actions pass in review before God and must stand in the Judgment. The same limit governs obedience to earthly power: civil laws are to be respected when they do not conflict with God's laws, but when they collide God must be obeyed rather than men.
The church must work to promote unity and prevent division, and must take care not to give offense that would bring reproach on the truth. Yet it must not retain in fellowship those whose oppressive, unchristian conduct is inconsistent with truth and religion, nor tolerate unsound teaching that endangers the church. Those responsible must firmly protest such teaching, since to retain it would be unfaithful to Christ. Daniel exemplifies the right course, seeking peace with everyone while remaining faithful to God, showing meekness, respect and obedience to those in authority whenever their demands did not conflict with allegiance to God and duty, yet standing firm when principle was involved. The verse can likewise be obeyed without sacrificing one principle of faith by acting with great caution, wisdom and discretion. So in time of war, when commandment-keepers were viewed with suspicion for showing no greater interest in the war and not volunteering, and were thought to sympathize with rebellion, duty required making true sentiments about slavery and the rebellion known in a way that would turn away suspicion, rather than bringing themselves through lack of discretion into trying positions while Satan and his host were at war with them.
Living Peaceably in Practice
Living peaceably requires walking humbly before God, loving one another as brethren, and cultivating kindness, tenderness, sympathy, love, and true heavenly courtesy, which is not weakness but always pays. It forbids shutting within self and drawing off from others, calling instead for each variety of gifts to find its proper place and grow together into a holy temple. Even when others are suspicious and unjust, speak unadvisedly, oppose advance, make the work hard, cause perplexity, and leave unhappy impressions, there is to be no hostility toward them. The verse marks true believers and prepares a people to meet God through sincerity shown in family religion and family holiness, walking before God as Enoch did, with pure, clean words full of sympathy, tenderness, and love through the Holy Spirit as sanctifier, reprover, and comforter.
Keeping the verse depends in part on governing speech by the Holy Spirit with a pure, clean, healthy mind wholly surrendered to God, using speech timely and judiciously for good with caution and self-control. It means avoiding words that provoke conflict or stir up strife, avoiding an unpleasant spirit that arouses passion in unguarded hearts, and bridling unholy anger instead of strengthening it. It means suffering wrong rather than doing wrong, and when provoking words, charges, or wrongful accusation come, giving no reply but remaining silent as though not hearing. It is kept by being careful with words, accusing no one wrongfully, refusing to retaliate when evil is spoken even without cause, keeping the atmosphere surrounding the soul sweet and fragrant, and respecting angels as companions and God's messengers.
The peaceable spirit refuses retaliation, revenge, stubbornness, dislike, deceitful and underhanded vindication, and treating others as they treated oneself. Instead it practices patience, forbearance, and longsuffering, by which much is accomplished, entrusts troubles to Jesus, and leaves the outcome with the Lord rather than pursuing disputes. It requires doing duty before God, putting away bitterness, battling selfish human nature, and going steadily forward in overcoming hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong. No one is humiliated by another person's unwise speeches, but speaking unwisely humiliates oneself and loses a victory over selfishness and wrong habits that might have been gained. Victory comes by answering with Christlike tenderness and praying silently for opposers as souls as valuable as one's own, purchased by Christ's blood and to be dealt with wisely and considerately as His property.
Those who present truth must keep self out of the message so truth is not unpalatable, distinguishing the honor of God from the honor of self. He who has the truth can afford to be calm, dignified, and just, without accusation, condemnation, bitterness, a coat of mail, hard thrusts, overbearing words, or an offensive manner that wounds souls and closes ears to truth. Hearts bearing sacred responsibilities must be melted into tenderness that softens and subdues, with a spirit that convinces souls of the Spirit of Christ, while indignation is still felt when truth is falsified and error is firmly opposed. Doing one's part includes conscientiously correcting one's own mistakes to remove differences with brethren and live harmoniously with them, and then leaving the matter with the Lord. When harmony still cannot be achieved, it is better to get away from surroundings that continually afflict the soul and sever connection with persons with whom harmony is impossible.
Unless a matter of vital importance is involved, peace is preserved by being willing to yield one's opinion rather than start a dispute. Winning an argument can burden another more than the gain is worth, and harsh words leave wounds difficult to heal, so the tongue is to be guarded and differences taken to God rather than voiced to others to keep them from becoming strife. Peaceableness also requires words of reproof and sharp rebuke when those out of the right way need more than soft words to bring them back, so that moral renovation takes place in every heart and spurious faith is exposed by daily character. Those with position as shepherds must represent the great Shepherd and not exercise dominating, masterly power charging upon the Lord's people what they shall do and shall not do, since that is a strange and dangerous element, another gospel and a spoil to the church.
If it is possible, each person is to do all that lies within his own power to live peaceably with everyone. Diligence cannot preserve harmony in every case, for dissension may arise when others oppose Christ and act in un-Christlike ways, and that failure is not the fault of the one who did his part. Peace must never be bought by surrendering truth, sacrificing principle, or making any concession to evil, and when union cannot be kept without such sacrifice, separation becomes duty. Living peaceably requires walking humbly before God in kindness, tenderness, sympathy, love and true courtesy toward brethren and even toward opposers. It depends on governing speech by the Holy Spirit, avoiding words that provoke strife, refusing retaliation and revenge, and overcoming evil with patience, forbearance and Christlike tenderness.
Words and Context of Peace
If it is possible, and as far as it lies within a person, the command is to live peaceably with all people, each one doing everything in his own power to preserve peace. The qualifying words recognize that peace will not always be attained, for others may oppose Christ and His followers, and the church militant is not the church triumphant, so expecting much from men brings disappointment. Yet the failure of harmony in such cases is not the fault of the one who has done his part, for the duty is bounded by what one can rightly do and does not require becoming hostile even toward those who are suspicious and unjust, speak unadvisedly, oppose advance, make the work hard, and cause perplexity. Peace so understood is expressed through kindness and courtesy and belongs with refusing retaliation and responding to enemies with good, and it must never be bought by compromising with evil or by the smallest concession to Satan's agencies.
The instruction stands among the practical duties of Romans 12, to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, to be of the same mind one toward another, to mind not high things but to condescend to men of low estate, and not to be wise in self-conceit. It stands with recompensing no one evil for evil and providing things honest in the sight of all men. It stands with refusing personal vengeance because vengeance belongs to the Lord, with feeding a hungry enemy and giving drink to a thirsty one, and with overcoming evil with good rather than being overcome by evil. This peaceable, humble, non-retaliating spirit requires a pure, clean, healthy mind controlled by the Holy Spirit and wholly surrendered to God, sanctified through the truth, so that the mind stays at all times under God's control for good work and a higher standard, exercising patience and forbearance and avoiding dislike even toward those who cause hurt.
The verse lays down a principle for the conduct of Christians toward one another as members of the heavenly family, to live in peace with all and to help and strengthen each other. Living by this rule is part of overcoming as Christ overcame, in order to win heaven and sit with Him in His throne, with Christ's example set before all so that no one need walk in darkness and all may be overcomers while joining in the work of helping others to overcome. It belongs to instruction of high value that stands as history for all churches and calls the work of God to be carried on a higher plane of action, where those with position to act as shepherds must represent the great Shepherd and where dominating, masterly power that dictates to the Lord's people what they shall do and shall not do is a strange and dangerous element, not of God, another gospel, not the righteousness of Christ, and a spoil to the church that must no longer be allowed. The principle demands careful study and doing in small matters as well as large by men of God's appointment, who will not be sustained unless they are doers of it. Neglect brings positive danger, for Satan tries by every device to weaken appointed workers, to exalt them in their own opinion, and so to gain power over them, while God, who is high and lifted up, uses men as His instruments as long as they work humbly, seeking wisdom from Him.
The call to peace reflects the plan of redemption formed to bring unity and peace to men because the world was at war with the law of Jehovah and sinners were at enmity with their Maker. Therefore Jesus came to make overtures of peace, and His birth was announced to watching shepherds as good tidings of great joy to all people. The Saviour, Christ the Lord, was born in the city of David and was to be found as a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. With Him a multitude of the heavenly host praised God, saying glory in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men, expressing heaven's joy in the salvation of the fallen world as one lost sheep.
Limits That Preserve Principle
The opening condition acknowledges that even full diligence cannot preserve harmony in every case. Dissension may arise when others oppose Christ and His followers, or when church members act in un-Christlike ways through envy, jealousy, suspicion and false accusation. When peace fails for such reasons, the failure is not the fault of the one who did all that lay within personal power to live peaceably. The church militant is not the church triumphant, so expecting much from men brings disappointment.
One who has been wronged without cause, who has conscientiously done duty and patiently borne abuse, must not falsely admit guilt or take the offenders' guilt upon self merely to restore peace. Such untrue concession gratifies the offenders, wrongly assumes guilt, and allows their wrongdoing to be mistaken for zeal for God. It leaves the root of bitterness in their hearts untouched to grow again, while heaven's books record the facts truthfully. True peace in such a case requires the offenders' genuine heart change and conversion, not a sacrifice of truth or principle to create false reconciliation.
Peace must never be bought by compromise with evil, by surrendering truth to prevent discord, by sacrificing even one iota of principle, or by the smallest concession to Satan's agencies. Concessions may properly be made on points of feeling between man and man, but never on principle, for peace so obtained is too dearly purchased and entangles in snare. When union and harmony can no longer be kept without sacrificing principle, separation becomes an absolute duty. The pattern is Christ, who loved men but did not indulge their sins, who sternly reproved vice and sacrificed no principle, and who requires returning kind acts for mischief and malice knowing that all words and actions pass in review before God and must stand in the Judgment. The same limit governs obedience to earthly power: civil laws are to be respected when they do not conflict with God's laws, but when they collide God must be obeyed rather than men.
The church must work to promote unity and prevent division, and must take care not to give offense that would bring reproach on the truth. Yet it must not retain in fellowship those whose oppressive, unchristian conduct is inconsistent with truth and religion, nor tolerate unsound teaching that endangers the church. Those responsible must firmly protest such teaching, since to retain it would be unfaithful to Christ. Daniel exemplifies the right course, seeking peace with everyone while remaining faithful to God, showing meekness, respect and obedience to those in authority whenever their demands did not conflict with allegiance to God and duty, yet standing firm when principle was involved. The verse can likewise be obeyed without sacrificing one principle of faith by acting with great caution, wisdom and discretion. So in time of war, when commandment-keepers were viewed with suspicion for showing no greater interest in the war and not volunteering, and were thought to sympathize with rebellion, duty required making true sentiments about slavery and the rebellion known in a way that would turn away suspicion, rather than bringing themselves through lack of discretion into trying positions while Satan and his host were at war with them.
Living Peaceably in Practice
Living peaceably requires walking humbly before God, loving one another as brethren, and cultivating kindness, tenderness, sympathy, love, and true heavenly courtesy, which is not weakness but always pays. It forbids shutting within self and drawing off from others, calling instead for each variety of gifts to find its proper place and grow together into a holy temple. Even when others are suspicious and unjust, speak unadvisedly, oppose advance, make the work hard, cause perplexity, and leave unhappy impressions, there is to be no hostility toward them. The verse marks true believers and prepares a people to meet God through sincerity shown in family religion and family holiness, walking before God as Enoch did, with pure, clean words full of sympathy, tenderness, and love through the Holy Spirit as sanctifier, reprover, and comforter.
Keeping the verse depends in part on governing speech by the Holy Spirit with a pure, clean, healthy mind wholly surrendered to God, using speech timely and judiciously for good with caution and self-control. It means avoiding words that provoke conflict or stir up strife, avoiding an unpleasant spirit that arouses passion in unguarded hearts, and bridling unholy anger instead of strengthening it. It means suffering wrong rather than doing wrong, and when provoking words, charges, or wrongful accusation come, giving no reply but remaining silent as though not hearing. It is kept by being careful with words, accusing no one wrongfully, refusing to retaliate when evil is spoken even without cause, keeping the atmosphere surrounding the soul sweet and fragrant, and respecting angels as companions and God's messengers.
The peaceable spirit refuses retaliation, revenge, stubbornness, dislike, deceitful and underhanded vindication, and treating others as they treated oneself. Instead it practices patience, forbearance, and longsuffering, by which much is accomplished, entrusts troubles to Jesus, and leaves the outcome with the Lord rather than pursuing disputes. It requires doing duty before God, putting away bitterness, battling selfish human nature, and going steadily forward in overcoming hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong. No one is humiliated by another person's unwise speeches, but speaking unwisely humiliates oneself and loses a victory over selfishness and wrong habits that might have been gained. Victory comes by answering with Christlike tenderness and praying silently for opposers as souls as valuable as one's own, purchased by Christ's blood and to be dealt with wisely and considerately as His property.
Those who present truth must keep self out of the message so truth is not unpalatable, distinguishing the honor of God from the honor of self. He who has the truth can afford to be calm, dignified, and just, without accusation, condemnation, bitterness, a coat of mail, hard thrusts, overbearing words, or an offensive manner that wounds souls and closes ears to truth. Hearts bearing sacred responsibilities must be melted into tenderness that softens and subdues, with a spirit that convinces souls of the Spirit of Christ, while indignation is still felt when truth is falsified and error is firmly opposed. Doing one's part includes conscientiously correcting one's own mistakes to remove differences with brethren and live harmoniously with them, and then leaving the matter with the Lord. When harmony still cannot be achieved, it is better to get away from surroundings that continually afflict the soul and sever connection with persons with whom harmony is impossible.
Unless a matter of vital importance is involved, peace is preserved by being willing to yield one's opinion rather than start a dispute. Winning an argument can burden another more than the gain is worth, and harsh words leave wounds difficult to heal, so the tongue is to be guarded and differences taken to God rather than voiced to others to keep them from becoming strife. Peaceableness also requires words of reproof and sharp rebuke when those out of the right way need more than soft words to bring them back, so that moral renovation takes place in every heart and spurious faith is exposed by daily character. Those with position as shepherds must represent the great Shepherd and not exercise dominating, masterly power charging upon the Lord's people what they shall do and shall not do, since that is a strange and dangerous element, another gospel and a spoil to the church.