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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"See that none render unto any one evil for evil; but alway follow after that which is good, one toward another, and toward all." If we ought not to render evil for evil, much less evil for good; much less, when evil has not been previously done, to render evil. Such an one, you say, is a bad man, and has aggrieved me, and done me much injury. Do you wish to revenge yourself upon him? Do not retaliate. Leave him unpunished. Well, is this the stopping-place? …
Theophylact of Ohrid
If one must not repay evil for evil, then how much more so — evil for good, or to begin doing evil and harming one who has done no harm at all. It is not enough not to repay evil for evil; one must, he says, repay with good the one who has done evil. This is exactly what the apostle teaches when he says: "seek what is good." That is, earnestly strive to do good, both toward one another, that is, toward the faithful, and toward all, that is, toward the unfaithful as well.
Desert Fathers
A brother asked Poemen about the words, 'Do not render evil for evil' (1 Thess. 5:15). He said to him, 'The passions work in four stages: first in the heart, then in the face, third in words, fourth in deeds – and it is in deeds that it is essential not to render evil for evil. If you purify your heart, passion will not show in your expression, but if it does, take care not to speak about it; if you do speak, cut the conversation short in case you render evil for evil.'
Western Saints
Thomas Aquinas
Then, when Paul says: see that none of you repays evil for evil, he shows them in general how they ought to behave towards everyone. And concerning this, he does two things: first, he shows how everyone should behave in certain matters; secondly, he shows how they should behave in all things (5:21). …
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