“Return evil for evil to no one. Provide fine things in the sight of all men.”—ROMANS 12:17.
WHEN a child is shoved by a sibling, usually the child’s first reaction is to shove back. Sadly, such tit-for-tat behavior is not limited to children. Many adults act similarly. When offended by someone, they want to get even. Granted, most adults will not give a literal shove, but many will push back in subtle ways. Perhaps they spread harmful gossip about the offender or find ways to prevent him from succeeding. Whatever method is used, the intent is the same—to repay in kind, to retaliate.
Although the urge to get even is deep-seated, true Christians resist giving in to it. Instead, they strive to follow the apostle Paul’s admonition: “Return evil for evil to no one.” (Romans 12:17) What will motivate us to live according to that high standard? Whom in particular should we not repay with evil? What benefits will be reaped if we refrain from getting even? To answer those questions, let us study the context of Paul’s words and see how Romans chapter 12 shows that refraining from retaliation is the right, the loving, and the modest course to follow.
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(Romans 12:17) Return evil for evil to no one. Provide fine things in the sight of all men.
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“No devuelvan mal por mal a nadie. Provean cosas excelentes a vista de todos los hombres.” (ROMANOS 12:17.)
POR lo general, cuando un niño recibe un empujón de su hermano, su primera reacción es devolverlo. Por desgracia, no solo los niños tienden a reaccionar así. Muchos adultos actúan igual: cuando alguien les ofende, procuran vengarse. Claro, la mayoría no va a recurrir a los empujones, pero muchos sí devolverán los golpes de maneras más sutiles. Puede que esparzan chismes sobre la persona que les ofendió o busquen otras formas de perjudicarla. Pero aunque los métodos varíen, la intención es siempre pagar con la misma moneda.
Es cierto que todos sentimos en nuestro interior el impulso de vengarnos, pero los verdaderos cristianos luchamos por dominarlo y así seguir la exhortación del apóstol Pablo: “No devuelvan mal por mal a nadie” (Romanos 12:17). ¿Qué nos motivará a aplicar en nuestra vida esta elevada norma? ¿A quiénes no debemos devolver mal por mal? ¿Qué beneficios obtendremos al negarnos a tomar represalias? Para dar respuesta a estas preguntas, estudiemos el contexto de las palabras de Pablo. En el capítulo 12 de Romanos veremos que quienes renuncian a vengarse hacen lo que deben, demuestran amor y actúan con modestia.
(Romanos 12:17) No devuelvan mal por mal a nadie. Provean cosas excelentes a vista de todos los hombres.
Jesús dijo en su Sermón del Monte: “Felices son los pacíficos, puesto que a ellos se les llamará ‘hijos de Dios’”. (Mateo 5:9.) Aquí la palabra “pacíficos” no se refiere a personas que sencillamente son de naturaleza apacible. La palabra griega original significa “pacificadores”. El pacificador es hábil en restablecer la paz que ha sido perturbada. Pero más importante aún, el pacificador se esfuerza primeramente por no perturbar la paz. ‘La paz controla en su corazón.’ (Colosenses 3:15.) Si los siervos de Dios se esfuerzan por ser pacificadores, entonces mantendrán al mínimo los problemas entre sí.
Para ser pacificadores tenemos que reconocer nuestras propias debilidades. Por ejemplo, puede que un cristiano tenga mal genio o sea muy susceptible y se ofenda fácilmente. Tal vez cuando está bajo presión sus emociones le hagan olvidar los principios bíblicos. Esto no es inesperado en los seres humanos imperfectos. (Romanos 7:21-23.) Con todo, las enemistades, las contiendas y los arrebatos de cólera se enumeran entre las obras de la carne. (Gálatas 5:19-21.) Si tenemos tales tendencias, o si otros nos las hacen notar, debemos orar solícitamente, y sin cesar, para que el espíritu de Jehová nos ayude a desarrollar autodominio y apacibilidad. En verdad todos debemos esforzarnos por cultivar tales cualidades como parte de nuestra nueva personalidad. (Efesios 4:23, 24; Colosenses 3:10, 15.)
(Mateo 5:9) ”Felices son los pacíficos, puesto que a ellos se les llamará ‘hijos de Dios’.
Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, said: “Happy are the peaceable, since they will be called ‘sons of God.’” (Matthew 5:9) “Peaceable” here does not refer to someone who is simply placid by nature. The original Greek word means “peacemakers.” A peacemaker is skilled at restoring peace when it is disturbed. More important, though, a peacemaker strives to avoid disturbing the peace in the first place. ‘Peace controls in his heart.’ (Colossians 3:15) If God’s servants strive to be peacemakers, then problems among them will be kept to a minimum.
Becoming a peacemaker involves recognizing our own weaknesses. For example, a Christian may have a hot temper or be sensitive and easily offended. When under pressure, his emotions may make him forget Bible principles. This is not unexpected in imperfect humans. (Romans 7:21-23) Nevertheless, enmities, strife, and fits of anger are listed as works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21) If we find such tendencies in ourselves—or if they are brought to our attention by others—we should pray earnestly and continually for Jehovah’s spirit to develop in us self-control and mildness. Indeed, everyone should strive to cultivate such qualities as part of his new personality.—Ephesians 4:23, 24; Colossians 3:10, 15.
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(Matthew 5:9) “Happy are the peaceable, since they will be called ‘sons of God.’
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Adam and Eve now had sin deeply etched in their genes. Hence, they could not produce perfect offspring, any more than an imperfect mold can produce a perfect object. (Job 14:4) Indeed, every human birth confirms that our first parents lost perfect health and eternal life for themselves and their progeny. The Christian apostle Paul wrote: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”—Romans 5:12; compare Psalm 51:5.
Today scientists do not know just why humans grow old and die. The Bible, however, explains that we die because we are born sinful, having inherited this condition from our first human parents. But what happens to us when we die?
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(Romans 5:12) That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned—.
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