THE PRIMACY OF THE COMMON GOOD

IN THE GREEK FATHERS

Clement of Rome
The more he seems to be superior to others, the more humble-minded
ought he to be, and to seek the common good for all, and not his own.1

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Clement of Alexandria
The holy and pure conduct of our love of human beings, according to
Clement, seeks the common good; whether by suffering martyrdom, or
by teaching by deed and word,the latter being twofold, unwritten and
written. This is love, to love God and our neighbor. This leads up to the
unutterable height . . . .2

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This is the one after the image and likeness, the gnostic, who imitates
God as far as possible, leaving aside none of the things for possible
likeness, practicing self-restraint and endurance, living justly, reigning over
the passions, giving a share in what he has as far as possible, and doing
good both by word and deed. He is the greatest, it is said, in the
kingdom who shall act and teach by imitating God in conferring like
benefits. For Gods gifts are for the common good.3

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Gregory of Nazianzen
The other wills that I should go forth into the midst [of the Church],
and bear fruit for the common good, and be helped by helping others, and
publish the radiance, and bring to God an abundant people, a holy nation, a
royal priesthood, and His image cleansed in many. For, as a garden is better
than and more than a tree, the whole heaven with its beauties to a single
star, and the body to a limb, so also, in the sight of God, the ordering of a
whole church is better than and more than the progress of a single soul;
and therefore, I ought not to regard only my own interest, but also that of
others.
For in this way, Christ, when it was possible for him to abide in his
own honor and deity, not only so far emptied himself as to take the form of
a slave, but also endured the cross, despising the shame, that he might by
his own sufferings destroy sin, and by death slay death.4

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John Chrysostom
[When he says,] You are the salt of the earth, he shows that he
commands all this [i.e., the teaching of the beatitudes] of necessity. For
not for your private life, he says, but for the whole world, shall [you have
to give] an account of yourselves. For not to two cities, nor to ten or
twenty, nor to a single nation am I sending you, as I sent the prophets, but
to earth, and sea, and the whole world, and that in a bad condition. For by
saying, You are the salt of the earth, he signified that all human nature
became foolish and was corrupted by sin. This is why he requires of them
the virtues that are most necessary and useful for the care of the many. For
first, the meek, and friendly, and merciful, and just, does not shut up his
good deeds in himself alone, but also provides that these good fountains
should run over for the good of others. And he again who is pure in heart,
and a peacemaker, and is persecuted for the truths sake; he again orders his
way of life to the common good. Think not then, he says, that you are
drawn to ordinary conflicts, or that for some small matters you are to give

1 Clement 48,6.
Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 4.18.
3 Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 2.19.
4 St. Gregory of Nazianzen, Oratio 12, Ad Patrem, 4 (35,845).
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P A G E |2
account. You are the salt of the earth.5
If in matters of daily life no man lives for himself, but artisan, and
soldier, and farmer, and merchant, all of them contribute to the common
good and to their neighbors advantage, much more ought we to do this in
things spiritual. For this is most properly to live, since the one who lives for
himself alone and overlooks all others is certainly superfluous and not a
human being, nor of our race. . . . Since we are persuaded by all these things
that it is not possible for a person to be saved who has not looked to the
common good, and since we see the man who was cut to pieces (Matt
24,51) and the one who buried his talent (Matt 25,24-25), let us choose this
way, that we may also reach eternal life . . .6

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You are not poorer than that widow, you are not more rustic than Peter
and John, who were both unlearned and ignorant men; but nevertheless,
since they showed zeal and did all things for the common good, they
reached heaven. For nothing is as pleasing to God as living for the
common good.7

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I look only to the common good, and whether it be done by me, or by

another, it makes no difference to me. This ought to be the disposition of
the one who presides, not to seek his own honor, but the common good.8

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It was for this that he brought his teaching from heaven above, that he
might place our thoughts there, that we might be imitators of the teacher
according to our power.
But how can we become imitators of Christ? By acting in everything for
the common good, and not seeking our own. For even Christ, Paul says,
did not please himself, but as it is written, The reproaches of those who
reproach you fell on me (Rom 15,3).
Let no one therefore seek his own. For one [truly] seeks ones own
good when one looks to that of ones neighbor, for what is their good is
ours. We are one body, and parts and limbs of one another. Let us not then
be as though we were torn apart. Let no one say, Such a one is no friend
of mine, or relative, or neighbor, nor do I have anything to do with him.
How shall I approach, how address him?
Even if he is neither a relative nor a friend, he still is a human being,
who shares the same nature with you, has the same Lord, and is your
fellow-servant and fellow-sojourner, for he is born in the same world. And
if besides he shares the same faith, then look, he has also become a member
of yours. For what friendship could work such union, as the kinship of
faith? And our familiarity with one another like people who live in the same
house must not merely be such nearness as friends ought to show to
friends, but as exists between limb and limb. For nobody can possibly
discover any familiarity greater than this sort of friendship and communion.
As no limb could say, Where does my familiarity and closeness with this
limb come from? (that would be ridiculous) so neither can you say so in
the case of your brother. We are all baptized into one body (1 Cor 12,13),
Paul says. Why into one body? So that we may not be torn apart, but
preserve the coherence of that one body by our coming together and
friendship with one another.9

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St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew, 15.10 (57.231).

St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew, 77,6 (58.710).
7 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew, 78,2 (58.714).
8 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Titus, 2 (62.671).
9 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on John, 15,3 (59.101).
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