“Often this phrase is interpreted to mean that we should be conciliatory with adversaries in order to avoid contention, lawsuits, or persecution. Certainly, we should be peacemakers—‘easy to be intreated’ (James 3:17) and cooperative with all people of goodwill. We should even absorb worldly hurt and unfairness when doing so would help advance the cause of righteousness. (See 1 Pet. 2:12–23; 1 Pet. 3:13–17; 1 Pet. 4:14–19.) But surely we are not to compromise truth and righteous purpose to achieve peaceful coexistence with our fellow beings” (Dahl, “The Higher Law,” 7).