Orthodox teaching inspires us to deeply understand that good deeds are not merely a formal fulfillment of a commandment, but a natural manifestation of inner spiritual purity and sincere love for one’s neighbor.

The Divine Motivation Behind Good Deeds

Orthodox teaching inspires us to deeply understand that good deeds are not merely a formal fulfillment of a commandment, but a natural manifestation of inner spiritual purity and sincere love for one’s neighbor. In the introduction to this theme, it is important to emphasize that goodness does not stand out as an independent rule; rather, it flows from a gracious attitude toward others, where true service to God lies in the spontaneous and selfless expression of compassion. The main discussion focuses on the need to conceal one’s motives and ensure the sincerity of one’s actions—not to gain public recognition, but to respond to the inner call of the heart, driven by faith and love. This understanding helps us see that even the simplest act of goodness becomes sacred when done without expecting reward or human approval, but merely as a response to the greatest commandment—to love one’s neighbor. In conclusion, the key point of the Orthodox approach is personal responsibility, inner transformation, and devotion to God, which ultimately turns every good deed into a small yet significant achievement on the path to a genuine Christian life.

Why does Orthodox teaching lack a separate commandment to “do good,” and how important is this aspect in its doctrine?

Orthodox teaching does not isolate the commandment “to do good” as a separate, standalone directive because good deeds are seen as a natural manifestation of Christian love and compassion, flowing from the commandment to love one’s neighbor. Here, the emphasis is on the inner purity of intention and the sincerity of actions, rather than their formal execution.

Thus, one source ( link txt) specifically notes, “Do not do good for show: do it in such a way that only God knows of it, and only your conscience does; do it, if possible, even so that the one to whom you do good does not know where it comes from. Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing!” This underscores that in the Orthodox approach, it is not so much the procedure of virtue that matters, but the deep faith and genuine desire to please God, not people.

Another source ( link txt) draws attention to the fact that the performance of good deeds should be motivated by love for one’s neighbor rather than by a calculation of human reward: “If you love those who love you... doing good for those who do good to you—what gratitude is there for it? For even sinners do the same.” This shows that good deeds are a natural consequence of love and compassion, not an independent commandment. Thus, goodness itself becomes part of the broader commandment of love, and its performance is regarded as an expression of true Christian life.

In this way, the absence of a separate commandment to “do good” in Orthodox doctrine is explained by the fact that good deeds automatically arise from the commandment to love one’s neighbor, with the emphasis placed on the sincerity of intentions, inner transformation, and acting for God rather than for human recognition.

Supporting citation(s):
“Just do them as commanded, and not as you might wish; … here is the commandment: do not do good for show; do it so that only God may know about it…” (source: link txt)

“If you love those who love you... doing good for those who do good to you—what gratitude is there for it? For even sinners do the same.” (source: link txt)