Austin Bible Church
Anger is an emotional mental attitude sin and expresses antagonism, hatred, exasperation, resentment, and irrationality. It can be mental or emotional or both. Anger is always irrational. Like arrogance, anger is a sin that motivates other sins.
Arrogance motivates emotional sins like jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, hatred, implacability, revenge, and self-pity. Anger is the other side of the coin of jealousy. Criminal activity is the function of the arrogant and angry person. Anger always adds wrong to wrong, sin to sin.
Believers with arrogance may look down at others and hide their anger until one day they explode at friends or loved ones. This is a flawed character. This is a hidden anger instead of an outburst of anger.
God’s Anger is an Anthropopathism
God cannot sin, therefore, God’s anger cannot be sinful, emotional, or reactive. Anger in God is an anthropopathism. Anthropopathisms reveal His qualities and express His essence, divine policy, actions and decisions to the finite minds of mankind. Without anthropopathisms, we could not have insight into God such as His perfect essence and justice. God has no human qualities.
Anger is used many times in the Bible as an anthropopathism in the phrase “The anger of the Lord.” Num. 25:4; Num. 32:14; Deut. 29:20; Judges 3:8; Judges 10:7; Judges 2:14; Judges 2:20; 2 Kings 24:20; Lam. 4:16; Jer. 4:8; Jer. 25:37; Jer. 30:24; Jer. 51:45; Jer. 52:3; Zeph. 2:2-3; Psalms 2:5.
"The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel."" (Numbers 25:4, NASB)
""For this, put on sackcloth, Lament and wail; For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us."" (Jeremiah 4:8, NASB)
"Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying," (Psalms 2:5, NASB)
Anger is used many times in the Bible as an anthropopathism in the phrase “the wrath of God” or “the anger of God” Psalms 78:31; John 3:36; Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6; Rev. 14:10; Rev. 14:19; Rev. 15:1; Rev. 15:7; Rev. 16:1; Rev. 19:15.
"The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel." (Psalms 78:31, NASB)
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness," (Romans 1:18, NASB)
"For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience," (Colossians 3:6, NASB)
Products of Anger
Anger is resentment of soul and when perpetuated, it becomes irrationality of soul. In Genesis 39:1-19, Potiphar’s anger was irrational, which exemplifies his emotions controlling his soul and therefore, his thinking. The solution to anger is to confess known sins to the Father and thereby be filled with the Holy Spirit thus restoring your fellowship with Jesus Christ. The filling of the Holy Spirit enables you to go on with Bible doctrine rationales which will focus your thinking instead of your emotions.
"Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your slave did to me," his anger burned." (Genesis 39:19, NASB)
Anger results in self-induced misery and causes life to be an ordeal. Prov. 22:8.
"He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, And the rod of his fury will perish." (Proverbs 22:8, NASB)
Anger also produces chain sinning and is the root of bitterness, hostility, and arrogance. This is hidden, hypocritical anger. Heb. 12:15.
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;" (Hebrews 12:15, NASB)
Anger causes misery to others around you. Proverbs 21:19 and Proverbs 25:24 present examples of a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife. Proverbs 22:24 presents the hot-tempered man and the mandate to separate from them.
"It is better to live in a desert land Than with a contentious and vexing woman." (Proverbs 21:19, NASB)
"It is better to live in a corner of the roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman." (Proverbs 25:24, NASB)
"Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man," (Proverbs 22:24, NASB)
Anger can destroy a nation. Amos 1:11.
"Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, While he stifled his compassion; His anger also tore continually, And he maintained his fury forever." (Amos 1:11, NASB)
Anger motivates jealousy and cruelty. A person can’t be angry without being cruel and unfair. This is a more permanent type of mental attitude sin from the old sin nature lust patterns. The old sin nature produces arrogance, which produces jealousy, which produces cruelty, which produces antagonism. Prov. 27:4.
"Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy?" (Proverbs 27:4, NASB)
Anger is related to stupidity based on blind arrogance. Many believers with little Bible doctrine have short fuses. A fool is one who has little epignosis doctrine in their soul. These have a closed mind to everyone and they get mad at the drop of a hat. A person is neither intelligent nor wise when angry, which is why so many stupid, embarrassing, and regrettable things are said in anger. Anger causes misery to those in the periphery of an angry person. Violent crime comes from anger and bitterness. In the circumstances of life, you must have your wits about you. You can’t be angry and be a thinking person. When anger explodes, destructive anger and evil go together. Eccl. 7:9.
"Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools." (Ecclesiastes 7:9, NASB)
Anger is never an isolated sin. Prov. 29:22.
"An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression." (Proverbs 29:22, NASB)
Anger is related to perpetual carnality and grieving the Holy Spirit. Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8.
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31, NASB)
"But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth." (Colossians 3:8, NASB)
Anger is a sin from the old sin nature. Gal. 5:19-20.
"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions," (Galatians 5:19-20, NASB)
Anger frustrates effective prayer and hinders intercession for others. 1 Tim. 2:8.
"Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension." (1 Timothy 2:8, NASB)
Anger can entail impersonal antagonism such as using certain hand gestures toward someone who just cut you off on the freeway and personal antagonism where you know the one who cut you off. This can lead to resentment and irrationality of soul and a perpetual anger where little Bible doctrine is left in the soul. Gen. 39:19.
"Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your slave did to me," his anger burned." (Genesis 39:19, NASB)
Solutions to anger are confession of sin and gaining unconditional love toward others as you mature spiritually. This unconditional love can only be motivated by personal love for God. With Bible doctrine you can begin to overcome anger. With spiritual advance, you shed anger.
Emotional Anger Involving Self
Θυμός (thumos) is boiling agitation of feeling or emotional turbulence, tantrums, and is translated “wrath” in Ephesians 4:31. Wrath is emotional turbulence where the emotions control the soul, otherwise known as emotional revolt of the soul. This type of anger is forbidden and involves the emotions.
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” (Ephesians 4:31, NASB)
Luke 4:28 describes those in the synagogue “filled with rage.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. The Sanhedrin were emotionally angry and in their anger, like a mob, they threw Jesus out!
“And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;” (Luke 4:28, NASB)
In 2 Corinthians 12:20, there were angry tempers. In Galatians 5:20, the believer was imitating the unbeliever. In Colossians 3:8, for example, this “wrath” is not to be allowed in the local church. Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8.
“For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;” (2 Corinthians 12:20, NASB)
“idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,” (Galatians 5:20, NASB)
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” (Ephesians 4:31, NASB)
“But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.” (Colossians 3:8, NASB)
Emotional Anger Involving Others
Παροργισμός (paragismos) is an emotional anger overflowing to others. It is emotional anger with hostility to others and accompanied by antagonism, resentment, bitterness, and exasperation. This anger is designed to make others angry. It is translated “anger” in Ephesians 4:26. These emotional outbursts are forbidden. This is a mental attitude sin anger where individuals are angry and they burn on the inside.
“BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” (Ephesians 4:26, NASB)
In Ephesians 6:4 is resentment, bitterness, and exasperation of children due to parents not addressing their children’s problems but attacking them personally. Correct teaching and discipline of your children requires unconditional love and that requires some Bible doctrine in the soul.
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4, NASB)
Children have their own volition and this verse does not promise you anything regarding your children. It means that when they are mature (spiritually and physically), they will not depart from what you taught them. The children will decide for themselves. Many grow up negative and stay that way forever. Positive volition can overcome any flaw, environmental, genetic, and volitional. The old sin nature controlling the soul means emotions controlling the soul and emotions react.
Righteous Indignation
Righteous indignation is not an emotional anger. It is a good understanding of a bad situation. Righteous indignation is response to unfair treatment by concentration on your relationship with God. Reaction to unfair treatment leads to anger and sin.
Ὀργή (orgē) is a mental attitude of anger and can be legitimate or can be used in a wrong manner which becomes mental attitude arrogance. Legitimate orge is commanded and is legitimate when guided by Bible doctrine. In Mark 3:5, Jesus Christ had righteous indignation and felt sorry for the blindness of the Pharisees. Mental attitude of anger is legitimate when guided by Bible doctrine and is known as virtuous wrath. We should feel sorry for those people who are in error. This is true compassion.
"After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored." (Mark 3:5, NASB)
Righteous indignation is resentment of anything anti-Bible doctrine and anti-God. This is not a sin. Virtuous wrath is mandated by the Word of God. You are commanded to resent anything that is anti-doctrine or that opposes God. However, you must apply it carefully with unconditional love.
In Mark 10:14, Jesus became righteously opposed to His disciples when they forbad the children to be brought to Him. This was not anger, but an understanding of a wrong and expressing that He felt it was completely inappropriate. Here, the Greek word for “indignant” is ἀγανακτέω (aganakteō) and means to be indignant, moved with indignation, to be very displeased.
"But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. " (Mark 10:14, NASB)
Jesus Christ expressed righteous indignation in Matthew 23:13-36 when describing the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees.
" "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. " (Matthew 23:13, NASB)
Jesus Christ wasn’t angry when He said to Peter in Matthew 16:23, “Get behind Me, Satan!”
"But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." " (Matthew 16:23, NASB)
In Acts 13:9-11, Paul deals with a demon possessed person, Elymas the magician, and presents what this man stood for.
"But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? "Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time." And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand." (Acts 13:9-11, NASB)
This does not grieve the Holy Spirit. It is a mental attitude of resentment toward heresy. It is a mental attitude of resentment toward legalism. It is a mental attitude of resentment toward unbelief. It is a mental attitude of resentment toward religion or anything antagonistic to the Word. It also can be used in a wrong manner.
Mental Attitude Anger
The wrong use of orge is resentment that is definitely a mental attitude sin from arrogance. Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8; Matt. 5:22; Luke 14:21; Luke 15:28; Eph. 4:26; Rev. 11:18.
““But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” (Matthew 5:22, NASB)
““And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’” (Luke 14:21, NASB)
““But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.” (Luke 15:28, NASB)
““And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”“ (Revelation 11:18, NASB)
Continual anger produces bitterness or vindictiveness. Vindictiveness results in verbal outbursts and desire for retaliation. The believer in fellowship should respond to unfairness or maltreatment or gossip from others, without sin by applying Bible doctrine to the situation. You should put the matter in the Lord’s hands. When maltreated, never let reaction to maltreatment become sin. If you retaliate, then your reaction becomes anger. Never let reaction become sin.