Introduction
Anger is a fundamental human emotion that is extensively discussed in the Bible, reflecting its complexity and potent impact on human behavior and spirituality. While anger can be a natural response to injustice or wrongdoing, it also harbors the potential for harm when uncontrolled. This exploration will delve into the scriptural guidance on understanding anger, distinguishing between its righteous and sinful manifestations, and managing it effectively within a spiritual and moral framework.
How Does the Bible Say to Deal With Anger?
The Bible offers insights into the nature of anger and how it should be perceived and handled.
• Be Angry and Do Not Sin: Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV): “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
Paul acknowledges that anger itself is not sinful, but it becomes problematic when it leads to sin. The admonition to resolve anger quickly implies that prolonged anger can open doors to negative spiritual consequences.
• Slow to Anger: James 1:19-20 (ESV): “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
James advises believers to be deliberate in their responses, highlighting the virtue of being slow to anger. This guidance suggests that hasty or uncontrolled anger is often unrighteous and contrary to God’s desires.
• Patience Over Hasty Temper: Proverbs 14:29 (ESV): “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”
This proverb contrasts the wisdom of patience with the foolishness of quick-tempered reactions. Being slow to anger is associated with understanding and discernment.
• A Gentle Answer vs. Harsh Words: Proverbs 15:18 (ESV): “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.”
The writer of Proverbs highlights the peacekeeping power of controlling one’s anger. In contrast, uncontrolled anger is seen as a source of conflict and strife.
Righteous Anger vs. Sinful Anger
The Bible makes a distinction between anger that is justified and reflects God’s values, and anger that leads to sin and destruction.
• Jesus’ Anger in the Temple: John 2:13-17 (ESV): “In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple…”
Jesus’ actions in the temple are an example of righteous anger. His anger stemmed from a zeal for God’s house and a desire to correct a wrong that violated sacred principles.
• Put Away Bitterness and Wrath: Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV): “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”
Paul instructs believers to put away sinful forms of anger, which are destructive and incompatible with Christian living. Instead, he advocates for kindness and forgiveness.
• Anger and Judgment: Matthew 5:22 (ESV): “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment…”
Jesus warns against unjustified anger towards others, equating it with liability to judgment. This teaching emphasizes the seriousness of harboring anger without cause. While anger is not the same as murder Jesus says it has the same spiritual roots.
• Rid Yourselves of Anger: Colossians 3:8 (ESV): “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”
In Colossians, Paul echoes the need to eliminate sinful anger, grouping it with other harmful behaviors. This removal is part of the transformation process in Christian life.
What Does the Bible Say About Outbursts of Anger?
Scripture warns about the risks and consequences of allowing anger to remain unchecked.
• Foolish Displays of Anger: Proverbs 29:11 (ESV): “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”
This proverb contrasts the foolishness of expressing anger without restraint with the wisdom of controlling one’s emotions. Uncontrolled anger is depicted as a characteristic of folly, lacking in self-discipline and discernment.
• Anger Leads to Evil: Ecclesiastes 7:9 (ESV): “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.”
The Preacher advises against hastiness to anger, suggesting that harboring anger is a mark of foolishness. This verse implies that persistent anger can lead to more significant evil and unwise decisions.
• Do Not Associate with Angry People: Proverbs 22:24-25 (ESV): “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.”
This advice warns against the influence of those who are habitually angry. The danger is not just in the anger itself but also in adopting similar destructive patterns.
• Works of the Flesh: Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV): “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions…”
Paul includes uncontrolled anger in a list of behaviors that are contrary to living by the Spirit. Anger here is categorized as a destructive ‘work of the flesh’, opposing the fruit of the Spirit.
Anger and Personal Relationships
The Bible also addresses how anger impacts relationships and social interactions.
• Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath: Proverbs 15:1 (ESV): “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
This proverb emphasizes the power of gentle communication in de-escalating anger. The principle encourages a response to potential conflict with calmness and understanding.
• Husbands, Do Not Be Harsh: Colossians 3:19 (ESV): “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.”
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul specifically advises husbands against harshness, which can be fueled by anger. This instruction underscores the importance of maintaining love and gentleness in marital relationships.
• Reconciliation Before Worship: Matthew 18:15-17 (ESV): “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”
Jesus teaches the value of direct, compassionate confrontation and reconciliation in resolving disputes. This approach prevents anger and bitterness from disrupting Christian fellowship and unity.
• Do Not Provoke Your Children to Anger: Ephesians 6:4 (ESV): “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Paul advises parents, particularly fathers, to avoid actions that would incite anger in their children. This counsel promotes a nurturing, supportive family environment.
Managing Anger Through Wisdom and Understanding
Wisdom and understanding are key to managing and resolving feelings of anger according to the Bible.
• Discretion Slows Anger: Proverbs 19:11 (ESV): “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”
The writer of Proverbs associates being slow to anger with good sense and discretion. Overlooking an offense is seen as a mark of wisdom and a noble trait.
• Wisdom That is Peaceable: James 3:13-18 (ESV): “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”
James describes wisdom as peaceable, gentle, and open to reason, characteristics that are antithetical to uncontrolled anger. This wisdom fosters peace and righteous behavior.
• Refrain from Anger: Psalm 37:8 (ESV): “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.”
The psalmist advises against yielding to anger and wrath, recognizing their propensity to lead to evil. Instead, the call is to trust in the Lord and commit one’s way to Him.
• A Wise Man Calms Disputes: Proverbs 29:8 (ESV): “Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.”
This proverb highlights the role of wise individuals in diffusing anger and resolving disputes. Their intervention prevents escalation and promotes harmony.
The Role of Forgiveness in Dealing with Anger
Forgiveness is a key biblical principle in managing and resolving feelings of anger.
• Forgiveness and God’s Forgiveness: Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV): “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Jesus teaches that forgiving others is a prerequisite for receiving God’s forgiveness. This connection highlights the importance of overcoming personal anger to maintain a right relationship with God and others.
• Releasing Anger Through Forgiveness: Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV): “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
Paul advises believers to deal promptly with their anger, implying that forgiveness is a key step in this process. Holding onto anger gives room for further conflict and spiritual harm.
• Bearing with One Another in Forgiveness: Colossians 3:13 (ESV): “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
The call to mutual forgiveness among believers is based on the model of Christ’s forgiveness. This practice is essential in managing interpersonal conflicts and anger.
• Limitless Forgiveness: Matthew 18:21-22 (ESV): “Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.'”
Jesus emphasizes the need for boundless forgiveness, challenging Peter’s notion of limited grace. This teaching encourages believers to continually forgive, a key to diffusing anger and promoting reconciliation.
Anger and Spiritual Growth
Properly managed anger can be an opportunity for spiritual growth and development.
• Trials Producing Steadfastness: James 1:2-4 (ESV): “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
James views trials, which can include dealing with anger, as opportunities for developing perseverance and maturity. This perspective transforms challenges into catalysts for spiritual growth.
• Adding Self-Control to Faith: 2 Peter 1:5-7 (ESV): “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control…”
Peter lists self-control, essential in managing anger, as a quality to be actively cultivated by believers. Developing self-control contributes to a fuller, more effective faith.
• Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
The fruit of the Spirit encompasses qualities that are antithetical to uncontrolled anger. Growing in these areas, including self-control and patience, reflects spiritual maturity and a life led by the Spirit.
• Refined by Various Trials: 1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV): “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Peter acknowledges that trials, including struggles with anger, test and refine a believer’s faith. This process of refinement enhances spiritual strength and character.
Conclusion
The biblical teachings on anger reveal it as a complex and multifaceted emotion with significant spiritual implications. While anger itself is not inherently sinful, the Scriptures emphasize the importance of managing it with wisdom, understanding, and forgiveness. Believers are encouraged to discern between righteous anger, which aligns with God’s values, and sinful anger, which leads to strife and conflict. Developing self-control, practicing forgiveness, and seeking reconciliation are essential in handling anger in a manner that honors God and fosters spiritual growth. By viewing anger through the lens of Scripture, Christians are equipped to navigate this emotion in a way that strengthens rather than weakens their faith, relationships, and witness. This is an excellent resource on growing in your own anger.