IS IT BIBLICAL FOR CHRISTIANS TO HAVE ANGER?
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul systematically takes his audience through a systematic development of Christian fundamentals necessary to understand for application to Christian life. Paul addresses this letter to the Christians who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus (Eph.1:1). He begins this letter by reminding them of the spiritual blessings they received upon hearing the good news of Christ, leading them to faith and salvation in Him. In chapter two, he reminds them that the gift of salvation was by grace through faith alone and that they had no part to play in their salvation process. In chapter three, Paul reminds them that previously God had not revealed to man the mysteries of Christ, but are now revealed by the apostles through the Spirit (Eph.3:5). The latter section of chapter three, Paul reminds them of the supernatural power that resides in them from the Holy Spirit, and the love they experience surpasses anything else one can experience on this earth, and that what Christ can do through the life of the Christian far exceeds anything we could ever surmise.
In chapter four, Paul then shifts from what has occurred internally through the Spirit, which will manifest externally in how Christians live out the Christian life and proper conduct within the church. The emphasis in Ephesians 4:1-16 is on the unity of believers within the church because we have all been called and saved by the same means through the same grace with the same faith by the same Spirit. Understanding the importance of unity in the church is critical and for their benefit as each member of the church forms the church body for the purpose of becoming equipped for the work of service and the building up of the body of Christ. The body is to build each other up for learning and understanding, and this can only be done when the entire church is unified in its desires, passions, goals, and objectives. Each individual within the church has the responsibility to lay aside their former ways, desires, actions, and thoughts and instead replace them with putting on the new man, and this begins in the mind and is played out in their actions and behavior (Eph.4:17-24).
Paul then inserts a command in verse 25 that the church members are to speak truth to their fellow believers. The word “neighbor” refers to fellow church members because they are your brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are all members of the same spiritual family. He then gives an additional imperative command in verses 26-27, “BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. In English the words “angry” and “anger” typically are associated as being the same action. However, Paul uses two different words here which will help us understand what command he gives us. The first word “angry” (orgizō) is given a qualification “do not sin.” This statement is best understood from other passages to understand better the emphasis Paul is making here. Paul commands Christians to be angry, but what is this action directed towards, and how should this be defined? Paul is commanding Christians to be angry towards evil actions or desires or anything that would disrupt the unity and fellowship of the church. This is righteous anger or what we could also call zeal.
The Psalmist states this in Psalm 69:9, “For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” Reading this verse, it becomes clear what Paul is describing: when sin enters the church, righteous anger should be the response of the Christian directed towards that sin. In the gospel of John chapter two, we see Jesus enter into the house of the Lord. He observes how their place of worshipping God has turned into a place of business, and Jesus then destroys the vendor's tables who had perverted the holiness of God by allowing sin into the place of worship (John 2:14-16). Then John quotes in John 2:17 from Psalm 69:9, demonstrating that we as Christians are commanded to be angry at anything that is brought into the church that detracts from the worship and glory of God. This type of anger is for the cause of Christ, for His holiness, and on His behalf, not for our selfish anger. We see Jesus often express this towards the Pharisees towards His healing of the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:5) and the vendors in the Temple (Matt. 21:12 John 2:15).
However, the warning Paul gives after the command to “be angry” is “do not sin,” meaning even righteous anger, if left unchecked, can turn into selfish fleshly anger, which is a sin against God. Righteous anger can turn into bitterness, resentment, or even revenge if left unchecked. That is why Paul ends verse 26 with a time period of the angry disposition a Christian may have towards sin or evil by the end of the day. The other word for anger in this passage (parorgismos) is a state of being intensely provoked that is not temporary but an unsettled mood or rage. This type of anger can be good or bad, depending on the purpose and motive from the outset. This would be a type of anger that is directed towards someone who has wronged you, and now a form of hate or rage has been building inside you directed towards someone who has wronged or offended you. This type of anger is sinful and has no place within the life of the Christian or the church body. If you demonstrate this type of anger, you are violating the command, “Be angry, and yet do not sin.” If you sense this type of anger rising up inside of you, then you must be quick to repent and not allow the sin to build up and fester inside of you, as this will consume the individual, allowing the devil an opportunity to use this anger for his purposes.
Summary
So, we can and should be angry at sin or anything that comes into the church that detracts us from worshipping God with a pure, undefiled heart or motivation; however, we must not let it overtake and consume us, so we should move on by the end of the day to not allow the sin to grow inside of us which will then allow the devil to exploit us and in so doing use this to create disunity and divisions within the church.
Questions to consider:
How does Paul describe the unity of believers within the church in Ephesians 4:1-16?
What is the significance of speaking the truth to fellow believers according to Ephesians 4:25?
What is the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger according to Ephesians 4:26-27?
How can we prevent righteous anger from turning into sinful anger?