What does the Bible say about anger?

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Question: "What does the Bible say about anger?"

Answer: Handling anger is an important topic. One experienced counselor stated that 50% of the people who came in for counseling had problems with dealing with their anger. Anger can shatter communication and tear apart relationships, and it ruins both the joy and health of many. And most often people tend to justify their anger instead of accepting responsibility for it. There is a type of anger that the Bible calls “righteous indignation,” but that is not to be confused with anger.

First of all, anger is not always sin. God is angry (Psalm 7:11; Mark 3:5), and believers are commanded to be angry (Ephesians 4:26). Two Greek words are used in the New Testament for our English word “anger.” One (orge) means “passion, energy;” the other (thumos) means “agitated, boiling.” Webster defines anger as “excessive emotion, passion aroused by a sense of injury or wrong;” this injury may be to us or to someone else. Biblically, anger is God-given energy intended to help us solve problems. Examples of biblical anger include Paul confronting Peter because of his wrong example in Galatians 2:11-14, David being upset over hearing Nathan the prophet sharing an injustice (2 Samuel 12), and Jesus getting angry over how some of the Jews had defiled worship at God’s temple in Jerusalem (John 2:13-18). Notice that none of these examples of anger involved self-defense, but defense of others or of a principle.

But anger turns to sin when it is selfishly motivated (James 1:20), when God’s goal is distorted (1 Corinthians 10:31), or when anger is allowed to linger (Ephesians 4:26-27). Instead of using the energy generated by anger to attack the problem at hand, it is the person who is attacked instead. Ephesians 4:15, 19 says we are to speak the truth in love and to use our words to build others up, and not to allow rotten or destructive words to pour from our lips. Unfortunately, this poisonous speech is a common characteristic of fallen man (Romans 3:13-14). Anger becomes sin when it is allowed to boil over without restraint, resulting in a scenario in which everyone around is hurt (Proverbs 29:11), leaving devastation in its wake, often with irreparable consequences. Anger also becomes sin when the angry one refuses to be pacified, holds a grudge, or keeps it all inside (Ephesians 4:26-27). This can cause depression and irritability over any little thing, often things unrelated to the underlying problem.

We can handle anger biblically by:

1) recognizing and admitting our selfish anger and wrong handling of anger as sin (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9). This confession should be both to God and to those who have been hurt by our anger. Nor should we minimize that sin by calling it “getting a little hot the other day” or by blame-shifting: “well, if you wouldn’t have acted the way you did...”.

2) seeing God in the trial. This is especially important when people have done something to offend us specifically. James 1:2-4; Romans 8:28-29; and Genesis 50:20 all point to the fact that God is sovereign and in complete control over EVERY circumstance and person that enters our path. Nothing happens to us that He does not cause or allow. And as all of these verses share, God is a GOOD God (Psalm 145:8,9,17) who does and allows all things in our lives for our good and the good of others! Reflecting on this truth until it moves from our heads to our hearts will alter how we react to those who hurt us deeply.

3) Make room for God’s wrath. This is especially important in cases of injustice, especially when done by “evil” men to “innocent” people. Genesis 50:19 and Romans 12:19 both tell us not play God. God is righteous and just, and we can trust Him who knows all and sees all to do justly (Genesis 18:25).

4) Do not return evil for good (Genesis 50:21; Romans 12:21). This is key to converting our anger into love. As our actions flow from our hearts, so also our hearts can be altered by our actions (Matthew 5:43-48). That is, we can change our feelings toward another by changing how we choose to act toward that person.

5) Communicate to solve the problem. There are four basic rules of communication shared in Ephesians 4:15,25-32:

a) Be honest and speak (Ephesians 4:15,25). People can’t read our minds, but speak the truth IN LOVE.

b) Stay current (Ephesians 4:26-27). We mustn’t allow what is bothering us build up until we lose control. Dealing with and sharing what is bothering us before it gets to that point is important.

c) Attack the problem, not the person (Ephesians 4:29,31). Along this line, we must remember the importance of keeping the volume of our voices low (Proverbs 15:1). Yelling is usually perceived as a form of attack.

d) Act, don’t react (Ephesians 4:31-32). Because of our fallen nature, our first impulse is often a sinful one (verse 31). The time spent in “counting to ten” should be used to reflect upon the godly way to respond (verse 32) and to remind ourselves how anger is to be used to solve problems and not create bigger ones.

6) Lastly we must act to solve our part of the problem (Acts 12:18). We cannot control how others act or respond, but we can make the changes that need to be made on our part. Overcoming the temper is not accomplished overnight. But through prayer for help, Bible study, and reliance upon God’s Holy Spirit, it can be overcome. Just as we may have allowed anger to become entrenched in our lives by habitual practice, we must also practice responding correctly until it becomes a habit which replaces the old ways. Here are some Proverbs that deal with the topic of anger:

6:34 - ...jealousy enrages a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance (NASB).
14:17 - A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.
14:29 - He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.
15:1 - A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
15:18 - A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.
16:32 - Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
19:11 - A man's discretion makes him slow to anger and it is his glory to overlook a transgression (NASB).
19:19 - A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
22:24,25 - Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.
27:4 - Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
29:8 - Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.
29:22 - An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.