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Chapter VI
THE ANGER of MAN DOETH NOT THAT WHICH IS RIGHT
The Action of the Anger of Man, properly understood, is a response to certain occurrences in daily life as a result of triggers embedded in the mind. "The Anger of Man" may be triggered regarding the actions or words of others, such as road rage or domestic violence, or the trigger may be any event or circumstance for which one mistakenly believes that the action of anger is the proper response. The message of the Bible simply is: "The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."
Proverbs 22:24 (NASB): "Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot tempered man."
Jesus forbids anger. After forbidding anger in Matthew 5:20-22 (NASB); in Matthew 5:23-24 (NASB) Jesus said: "If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."
Tertullian, the early Christian writer (A.D. 145-220), said: "WHEN PRAYING THE FATHER, YOU ARE NOT TO BE ANGRY WITH A BROTHER. That we may not be as far from the ears of God as we are from His precepts, the memory of His precepts paves for our prayers a way unto heaven; of which precepts the chief is, that we go not up unto God's altar before we compose whatever of discord or offence we have contracted with our brethren. For what sort of deed is it to approach the peace of God without peace? How will he appease his Father who is angry with his brother, when from the beginning 'all anger' is forbidden us?" 1
It should surprise no one, then, that the Apostle Paul would say in 1 Timothy 2:8 (NASB): "Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and dissension." (See the footnote for the two Greek words that are translated by the English words without anger.) 2 Make no mistake about it: holy means holy; without means without; and anger means anger, whether expressed or suppressed. It cannot be any plainer than that.
Don't you believe the devil's lie that man's anger is good or righteous and not sinful. And, don't you believe the devil's lie that God's word does not mean what it says. Acts 5:29 (NASB): "But Peter and the apostles answered and said, "We must obey God rather than men." Unfortunately, some men, who want to distort the gospel, suggest that the teaching of Jesus Christ and His Apostles regarding anger, and other sins, originated with radical Stoic philosophy and not with God.
But what did Jesus say? As recorded in John 12:48-49 (NASB) Jesus said: "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on my own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak." And in John 14:21 (NASB) Jesus said: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me." We had better believe it.
So, what are we to do? It has been rightly said that "one can not be forced to be angry against his own will." Ecclesiastes 7:9 (NASB) says: "Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools."
James 1:19-20 (NASB) says: "This you know, my beloved brethren. But let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, 3 for (Thayers Greek-English Lexicon, page 109, 4 says: "for or some previous declaration is explained whence gar, [transliterated, "gar"] takes on an explicative force: for, the fact is, namely") the anger 5 of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."
Alford's Greek Testament, Volume IV, page 285, says: "You are well aware of this (i.e. and having this knowledge &c.). . . . Ye are aware; appealing to a well known fact. Ye know it my beloved brethren: but (consequently) let every man be swift to hear (the word of truth which has so great power for good and for life): slow to speak (The meaning is, be eager to listen, not eager to discourse: the former may lead to implanting or strengthening the new life, the latter to wrath and suddenness of temper, so often found in the wake of swift rejoinder and ready chattering). . . . slow to wrath [orghn -- orgen, 'anger']; for the wrath [orgh -- orge, 'anger'] (any wrath, all wrath) [orge>, 'anger'] of man worketh not the righteousness of God, (doeth not that which is right in the sight of God)."
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The Expositor's Greek Testament, Volume Four, page 431, says: "the writer is recalling to the minds of his hearers familiar sayings. . . . A similar precept is quoted in Qoheleth Rabba, v. 5." 7
The People's New Testament, THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES, CHAPTER I, On Temptations, by B. W. Johnson, says:
"1-4. . . . To the twelve tribes. The Jews are often so designated. See Acts 26:7. Scattered abroad. Rather "of the Dispersion," a term applied to Jews outside of Judea. . . .
12-15. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation. He that endures and continues faithful shall have the crown. 13. Let no man say . . . I am tempted by God. Some men when they fall try to throw the blame on God, as if God had tempted them. It is impossible that God be tempted of sin, nor does he ever tempt men to sin, but: 14. But every man is tempted when he suffers his own lusts to lead and entice him. There can be no temptation unless something within us causes a sinful desire. 15. When lust hath conceived. The course of sin is described as that of a birth. The sinful desire is the conception; the sinful deed the birth; moral and eternal death the final result. 16-18. Do not err, Either about the source of sin or of all good gifts.
19-25. Wherefore . . . be swift to hear. Let each saint hear and learn, but be careful not to speak rashly, and especially in anger. 20. For the wrath of man. An angry man will show forth something very different from God's righteousness. 21. Lay aside all filthiness. Every impurity of life. Naughtiness. "Overflowing" of wickedness in the Revision. Wrath would cause such an overflow. The engrafted word. The word of God planted in your hearts. 22. Be ye doers. He who is only a hearer deceiveth himself. See Matt. 7:21-23. 23, 24." 8
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES, Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET (1871, Public Domain), says:
"Slow to wrath-- (Jas. 3:13, 14; 4:5). Slow in becoming heated by debate: another Jewish fault (Rom. 2:8), to which much speaking tends. TITTMANN thinks not so much "wrath" is meant, as an indignant feeling of fretfulness under the calamities to which the whole of human life is exposed; this accords with the "divers temptations" in Jas. 1:2. Hastiness of temper hinders hearing God's word; so Naaman, 2Ki. 5:11; Lu. 4:28.
20. . . . True 'righteousness is sown in peace,' not in wrath (Jas. 3:18). The oldest and best reading means 'worketh,' that is, practiceth not: the received reading is 'worketh,' produceth not."
Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry (1706-1721, Public Domain) says: "James 1, Verses 19-21. . . . And if men would govern their tongues, they must govern their passions. The worst thing we can bring to any dispute, is anger. Here is an exhortation to lay apart, and to cast off as a filthy garment, all sinful practices. This must reach to sins of thought and affection, as well as of speech and practice; to every thing corrupt and sinful. We must yield ourselves to the word of God, with humble and teachable minds. Being willing to hear of our faults, taking it not only patiently, but thankfully. It is the design of the word of God to make us wise to salvation; and those who propose any mean or low ends in attending upon it, dishonor the gospel, and disappoint their own souls."
James 1:21-22 (NASB): "Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." (See: Colossians 3:8, Matthew 5:22 and Ephesians 4:30-31.) "To do good imposes an obligation to do it."
Christians are to prove themselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. And, James 3:13 (NASB) says: "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom."
Let us, then, address the question: "Can the anger of man as referred to throughout the New Testament, and as here referred to in 1 Timothy 2:8 and James 1:19-20, be said to be a God-given emotion, and is therefore 'good or righteous' and not sinful?" And the answer is: "Of course not."
THE ANGER of MAN DOETH NOT THAT WHICH IS RIGHT
Chapter VI
Questions for Discussion
1. "The Anger of Man" may be triggered regarding the actions or words of others, such as road rage or domestic violence, or the trigger may be any event or circumstance for which one mistakenly believes that the action of anger is the proper response. If you are angry, do you know what makes you angry?
2. Proverbs 22:24 (NASB) says: "Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot tempered man." Do you agree or disagree?
3. Can you describe, in your own words, the teaching and commandments of Jesus as found in Matthew 5:20-24? How important do you think it is for Christians to obey the teaching and commandments of Jesus as found in Matthew 5:20-24?
4. Tertullian said: "When praying the Father, you are not to be angry with a brother. That we may not be as far from the ears of God as we are from His precepts, the memory of His precepts paves for our prayers a way unto heaven; of which precepts the chief is, that we go not up unto God's altar before we compose whatever of discord or offence we have contracted with our brethren. For what sort of deed is it to approach the peace of God without peace? How will he appease his Father who is angry with his brother, when from the beginning 'all anger' is forbidden us?" Do you agree or disagree?
5. Unfortunately, some men, who want to distort the gospel, suggest that the teaching of Jesus Christ and His Apostles regarding anger, and other sins, originated with radical Stoic philosophy and not with God. Is that a devil's lie or what? Do you agree or disagree with Peter and the Apostles who said in Acts 5:29: "We must obey God rather than men?"
6. Concerning the origin of the teaching of Jesus regarding anger and other sins, what did Jesus say in John 12:48-49 and in John 14:21? And, concerning the origin of the teaching of the Apostle Paul regarding anger and other sins, what did the Apostle Paul say in Galatians 1:11-12 and Titus 1:1-3?
7. What do you think the Apostle Paul means when he says in 1 Timothy 2:8 (NASB): "Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and dissension"?
8. James 1:19-20 (NASB) says: "This you know, my beloved brethren. But let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God." Can you express, in your own words, your understanding of the meaning of James 1:19-20 and how your understanding compares with that quoted from The Expositor's Greek Testament; Alford's Greek Testament; The People's New Testament; Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown; and, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry?
9. James 1:21-22 says that Christians are to prove themselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. Agree? Disagree? "Can the anger of man as referred to throughout the New Testament be said to be a God-given emotion, and is therefore 'good or righteous' and not sinful?"
THE ANGER of MAN DOETH NOT THAT WHICH IS RIGHT
CHAPTER VI FOOTNOTES:
1 The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume III (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Reprinted 1976), page 685.
2 The two Greek words properly translated "without anger" in I Timothy 2:8 are: cwriV orghV.
cwriV transliterated choris, is an adverb that means according to The Analytical Greek Lexicon: apart from; on a distinct footing from; without the employment of. It is the same word used in 1 Timothy 5:21 and is there translated: "without." And, orghV transliterated orges, is the genitive singular of orgh, transliterated orge, a noun; and it refers to "the fact, topic or theme of anger."
3 The Greek word translated anger is the noun orghn -- orgen, accusative singular of orgh -- transliterated: orge.
4 Thayer's Greek-English LEXICON of the New Testament by Joseph Henry Thayer, D.D. (Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1966) page 109.
5 orgh -- transliterated orge, nominative singular of orge, "the fact, topic or theme of anger."
6 Alford's Greek Testament, Volume IV (Grand Rapids, MI: Guardian Press, 1976, Public Domain).
7 The Expositor's Greek Testament, Vol. Four (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976) page 431.
8 The People's New Testament by Barton W. Johnson (St. Louis, MO: Christian Publishing Company, 1891, Public Domain).
It is the Word of God!
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The Bible Tells Us To Get Rid Of All Anger!
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