Zeal For Truth

Can a Christian have righteous anger?

I didn’t think so. But recently, surprised to find some Christians disagreeing with me on this, I started thinking about why I didn’t think so. Please welcome these “5 Disagreers” (some from the real-life disagreement), who are going to help me talk it out for your evaluation pleasure.

Let’s take a look at one of the most common verses on the subject:

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ….” (Ephesians 4:26; all Scripture quotations are NASB)

Disagreer #1: “This verse is practically commanding us to be angry sometimes – or at least to avoid sinning when we’re angry. And there’s a time limit.”

That verse seems pretty clear, so we read on down through the “don’ts” that follow, such as do not steal, do not speak bad things, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, till we hit verse 31 – “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Wait, let me think about that. How do I reconcile being angry with putting all anger away from me?

It brings to mind other passages that contrast the old nature and the new nature: Galatians 5:16-23 and Colossians 3:5-11. Each devote nearly an entire verse to anger-related characteristics that should not be true of us: “strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions…” (Gal. 5:20); “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth…” (Col. 3:8) It’s hard to go through these passages and think of cases of righteous slander, righteous immorality, righteous idolatry, righteous drunkenness… Why make an exception for anger?

Disagreer #2: “Well yes, obviously righteous anger doesn’t have much place among us as Christians. It’s only occasionally to be directed at unbelievers.”

Three problems with this: 1) Christians should be consistent 2) Hebrews 12:14 – “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” 3) Romans 12:18 – “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” That word “all” tends to mess up the fine science of exception-finding.

Disagreer #3: “Well, of course anger should never be directed at people, but instead at injustice in the world. We can channel that anger into good like doing something about injustice.”

Yes, that would be wonderful if it were practical or true. Unfortunately, 1) it is not very practical… it is very hard for us humans to only get mad at the idea of injustice or at a specific instance of injustice, instead of at the humans who are committing the injustice. 2) Can anger be used to do good? James 1:19-20: “…everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Disagreer #4 (changes tactics for a psychological punch): “Better to let it out than bottle it up.”

Excuse me? Since when did Christian living require choosing the lesser of two evils?

Disagreer #5: “Yeah, but we’re supposed to be like Jesus, and Jesus became angry.”

That’s true, he did become angry when he drove the sellers and moneychangers out of the temple, didn’t he? I looked up the passage in every Gospel – Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 2, searching in vain for some phrase such as “And when Jesus saw it he was moved with anger…” Oops, I couldn’t even find the word ‘anger’ or any of its relatives. Believe it or not, I was actually going to concede this point to Disagreer #5.

We can’t help but imagine Jesus being angry when he did that. And what about all the woes he pronounced on the Pharisees? How can anyone not be angry when he is calling people hypocrites and vipers and declaring, “how will you escape the sentence of hell?” (Matthew 22:29, 32).

Even if Jesus was angry at these times, let’s think about this. He knew the hearts of men even when He was a man (John 2:24-25). We, come to think of it, cannot actually see another’s heart. If Jesus was ever angry, somehow the epistle writers all forgot to remind us to imitate Jesus in His righteous anger, besides imitating Him in all the simple wimpy stuff – kindness, goodness, gentleness. Although, have you noticed? Sometimes it takes a lot more strength (from God) to be kind than to be righteously indignant.

I know we’re all human. Even though I cannot see any place for anger in my own life, I know it’s impossible to never feel the slightest anger or frustration, or ever speak another upset word. But can anyone make a positive case for righteous anger? It seems like the matter of vengeance. Vengeance cannot be inherently evil, because God says He will repay. If God can do it, it must not be evil. But then, we are not God.

“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).