Anger...confusing

James1:20 for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.
The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

Mark3:5 He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

John2:13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

Matt 21:12 Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

(Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48)


It is somewhat confusing when we read on the topic of anger in the bible. The bible seems to be confused in whether we are to be angry or not be angry.

Listing out some of the verses above make it more baffling. James tells us the anger that we conjure does not conjure up God's righteousness. So at a glance we are put up with a reference that tells us our anger leads to the wrong way. Other verses also calls us to put it off 2 Cor 12:20; Gal 5:20; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1 Tim 2:8.



Looking at the verses above they all are pointing to our own anger.The type of anger that is motivated by self, by us. An anger that is motivated solely by our own self agenda. By reading the verses in the paragraph above this is what i believe the type of anger that the the bible teaches us, because this type of anger deals solely with our own self interest alone.

There are some verses that talks about anger also, that is the reality of it. In a world like our anger exists and will not leave us. So the bible tells us:

26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil.
The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

We can get angry, it is a reality but don't let it swell on to bitterness. That is what this verse basically means. Another on in James also tell us the reality of anger and that its existence:

19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger
The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

It simply tells us anger exists but make a proper assessment before it is manifested. This is being angry with a good reason.

So if i would weigh whether we can get angry or not the bible gives us a realistic look on anger.

1. Anger that is motivated by us is what the bible speaks against.
2. Anger exists and will not go away.
3. We deal with anger, by not welling it and let it lead to bitterness.
4. We do well to assess situations throughly before we jump into conclusions on being angry.

Jesus is a good example of what good anger looks like. We do good to reflect his actions and how he went about it.