Originally posted by Timothy
That's an awesome post and use of smilies!
:thumb:
On a serious note, on "another" message board, a few fellow Christians were implying that anger was a sin. I had put this together as a post, so I thought I would share it here....
Anger
The false belief that anger is a sin is quite easy to disprove scripturally. For example:
Pslams 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
God can be angry, and he is still righteous. So besides simply "false teaching," what is the source of this misconception? There are at least two possible reasons.
First, there is a common misconception about Christ, where some make him out to be "wimpy" and think that he never did anything "harsh." Christ harshly chastisted unbelief, hypocrites, false doctrine, etc. He also went into the temple and overthrew the money changer tables. He also demonstrated anger.
Matthew 21:12-13 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Second, there is an issue with some modern Bible versions. According to the NIV, anger is a sin, and that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subject to judgement.
Matthew 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
See the same verse in the King James, which has a totally different meaning. The phrase "without a cause" is missing from the NIV, hence the different meaning. It is "sad" to note that by placing the NIV Matthew 5:22 with Mark 3:5, the NIV implies that Christ sinned by being angry.
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
The Bible clearly shows that anger is not a sin. So what does the Bible say about anger?
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath
The next time you start to get angry, remember this verse. IT IS OK TO BE ANGRY! But don't let the sun go down upon your wrath. Instead of "bottling" it up and filling yourself with anger, the best thing you could do is let it out, gently. Tell a fellow brother in Christ why you are angry at something - they'll help you release the anger. Just telling someone will help. Better yet, if you are angry with someone, tell them! Approach them GENTLY and tell them that you are angry with them. Tell them that you don't want to be angry with them an hour from now because care for them, etc.
--
:jump: I don't know why, but this jumping guy that you used makes me laugh!
