Topical Bible: Anger: Brings Its own Punishment

◄ Anger: Brings Its own Punishment ►

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Anger, a powerful and often destructive emotion, is addressed extensively in the Bible. Scripture warns of the dangers and consequences of unchecked anger, emphasizing that it can lead to one's downfall and bring about its own punishment.

Biblical Warnings Against Anger

The Bible provides numerous admonitions against anger, highlighting its potential to lead to sin and destruction. In the Book of Proverbs, wisdom literature offers clear guidance: "A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a devious man is hated" (Proverbs 14:17). This verse underscores the foolishness that often accompanies rash anger, leading to actions that can have severe repercussions.

Furthermore, Proverbs 29:22 states, "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression" . Here, the text illustrates how anger can disrupt peace and lead to a multitude of sins, affecting not only the individual but also the community.

Consequences of Anger

The New Testament also addresses the consequences of anger. In the Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul advises believers: "Be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun set upon your anger, and do not give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4:26-27). This passage acknowledges that while anger is a natural human emotion, it must be controlled to prevent sin and avoid giving the adversary an opportunity to exploit it.

James, the brother of Jesus, further elaborates on the destructive nature of anger: "For man's anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires" (James 1:20). This verse highlights the incompatibility of human anger with the righteousness that God seeks in His followers, suggesting that anger can hinder one's spiritual growth and relationship with God.

Examples of Anger Leading to Punishment

The Bible provides several narratives where anger leads to punishment or negative consequences. One prominent example is the account of Cain and Abel. In Genesis 4:5-7, Cain's anger towards his brother Abel results in the first murder, leading to Cain's curse and exile. This account serves as a stark reminder of how anger, when left unchecked, can lead to irreversible actions and divine judgment.

Another example is found in the life of King Saul. His jealousy and anger towards David led to his downfall and eventual rejection by God. Saul's inability to control his anger resulted in a loss of divine favor and his tragic end, as recorded in 1 Samuel 18-31.

Divine Perspective on Anger

God's perspective on anger is also evident in His own character. While God is described as slow to anger and abounding in love (Psalm 103:8), His righteous anger is directed towards sin and injustice. This divine attribute serves as a model for believers, encouraging them to exercise patience and self-control.

In conclusion, the Bible consistently warns of the dangers of anger and its potential to bring about its own punishment. Through both direct teachings and illustrative narratives, Scripture calls believers to exercise restraint, seek reconciliation, and pursue the righteousness that aligns with God's will.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 5:2
For wrath kills the foolish man, and envy slays the silly one.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 19:19
A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if you deliver him, yet you must do it again.
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Proverbs 25:28
He that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
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Library

The Criminal and his Relation to Society.
... Was the slaying of Abel the result simply of jealousy or a sudden fit of anger or
of a gradual ... All crime thus in a sense brings its own punishment. ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study iii the criminal and.htm

To Monna Agnese who was the Wife of Messer Orso Malavolti
... Impatience loses the fruit of its labour, deprives the soul ... a foretaste of hell,
and later it brings men to ... the evil perverted will burns with anger, hate and ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to monna agnese who was.htm

The Rediscovered Law and Its Effects
... other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all ... finds its way through the
sand and brings the river ... messenger of God do than reiterate its threatenings ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the rediscovered law and its.htm

Against those who Think that what is Just is not Good.
... slavery, error, and captivity of the adversary, brings them peacefully ... o on); "who
is," [1193] has its place. ... Besides, the feeling of anger (if it is proper to ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter viii against those who think.htm

Sin's Writing and Its Erasure
... with truth, or yieldings to passion or anger, or indulgence ... It brings on
colour-blindness to some extent ... in these altars, and had, as it were, its most flagrant ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/sins writing and its erasure.htm

Book one in God's Searching Presence, Augustine Undertakes to ...
... with a fellow teacher, he was more tormented by anger and envy ... is even as thou hast
ordained: that every inordinate affection brings on its own punishment. ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book one in gods searching.htm

Its Problem
... power melts the mountains, whose anger shakes the ... by the convicted conscience, its
agonized possessor ... respecting justification necessarily brings before us the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the doctrine of justification/3 its problem.htm

Dr. Martin Luther Concerning Penitence and Indulgences.
... and the less it is, the greater the fear it brings. ... for himself the indulgences of
the Pope, but the anger of God ... out of free charity, on account of its own need ...
/.../luther/first principles of the reformation/disputation of dr martin luther.htm

1 Cor. xi. 28
... of the body, and of money, and of anger, and of ... Not from its own nature, saith he,
but from the will of ... Here he no longer brings his examples from others as he ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxviii 1 cor xi.htm

2 Cor. vii. 2, 3
... For the joy it brings to be loved in any ... tribulation, but through the excess of its
own greatness it ... mourning;" nor desire, but "longing;" nor anger, but "zeal ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xiv 2 cor vii.htm