ANGER AND SIN

Read it Again By Professor E M Blaiklock MA DLitt

XLIX.
ANGER AND SIN.
Re-read Ephesians 4.
When Ephesians 4:26 says, in the King James Version, "Be angry and sin not," is that not a justification of sharp temper, and, viewed logically, a contradiction in language?
Neither.
Both Latin and Greek often fail to distinguish between the copulative and the adversative conjunctions, "and," that is, and "but."
This verse should read, "Be angry, but sin not." Paul recognises, in other words, the existence of righteous anger. Anger can only be righteous when it is anger against wickedness, and completely unselfish, when it is a spark from "the wrath of God." The Lord cleansing the Temple was righteously angry. In Matt. 23, in the denunciation of Pharisaic sham and double-dealing, we have another illustration. The Lord was angry, but
"sinned not." The question
is, of course, whether any anger in our imperfect humanity can be quite unselfish. Subtle questions of self- esteem, and self-righteousness enter into our apparently most unselfish and most justified reactions of indignation. How can we be sure that our anger is sinless? We cannot. That is why Paul adds, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Read the verses in Way's translation. Here they are, "In your anger let there be no sin. Let not the sun go down while yet your wrath is hot. Nay, give the devil no such vantage-ground."