English 
Chinese 
Dutch 
Arabic 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
Russian 
French 
Italian 
German 
Japanese 
Continue reading with a subscription
Get unlimited access to all our premium content and exclusive features.
Enjoy unlimited access, cancel anytime.
Summary
- In people, wrath that seeks revenge is a sin: it is one of the seven capital or “deadly” sins (CCC 1866), and Paul lists “fits of anger” among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:20).
- Anger itself is not always sinful: “Be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26), and Mark says Jesus looked on his critics “with anger” (Mark 3:5).
- The Hebrew ‘aph means “nose” and, by extension, anger; the Greek orgē is settled indignation and thymos a sudden outburst.
- Thomas Aquinas, quoted in the Catholic Catechism, taught that anger is sinful when it seeks unjust revenge or exceeds what reason demands (CCC 2302).
- The wrath of God is his righteous judgment on sin (Romans 1:18; 2:5), and Scripture also calls him “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6).
- Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches all teach that Christ saves from God’s judgment, but they describe the cross and God’s wrath in different terms.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations from the English Standard Version: Genesis 4:5–8; 49:6–7; Exodus 22:22–24; 32:10–14; 34:6; 1 Samuel 18:8–11; Psalm 4:4; 103:8; Proverbs 15:1; Ezekiel 33:11; Matthew 5:22; Mark 3:2–5; John 3:36; Romans 1:18; 2:5; 5:9; 12:19; Galatians 5:20; Ephesians 2:3; 4:26–27, 31; Colossians 3:8, 13; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; James 1:19–20; Revelation 14:10. https://www.esv.org/
- Strong’s Hebrew 639 (‘aph), with the Brown-Driver-Briggs entry, and the entries for chemah, ‘ebrah, qetseph and charon, Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/639.htm
- Strong’s Greek 3709 (orgē) and 2372 (thymos), with Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/greek/2372.htm
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, question 158, “Anger,” articles 1–8. New Advent. https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3158.htm
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 615, 1866 and 2302. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
- John Cassian, Institutes, book 5. New Advent. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/350705.htm
- “John Cassian” and “Seven deadly sins,” Wikipedia, for the dates of Cassian’s Institutes and Gregory the Great’s list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins
- Lactantius, On the Anger of God, chapters 5 and 21. New Advent. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0703.htm
- Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 37. Christian Reformed Church in North America. https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/confessions/heidelberg-catechism
- Orthodox Church in America, The Orthodox Faith, volume 1, “Redemption,” and the Symbol of Faith (Nicene Creed). https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/doctrine-scripture/the-symbol-of-faith/redemption
