Anger,
Wrath, Bitterness, and Hate
“Anger”
(Heb. word – “aph” – meaning snorting).
Prov.
15:1 What stirs
up anger?
[A
harsh word is saying something that is severe or crude or in a rough manner.].
Why do you think people in
general speak harshly?
Though speaking a harsh/severe
word can and usually does stir up anger, does that mean it’s necessarily always
wrong (see Matt. 23:13-17, 24-28, 33;
Acts 7:51-55; 13:8-10)?
Do you ever speak harshly (rough, irritatingly, severely)?
If so,
for what reason (e.g., a biblical one or
a self-centered one)?
If it’s for a biblical reason
and people get angry, don’t worry about it; it’s their problem. But if it’s for
a self-centered reason, what do you plan to do about it in the future so that
you don’t stir up anger?
Prov.
On the other hand, what do
those who are slow to anger do?
Do
people view you as hot-tempered or slow to anger, and why?
How do you view yourself, and
why?
If you’re slow to anger, how
did you become/get this way?
And what advice would you give
a hot-tempered person to help him/her become slow to anger?
Prov.
Why do you think that this is
so?
Do you hold your anger in by
controlling it (ruling your spirit),
or do you express it externally, and why?
If you express it externally,
what form does it take, or how do you express it in word and/or action?
How can you change so as to be
patient (Eph.
Prov.
Do you know when it’s wrong/sinful to be angry? If
so, how do you determine when it’s wrong?
Would knowing when God the Father
and/or Son get angry help because neither one can sin (Matt. 5:48; 1 Sam. 2:2; Rev. 15:4; Titus 1:2; 1 Jn. 3:5; 1 Pet. 2:22)?
If so, when do they get angry,
or at what do they get angry [e.g., Ex.
“Anger” is primarily the Greek word “orge”/“orgizomai”
and is the emotion of instant displeasure or indignation, arising from the
feeling of injury done or intended mistreatment, opposition, or from the
discovery of offense against law. Anger is not sinful per se (as anger toward
sin, holiness offended, or God slandered). Anger is sinful when it is the reaction
toward one’s self being offended (hurt pride).
Mk.
3:2-6 Why was Jesus looking with anger at the Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders)?
Have you ever been angry at
man-imposed, religious rules that superseded the well-being of an individual (physically, emotionally, or spiritually)? What, when, and why?
Matt.
3:7-9 What did John the Baptist say that implies that he was angry
with the Pharisees and Sadducees?
Have you ever been angry with
the hypocrisy of religious leaders? If so, over what issue(s)?
Jn. 2:15-17 How do you think Jesus felt about the
money changers and animal-sacrifice sellers because of their defiling of God’s
house with corrupt business practices?
How did
you come to your conclusion?
How do you think God feels about
people who go to church/Bible study groups primarily to: find business
contacts, play bingo, buy/sell items at church bazaars, find sexual partners,
be entertained, etc., and why?
Eph.
4:31;
Are these things swept clean
from your life? If so,
how did you do so?
Eph.
There is an anger which is
righteous. Have you ever been angry over injustice, sin, blasphemous
statements, etc.?
If so,
when and what?
Have you ever allowed what
started out to be righteous anger to turn into personal revenge and thereby
sin?
What should be the safeguard
time limit that our anger should end by (vs.
26)?
What else should we be
cautious of (vs. 27), and why?
Have you ever been so angry
with someone that it lasted for days, weeks, months, or even years, and it led
you to bitterness, evil thoughts, and carnality? Did you finally deal with it? If so, how?
Rom.
Instead, what should we do or
leave room for?
When you’ve been hurt by
someone (either physically or
emotionally), have you ever taken your own revenge on that person, and why?
Titus
1:7 Not being
quick tempered or prone to anger must be the quality of whom?
Would you qualify as an
overseer/elder?
If not, what steps,
specifically, would you need to take to qualify (Eph.
Jas.
1:19, 20 What are we told, regarding our being angry?
And
why?
How quickly do you get angry?
When you do, is it righteous
anger or selfish (sin-nature based)
anger, and how do you know?
“Wrath”
is the Greek word “thumos” and means a more turbulent
commotion; deep indignation expressing itself in a desire to punish or get
revenge; hot anger.
Gal.
5:19, 20 Outbursts of
anger or wrath come from what source?
How can you deal with this
source, so that you are not producing outbursts of anger (see Eph.
Col.
3:8; Eph.
Have you put these things away
from your life? If
not, why?
And when will you?
“Wrath” is to be
distinguished from “anger” in this respect:
1.
Wrath indicates a more
agitated condition of the feelings; an outburst from inward indignation, while
anger suggests a more settled or abiding condition of mind.
2.
Anger is less sudden
in its rise than wrath, but more lasting in its nature.
3.
Wrath expresses more
the inward feeling, anger the more active emotion.
“Bitterness”
is the Greek word “pikria” meaning severe hate;
fierce disposition; harsh; sharp and disagreeable taste.
Eph.
Do you tolerate any bitterness
to reside in your life? If so, when, and why?
Heb.
What
can a bitter person do to others that he/she is around?
How could you make sure that this
bitter person doesn’t defile/infect others (2
Tim. 4:2; 1 Cor. 5:6, 7, 11, 13; Titus
“Hate”
is a malicious and unjustifiable feeling toward another; to abhor or to loath;
a right feeling of turning away from what is evil; or of relative preference
for one thing over another.
“sane” is the Hebrew word for hate.
Prov.
Do you hate (turn away from and abhor) these things? Why?
Prov.
13:5 What does a
righteous person hate?
Do you hate this? If not, are you really a
righteous person, and why?
Psa.
34:21 What will
happen to those who hate the righteous?
Why do
you think some people hate righteous people?
Have you ever hated a
righteous person? If so, why?
What can or should you do so
that it doesn’t happen (Eph.
“Misco” is the Greek word for “hate”.
Matt.
Do you people hate you because
of your identifying with or imitating Christ?
If so, why do you think this
is (see Jn.
What will be true of those who
are hated because of their identification with Christ (Lk.
Is this true of you? Why?
Jn. 7:7 Though people did not hate (have malicious feelings for) Jesus’ physical half-brothers, why
did they hate (have malicious feelings
for) Jesus?
Do people hate you for this
same reason?
If so, share an example.
Jn. 12:24, 25 What will happen to the
person who loves his/her soul/life (the
life of the body as to indulge his appetites and make provision for the flesh
to fulfill its lusts)?
And what will happen to the
person who hates (prefers less; despises
as vain and insufficient; parts with when it comes in competition with love and
service for Christ) his/her soul/life in this world (the enjoyments of our present state; riches; honors; pleasures; etc.)?
Do you love the values and
pleasures of this worldly life more than you love Christ and eternal benefits,
and why?
1 Jn. 2:9-11 What is said of the person who hates (has malicious and unjustifiable feelings
toward) his/her Christian brother?
Has this ever been true of
you?
If so, what happened?
1 Jn.
Have
you ever murdered another Christian in your mind and emotions?
If so, what did you do about
it?
What
should you have done about it (1 Jn. 1:9;
Eph.
1 Jn.
Why?
Have you ever lied to yourself
or another in this area?
Now that you know this, will you be honest with yourself from now on?