A NT WORD STUDY OF WRATH

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Matthew 3 opens with John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea (Matt. 3:1).

1.       His preaching was extremely popular (Matt. 3:5).

2.       Too, his preaching was very successful (Matt. 3:6).

 

B.      His message and popularity brought the religious leaders out to see him.  This is how John addressed them (Matt. 3:7).

 

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 

1.       This is the first time the word “wrath” is used in the New Testament.

2.       However, it will not be the last.  It will be used 46 more times in 44 verses.

 

C.     It is imperative for us to come to an understanding of this word.  If not, we might become somewhat confused in our studies.  Let’s look at an example.

1.       In Romans 1:18, we read of the wrath of God.

2.       But, in Galatians 5:20, we find wrath listed among the sins of the flesh.  Paul tells us “that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21).

3.       Why is it that God can manifest wrath, but if man displays it, it will condemn him?

 

D.     Let’s look at “wrath” in this lesson.  The title of this lesson is:  “A New Testament Word Study of Wrath.”

 

I.                    THREE GREEK WORDS ARE TRANSLATED WRATH

 

A.     One of the Greek words translated “wrath” is “orge.”

1.       It is the most commonly used word for wrath in the New Testament.

2.       This word is found 36 times in the New Testament.

3.       It is translated into four English words:  anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath.

 

B.      The second Greek word translated “wrath” is “thumos.

1.       This word is found 17 times in the New Testament.

2.       It is found ten times in the book of Revelation.  Seven of those times it applies to the wrath of God.

3.       It is translated into three English words:  fierceness, indignation, wrath

 

C.     The third word translated “wrath” is “parorgismos” and is only found 1 time in the New Testament (Eph. 4:26).

 

Be ye angry, and sin not:  let not the sun go down upon your wrath. 

 

D.     NOTE:  In our introduction, we noted that the word “wrath” is found 46 times.  If you have kept count in this section, we have said that the three Greek words are found 54 times in the New Testament.  That is because they are translated 7 times by such words as “anger,” vengeance,” indignation,” and “fierceness.”

 

 

II.                 THE THREE GREEK WORDS FOR WRATH DEFINED

 

A.     Orge

1.       Strong (3709):  desire, excitement of the mind, violent passion, ire, justifiable abhorrence, punishment 

2.       Thayer:  anger, movement or agitation of the soul, anger, wrath, indignation, anger exhibited in punishment

3.       Vine:  anger, the strongest of all passions

 

B.      Thumos

1.       Strong (2372):  passion (as if breathing hard)

2.       Thayer:  passion, angry, heat, anger, boiling up and soon subsiding again

3.       Vine: 

 

C.     Parorgismos (3950)

1.       Strong (3950):  rage

2.       Thayer:  indignation, wrath, exasperation

3.       Vine:  a strengthened form of orge

 

D.     Orge vs Thumos

1.       Orge

a.       A more settled and abiding condition of the mind

b.      Less sudden in its ire

c.       The more active emotion

2.       Thumos

a.       More agitated condition of feelings

b.      Rises suddenly

c.       Blazes up quickly and subsides quickly

 

III.              BROAD TEACHINGS ABOUT WRATH FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

 

A.     The New Testament speaks of four who can possess wrath.

1.       Man (James 1:20)

 

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

 

2.       Rulers/government (Rom. 13:4b)

 

…for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

 

3.       The devil (Rev. 12:12b)

 

…for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

 

4.       God (Rom. 1:18)

 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

 

B.      Not all wrath is sinful.

1.       Man can possess wrath or anger and not sin (Eph. 4:26)

 

Be ye angry, and sin not:  let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

 

a.       We can be angry and refuse to sin.

b.      The counsel of the apostle, however, is to dispose of this wrath before the sun goes down.  The longer is abides, the more likely the tendency to commit sin.

 

2.       The wrath of the government (Rom. 13:4) and the wrath of God (John 3:36) are not sinful forms of wrath. 

a.       Their anger is what we might call “judicial wrath.”

b.      Man has violated the law and justice demands the wrath, or punishment, from the keepers of the law.

 

C.     There is a form of wrath that is sinful and needs to be discarded.

1.       Example:  the craftsmen of the city of Ephesus (Acts 19:21-28, esp. v. 28)

a.       Demetrius’ meeting called (Acts 19:24-25a).

b.      The issues discussed (Acts 19:25b-27)

1)      Our craft is in danger to be set at nought.

2)      The great goddess Diana should be despised.

c.       The reaction of the craftsmen (Acts 19:28)

 

And when they heard these saying, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

 

1)      Their anger led to a riot.

2)      They caught two men, Gaius and Aristarchus, and rushed with them into the theater.

3)      It took the actions of the town clerk to appease the people.

 

2.       The New Testament exhorts us to put away sinful anger (Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8)

 

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.

 

3.       When others have harmed us and we are tempted to express our wrath, we need to give these situations to God.  It is God who executes vengeance (Rom. 12:19).

 

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:  for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

 

D.     Interesting verses regarding wrath.

1.       The law worketh wrath (Rom. 4:15)

 

For the law worketh wrath…

 

2.       Children of wrath (Eph. 2:3)

 

…and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

 

3.       Pray without wrath (1 Tim. 2:8)

 

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

 

4.       Man needs to be slow to wrath for man’s wrath does not work the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20).

 

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

 

5.       The Bible speaks of the wrath of Babylon’s fornication (Rev. 14:8; 18:3).

 

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication…

 

E.      God’s wrath

1.       God’s wrath described:

a.       God’s wrath can be poured out without mixture (Rom. 14:10).

b.      His wrath is referred to as “the great winepress of the wrath of God” (Rev. 14:19).

c.       In Revelation 16:19 and 19:15, we read of “the fierceness of his wrath.”

1)      Fierceness is the word “thumos.”

2)      Wrath is the word “orge.”

2.       God’s wrath can be manifested immediately (Heb. 3:11).

 

So I sware I my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

 

3.       There is the wrath of God which is to come, that is, it is in the future (Matt. 3:7; Rom. 2:5).

 

But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

 

4.       There are certain actions manifested by man that will bring the wrath of God upon him.

a.       Hardness and impenitent heart (Rom. 2:5)

b.      Contentious, do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness (Rom. 2:8).

 

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.

 

c.       Disobedient (Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6)

 

Let no man deceive you with vain words:  for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

 

5.       Through Jesus Christ, man can be saved from the wrath of God.

a.       Romans 5:9

 

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 

b.      1 Thessalonians 1:10

 

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Revelation 6:17

 

For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

 

B.      1 Thessalonians 5:9

 

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.