Ephesians 4:26—Is anger a sin or not?

Problem: On the one hand, the Bible seems to approve of anger, saying, “be angry” (Eph. 4:26). On the other hand, the Bible seems to disapprove of it, listing it as one of the “works of the flesh” (Gal. 5:19–20).

Solution: Anger as such is not necessarily wrong. In fact, anger at sin is definitely right. Jesus was angry at unbelief and hypocrisy (cf. Matt. 23; John 2:13–17), and God is angry at unrighteousness and apostasy (cf. Ex. 4:14; Num. 11:1). What is wrong is not anger at sin, but sinning in anger. Briefly, there is both a good sense and a bad sense of anger:

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.