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for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:20)

Anger/Wrath: (Heb. אַף aph Gr. ὀργή orgē) The Hebrew term basically means “nose; nostril.” It is frequently used figuratively for “anger” because of the intense, vicious breathing or snorting of the enraged person. The sense of the Greek term is wrath, which is a feeling of intense anger that does not lessen, often on an extreme level. This is a state of fury. This is not some righteous indignation. – Ps 18:7, 8; Eze 38:18; Mk 3:5; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1Ti 2:8; Heb 3:11; 4:3; Jas 1:19-20.

Blomberg and Kamell offer an important sight when it comes to James use of “the righteousness of God” They write, “It is important to remember that this is not Paul writing, so that when James talks about the “righteousness of God” (δικαιοσύνην θεοῦ), he may mean something quite different than Paul’s characteristic subjective genitive (“the righteousness produced by God”; cf. Ro 1:17; 3:5, 21, 22, 25, 26; 10:3; 2 Co 5:21; Php 3:9). Here the genitive “of God” (θεοῦ) seems objective, because James is insisting that human wrath does not create the righteousness that can be offered or directed to God, the righteousness that we are called to live out on earth and that he demands from his followers.”^[1]

Douglas J. Moo concurs on this as well. “We would be wrong to think that James must be using the phrase in the same way that Paul does. Indeed, perhaps no greater mistake can be made in interpreting James than to read his letter in the light of Paul. James, we must remember, is writing (we have argued) before Paul had written any of his letters and probably has no direct knowledge of Paul’s teaching. James must be read against the background of the OT, Judaism, and the teaching of Jesus—not the apostle Paul. To be sure, James shares with Paul the use of Gen. 15:6, with its reference to ‘righteousness’ (2:23). And we would certainly make an equally significant mistake to assume that James could not have applied OT language in ways very similar to those of Paul. But the word ‘righteousness’ in Jas. 1:20 must be understood in light of the verb that governs it. And the combination ‘do’ or ‘produce’ righteousness makes it very difficult to think that James could be referring to God’s act or gift of righteousness. For how could anyone think that human anger could lead to such righteousness? ‘Do righteousness’ can mean ‘exact justice’ (see perhaps Heb. 11:33). The REB translates in this way, and the idea would seem then to be that James wants to dismiss any idea that people could justify their anger because it is accomplishing God’s own ends of retribution. But this meaning of “righteousness” is unusual. We are on firmer ground in thinking that James uses the phrase ‘produce righteousness’ with the meaning it normally has in the Bible: do what God requires of his people. Jesus used the word “righteousness” in just this sense when he called on his followers to exhibit a ‘righteousness’ exceeding that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matt. 5:20; see also 5:6, 10; 6:33).”^[2]

What Does the Bible Teach or Say About Anger?

The anger of man does not produce in the Christian life that righteousness which God expects. The angry one is inclined not to be obedient to God, but rather to be unfaithful. Anger does not cause us to welcome and espouse the truth but rather to do just the opposite. James is not trying to tell us that our anger will somehow make God less righteous. Instead, he is telling us a person who lacks control over his emotions will likely not walk with God through the difficult times of trials that are self-inflicted or produced by Satan’s world. And anger will not create a love of truth, which is required by God. A man cannot be confident that he will be obedient to God while under the influence of erratic, unpredictable emotions. If one is under the influence of anger, it is only a matter of time before he will commit a serious wrong in the eyes of God, which he will regret for the rest of his life. Specifically, being under the control of your emotions instead of controlling your emotions will never lead to a righteous standing before God.

THE WRATH OF MAN: Surely the Wrath of Man Shall Praise God

No one displaying a wrathful disposition can ever have a righteous standing before God. Wrathful ones will not see the wisdom of obedience to the Scriptures. When angry, we tend to make irrational decisions that will generally not be for the good of anyone, even creating long-lasting ripples within relationships. It could even be as simple as destroying property in a fit of rage, irrationally not caring about the cost. However, once we are calm, the realization that those seconds of fury have cost us hundreds of dollars, if not thousands, maybe even an irreplaceable family heirloom, can be very depressing. Our wrath also makes the righteousness of God difficult to accept by unbelievers who see our fits of rage, as opposed to seeing the qualities of God. If we are always angry, how are we projecting the image of God in giving a witness to our behavior? Can we imagine our stumbling someone out of seeking God because they question God based on our personality? Yes, a wrathful attitude from one who claims to be a Christian will block the righteousness of God. It will cause the unbeliever to turn away from hearing the Word of God. Solomon writes, “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” – Proverbs 14:29

^[1] Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 86.

Wall (Community of the Wise, 71), explains: “Because the phrase is used in James to qualify the importance of a wise response to trials, I suspect the [objective] use is primary here: wise conduct marks out God’s people.”

^[2] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 83–84.