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Ephesians 2:3 – Wrath Avoidance

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Will

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Truth to Learn

Before we were saved we were destined for God’s wrath.

Behind the Words

The word “among” is translated from the Greek preposition en, meaning “in” or “among.”

“Conducted” is from the verb anastrephō. This is made up of ana, meaning “again” and strephō, meaning “to turn.” So, literally it means “to turn again.” When used of a person it is a metaphor meaning “to live one’s life.”

Epithumia is the Greek word translated “lusts.” It is made up of epi, meaning “over” or “above” and a form of thumos, which refers to “a passion or desire of the mind.” Thus, epithumia refers to “overly strong desires.”

The word “doing” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it means “doing.”

“Desires” is translated from thelēma which refers to “an act of determination.” So, it really means more than “desires.” It means “those things which we decided to do.”

“Flesh” is from sarx, which literally refers to “the meat or flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

The word “mind” is translated from dianoia which refers to “deep thought” or “imagination.”

“Nature” is from the Greek word phusis, which is derived from the noun phuō, meaning “to bring forth in birth.” It is used here as a metonym in reference to our natural inclination.

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which means “desire, strong emotion, anger, or wrath.”

“Others” is from the Greek word loipos, which is from the verb leipō, meaning “to lack” or “to leave something where it is.” In other words, it refers to “that which is left.” So, it could be translated as “the remainder” or “the others.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that before we became Christians we lived according to the ways of the world system in which we live. Our behavior was influenced by Satan who controls those who don’t believe in Christ.

What he tells us in today’s verse is that we used to live our lives controlled by the lusts of our flesh. Another way of saying this is that we used to be controlled by our sin nature. In the book of Romans, Paul calls it our “old man,” and he tells us that we used to be the slaves of sin:

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)

Because we were controlled by our fleshly desires and our imagination, Paul says we were children of wrath just like the rest of unsaved humanity. What he means is that before we were saved, we were God’s enemies and subject to his wrath. Some Christians think of God as a vengeful God, waiting for us to slip up so He can punish us. Other Christians don’t like to think of God as vengeful and exhibiting wrath; they like to think of God as a God of love. He is both. Those who receive Jesus Christ will one day experience God’s love completely, whereas those who reject Jesus Christ will one day experience the full fury of God’s wrath.

… And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15c)

Application

As a Christian you still have a sin nature, but you don’t have to be controlled by it. Instead, you can submit your will to God and allow the Holy Spirit to control your life.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 1:20 – Bad Example

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Will

Truth to Learn

We should not be easily angered because it does not show the world the type of godly example that we should be.

Behind the Words

In the previous verse we looked at the Greek word orgē, which refers to “violent passions.” It is most likely derived from the Greek word oregō, which means to stretch out with the hand or to snatch. Metaphorically, it means to covet, to long after, or to desire. Hence, orgē is the state of mind produced when we don’t get what we desire.

“Bring about” is translated from katergadzomai which is a compound word made up of kata, used as an intensifier and ergadzomai, which means “to work.” Put these together and we see that katergadzomai means “to work out, to bring about, or to fully accomplish.”

The word translated “righteousness” is dikaiosunē, which is based on the word dikaios meaning “equity, justice, or that which is right.” The sunē ending makes this an abstraction. Therefore, the word dikaiosunē means “the characteristic of doing that which is just or right.”

Meaning Explained

According to an area of Psychology called Cognitive Behavior Theory, “The main cause of anger is represented by our irrational perceptions and evaluations of situations when our rights and goals are apparently broken.” Put in layman’s terms, anger is caused when someone does something to us that we don’t like. When someone insults us, we don’t like it and we get angry. When someone cuts in front of us in traffic and slows us down, we don’t like it and we get angry. When the sports team we are rooting for loses, we don’t like it and we get angry.

Anger is a selfish response to a situation where we don’t get our way. This selfishness is not only the root of our anger, it is sin. God’s anger, on the other hand, is the result of people not giving Him the reverence that He alone deserves.

Because we have a sin nature, we are incapable of always responding properly to situations in our life. Because of His holiness, God is incapable of responding any way other than the right way. That’s His righteousness. He always does what is right.

The only way we can respond properly to difficult situations is to recognize that we belong to Christ; we have been bought with His blood. Because of that we have no personal rights and showing forth His righteousness is our high calling in life. But when we get angry because we think we have been wronged, we are sinning, therefore we are not producing righteousness.

James has just told us that we should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. The reason given here is that when we get angry we are not being an example of or a witness for God, which should be our full time occupation.

Application

The old adage of counting to ten before you get angry has some basis in this verse. Let us all work harder at keeping our cool, and keeping our testimony pure and God glorigying.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 1:19 – Ears Open, Mouth Closed, Without Anger

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Will

Know this, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Truth to Learn

Your hearing will do you much more good in your walk with God than your mouth will.

Behind the Words

There is a variant reading in the first part of this verse. Some manuscripts begin this verse with hōste, meaning “so then” or “therefore.” The best manuscripts, however, begin with histe, a form of eidō, meaning “know this” (imperative). The latter is probably the correct reading.

In the Greek text a literal reading is, “Know this, my brothers, beloved ones …” As we pointed out in the notes on verse sixteen, James is not saying that the brothers (and sisters) are beloved by him (though, surely they are), but that they (and we) are beloved ones of God.

The words “let … be” are translated from the Greek word estō, a form of eimi. This is the verb of being and it is a command. Hence, James is commanding us all to, “be swift the hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath!”

“Swift” is translated from tachu, meaning “quick or nimble.” Figuratively, it means “ready and willing.”

The word “slow” is from the Greek word bradus which means “slow” but metaphorically it means “inactive.”

The word translated “anger” is the Greek word orgē, which means “violent passion.” It often refers to getting so angry that we yell or throw things.

Meaning Explained

Here is what Albert Barnes says of this verse in his Notes on the New Testament,

Since God is the only source of good; since he tempts no man; and since by his mere sovereign goodness, without any claim on our part, we have had the high honor conferred on us of being made the first-fruits of his creatures, we ought to be ready to hear his voice, to subdue all our evil passions, and to bring our souls to entire practical obedience.

In other words, what James is saying in this verse is: because God dearly loves us and because of what He has done for us, we must all be promptly ready to hear, that is, to listen intently to what God has to say to us. In addition we should not be in a hurry to express our own views. We cannot hear very well, either physiologically or mentally, when we are talking. If we are to learn what God has to teach us, we need to work hard on listening and even harder on not talking. There is an ancient saying which says;

The ears are always open, ever ready to receive instruction; but the tongue is surrounded with a double row of teeth, to hedge it in, and to keep it within proper bounds.

Finally, in this verse James says that we are to be “slow to anger.” If we have truly received the perfect gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, then we should be eager to learn and we should not be characterized by outbursts of anger.

Application

There is a modern proverb which says:

It is better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all reasonable doubt.

I’m sure that James would say, “Amen!”

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – Why We Fight!

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Will

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

We need to realize what God has given us and fight for Him.

Behind the Words

“For” is from hoti, meaning “because.” It serves to introduce something that is the reason for what was just said.

The Greek word translated “appoint” is tithēmi, which means “to set” or “to put in place.” Here it means that God did not place us in a position in which we would receive His wrath.

“Wrath” is from orgē, which properly means “strong desire” or “excitement of the mind,” that is “strong passion.” By implication it means “punishment,” but it is most often translated as “wrath.”

Peripoiēsis is the Greek word translated “obtain.” It is made up of peri, meaning “around” and a form of poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” Thus, peripoiesis carries the meaning of surrounding yourself with things. It is most often translated with the English words “acquire” or “obtain.”

“Salvation” is translated from sōtēria, which refers to “safety, deliverance, or preservation from danger or destruction.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, Paul exhorted us to put on the breastplate of faith and love as well as the helmet of salvation. This is to be followed by being of a sober mind, thinking logically and rationally with a mind that is not under the influence of extreme thought patterns. You may know Christians who are so worried about losing their salvation that they have a difficult time moving forward in their Christian walk. Others are caught up in experiencing miraculous demonstrations of God’s Spirit and become distracted when they aren’t seeing such signs in their own lives. Still others are so bound by legalism that they spend all their effort trying not to break the rules their church has bound them with. They’re wearing so much spiritual fluff and have their minds so filled with distractions that they can’t effectively engage the enemy. As a result, they are easily defeated when they face spiritual battles.

Instead, Paul wants us to be dressed for battle and mentally prepared. The source of that mental preparation is knowledge of what the Bible actually teaches. The only way we can do this is to engage in regular, consistent reading and studing of God’s Word.

So, why should we always be prepared for spiritual battle? Why shouldn’t we live like the world, like those who have no clue regarding what the future holds? Because God did not put us here to receive His wrath; we will not experience the Day of the Lord. Instead we will be resurrected from the earth and granted complete salvation, that salvation which only comes from faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, out of a heart of true thanksgiving and gratitude, we should take up sides, put on the battle gear, and get ready to do battle for Him!

Application

Consider what God has done for us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. Consider what He has promised us, both now and eternally. Given what He has already done, how can we possible just drift through life? We need to get in the race! We need to engage in battle! We need to give our all to serving Him who gave us the most precious gift we could possible get!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 1:10 – He’s Coming!

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Will

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ is coming back very soon.

Behind the Words

“Wait” is translated from the Greek verb anamenō, which is made up of ana, used as an emphatic and menō, meaning “to remain.” Thus, anamenō means “to wait for expectantly with patience and confidence.” It is expressed as a present tense infinitive, indicating continuous action. We could translate this as “to keep on waiting.”

The verb”raised” is egeirō, which means “to awaken from sleep” or “to raise up from a bed.” It is used metaphorically to mean “to raise up from the dead.”

The words “the dead” are translated from ek nekrōn. The word ek means “out” or “out of” and nekrōn means “of the dead ones” or “from the dead ones.” Hence, this says that Jesus was not simply brought back to life, but that He was raised up from among the dead ones.

“Delivers” is translated from rhuomai which literally means “to draw to one’s self;” that is, to rescue. The picture is that of drawing someone out of a rushing river. It is expressed as a participle so it could be translated as “delivering us.”

Orgē is the Greek word translated “wrath.” It is a reference to the outpouring of action as a result of violent passion or of a vengeful mind.

The words “to come” are from erchomai, which means “to come” or “to go.” As used here it refers to “the wrath that is currently coming” or “the wrath that is on its way.”

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse we learned that Paul refers to the Thessalonian Christians as having turned to God from idols. As we mentioned, the church there was probably made up principally of converted Greek pagans rather than converted Jews. Not only did they turn away from their idols, they turned toward God and actively served Him with devotion.

In today’s verse we learn something else about these converted pagans: they were awaiting the return of our Lord. The implication is that they were expecting Him to return at any moment. Obviously, Paul had preached to them that not only had Jesus Christ been resurrected from the dead, but he was going to return to our physical world in physical form. In fact, the return of the Lord is a major theme that runs throughout this entire letter.

Another thing we learn here is that the Thessalonian Christians had been taught that God is going to pour out His wrath on sinful mankind. They also knew that God’s wrath would not be poured out on them because of their faith in the Savior. Salvation through Jesus Christ means more than simply a free ticket into heaven, it also means that we will avoid the vengeful judgment that God has reserved for those who reject Him.

Application

Are you living your life for God? Are you looking forward with eager expectation to the return of Jesus Christ? That eager expectation should be one of the things driving us to serve Him with complete devotion. Remember, He’s coming soon!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 5:6 – Don’t Be Deceived

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Will

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Truth to Learn

Don’t believe everything you hear taught about the Bible.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “deceive” is apataō, which means “to deceive” or “to seduce into error.” This word and a compound of it (exapataō) are used in the description of the trickery that Satan used on Adam and Eve in 1Timothy 2:14 and 2Corinthians 11:3.

“Empty” is from kenos, meaning “empty” or “hollow.” Metaphorically, it refers to that in which there is no truth.

“Wrath” is from the word orgē, which we saw back in Ephesians 4:26, where it was translated “angry.” The Greek word refers to “excitement of the mind” and generally refers to the inner emotion, although it is also sometimes used of the outward display of that emotion as in Revelation 19:15.

Apeitheia is the Greek word translated “disobedience.” It is a compound word made up of the negative particle a and a form of peithō, meaning “to persuade” or “to convince.” This word here refers to those people who have not been persuaded or convinced of the truth of the Gospel. Because of their lack of belief, they do not obey (or even recognize) God’s authority over them. Therefore, they are called “sons of disobedience.”

Meaning Explained

During the early years of the church, just as today, Satan was actively at work trying to deceive true believers. In Paul’s day there were those in the church who taught that since we are save by grace and our salvation is secured by the seal of the Holy Spirit, we can sin all we want. In fact, they said, by indulging in sinful pleasures we make God’s grace even greater. Paul was responding to this philosophy when he wrote,

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2)

These philosophers were not outside the church, openly attacking the flock, they were false teachers within the church in positions of authority, delivering great sounding messages cleverly designed to deceive. As I’ve said before, don’t blindly believe everything you hear from a preacher. Whether he’s in the pulpit of your own church, on television, on the radio, on the internet, or on the street corner, check what is being proclaimed against what the Bible actually says. If something doesn’t sound quite right, it probably isn’t. Check it out, do your own study, and dig for the truth like gold.

We all like to think of our Heavenly Father as a God of love, which He is, but He is also described as a God of wrath. Here we see one such example. It is true that He is not willing (desirous) that any should perish (2Peter 3:9), but those people who reject His offer of salvation will experience His wrath firsthand. For those of us who are saved, God has forgiven all of our sins (past, present and future), but each one we commit adds just a little more torture to Jesus’ experience on the cross.

Application

If you are truly saved then you will want to resist sinning and you will be sorry when you do sin. So – if you can sin without guilt, then you had better check because you may not have God’s seal of ownership. Are you truly sealed?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 4:31 – Grieving Actions

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Will

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

Truth to Learn

These are things which make God sad. Let’s not do them!

Behind the Words

The word “Bitterness” is the translation of pikria, from pikros which means “that which is unpleasantly sharp or extremely distasteful.”

“Wrath” is from thumos, which is from the verb thuō, meaning “to move violently, like a strong wind.” The word thumos refers to “a violent passion of the mind.” This describes the outward violent expression of the anger that is within.

The word “anger” is from orgē, which we saw back in verse twenty-six. Orgē refers to “excitement of the mind.” It is the inward feeling that sometimes is expressed outwardly as wrath.

“Clamor” is translated from the noun kraugē. This is from the verb kradzō, which is onomatopoeia (a word that mimics the sound of its meaning, such as “meow”) for the loud, coarse cry of a raven. Kraugē, which can ge used in a good or bad way, is used to describe the clamorous outcry of the crowd demanding Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:23), the fearful cry of the disciples who saw Jesus walking on the water thinking Him to be a ghost (Matthew 14:26), and to Stephen’s loud declaration of forgiveness for those who were stoning him (Acts 7:60).

The words “evil speaking” are from blasphēmia, which refers to “slanderous verbal abuse, attacking someone’s reputation.”

“Malice” is translated from kakia, derived from kakos which refers to “that which has no worth” or “that which is bad.” It refers to the internal quality as opposed to the outward expression or effect (which would be the word ponēros).

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse the Apostle Paul commanded us to stop grieving the Holy Spirit of God. Allow me to point out here that you can’t grieve a “thing.” You can only grieve a person who possesses emotions. This is evidence to us that the Holy Spirit is one of the three that makes up the Trinity or the Godhead. He is one God but three persons. Why does Paul talk about grieving the Holy Spirit rather than the Father or the Son? Because, as Paul told us in the previous verse, the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a seal and guarantee of our salvation. He somehow lives within us and is a constant witness to our thoughts and actions.

In today’s verse Paul expands on some of the things that grieve the Holy Spirit. Because He can’t be taken away from us, the Holy Spirit is ever present when we exhibit characteristics of our sin nature. When we act bitter, saying things that are sharply unpleasant to others, it grieves Him. When we get angry for the wrong reason and let it explode into an outburst of wrath, it grieves Him. When we are loud and clamorous, stirring up hate and resentment in others, it grieves Him. When we verbally attack others, impugning their reputation, it grieves Him. In fact, when we do anything “bad,” He is grieved.

Application

None of us wants to cause sorrow for those we love and who love us. Since we possess the Holy Spirit of God at all times, let’s put on the “new man” and not grieve Him who has sealed us, who preserves us until our redemption is completed. Our reason for obedience is not to preserve our salvation, it is to please Him who loves us!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:3 – Wrath Avoidance

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 2:3 – Wrath Avoidance

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Truth to Learn

Before we were saved we were destined for God’s wrath.

Behind the Words

The word “among” is translated from the Greek preposition en, meaning “in” or “among.”

The word “fulfilling” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it could be translated as “doing.”

“Desires” is translated from thelēma which refers to “an act of determination.”

“Flesh” is from sarx, which literally refers to “the flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

The word “mind” is translated from dianoia which refers to “deep thought” or “imagination.”

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which means “strong emotion, anger, or wrath.”

Meaning Explained

What he tells us in today’s verse is that we used to live our lives controlled by the lusts of our flesh. Another way of saying that is that we used to be controlled by our sin nature. In the book of Romans, Paul calls it our “old man,” and he tells us that we used to be the slaves of sin:

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)

Because we were controlled by our fleshly desires and our imagination, Paul says we were children of wrath just like the rest of unsaved humanity. What he means is that before we were saved, we were God’s enemies and subject to his wrath. Many Christians don’t like to think of God as vengeful and exhibiting wrath; they like to think of God as a God of love. He is both. Those who reject Jesus Christ will one day experience the full fury of God’s wrath.

He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15)

Application

As a Christian you still have a sin nature, but you don’t have to be controlled by it. Instead, you can submit your will to God and allow the Holy Spirit to control your life.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 13:4 – Authority of Vengeance

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Will

Romans 13:4 – Authority of Vengeance

For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

Truth to Learn

We are to submit to those in authority and give God the glory.

Behind the Words

The word translated “minister” is diakonos, which means “one who waits on tables.” It is the word from which we get our English word “deacon.” It specifically means one who serves the needs and desires of someone else, and it is most often used in reference to a spiritual hierarchy. It is sometimes translated as “servant.”

The word translated “avenger” is ekdikos, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” or “from” and dike, meaning “justice.” Thus, we see that this refers to someone who carries out justice, that is, a punisher or an executioner.

“Wrath” is from orgē, which we have looked at before. It refers to “excitement of the mind.” This word can be interpreted as “strong desire,” but it can also be interpreted as “violent passion, anger, or wrath.”

Meaning Explained

The first thing that we need to ascertain in this verse is who “he” is. “He” is a reference to “the authority” spoken of in the previous verse, and it refers both to the position and to the person in that position. Those who are in authority are placed there as ministers or servants in God’s hierarchy and they are there for the purpose of doing good.

In the previous verse Paul told us that the way to not fear those in authority is to do good. In this verse he addresses the other side of that coin. “But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain.” The use of the word sword here is a reference to the ability of those in authority to execute justice on those who disobey. It may, in fact, be a reference to the ability of civil government to execute capital punishment. Paul even supports this in his next phrase, “for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”

Clearly, Paul is telling us that the power and authorization of those who are in authority over us comes directly from God for the purpose of keeping peace and punishing evildoers. But what about those in authority who are themselves evil; should we resist them? Let’s look at David as our example here. In 1Samuel 24 he was being pursued by Saul, the King, even though David has done nothing to warrant this persecution. David and his men, hidden in a cave, have the opportunity to kill Saul when he comes into the same cave to take a nap. David refuses to kill Saul because he is God’s anointed.

And he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.” (1Samuel 24:6)

If David refused to strike Saul because he was God’s anointed ruler, then we should also refuse to act against one who God has ordained to be over us.

Application

We Christians must respect those in authority over us though they have power to do evil to us. We may not like them and they may not like us, but we are to submit ourselves to them because of their position. Such submission pleases God.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 12:19 – Who’s The Judge

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Will

Romans 12:19 – Who’s The Judge

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Truth to Learn

There is only one Judge and we need to let Him do His job.

Behind the Words

The word translated “avenge” in the first part of this verse and “Vengeance” in the second part is ekdikeō. This is made up of ek, meaning “out of” or “from” and a form of dike, which means “justice,” “judgment,” or “that which is right.” Hence, ekdikeō means “to hand out your own justice.” In other words, it means to take punitive action against someone whom you have judged to be guilty of causing you harm.

“Wrath” is translated from the Greek word orgē, which refers to “excitement of the mind.” This word can be interpreted as “strong desire,” but it can also be interpreted as “violent passion” or “anger.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now caps off what he has been saying in the past two verses. Not only has he told us that we should be proactive about doing good things to others and peacefully coexisting with them, he now commands us, “do not avenge yourselves.” Why not? Because when we take matters into our own hands we sinful humans are notorious for making incorrect judgments based on our biased perception of the facts. God, on the other hand, is a perfect judge and always judges rightly based on the real truth.

A similar admonition was given to the Jews:

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18)

The second phrase in today’s verse, “but rather give place to wrath” is a literal translation, but it has been the subject of much discussion among Greek scholars as to what it really means. In the Greek text there is a definite article before “wrath” so it reads “the wrath,” which is likely a reference to God’s wrath. Based on all the evidence I would paraphrase the first part of today’s verse as, “instead of stepping in and taking on the responsibility of executing judgment for yourself, back-off and let God decide who’s guilty.” Paul follows this phrase with a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:35,

Vengeance is Mine, and retribution; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.

God promises that He will take retribution on those who oppose Him and cause harm to His children. But He will do so in a righteous manner, pouring out His wrath on those who deserve it based on truth.

Application

Instead of executing revenge on those whom we think have wronged us, let us humble ourselves before Almighty God and trust that He understands the situation correctly and trust that as our Holy Father, He will do what is right and just.

God, grant us the ability to resist the temptation to retaliate. Give us the love of Christ that we might be forgiving even of those who truly wrong us, and give us the faith to understand that You always judge rightly.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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