God’s Wrath (Listen or Read)
What is God’s “wrath” [Greek—orgee]? The KJV translators translate this one Greek word by four English words: “wrath,” “anger,” “indignation,” and “vengeance.” Which is it? They don’t all mean the same thing. The literal translations, most often translate it as “anger.” Rotherham, Weymouth, and Young’s Literal translations all translate orgee as “anger” in the following passages.
¨ Jesus…delivers us from the wrath [orgee—anger] to come (1Th. 1:10).
¨ Because of these things the wrath [orgee—anger] of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience (Ep. 5:6; Col. 3:6).
¨ Wrath [orgee—anger] has come upon them [Israel] to the uttermost (1Th. 2:16). Note: “God’s anger in its severest form has overtaken them” (Weymouth). Anger in its “severest form,” yet all Israel will be saved (Ro. 11:25-26).
¨ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath [orgee]; for it is written, “vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord (Ro. 12:19). Notice Scripture interprets itself in this passage.
Orgee is interchanged with the idea of “vengeance,” “I will repay.” To “repay” signifies to recompense what is due, no more—no less. It is in total harmony with the many texts stating God will righteously judge each one according to his works. “He who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality” (Col. 3:25). “God renders to each according to his deeds” (Ro. 2:5-6). (See also: De. 32:2-3; Le. 24:19; Ps. 62:12; He. 2:2).
Being the most common word used by the literal translations, how does the dictionary define the simple word “anger”? “Extreme or passionate displeasure.”3 In brief, God’s wrath is His passionate displeasure and just recompense of sinful conduct, which He deals with fairly according to deeds. This is all that can be said about God’s wrath. How tragic that images of innumerable multitudes being cast into an eternal furnace of fire have been falsely associated with this word.
References: See Bibliography page
