What are "outbursts of wrath" in Galatians 5:20?

The next two on the list are idol-worship and witchcraft. How much we see in China of these two works of the flesh. Some people try to tell us these things are not altogether bad; but how much better it is to believe the Word of God, and flee from idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14). And remember the Apostle John's last words in his first epistle are: "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." For we may make other idols than those we see around us in China. My house may become my idol, or my books, or my study, or even my child. Anything that takes the place that God alone should have is an idol. Do not let us think these words have nothing to say to us. And how many persons there are who are what we call "superstitious." There are many things they will not do, because they say it will bring them "bad luck." This all comes under the heading of "witchcraft," and is one of the works of the flesh. Christ has made us free from all such things; let us stand firm in this freedom.

Then come eight bad works towards my brethren. First, enmities. How easy it is to have a spirit of enmity against a brother. He may have wronged us, and we do not forgive; after the enmities come quarrelling. The enmities we may have kept in our heart, but very soon it comes out in an open quarrel. The fault, we think, is all on his side; but when we were children and we quarrelled together, my mother always told us: "It takes two to make a quarrel." We may be certain if we are mixed up in a quarrel, it is because we have yielded to the flesh. Only by pride cometh contention! (Prov. 13:10.) Then comes jealousy, one of the most common things in the heart of man. Then outbursts of anger. We call it "quick-tempered" or "short-tempered," but it is one of the works of the flesh. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that the Lord is "long-tempered to us-ward." Then self-seeking. In Philippians 2:21 we read: "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Nearly all the Christians, even of Paul's day, had fallen under the power of this terrible work of the flesh. There was one young man who was exempt, and that was Timothy; so we might see that there is a way not to put into effect even this work of the flesh.

Wraths (thumoi), or fits of passion are, in men that profess to know God, most commonly ebullitions of false zeal. Man's anger never works the righteousness of God, but constantly resists it. It was when full of the indignation of rebuked self-righteousness that the men of Nazareth rose up in vain to kill the Lord (Luke 4:28-30). In Gentile as in Jew, we see the same exciting cause producing like effects (Acts 19:28, seq.). Both anger and wrath are to be put off by those who would put on, in their completeness, the garments of salvation and the ornaments of praise (Col. 3:6, seq.). "Party strifes" (eritheiai) stand next upon this dreary list, and are among the commonest, as well as least excusable, of the works of the flesh which show themselves within the Church of God. From the beginning of the gospel this form of evil has defiled and dishonoured the ministry of truth, though, thanks be to God, truth's efficacious power is not in its ministers but in itself. It has infested (Phil. 1:16-18), almost to its utter dissolution, that body which Christ calls His own, from the Corinthian scandals until now. It fades and disappears only before the presence of the cross, when the memory of Him who bore it in His lowly grace for us, and died not to divide but to bind together into one body, with no other mind than His, the children whom the Father gave to Him, is recalled freshly by the Spirit to our hearts (Phil. 2:3, seq.). It is well that those who think lightly of such things, should be reminded that to continue in this disposition to the end is a fatal condition of the human soul (Rom. 2:8).

Let us look for a little at both the positive and negative side of this picture. As usual, the negative comes first. We have already seen that there is a righteous anger, an anger that never transgressed the limits of righteousness in the blessed One of whom it is recorded, but which needs to be most jealously watched lest it should degenerate into fleshly passion in the believer. The anger here spoken of, however, is, as the context will show, of a different character, and is simply the work of the flesh. In Galatians, where the contrast between the fruits of the flesh and those of the Spirit is so strongly marked, we find among the works which are declared to be manifestly of the flesh, "hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings." (Gal. 5:20-21.) Such works, then, are unsuited to those who are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God; they grieve the Spirit; they belong to the old man which we have put oft; and have nothing to do with "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness of truth." How beautifully the same connection is shown in the writings of another apostle, who, after reminding believers that they are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever," continues his exhortation — "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new‑born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby." (1 Peter 1:23 — 2:2.)

Let us look for a little at both the positive and negative side of this picture. As usual, the negative comes first. We have already seen that there is a righteous anger, an anger that never transgressed the limits of righteousness in the blessed One of whom it is recorded, but which needs to be most jealously watched lest it should degenerate into fleshly passion in the believer. The anger here spoken of, however, is, as the context will show, of a different character, and is simply the work of the flesh. In Galatians, where the contrast between the fruits of the flesh and those of the Spirit is so strongly marked, we find among the works which are declared to be manifestly of the flesh, "hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings." (Gal. 5:20-21.) Such works, then, are unsuited to those who are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God; they grieve the Spirit; they belong to the old man which we have put oft; and have nothing to do with "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness of truth." How beautifully the same connection is shown in the writings of another apostle, who, after reminding believers that they are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever," continues his exhortation — "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby." (1 Peter 1:23 - 2:2.)

Let us look for a little at both the positive and negative side of this picture. As usual, the negative comes first. We have already seen that there is a righteous anger, an anger that never transgressed the limits of righteousness in the blessed One of whom it is recorded, but which needs to be most jealously watched lest it should degenerate into fleshly passion in the believer. The anger here spoken of, however, is, as the context will show, of a different character, and is simply the work of the flesh. In Galatians, where the contrast between the fruits of the flesh and those of the Spirit is so strongly marked, we find among the works which are declared to be manifestly of the flesh, "hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying." (Gal. 5:20-21.) Such works, then, are unsuited to those who are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God; they grieve the Spirit; they belong to the old man which we have put off, and have nothing to do with "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness of truth." How beautifully the same connection is shown in the writings of another apostle, who, after reminding believers that they are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever," continues his exhortation - "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby." (1 Peter 1:23 - 2:2.)

I see that I was forgetting your brother's question. Perhaps the word "wrath" is a difficulty to him. But it is the same word as is used of the Lord in Mark 3:5, and as a verb in Ephesians 4:26. "Be ye angry and sin not" (the word "wrath" in that verse is a still stronger one). There are times when the absence of it would indicate mere indifference, only it must not be allowed to last. With the heart that knows the grace of God, it would quickly give way to other considerations, such as what we had proved Him to be to ourselves. The sun must not go down upon it, lest if it lasts it degenerates into mere fleshly activity. It has no place in going into God's presence. We never could rightly look for His wrath upon His enemies. It is not the time for it. The imprecation of it in the Psalms and Prophets belongs to the time of His judgment. The other word in 1 Timothy 2 is "reasoning" really.

Is it not well to be reminded of this today? If the ends God has in view are achieved by it on occasion, as no doubt they are, we must remember it is by virtue of His so over-ruling, or so utilising it as to secure them by its means, and not on any account by reason of such being its real, or even ostensible, object. A Christian even (the passage exhorts), a new-born creature of God, is to be slow to wrath, remembering that the mere ebullition of human passion, into which even righteous wrath is so apt to degenerate, expresses not, furthers not, never in itself evolves, the righteousness of God. To praise Him He can make it. Turn it to the execution of His will, and harness it to the working out of His purposes — this He does continually. But, of itself, in its own aim, intent, direction and purpose, the righteousness of God is not what it seeks, nor is it at all calculated to advance it. How solemn to reflect that this wrath of man, this human violence, so antagonistic to God, so inherent in man, so useful to the enemy, is in some ways the most predominating element about him! History is simply, or largely, the record of its various outbreaks and achievements.

If we come to particulars, "all bitterness," I think, denotes every form of the sharp, unsparing mood which repels souls instead of winning them, and makes the most of the real or imagined faults of others. The "wrath and anger," next following, refer to the outburst of passion, and the more settled vindictive resentment, to which the indulgence of acrimony gives rise, a "clamour and evil speaking" are their respective counterparts in words: all flowing from the deep-seated fountain of "all malice," which is finally condemned in our verse. Thus, as we were warned against dishonesty in word and deed, before the allusion to the Holy Spirit's seal, so now, after it, hatred in its various parts and expressions is denounced. It is, alas, natural to the first man Adam — the same corruption and violence which brought the flood on the world of old, but, spite of God's judgment, renewed itself, and will, till Christ deal with man and Satan in person.

Of course, every saint allows the necessity of not permitting the flesh to manifest itself. But yet, whilst we thus condemn the works of the flesh, is not such a thing as covetousness, for instance, sometimes named among saints? Or anger, for example? Are there none of us who, at times say with Jonah, "I do well to be angry"? Whereas, we see here that anger is one of the works of the flesh. We must be clear of all these things. We must ask ourselves all through the list of them, Do I allow myself to be angry, to indulge in wrath, to give way to malice, to let blasphemy and filthy communication come out of my mouth? I cannot allow my will to come into activity, but that very moment I sin.

Turning for a moment to what is said about it in Scripture, we find that it is expressly forbidden (Matt.5:22; Rom.12:19); it is a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20); it is characteristic of fools (Prov.12:16; 14:29; 27:3; etc.); it brings its own punishment (Job 5:2; Prov.19:19); it is often stirred up by bad words (2 Sam.19:43, etc.), but pacified by meekness (Prov.15:1); that we should not provoke others to it (Eph.6:4; Col.3:21).