Ephesians 4:25-27

 

 

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Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: Dio apothemenoi (AMPMPN) to pseudos laleite (2PPAM) aletheian hekastos meta tou plesion autou, hoti esmen (1PPAI) allelon mele.
Amplified: Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.  (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
NLT:  So put away all falsehood and "tell your neighbor the truth" because we belong to each other.  (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips:   Finish, then, with lying and tell your neighbour the truth. For we are not separate units but intimately related to each other in Christ. (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest:  Wherefore, having put off the lie once for all, be speaking truth each with his neighbor, because we are members belonging to one another.  (
Erdmans
Young's Literal:   For this reason, laying aside falsehood, every one of you should speak the truth to his fellow man; for we are, as it were, parts of one another.

REFERENCES

Albert Barnes
Wayne Barber
J M Boice
John Calvin
Thomas Constable
Bob Deffinbaugh
Bob Deffinbaugh
Explore the Bible
David Guzik
S Lewis Johnson
John Piper
John Piper
A T Robertson
Ray Stedman
Marvin Vincent
John Wesley
Precept Ministries

Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4:22-27: A Brand New Way of Life -  3
Ephesians 4 Body Life (Audio)

Ephesians 4
Ephesians Expository Notes

Ephesians 4:25-27 Putting Off Lies & Embracing Truth

Ephesians 4:26-27 Righteous Anger

Ephesians 4:17-32: Practice Holy Living
Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Christian's Use of Tongue - Audio or Pdf
Ephesians 4:22-27 Satan Seeks a Gap

Ephesians 4:25 Speak Truth w Your Neighbor

Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4:22-27: Practicing Christianity

Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4:30: On Grieving the Holy Spirit
Ephesians Lesson 1 - 37 pages PDF

THEREFORE, LAYING ASIDE FALSEHOOD: Dio apothemenoi (AMPMPN) to pseudos:  (Leviticus 19:11; 1 Kings 13:18; Psalms 52:3; 119:29; Proverbs 6:17; 12:19,22; 21:6; Isaiah 9:15; 59:3,4; 63:8; Jeremiah 9:3-5; Hosea 4:2; John 8:44; Acts 5:3,4; Colossians 3:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; 4:2; Titus 1:2,12; Revelation 21:8; 22:15

Therefore (1352) (dio) is a relatively emphatic marker of a result, usually denoting that the inference is self-evident. Synonyms - So then. Consequently. For that reason. On which account.

Laying aside (659) (apotithemi from apo = away from, marker of dissociation, implying a rupture from a former association, separation, departure, cessation, any separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed  + tithemi = put, place) (Click word study on apotithemi) means literally to put or take something away from its normal location and put it out of the way. It was used literally of runners who participated in the Olympic games who cast off their clothes and running nearly completely naked in the stadium.

Figuratively the idea is to cease doing what one is accustomed to doing. Stop doing it.  "Throw" it off like you would dirty, foul smelling clothes! Be done with it! The aorist tense calls for a once and for all, definite, concluding action. The stripping off is to be done at once and for good.

In this verse the verb signifies that the saved readers are to take an action (their practice) that is in agreement with their change in identity (their position), from the old man (who practiced lying) to the new man who is called to speak truth (in love). Apotithemi means we as new men in Christ are to discard, strip off or cast away lies and falsehood. Note that we are to lay aside every form of dishonesty, including shading the truth, exaggerating, failure to keep a promise, betrayal of a confidence, etc. There is no such thing as a "little white lie" for those who are positionally holy and blameless. The believer's word is to be totally trustworthy and yes should mean  yes and no should mean no. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus called his hearers to the same high standard declaring...

Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.' 34 "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36 "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; and anything beyond these is of evil. (See notes Matthew 5:33-35, 5:36-37)

Paul used apotithemi in his exhortation to the saints at Rome, writing that...

The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (See note Romans 13:12)

In his letter to the predominantly Gentile saints at Colossae Paul exhorting them based on their new position in Christ (and no longer in Adam)...

But now you also, put them all aside: (aorist imperative = do this now! do it effectively! it is urgent!) anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self (man) with its evil practices, (See note Colossians 3:8; 3:9)

The writer of Hebrews used apotithemi in his great exhortation writing...

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (See note Hebrews 12:1)

Peter addressing his believing readers exhorted them writing...

Therefore, putting aside (apotithemi) all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (See note 1 Peter 2:1; 2:2)

Luke gives us a literal use of apotithemi to describe the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who

"began stoning (Stephen), and the witnesses laid aside (apotithemi) their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. " (Acts 7:58).

They laid aside their outer garments so they could more freely do their wicked work. The Christian lays aside the following attitudes, so he can be free to do the righteous work of the Lord.

Falsehood (5579) (pseudos pseudos from pseúdomai = to lie) describes an untrue statement, an intentional violation of the truth, a lie or a deception. Falsehood is that which is in the state of being untrue. Pseudos is the content of a false utterance. Pseudos is conscious and intentional falsehood. In a broad sense, pseudos is whatever is not what it seems to be or professes to be (the antithesis of truth).

Webster says a lie is an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive. It is an intentionally false statement.

A lie is any statement or act designed to deceive another person. The motivation for most lying is a desire either to hurt the one against whom the lie is directed or to protect oneself, usually out of fear or pride.

The Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology says that...

The sanctity of truth is fundamental in biblical teaching since it is based on the nature and character of God.  Therefore, to despise truth is to despise God, and the Scriptures treat this topic with profound seriousness. In the garden of Eden the serpent denied the truth of God’s pronouncement and encouraged the woman to act in defiance of divine truth (Ge 3:4)... Lying undermines moral standards and is, therefore, often associated with even more glaring sins  (Elwell, W. A., & Elwell, W. A. Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House)

As an aside someone has well said that he most dangerous of all falsehoods is a slightly distorted truth.  A half truth is a whole lie.

There are 10 uses of pseudos in the NT...

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

Romans 1:25 (note) For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Comment: Literally "the lie" and here stands by metonymy for an idol. See Isaiah 44:20 below.)

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

2Thessalonians 2:9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, (Comment: Literally "signs and wonders of a lie". Both bear the stamp of fraud. Here pseudos refers to false, fictitious, pretended miracles calculated to deceive - in this case to deceive people into the acknowledgement of the false claim that the Antichrist is deity.)

2Thessalonians 2:11 And for this reason (because of their willful rejection) God will send upon them a deluding influence (literally a working -- energeia -- of error) so that they might believe what is false, (literally "the lie" in this case deluding men to believe Satan and not God)

1John 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

1John 2:27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

Revelation 14:5 And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

Revelation 21:27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (Comment: How serious is lying? Look at the company God places it with and the reward it secures!)

There are 34 uses of pseudos in the Septuagint (LXX) (Job 16:8; Ps. 4:2; 5:6; 58:3; 59:12; 62:4; Prov. 9:12; 14:5, 25; 24:2, 22; Isa. 28:15, 17; 30:12; 44:20; Jer. 3:10, 23; 5:2; 9:3; 13:25; 23:14, 32; 37:14; 43:2; Ezek. 33:31; Dan. 8:25; 11:23; Hos. 4:2; 7:3, 13; 11:12; Mic. 2:11; Zech. 5:4; Mal. 3:5) Here is an interesting use of pseudos in the OT...

Isaiah 44:20 He (referring to overt idol worshipers) feeds on ashes (what a picture! Practicing idolatry is like feeding on ashes! It will never satisfy, is ever disgusting and in the end results in death!); a deceived heart has turned him aside (idolatry promises but does not follow through). And he cannot deliver himself (from bondage to idolatry. He is like a drug addict trapped by the drug, in this case a godless idol!), nor say, "Is there not a lie (Lxx = pseudos) (an idol) in my right hand" (Comment: Pseudos in this use refers to an idol or idolatry)

Psalm 5:6 Thou dost destroy those who speak (habitually, as their lifestyle) falsehood (Lxx = pseudos). The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR:  laleite (2PPAM) aletheian hekastos meta tou plesion autou: (15; Proverbs 8:7; 12:17; Zechariah 8:16,19; 2 Corinthians 7:14; Colossians 3:9)

Speak (2980) (laleo) (Click word study on laleo) is the Greek verb meaning to make a sound and then to utter words.

Paul is not suggesting we speak truth but commanding it by using the present imperative which calls for this to be the believer's habitual way of speaking (i.e., not lying), the action which characterizes his or her life.

Vincent says that laleo is

"used of speaking, in contrast with or as a breaking of silence, voluntary or imposed. Thus the dumb man, after he was healed, spake (Mt 9:33 "And after the demon was cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the multitudes marveled, saying (lego), "Nothing like this was ever seen in Israel.") and Zacharias, when his tongue was loosed, began to speak (Lu 1:64 "And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God")  The use of the word laleo ...contemplates the fact rather than the substance of speech. Hence it is used of God (Heb 1:1), the point being, not what God said, but the fact that he spake to men. On the contrary, lego refers to the matter of speech. The verb originally means to pick out, and hence to use words selected as appropriate expressions of thought, and to put such words together in orderly discourse." (Vincent, M. R. Word studies in the New Testament).

Kenneth Wuest adds that

"Laleo (was) used originally just of sounds like the chatter of birds, the prattling of children, (but was also used) of the most serious kind of speech. It takes note of the sound and the manner of speaking. One thinks of the words in the song In the Garden; “He speaks, and the sound of His voice is so sweet, the birds hush their singing.” (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)

Speak truth - Paul had repetitively emphasized truth in this section - He had just explained that "truth was in Jesus" (see note Ephesians 4:21), that these Gentile believers had put on a new garment, the new self or new man (see note Ephesians 4:24), having been "created in righteousness and holiness of the truth" and that they were to be "speaking the truth in love" (see note Ephesians 4:15) which would facilitate growing up in all aspects into Christ the Head of the Body, the source of all Truth.

Truth (225) (aletheia from a = without + lêthô = that which is hidden or concealed, the combination meaning out in open) is the the unconcealed reality lying at the basis of and agreeing with an appearance; the manifested, the veritable essence of matter.

TDNT explains the origin of this word this way...

Etymologically aletheia means “nonconcealment.” It thus denotes what is seen, indicated, expressed, or disclosed, i.e., a thing as it really is, not as it is concealed or falsified. aletheia is “the real state of affairs,” e.g., the truth in law, or real events in history, or true being in philosophy... aletheia is “that which has certainty and force”... aletheia is “that on which one can rely”...aletheia is “the state of affairs as disclosed”... aletheia is “truth of statement” used with speaking (Lk. 4:25) or teaching (Mk. 12:14).... aletheia is “true teaching or faith” (2 Cor. 13:8; 4:2; Gal. 5:7; 1 Peter 1:22 [note]) (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)

Truth then is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which professes to set it forth. To say it another way, words are true when they correspond with objective reality. Persons and things are true when they correspond with their profession. Hence a truth is a declaration which has corresponding reality, or a reality which is correctly set forth. Since God is Himself the great reality, that which correctly sets forth His nature is pre-eminently the Truth.

Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality as defined by God. Whatever God says is Truth. Truth is a person, Christ Jesus.

Each one (1538) (hekastos from hékas = separate) every single one. This idea of separation or singling out is expressed still more strongly by heís hékastos.

Neighbor (4139) (plesion from pélas = near, near to) literally means near, quite near, nearby = position quite close to another position. Figuratively, plesion means to be near someone and thus be a neighbor.

FOR WE ARE MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER: hoti esmen (1PPAI) allelon mele:  (5:30; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:12-27

Members (3196) (melos) is literally a limb or member of the body.  Here melos is used metaphorically of "members" ("limbs") of the Church of which Christ is the Head.

Paul is speaking of the members of the spiritual body of Christ in this context but by way of application, how important is this practice of speaking truth in a marriage covenant, where the two are one flesh! For covenant partners to lie to the one another is in a sense to lie to one's self! How foolish and deceived we are we when we walk in the darkness of falsehood in our marriages. Darkness is also a dangerous place because the Evil One rules over this realm and when we traffic in his kingdom by lying to one another in our marriage, we give the devil an opportunity, just as we do when we have unresolved anger (See note Ephesians 4:27).

One another (240) (allelon from állos = another) means just what it says. It is like the sequoia trees of California which tower as high as 300 feet above the ground. You might be surprised to discover that these giant trees have unusually shallow root systems that reach out in all directions to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture. Their intertwining roots also provide support for each other against the storms. That's why they usually grow in clusters. Seldom will you see a redwood standing alone, because high winds would quickly uproot it! That's what "one another" means!

Wayne Barber explains that the new garment displays a transformed tongue noting that..

Paul moves on and begins to show us, with the fourth point, what the new garment looks like.

 

"Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another."

 

The first characteristic of this garment is we are going to have a transformed tongue. The Bible tells us that what the mouth speaks identifies what is on the inside of the heart. James 3:8 says

 

"no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison."

 

If you ever see somebody in control of their tongue, they must be under the control of the Holy Spirit of God.

The first thing Paul says about the characteristics of the garment is, speak truth and stop speaking falsehood. Let’s identify here why it is a characteristic of this new garment.

 

If you go back to John 8:44, the same word truth is used to identify its source. Remember Ephesians 2 says we were once dead in our trespasses and in our sins. Of course, then we were of our father the devil.

 

"You mean to tell me that lost people have a father who is called the devil?"

 

That is exactly right. If you don’t know Christ, may I just encourage you to realize that you are already in that downward spiral, in that trap of being deceived by the devil himself. This comes right out of the devil himself. People who lie find their roots in the devil himself. Look at John 8:44:

 

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar, and the father of lies."

 

When you find a person who does not tell the truth, who lies in any area of his life, you find a person who is no longer being controlled by the Spirit of God. He has now subjected himself under the influence of the devil who is the father of all lies.

If you will look in
Colossians 3:9 it documents that we were once like that. It was part of the fabric of the old man. It certainly isn’t a fabric of the new man. Colossians 3:9 says,

 

"Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices."

 

We know the root of a lying tongue is the devil and we also know that it is seen and manifested in the old man, the old garment. When I take off the garment of Christ, when I put on those wrong clothes, immediately I am going to see lies and deceit come out of my mouth.

Look in 1 John 2:27:

 

"And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."

 

Folks, listen, there is no lie, there is no deceit in truth. There is no deceit in the written truth, the living truth. There is no lie in that. Where do lies come from? They come from the pit of hell. What is it representative of? The Old Man, the way we used to live. It was a characteristic of man to just simply lie. But when you come into the truth, there can be no lie in your life.

Look at
1 Peter 2:22. Jesus lives in us in the person of His Spirit. We find the word again, and it speaks directly of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a prophecy of Him which was fulfilled in Him. In the Lord Jesus there was no deceit. Peter says,

 

"WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH." (note)

 

That tells me two things. First of all, the truthfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ and His inability to lie, but secondly the truthfulness of His Word, for in what He spoke there was no lie.

 

LIES ALWAYS PROTECT THE FLESH

 

Folks, you can’t lie when Christ is in your heart because lying is something that is a nature of Adam and the nature of the devil himself. He is the father of it. It came in through Adam. When God came to Adam he called out,

 

"Adam, where are you? What have you done?"

 

Adam replied,

 

"It is her fault."

 

I mean, it is immediate. I don’t know why Paul started with this as the first characteristic of the garment. I think it is because all lying and all deceit protect the flesh rather than confess the flesh. It is so easy to tell a lie, isn’t it? Just tell a partial truth. You can’t do it when Jesus Christ is in your life.

You see, lies always protect the flesh. The flesh is filled up with lustful deceit and doesn’t want to be exposed. So when you come and bow down before Christ and begin to put that brand new garment on, it won’t let you lie. If you do, immediately you know you have grieved the Holy Spirit of God. Isn’t it amazing, he starts right there?

I want you to see something in Ephesians 6. Ephesians 4 and 6 are saying the same thing!

In Ephesians 4, Christ's life is your garment. In Ephesians 6 Christ is your armor. It is the same thing.

The whole book of Ephesians is like a fabric that is so woven together. You can’t disassociate chapter 6 from chapters 3 and 4. It all blends together. It says over in chapter 6 concerning the armor,

 

"having girded your loins with truth."

 

How many times have you heard that preached that that is the Word of God? There is no definite article there. God is trying to say,

 

"A person who is wearing the garment of Christ is transparent and open and honest and does not lie about anything, especially with his lips. He doesn’t speak deceit."

 

First of all then, we have a transformed tongue. (Ephesians 4:22-27: A Brand New Way of Life -  3)

 

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Our Daily Bread has the following devotional related to speaking truth rather than falsehood...

 

No Lie (based on "Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. — see notes Colossians 3:9")

 

A college football coach resigns after admitting he falsified his academic and athletic credentials. A career military officer confesses to wearing combat decorations he did not earn. A job applicant acknowledges that her stated experience in "food and beverage oversight" was actually making coffee each morning at the office.

Within each of us is a tendency to embellish the truth in order to impress others. Whether on a job résumé or in casual conversation, exaggeration comes naturally—but we pay a price. Small lies usually grow larger as we try to avoid discovery. Then we wonder how we ever got ourselves into such a predicament.

The Bible says, "Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him" (see notes
Colossians 3:9
Colossians 3:10
). In other words, if we've placed our faith in Jesus as our Savior, lying is inconsistent with what God expects us to be. The antidote to the poison of self-promotion is a growing Christlikeness—a spirit of mercy, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, and love (see notes Colossians 3:12; 3:13; 3:14).

If we genuinely care about people, we won't need to try to impress them at any cost. —David C. McCasland
(Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

 

Lord, help me to please You by telling the truth,
Being honest in words and in deeds;
And help me to conquer my selfish desires,
To love others and care for their needs. —Fitzhugh
 

Honesty means never having to look over your shoulder.

 

Ephesians 4:26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: orgizesthe (2PPPM) kai me amartanete; (2PPAM) o helios me epidueto (2PPAM) epi [to] parorgismo humon
Amplified:  When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
NLT:  And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips:  If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: Be constantly angry with a righteous indignation, and stop sinning. Do not allow the sun to go down upon your irritated, exasperated, embittered anger.  (
Erdmans
Young's Literal:  If angry, beware of sinning. Let not your irritation last until the sun goes down;

BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN: orgizesthe (2PPPM) kai me amartanete (2PPAM) :  (31,32; Exodus 11:8; 32:21,22; Numbers 20:10-13,24; 25:7-11; Nehemiah 5:6-13; Psalms 4:4; 37:8; 106:30-33; Proverbs 14:29; 19:11; 25:23; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Matthew 5:22; Mark 3:5; 10:14; Romans 12:19-21; James 1:19)

Be angry (3710) (orgizo from orge = wrath) describes a brooding, simmering anger that is nurtured and not allowed to die. It is seen in the holding of a grudge, in the smoldering bitterness that refuses to forgive. It is the anger that cherishes resentment and does not want reconciliation. Note that Paul uses the present imperative commanding us to manifest a righteous anger.

Aristotle said,

“Anybody can become angry—that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way—that is not easy.”

Moule says that the difference between righteous and unrighteous anger is as follows:

"Anger, as the mere expression of wounded personality, is sinful, for it means that self is in command. Anger, as the pure expression of repugnance to wrong in loyalty to God, is sinless where there is true occasion for it. The Apostle practically says, let anger, when you fell it, be never from the former motive, always from the latter."

Warren Wiersbe writes that...

Anger is an emotional arousal caused by something that displeases us. In itself, anger is not a sin, because even God can be angry (Dt 9:8, 20; Ps 2:12). The Bible often speaks of anger “being kindled” (Ge 30:2; Dt 6:15), as though anger can be compared to fire. It is difficult for us to practice a truly holy anger or righteous indignation because our emotions are tainted by sin, and we do not have the same knowledge that God has in all matters. God sees everything clearly and knows everything completely, and we do not. The NT principle seems to be that the believer should be angry at sin but loving toward people. The fire of anger, if not quenched by loving forgiveness, will spread and defile and destroy the work of God. According to Jesus, anger is the first step toward murder (Mt 5:21-26), because anger gives the devil a foothold in our lives, and Satan is a murderer (Jn 8:44). Satan hates God and God’s people, and when he finds a believer with the sparks of anger in his heart, he fans those sparks, adds fuel to the fire, and does a great deal of damage to God’s people and God’s church. Both lying and anger “give peace to the devil” (Ep 4:27). (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)

Aristotle said...

“Anyone can become angry. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way—this is not easy.”

Solomon has a good solution

A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. (Pr 15:1).

Do (not) sin (264) (hamartano) means to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) err, esp sin, offend, sin, trespass. It is to act contrary to the will and law of God. Here the present imperative with the negative is a command for them to stop a process which is already in progress.

Horace was right when he said, “Anger is momentary insanity.”

I like William Cowper's poem on what we should rightly hate...

Hate Sin
Holy Lord God! I love Thy truth,
Nor dare Thy least commandment slight;
Yet pierced by sin, the serpent's tooth,
I mourn the anguish of the bite.

But though the poison lurks within,
Hope bids me still with patience wait;
Till death shall set me free from sin,
Free from the only thing I hate.

Had I a throne above the rest,
Where angels and archangels dwell,
One sin, unslain, within my breast,
Would make that heaven as dark as hell.

The prisoner sent to breathe fresh air,
And blest with liberty again,
Would mourn were he condemn'd to wear
One link of all his former chain.

But, oh! no foe invades the bliss,
When glory crowns the Christian's head;
One view of Jesus as He is
Will strike all sin for ever dead.

DO NOT LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON YOUR ANGER:  o helios me epidueto (2PPAM) epi [to] parorgismo humon:   (Deuteronomy 24:15)

Go down (1931) (epiduo from epí = upon + dúo = to sink) means to go down,  to sink down or to set fully. Again Paul uses the present imperative with the negative which functions as a command for the believers to stop a process which is already in progress - "Stop letting the sun go down on your anger!"

Sun (