Ephesians 4.26a-The Command to Be Justifiably Angered By Unrepentant Sinful Behavior in the Christian Community
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday October 7, 2025
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:26a-The Command to Be Justifiably Angered By Unrepentant Sinful Behavior in the Christian Community
Lesson # 287
Ephesians 4:26 Each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of permitting yourselves to be justifiably angry with the result that each and every one of you as a corporate unit continue to make it your habit of not committing sin. Each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of not letting the sun go down when justifiably angered. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 4:26 is composed of the following:
(1) command: orgizesthe (ὀργίζεσθε), “Each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of permitting yourselves to be justifiably angry” (Lecturer’s translation).
(2) prohibition: mē hamartanete (μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε), “each and every one of you as a corporate unit continue to make it your habit of not committing sin” (Lecturer’s translation).
(3) prohibition: ho hēlios mē epidyetō epi tō parorgismō hymōn (ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν), “Each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of not letting the sun go down when justifiably angered.” (Lecturer’s translation)
In Ephesians 4:26 is quoting from Psalm 4:4.
Psalm 4:4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! Meditate as you lie in bed and repent of your ways! (Selah) (NET)
The apostle Paul employs the figure of asyndeton in order to emphasize the solemn nature of the command, which begins this verse.
The figure is also for rhetorical effect by Paul because in this verse he issues a series of commands and prohibitions, which conclude in Ephesians 6:20.
All are designed to conform the conduct of the Gentile Christian community to that of the conduct of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the figure of asyndeton emphasizes the solemn nature of the commands and prohibitions to follow in Ephesians 4:26-6:20 because obedience to them by the members of the Gentile Christian community will result in their spiritual growth and unity with each other.
The verb orgizomai (ὀργίζομαι) is used of human anger and does not refer to anger, which is sin but rather an anger, which can be described as “righteous indignation” or “justified anger.”
It is used in relation to church discipline.
The referent of the second person plural form of this verb is the recipients of this letter, who were Gentile Christian community living throughout the Roman province of Asia.
The word is not only referring to the recipients of this letter as a corporate unit but also as individuals.
Therefore, the verb orgizomai (ὀργίζομαι/orgizō (ὀργίζω) refers to members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province expressing legitimate or justified anger, which is the result of unrepentant sinful activity in the Christian community and is used in relation to church discipline.
That this verb is referring to justified anger or righteous indignation and not sinful anger is made clear by the imperative mood of the verb.
Obviously, he wouldn’t command the Christian community to be sinfully angry with each other and thus, Paul is commanding the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia to be angry.
Therefore, this justified anger or righteous indignation must be the response of the Christian community to the unrepentant sinful actions of members of their community, which we noted would require them to administer church discipline with regards to the guilty party.
That this righteous indignation is directed towards members of the Christian community is indicated by the fact that Paul is issuing this command while addressing the conduct of the conduct of the Christian community.
Ephesians 4:17-6:20 addresses the conduct of the Christian community in relation to each other as well as Satan’s kingdom.
Therefore, the imperative conjugation of the verb orgizomai (ὀργίζομαι) in Ephesians 4:26 is directed at the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia.
It requires that they express righteous indignation or justified anger with regards to those who are involved in unrepentant sinful activity in their community.
The passive voice of this verb orgizomai (ὀργίζομαι)/orgizō (ὀργίζω) is a causative or permissive passive, which implies consent, permission, or cause of the action of the verb on the part of the subject.
Therefore, this indicates that Paul is commanding the members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia to “permit” themselves to express or feel righteous indignation because of the unrepentant sinful actions being committed by a member of their community.
This again would require them to administer church discipline with regards to the guilty party.
Therefore, Paul is permitting the Christian community to express anger, which is further indication that he is speaking righteous indignation or justified anger with regards to the unrepentant sinful actions being committed by a member of their community.
The present imperative conjugation of the verb orgizomai (ὀργίζομαι) is a customary present imperative.
Therefore, this would indicate that Paul is commanding the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia, who were the recipients of this epistle “to continue to make it their habit of” permitting themselves to express justifiable anger because of the unrepentant sinful behavior of a member of their community.
The interpretation of the present imperative conjugation of the verb orgizomai (ὀργίζομαι) can be supported by the fact that Paul affirms in Ephesians 1:15 that the recipients of this epistle were practicing the love of God when interacting with each other.
Thus, they were justifiably angry with those in the Christian community who were involved in unrepentant sinful behavior, which motivated them to administer church discipline with the guilty party.
