Errors of Alcoholics Anonymous: Anger as Dubious Luxury

"If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison." (AA, 66)

We cannot, nor should we, live our lives "free of anger". For the believer, there is a time, place, and reason for getting angry.

There are times when we do get angry, when we see individuals abused, when we witness individuals who are taught a lie as if it were the truth, who are then brought into bondage because of errors. Those who believe that only certain sins are forgiven at the Cross, for example, labor under a hellish deceit that they must work off the sins that they commit after they have been saved. Jesus died for all of our sins, past, present, and future. We are no longer under law, but now under grace, and it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, it is the grace of God that teaches us to reject ungodliness, which in itself is a gift.

There is a time and place for anger. Jesus displayed this grief toward the religious leaders who rebuked him for healing a man on the Sabbath:

"And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other." (Mark 3: 5)

Jesus also demonstrated a great capacity to correct great wrongs in His presence:

"And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

"And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

"And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

"And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine." (Mark 11: 15-18)

He was displeased to see His Father's House transformed into a place of merchandise.

Paul exhorted his fellow believers to be angry:

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." (Ephesians 4: 26)

In order to appreciate this verse fully, we must recognize that "angry" is just that, whereas "wrath" indicates inordinate anger, upset which we have not released.

Even in the Old Testament, we are exhorted that there is a proper time for being angry:

"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah."

Here "Stand in awe" is better rendered thus:

"Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude." (New Living Translation)

We will get angry, and there are times when we must respond appropriately because of this anger, but we are not to be controlled by this anger:

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:" (Ephesians 4: 31)

Still, when Paul was upset with the Galatians, who were following a false doctrine, he did not mince words:

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

"Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

"As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1: 6-9)

He did not stop with his railing then:

"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" (Galatians 3: 1)

Here, Paul really calls the Galatians "idiots." Pretty harsh stuff. And of course, not to be done with that, Paul then attacks the Judaizers who were corrupting the believers in Galatia:

"I would they were even cut off which trouble you." (Galatians 5: 12) which would be better translated as: "As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!" (New International Version.) In the face of error, in the face of injustice, in the presence of disrespect, there is a time and place and reason to get angry. Those who subscribe to the "Big Book" philosophy of never getting angry or trying to avoid anger will force themselves on a tread mill that they can never escape. For those who trust in the Finished Work, we are commanded even to be angry, but not let it slip into wrath.