God's Wrath
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“As our preeminent judge, Jesus never condemns. If goats are separated from sheep, if the unrighteous are cast into outer darkness, and if those who are angry at their brothers are ‘liable to judgment‘ (Matt 5:22), in each case that judgment is self-inflicted. We bring judgment upon ourselves. The ‘wrath of God‘ St Paul warns us about (Rom 2-3) does not at all describe God’s attitude or emotional state, as though God were vindictive. He does not punish us with His righteous judgment, as though it were some weapon to be wielded against those who offend His dignity and authority. God respects our freedom to rebel against Him. His judgment, His divine ‘wrath,’ consists in allowing us to suffer the consequences of that rebellion.” (Fr. John Breck)
“Just because the terms wrath, anger, hatred, and the rest are used of the Creator, we should not imagine that He actually does anything in anger or hatred or zeal. Many figurative terms are employed in the Scriptures of God, terms which are far removed from His true nature. And just as our rational nature has already become gradually more illumined and wise in a holy understanding of the mysteries which are hidden in Scripture’s discourse about God – that we should not understand everything literally as it is written, but rather that we should see, concealed inside the bodily exterior of the narratives, the hidden providence and eternal knowledge which guides all—so too we shall in the future come to know and be aware of many things for which our present understanding will be seen as contrary to what it will be then; and the whole ordering of things yonder will undo any precise opinion we possess now in our supposition about Truth.” (St. Isaac of Nineveh)
“For even those who have sinned against Him, He is not in the habit of visiting with punishment for His own sake; for no harm can traverse that divine nature; but He acts with a view to our advantage, and to prevent our perverseness becoming worse by our making a practice of despising and neglecting Him…Even so God, when we fall into the very extremity of madness, says and does everything, not by way of avenging Himself on account of our former deeds, but because He wishes to release us from our disorder; and by means of right reason, it is quite possible to be convinced of this…For if the wrath of God were a passion, one might well despair as being unable to quench the flame which he had kindled by so many evil doings; but since the divine nature is passionless, even if He punishes…He does this not with wrath, but with tender care, and much loving-kindness; wherefore it behooves us to be of much good courage, and to trust in the power of repentance.” (St. John Chrysostom)
“God has no desire to punish us even though we might deserve it. God…uses His anger to warn us about judgment and hell precisely so that we would choose not to go there. God’s ‘anger’ and ‘threats’ are meant to correct and guide us, not to inflict pain and suffering on us.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“Jesus did not express His anger, in fact, until He had tried every kind of objection [see Mk 2:23–3:6]. Note how this special quality is distinctive of the divine nature. Although God knows what is about to happen, He brings His punishment prematurely on no one. Rather, after bearing with the guilty for as long as is possible or necessary, when He sees them in no way profiting from the delay but instead remaining in their self-chosen evil ways, then He finally punishes them, showing it to be actually the result of their perverse folly and not really an effect of His own counsel or will.” (St. Cyril of Alexandria)
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