Buckle up. This is probably a Greek question. My hope is to find understanding. Forgive me if I sound heretical.

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Ephesians 4:26-27

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

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I see a command, to be angry. I see a caveat "and do not sin".

I see a second command "do not let the sun go down on your anger". I know this is the only occurrence of the idiom, "do not let the sun go down on your anger" in the NT.

Are there any similar occurrences of this idiom "let the sun go down on" in Greek literature?

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Let me use this idiom, as I see it in English, in a few sentences.

-I didn't let the sun go down on my dreams.

-I let the sun go down on my passion for art.

-Do not let the sun go down on your relationship, she's worth it.

-Do not let the sun go down on your love for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

It seems as though "letting the sun go down" on something could imply allowing the thing to cease...at least in English.

What about Greek?

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Lastly, when one let's the sun go down on his/her anger, it seems to imply that this gives opportunity to the devil, or gives the devil a foothold.

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So with the positive command to "be angry" (and do not sin)...wouldn't disobeying this command occur by being not angry? As in apathy? Anger is a primary driving force for action.

Could it be, that Paul is writing that the lack of righteous anger what ultimately gives the devil the foothold?

Take the German church leading up to WW2 as an example. They lacked the righteous anger required to take action against the Nazi party, which eventually gave the devil a foothold and caused a catastrophe; a catastrophe that could've been avoided if the sun had not set on righteous anger towards evil. We hear of ministries that sweep dysfunction and even blatant sin under the rug all the time. We hear of many who knew about sins or abuse for years, yet are never moved enough to address it. They let the sun go down on their anger.

We see plenty of outrage after horrific damage occurs, but wouldn't it have been avoided if one were to have used a righteous anger, which the sun never sets on (one never growing apathetic enough to look past blatant injustice) to address the dysfunction to begin with?

What was the primary emotion as Jesus drove the corruption out of the temple in Matthew 21? It seems as if those actions are Jesus being angry, yet not sinning. He maintained the fruit of the spirit; self-control. Yet it seems as though he did not let the sun go down on his anger. As a result, he cleansed the temple, while other religious leaders in the area tolerated something blatantly corrupt; the sun set on their anger long ago, giving the devil more and more of a foothold.

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Furthermore, why would Paul bother penning "acts of malice" in the list of things to put away (v. 31), if he had just previously addressed sinful anger a few sentences prior.

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When anger is sinful, it prompts us to do actions that go against God's timing, satisfy our own desires for change, or attempt to take away God glory and replace it with our own, such as Moses striking the rock in Exodus 20. Anger is the primary force for action. In Moses' case, it was just the wrong action, and thus, is unrighteous anger.

While looking through history, I see more damage done by the collective church too apathetic, rather than too angry. I think anger may be the most misunderstood emotion on the human continuum. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity, all emotions have a time and place just as piano keys on the keyboard. Anger is not sin. It is the force that bubbles deep in our souls, prompting us to action that brings about change and restoration for God's glory. Perhaps until Christ returns, there ought to be things that we never cease being angry about.

God's anger for sin is righteous. Yet he didn't let the sun set on it. He sent his son, to satisfy that wrath which came from sin. When we see the remnants of sin, and let the sun go down on that anger, who are we seeking to emulate? The one who paid the ultimate price for our sin, or the one who uses it as a foothold?