Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

4:25 Therefore. In vv. 25-32 Paul will show how Christians are to put into practice the truths explored in vv. 17-24.

4:26-27 Be angry. Not all anger is sin, but the believer should not be consumed by anger, nor should one's anger even be carried over into the next day, as this will only give an opportunity to the devil.

4:28 Paul uses the thief to illustrate how repentance impacts one's lifestyle. Repentance involves both stopping (negative) and starting (positive). The thief must stop stealing and start doing honest work. Stealing arises out of laziness and greed, so the repentant thief must display the opposite: diligence at labor and willingness to share.

4:29 corrupting talk. As with the "stopping" and "starting" noted in v. 28, Christians are to stop evil speech, substituting talk that is good for building up and giving grace. "Corrupting" (Gk. sapros) also applies to "bad" (rotten) fruit (Luke 6:43) or "bad" (putrid) fish (Matt. 13:48). To "give grace" in speaking means to benefit others rather than corrupt them through what is said.

4:30 grieve. Grieving the Holy Spirit means to cause him sorrow by one's sin. sealed. See note on 1:13. The day of redemption is the day of Christ's return (see Luke 21:28; Rom. 8:23).

4:31 All bitterness means "every kind of bitterness." "All" also modifies the other items in the list, telling readers to put away all wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. "Bitterness" may head the list because it so often leads to the other sins that Paul names. Bitterness comes from a heart that is not right before God (Acts 8:21-23); it is a primary characteristic of an unregenerate person (Rom. 3:10-14); and it causes destruction and defilement (Heb. 12:15). Bitterness and resentment are thus incompatible with Christian character and must be put away. People often are very careless with their speech ("slander"), even though the tongue can ignite a forest fire of harm to others (James 3:5-6).

4:32 Being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving flows from constantly remembering that God first forgave us and that we need his forgiveness daily, as the Lord's Prayer reminds us: "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matt. 6:12; cf. Luke 11:4).