CD: indicates my personal interpretation and
italics are my emphasis. Please don't assume this post is indicative of my beliefs. Enjoy!
Jesus is described as hating wickedness once in the Bible. There is no other mention of him hating anything else. He was also described as being angry on two occasions, which I include because they are against the corruption of the church and both lead to his crucifixion.
References to the LORD [
sic] hating evil in various forms in the Old Testament are a source of confusion. The use of all capital letters indicate the replacement of God's Hebrew name, YHWH, in the translation process.
Jesus Hates Wickedness (Only Verse)
Hebrews 1:8-9 (KJV)
8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and
hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
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CD: For the nitpicker: The controversy about Revelations 2:6, which you can look up, is solved for me by Revelations 1:1, indicating it is the word of God. A distinction is made between Jesus Christ and God, for which presumably is there for a reason.
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Jesus Teachings about Anger
Matthew 5:22-24 (PHILLIPS, see footnote)
22 But I say to you that anyone who is
angry with his brother or sister for no reason must stand trial; anyone who
contemptuously calls his brother or sister a fool [Raca, that is,
a word of scorn] must face the supreme court [Sanhedrin]; and anyone who looks on his brother or sister as a lost soul [Impious, fool,
that is, a word of despising] is heading straight for the fire of destruction.
23 So that if, while you are offering your gift at the altar, you should remember that your brother has something against you,
24 you must leave your gift there before the altar and go away.
Make your peace with your brother first, then come and offer your gift.
Notes:
• Brother or sister: The Greek word
adelphoi can mean "fellow Christian believers" or "biological male siblings", or "siblings" (including females, often written as "brothers and sisters"). I use and leave open the question as to whether it refers to fellow Christians or all people.
• This particular passage has a fairly broad set of interpretations. Insertions in brackets come from the King James Version, the Jubilee Version and the Wycliffe Version of the Bible.
The Two Times Jesus Was Angry
The times Jesus was angry are traditionally cited as examples of "righteous anger" at the corruption of the church.
They are considered righteous- and not of sin- because neither were examples of personal anger nor did Jesus become an embittered person who was consumed by protracted anger.
**Interestingly, both contributed to the culmination of his crucifixion (Mark 11:18, Mark 3:6 below).
1. The Cleansing of the Temple, reported in John 2:13-17, Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-46:
Mark 11:15-18 (KJV)
15 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;
16 And
would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17 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.
18
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.**
2. Jesus and the Pharisees at the synagogue of Capernaum
Mark 3:1-6 (KJV)
1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him,
whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 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.
6
And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.**
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Jesus Teachings about "Hate" (Only Verse)
Luke 14:26 (KJV)
If any man come to me, and
hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
One common interpretation of this verse is that the word "hate" (
miseo in Greek) takes on a milder meaning in this passage, in that Jesus is simply emphasizing how important it is to put Christianity before all earthly ties, to love all others less.
A more conservative viewpoint is that a true believer must reject close, influential relationships with all people, including family members, who do not share their Christian faith. The reasoning behind this interpretation is that people who are not Christians do not strengthen faith and might weaken it, intentionally or not.
The Context of the Metaphorical Sword
Matthew 10:32-37 (KJV)
32
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Context and passages below indicate that the metaphorical sword divides between the truly faithful and nonbelievers, with the difference being eternity in heaven or hell. The "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6) is not represented as a proponent of war.
Matthew 19:29-30 (KJV)
28
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
CD: My personal interpretation regarding the use of the word "hate" and calls in Scripture to reject nonbelievers is that they represent both the expectation that faith in Jesus Christ will be a firm, steadfast stronghold against temptation and that fellowship with other believers is an important part of maintaining faith. Also, faith must surpass love of anyone or anything earthly, even one's own life.
In other words, as a Christian believer, one should strive to make decisions consistent with Christian tenets each time, regardless of consequence - even death.
I believe that the message of the verses above is very stringent. To live a Christian life is a constant commitment.
Essentially, I don't want to dilute the pointed use of the word "hate".
tl;dr :D
1. Jesus Christ was angry twice. He is described only once as hating something (iniquity) in the Bible (196 English versions of it, at least).
2. God is described more frequently as hating things that are evil such as pride and false worship.
3. The instructions that Jesus Christ gave to his followers to "hate" family members and otherwise rebuke all earthly relationships is open to interpretation in its extremity.
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")