The scriptures clearly refer to the wrath of God (e.g. Nahum 1:6; Jeremiah 10:10; Psalm 90:7-10; Romans 1:26-28). Is God furious at the world? Is God's stance toward the world hostile, filled with bitter enmity? Are we sinners in the hands of an angry God?
The Orthodox answer to all three questions is "No."
God does not have a hostile attitude toward the world. We may be hostile toward God, but God is not hostile to us. Instead, God loves us. Furthermore, the cross of Christ has nothing to do with "satisfying" God's wrath, but rather, is a clear expression of God's love. "The Cross does not presuppose the hostility but the love of God. 'For God so loved the world...'" (vii)
Despite the passages that speak of God's wrath, "the anger of God is not portrayed in the Bible as a fundamental attribute of God, but rather as something transient" (4).
For my extended summary of Coniaris' arguments, click HERE.
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