What Does ‘Love Your Enemies’ Not Mean?

Paul doesn’t view righteous anger as against God’s design. As Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin” (Eph. 4:26). Not all anger is sin, though anger can turn sinful. David can be angry and still ask the Lord to examine him to make sure his passion is properly placed and remove anything stained by sin.

Jesus says to love our enemies, but he also calls out for God to bring justice.

Immediately after David says he hates his enemies, he asks God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me” (vv. 23–24). After God examines King David (vv. 1-18), the psalm speaks of God directing anger against wickedness (vv. 19-22).

A pastor friend used to say, “A whole Bible makes a whole Christian.” His point was that we need all the Scriptures and can’t rip out one command and make it our banner verse, neglecting all others.

There are, however, texts where God commands Israel to destroy their enemies (Deut. 7:2; 13:15; Josh. 6:21). We also have imprecatory psalms that plead with God to mete out judgment on the wicked (e.g., Pss. 5; 17; 28; 35; 40; 137) and a few texts that express hatred for God’s enemies (Deut. 32:41; 33:11). One text that seems to contradict Jesus’s

Leviticus 19:18 says, “Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD” (CSB). The text only says to “love your neighbor,” not to “hate your enemy.” Many therefore affirm that “hate your enemy” was an oral tradition that had developed by Jesus’s time.