1 Corinthians 16:22–24 contain the greeting that is written by Paul’s own hand (see 1 Corinthians 16:21). The greeting begins in a very unusual way: with a curse. Paul uses the Greek word anathema, which literally means under the ban
(see comments under 1 Corinthians 12:3).
Paul seems to be sure of the fact that some of the recipients of his letter have no love for the Lord. Practically speaking, to let these people be accursed (or placed under the ban
) means to remove them from the church and to stop associating with them as if they are brothers and sisters in the faith (1 Corinthians 5:2–13).
In Galatians 1:9 Paul invokes a similar curse, this time on false teachers: But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
The practical outworking of this pronouncement is given by the apostle John, when he tells the church not to welcome false teachers into their midst, nor even to greet them (2 John 1:10).
The verse ends with an Aramaic exclamation: Maranatha. This can be translated either as a prayer, Our Lord, come!
or as a statement, Our Lord has come [or: is coming].
This exclamation should be understood in the context of the curse that Paul has just pronounced. He may be praying for the Lord Jesus to come quickly and judge those in his church who do not love him (see further Revelation 22:18–20, where the pronouncement of a curse is also followed by a prayer for Jesus’ coming).
It is also possible that Paul is reminding his readers that the Lord is coming, thereby highlighting the seriousness of the curse. A very similar idea is found in the book of Jude. After having described false believers in the church, Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch: Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgement on all
(Jude 1:13–14). Paul may even have taken the expression Maranatha from an Aramaic version of the Book of Enoch.
Whatever the case may be, Maranatha was likely a well-known liturgical expression and therefore needed no explanation.
22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!