Friday, November 27, 2009

1 Corinthians 16:22

If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha (KJV)

Then: A strange phrase, which Baker calls a malediction - opposed to benediction. Anathema equals cursed. Baker (p. 248) offers speculation that it was part of the early liturgy. Anyone not loving Christ should expect to be cursed. Maranatha is pretty well known as a word which means "Come Lord Jesus." As presented and explained by Baker, the term is eschatological in nature. It helps hearers think about the time of Christ's return for the faithful and judgment on everyone else.

Now: Communion and liturgy focus on life here and now. We don't spend a lot of time thinking about or looking forward to the Lord's return, just enduring through the present. Neither do we think of non-believers as being cursed. It's more a matter from the other side, the task of salvation and our efforts to serve the Lord by going into all the world. Judgement per se and a condition of being cursed is mentally ignored.

Extra Source: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006.

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