1 Corinthians 16:22 Meaning and Explanation
“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul solemnly warns that anyone who does not love the Lord Jesus is set under a curse, and cries out, 'Our Lord, come!'
What Does 1 Corinthians 16:22 Mean?
With his own hand Paul writes a weighty closing line. To refuse to love the Lord Jesus Christ is no small thing; such a one is 'Anathema,' set apart under judgment. He then adds the Aramaic cry 'Maranatha' — 'Our Lord, come!' — a longing for Christ's return that early believers carried on their lips.
The verse joins solemn warning to glad hope. Love for the Lord Jesus stands at the very center of the Christian life, and to be without it is to be cut off from its source. Yet the final word looks upward in longing: the Lord whom we love is coming. The whole of faith leans toward that day.
1 Corinthians 16:22 in the Original Language
maranatha (μαρὰν ἀθά), 'our Lord, come' -- an Aramaic cry of the early church longing for Christ's return.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 16:22
What does 1 Corinthians 16:22 mean?
Paul solemnly warns that anyone who does not love the Lord Jesus is set under a curse, and cries out, 'Our Lord, come!'