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“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22).
This is a very strongly worded verse, and we might wonder why it is included right at the end of an epistle written to a Christian assembly. The words “anathema maranatha” mean “accursed at His coming.” Were there some in the assembly at Corinth that did not love the Lord Jesus Christ?
Sadly, it seems that there may well have been those in Corinth who were putting on a good outward show, but who were not real believers. They discounted the Apostle Paul, and wanted to “take over” the assembly there. Sadly, some of the true believers in Corinth were being strongly influenced by these men, and thought that they were very spiritual.
Paul points out the seriousness of pretending in God’s presence, and uses some strong words to show us what will happen when the Lord executes judgment. How awful it is to think of some who pretended to be true believers, yet in a coming day will be proven never to have been truly saved! All this is a warning for us too, for if we have grown up in a Christian home, we can easily say the right words, and act in the right way, yet not be truly saved.
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