Apostle Paul teaches on examining your own heart
Pastor Brad Abley: Biblical Educator and Religious Broadcaster
Pastor’s Corner
“The ultimate issue for Paul, therefore, is not their obedience to his word, but their love, or lack thereof, for the Lord himself. Failure to obey him is lack of love for him; to reject him in this way is to place oneself under the anathema.[6]”
1 Corinthians 16: 19-24
Paul’s Closing Instructions and Greetings
Pastor Brad Abley writes:
“For v.22, we may be surprised at the seemingly sudden bluntness of Paul’s words, “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed.” However, before drawing any conclusions, let us carefully read the rest of the passage: “Maranatha. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
First, the Greek word translated “love” is phileo and is in the present tense. This Greek word refers to an affectionate, friendship love. Paul is looking for consistent love for Jesus – even if it’s a weaker word for “love” than agape (see further discussion below).[1]
Following this is “Maranatha,” an Aramaic word that came from the beginning Church in Jerusalem, meaning, “O Lord come.”
Thus, the warning that “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed” is couched in eschatological terms, revealing a sense of urgency to the reader for immediate and ongoing examination of his or her heart.
And this isn’t Paul’s first warning to the Church (cf. 3:17; 5:4-5; 6:9-10; 11:29; 14:38). Thus, Fee rightly argues that in 16:22, “Paul offers one last warning to those who persist in deviating from his gospel, and now especially to those who might refuse to obey the injunctions of this letter.”[2]
In fact, v.22 reinforces just how urgent his previous warnings were, given that he virtually closes this long, highly consequential epistle with such an acute and grave command – seen in the words “he is to be,” which translates a present tense imperative, or command in the Greek text.
Writing to Christians in Galatia, Paul warns, But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! (Gal. 1:8-9).
And Paul also warns in 2 Thess. 3:14-15: If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. 15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
In a day of lost reverence -- even among a seemingly increasing number of those who call themselves believers -- it must be understood that one's salvation is never to be trifled with.
Paul urged even his son in the faith, Timothy, to "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (2 Tim. 1:14). Furthermore, there is no such thing as "once saved, always saved." Jesus has made it clear that it's those that endure to the end that will be saved (Mt. 24:15).
Our salvation is decidedly secure from God's standpoint, but the NT also clearly teaches that one can commit apostasy who is currently a genuine believer (Heb. 4:4-6).
After all, Jesus did say to His own disciples that the one who loves Him will obey His commandments (John 14:15, 21, 24) – and He did plainly state what resolute (self-deceived) disobedience looks like:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Mt. 7:21-23).
This certainly explains Paul’s use of “accursed” (literally, “anathema,” the strongest word in the Greek language for one to spend an eternity in Hell) in v.22 – something like us saying, “Go to Hell, then” -- though that phrase usually has no concern for one’s soul, as Paul does with his warning.
Hence, note that Paul adds, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you” (1 Cor. 16:23) – a clear teaching of a gracious warning to those who are “playing Church,” and serious about their faith in Jesus; there is time to repent.
And Paul ends his letter to them with unmistakable affection and love (agape, a certain contrast with phileo; if he can love them with this kind of love, can they not – at the least – love Jesus with phileo?).
Experience and know the difference for yourself!
Agape: Unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love that God shows to us and that we are to show to others.
Phileo: A friendship love
While stated truthfully and sincerely, surely these Greek readers and speakers must have understood the contrast and irony.
MacArthur suggests that with Paul's use of phileo -- which is never commanded to be given to God -- "such minimal affection is an element of the love that is acceptable to God."[3]
At a time of recovery from great devastation -- having denied his Lord three times -- Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved him, the first two times using the strongest word, agape (John 21:15-17).
Answering Jesus honestly, Peter could not admit to loving the Lord with agape but instead, he answered each time with the word phileo.
Thus, MacArthur asserts, “even his kind affection evidenced his trust in Jesus.”[4]
John wrote something similar in his second epistle, vv. 9-10:
Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
There’s no question that these are jarring words to us today (in our soft generation) that even among Christians betrays the guilt of thinking we know better than the Lord.
But at the very least, we should be grateful that this verse is in scripture because it is a mirror into our hearts so that we can allow the Holy Spirit to examine us to see whether we are indeed in the faith.
Finally, Findlay calls their lack of phileo for Jesus “a charge of heartlessness.”[5]
Fee adds trenchantly that Paul's warning and command
[C]covers the whole letter. To insist on human wisdom over against the gospel of the crucified one is to not love the lord; so with living in incest, attendance at idle feasts, and so forth.
The ultimate issue for Paul, therefore, is not their obedience to his word, but their love, or lack thereof, for the Lord himself. Failure to obey him is lack of love for him; to reject him in this way is to place oneself under the anathema.[6]”
[1] Agape is an unconditional, sacrificial, self-denying, giving, serving love, and is supremely used of God’s love for people, but also of the kind of love we owe Him.
[2] Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, 838.
[3] MacArthur, 1 Corinthians, 488.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Findlay, St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, 952.
[6] Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, 838.
Pastor’s Corner
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