Chapter
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Verse

1 Corinthians 16:22

ESV If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!
NIV If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord !
NASB If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha!
CSB If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Our Lord, come!
NLT If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!
KJV If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
NKJV If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!

What does 1 Corinthians 16:22 mean?

The previous verse reveals that Paul is writing the end of this long letter to the Corinthians with his own hand instead of dictating it to someone else. Use of a trained scribe, called an amanuensis, to record dictated words, was common in that era. Paul sometimes did this to emphasize a strong point, which he does with this curse. To contrast this with a more-typical benediction, some refer to this statement as a malediction.

This curse is really a prayer: Let anyone who has no love for the Lord be accursed. The difference between genuine believers and unbelievers—especially false teachers—was true love for Christ. Paul likely was asking God to specially curse those who would come among the Christians in Corinth to lead them away from faith in Christ through false teaching.

Paul follows this with another, even shorter prayer: Our Lord, come! Paul deeply longed for Christ to return and all things to be made right. Christians around the world still join Paul in praying for the Lord's soon return.
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