1 Corinthians 16:21-24 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Paul now gives his own personal greetings at the end. This serves as a form of signature. He wrote these last few verses with his own hand. He dictated everything else in the letter to a secretary, possibly Sosthenes who was with him and is mentioned as a co-author (1:1). Verse 22 particularly shows Paul’s concern for orthodoxy. This most important matter is that the Corinthians love the Lord. Their hearts must be sanctified to him. They must focus their lives on doing what pleases the Lord. The “Lord” here is obviously Jesus, as is mentioned in v. 23. Paul’s strong words are similar to the warning he gives to the Galatians in Galatians 1:10. Those who turn their backs on Jesus will experience judgment. Paul is not being judgmental or critical here but is providing a strong warning of the dangers the Corinthians will face if they continue to follow the ways of the world and give in to temptations of immorality and idolatry.
Paul uses an Aramaic word marantha which means, as translated, “Our Lord, come.” It is a simple and brief prayer asking the Lord to come soon. How soon Paul expected Jesus to come again is difficult to determine. It is likely that he had a clear awareness of the extent of the mission needed to reach the world, and that this could not happen in his lifetime. Yet, this word expresses his deep longing to be with the Lord. Every generation of Christians has prayed this simple phrase. Marantha expresses the hope we have that sustains us during the difficult times we all face.
What we need during this time of waiting is for the grace of the Lord Jesus to be with us. We cannot live this life successfully or victoriously without God’s grace experienced through faith in Jesus Christ. It is only this grace that can help us overcome sin and also give us strength to follow God’s will for us.
The final statement reveals Paul’s deep commitment and love for the Corinthians. If there is anything he wrote that might cause them to misinterpret what he has said, this last statement should clear it up. Paul modeled what he wrote earlier in v. 14: do everything in love. Everything Paul has written in this letter was done out of love and concern for the Corinthians. Paul wanted their best. He wrote from the depths of this love, even when his words were strong or even harsh. Sometimes words like this are needed to wake people up from their the spiritual slumber. This love from Paul comes from his deep relationship with Christ. This type of love can only be experienced “in Christ Jesus.”
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