St. Charles, Mich by H. S. Guilford

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 11, 1872

St. Charles, Mich

By H. S. Guilford

Anathema.

In the Dictionary of the Bible for general use by the American Tract Society we have the following definitions of the word Anathema:—

“A curse, a ban; it signifies properly something set apart, separated, devoted. It is understood principally to denote the absolute, irrevocable, and entire separation of a person from the communion of the faithful, or from the number of the living, or from the privileges of society; or the devoting of any man, animal, city, or thing, to be extirpated, destroyed, consumed, and, as it were, annihilated, Lev. 27. Thus Jericho, Josh. 6:17–21, and Achan were accursed, Josh. 7.

“Another kind of Anathema very peculiarly expressed occurs in 1 Cor. 16:22, ‘If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maranatha.’ This last word is made up of two Syriac words signifying, ‘The Lord cometh,’ that is, the Lord will surely come and execute this curse, by condemning those who love him not. At the same time the opposite is also implied, that is, the Lord cometh also to reward those who love him.”

According to the above definitions and remarks, 1 Cor. 16:22 would read something like this: “The Lord cometh, to curse, or to make an absolute, irrevocable, and entire separation from the number of the living, and to extirpate, destroy, consume, and annihilate those who love not the Lord Jesus Christ, and to reward those who love him.” H. S. GUILFORD.