1 Corinthians 16:19 - Meaning and Application

The apostle ends his letter with greetings to the Corinthian church from the Christians in Asia, especially Priscilla and Aquila, who seem to have been living in Ephesus at the time, along with the church that met in their house (Acts 18:26; 1 Corinthians 16:19). He also sends greetings from all the brothers and sisters in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:20). This shows that Christianity does not cancel out good manners or courtesy. Paul could speak about weighty matters and still make room for the warm greetings of friends.

Some of these greetings are sent “in the Lord.” Christian greetings are not empty politeness. They carry real good will and often include heartfelt prayer for God’s grace and blessing. Those who greet one another in the Lord are asking God to do good to their brothers and sisters. Their kind words come from sincere affection and prayer.

We also read of a church that met in a private home (1 Corinthians 16:19). Most likely, Paul is calling the whole family the church in their house. Every Christian family should, in some sense, be a little church. In some situations, such as being stranded where no other Christians are present, a family should worship together as a church, if it is large enough. In ordinary life, they should live by Christian rules and pray together every day. Wherever two or three gather and Christ is among them, there is a church.

Paul then adds an instruction: greet one another with a holy kiss (1 Corinthians 16:20), or with genuine brotherly love. This is a gentle rebuke of their quarrels and divisions. If Christians far away could greet them so warmly in the Lord, it would be shameful for them not to love one another as brothers and sisters. The love shown by other believers should stir us to love one another more deeply.

He also adds his own greeting: “The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand” (1 Corinthians 16:21). It is likely that Paul dictated the rest of the letter to a secretary, but he wrote the closing himself so they would know it was real. He says this was his mark in every letter that was not entirely written by his own hand (2 Thessalonians 3:17; Galatians 6:11). The churches that received apostolic letters were properly assured that they were true and from God. Paul would not be less loving than the other believers, so after passing on their greetings, he adds his own.

Then comes a very serious warning: “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let that person be cursed. Our Lord, come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22). Sometimes warnings are needed, so that people may learn to fear sin. Wise fear is a good helper to both true faith and holy living. And all Christians have reason to take this warning seriously.

The person under this judgment is the one who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ. Some take this as a sharp way of speaking about someone who blasphemes Christ, rejects his teaching, despises his commands, or, through pride in human learning, treats his revelation as foolish. Paul’s warning fits the Corinthians well, because some were being tempted to turn from the simple gospel by those who praised worldly wisdom and mocked Christian truth. Those false teachers had set themselves against Christ, and the Corinthians would be in danger if they listened to them. Paul is saying, in effect, do not follow them if you want to escape the most severe judgment.

The words can also be understood in their plain sense, as referring to anyone who has no true, sincere love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people say his name often, but do not truly love him in their hearts. They will not have him rule over them, even if they hope to be saved by him (Luke 19:27). No one truly loves Christ who does not love his commands and obey them. Many are Christians in name only, not in sincere love.

And what could be more serious? What is more blameworthy than not loving the most glorious Savior, the one who loved us and gave himself for us? He shed his blood to show his love to us, even after we had wronged him deeply. If we are not moved by such love, and have no affection for such a Savior, something is terribly wrong. The warning is plain: those who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ bring judgment on themselves.

The sentence on such a person is also clear: “Let him be cursed, our Lord, come.” That means being set apart for the heaviest and most terrible judgment, cut off from God’s favor and handed over to his final and unchangeable punishment. “Maranatha” is a Syriac phrase meaning, “The Lord is coming.” The very Lord they do not love is coming to judge. How dreadful it will be to stand before him in wrath, to be placed on his left hand, and to be condemned by him. If he decides to destroy, who can save? Those who come under his condemning sentence will perish forever.

Those who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ must perish without remedy. God’s wrath remains on everyone who does not believe in the Son (John 3:36). And true faith in Christ always produces real love for him. Anyone who does not love him cannot truly believe in him.

Paul closes with a blessing: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (1 Corinthians 16:23). This is as if he were saying, “Though I warn you not to fall under Christ’s displeasure, I sincerely wish you the blessing of his love and favor.” The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ includes every good thing for this life and the life to come. To wish this grace on our friends is to wish them the greatest good possible. This is what we should desire for all our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we should wish them nothing less.

We should earnestly pray that people will value, seek, obtain, and keep the grace and favor of their Lord and Judge. The strongest warnings often come from the deepest love and goodwill. We may tell our brothers and friends, plainly and with real feeling, that if they do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, they will perish, even while we sincerely want Christ’s grace to be with them.

We may give that warning so they will prize this grace and hold onto it. True Christianity also makes our hearts larger. It leads us to wish for the blessings of both this life and the life to come for those we love, and that is part of asking for the grace of Christ to be with them. So it is no surprise that Paul ends with a clear statement of his love for them in Christ Jesus.

“My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen” (1 Corinthians 16:24). Paul had spoken very plainly to them in this letter and had rebuked their sins with proper severity. But to show that he was not driven by anger, he ends in love and openly says that he loves them. He loves them all in Christ Jesus, that is, for Christ’s sake.

He is saying that his heart is with them and that he truly loves them. Yet, so that this would not be taken as flattery or a trick, he adds that his love comes from his faith and will stay within the rules of it. His heart would remain with them, and he would keep loving them, so long as their hearts were with Christ and they truly cared about Christ’s cause and honor.

We should warmly love all who are in Christ and who love him sincerely. Of course, we should love all people, wish them well, and do what good we can for them. But those who belong to Christ and love him should have our deepest affection. May our love be with all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.