22… Maranatha. 23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
“Maranatha”is a hopeful word, translated literally as “our Lord, come” and used in Scripture only here. Some scholars believe it came from an expression in Aramaic (a language in common use in first century Palestine) and may have been associated with early Christian liturgy. It encapsulated the pervasive hope among Christians for our Lord’s return. We see similar sentiments elsewhere, most notably among the final words of Scripture, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).
This word, Maranatha, likewise is followed by almost identical words, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you” (compare “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all” in Revelation 22:21). Paul is calling the Corinthians to leave their self-love behind in light of the coming glory of Christ. They are destined for much better than anathema. They are redeemed to be people of Maranatha. They are “sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2). Jesus Christ is the one who will “confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” No wonder they (and we) can say with great anticipation and jubilation, “Maranatha”— our Lord, come!
So Paul ends this first letter to the Corinthians with a desire for them to experience the Lord’s grace, just as he began his letter: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:3). In the first place he says, “Grace to you,” and in the last, “[G]race … be with you.” We can do nothing apart from God’s grace. May His grace infuse our lives, and may it be ever present with and effuse through us. Of the three, faith, hope, and love, the greatest is love. But we can only love because of the knowledge and reality of God’s grace in and through Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).
Finally, Paul affirms his love for the Corinthians. After all he wrote, we cannot doubt the depth of this statement. It is not just spiritual jargon or an emotional cliché; no truer statement could he have used to close his letter to them. All that is left to say is, “Amen.” What he said is true and is now finished.
One can’t help but think that were Paul alive today, he would say the same things to us as we wrestle with the challenges of living out our Christian lives amidst the struggles of fellowship. Let us imitate Paul, as he imitated Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).
Father, help me imitate the life and love of Christ and Him crucified.
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