Maranatha

Meditations in First Corinthians

July 1, 2022

Maranatha 

Our Lord, come!

1 Corinthians 16:22b

Read: 1 Corinthians 16:19-24

Maran Atha. (v.22b) Most often we now see this Aramaic phrase written as Maranatha. It is translated either Our Lord, come or Our Lord has come. Isn’t it interesting that Paul would inject an Aramaic phrase into a letter written in Greek? This phrase is from the earliest Christian worship and relates to the line in The Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom Come.” The phrase summed up the hope of the church and was a means to bind all the churches together in unity, regardless of where they were or their native language.

The phrase embodies the wonderful words in the closing verse of Wednesday’s passage: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58 NRSV).

Paul affirmed in the beginning of this letter that some of our work for the Lord is to plant seeds of hope. We may never see how the Lord uses the seeds we plant for him. (Consider all the work involved with a VBS ministry.) However, we trust the Lord is using our labor of love, and thus our labor is not in vain, it is for the Glory of the Lord.

My Takeaway: I hope our reading together of First Corinthians has been as much of a blessing to you as it has to me. I have been spiritually enriched through my reading and meditating on this epistle of Paul.

Next week, I will begin a series of meditations on the Book of Psalms. Until then, my love to all of you in Christ Jesus.

Maranatha

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.