The Last Word

"I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.

If anyone has no love for the Lord, 
let him be accursed."

- 1 Corinthians 16:21-22 (ESV)

I must have read the Bible hundreds of times during my 20 or so years as a Christian.

I've even led Bible studies on the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians. It used to be one of my favorites - it's the letter of the Apostle Paul where you'll find the beautiful poetic words about "Love," that so many couples choose as a reading at their wedding:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, 
but have not love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains,
but have not love,
I am nothing.

If I give away all I have,
and if I deliver up my body to be burned,
but have not love,
I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind;
love does not envy or boast;
it is not arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing,
but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.

Love never ends.

As for prophecies,
they will pass away;
as for tongues,
they will cease;
as for knowledge,
it will pass away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
but when the perfect comes,
the partial will pass away.

When I was a child,
I spoke like a child,
I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man,
I gave up childish ways.
For now we see in a mirror dimly,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully,
even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;
but the greatest of these is love."

- 1 Corinthians 13 (ESV)

THE PROBLEM WITH BELIEF

Today, a friend pointed out 1 Corinthians 16:22 and I saw what I consider to be the last or defining word on Christianity.

"If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed."

Twelve words that express what is wrong with all religions.

Coming at the end of one of the letters of St. Paul, that many claim defines the role of the Church - this verse clearly states (in Paul's own hand yet!!) one of the principles he wants the church to understand, and being at the end of the letter, it is one that they'll most likely remember! And so it goes......

THE "IN" AND THE "OUT"

Within every system founded on agreed beliefs there is a sense of community that must be preserved from outsiders. Therefore, in an attempt to remain true to its beliefs the community draws a clear dividing line between those who are "in", and those who are "out."

The Bible and other scriptures are full of well-chosen, and diligently recorded words that are often used by the community to control people - sometimes positively through the emotions, as in 1 Corinthians 13 - "The Love Chapter," then through their minds, with contrived manipulation of logic - i.e. "The Bible is inspired, therefore it must be true, therefore when it says that people who don't love the Lord (whatever that means) are to be accursed, it means that only the ones who love God are saved!!"

So you end up with people in crazy wigs holding up signs at football games, or yelling Bible verses through a megaphone on street corners, trying to persuade people that if they don't freely choose to love God then the all-loving and merciful God will freely choose to let them burn forever!!! NICE.

Now I am free of this pretzel logic; this double-bind that tells you that you have to love or else!!!

Love never comes out of fear - love only ever comes out of love. Love is contagious, but it's not spread with threats or condemnation.


What happened to the Apostle Paul between Chapters 13 and 16?


Did he not read his own words?


Another problem with a verse like 1 Corinthians 16:22 is that it proposes a totally illogical premise. If someone "does not love the Lord they're accursed" - what if someone just PRETENDS to love the Lord? How does one bring another to love the Lord if it has already been decided that they're accursed? Are God's curses conditional? Apparently, according to this verse, his love appears to be that way.

As we're talking about belief - here's what I've come to believe about the Bible, and any scripture like it that contains verses that curse people in the name of God or Truth. The truly accursed ones are those who believe verses like these and who live their lives in a state of self-righteousness, predicting the cruel fates of those that don't agree with them.

Some scripture is true for its own sake and does not need a religion to interpret it. Here's a good example:

"Love is patient and kind;  

love does not envy or boast;
it is not arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way;"