A curse be unto you

Paul was not placing a curse on people, We are accursed when we commit our first sin. All that Paul was saying is that Redemption in the form of Jesus, has been offered to rebellious man, and if man does not accept that redemption let him receive his just punishment.

Let's take a closer look at John 3:16 and 17 and see how it applies to what Paul is saying.

John 3:16 and 17 NKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Let's try to put these statements of Jesus into the way he might have said them today in America.

God was so happy with the man he created, that he loved him enough to give him an eternal soul. In fact he loved man so much; that he sent a part of himself in the form of a human being, which he alone has the power to do. That human creation is a prototype unlike any other human being, so much that God refers to him as his only begotten son. The reason he did that, is so that those who accept his death and resurrection as payment for their insurrection, should not have endure an eternity of pain and suffering in the lake of fire; which was really created to punish Satan and his angels. The reasoning is not that God sent his son to make sure that they receive their just punishment, but that through faith in his sacrifice they might enter into the Kingdom of God.

That is of course my understanding of those verses, and the way I reached that conclusion is by taking all that Jesus said in that diatribe and trying to put into what I consider to be the way he would say it today if we were just sitting and talking.

This is that complete saying that Jesus says in chapter three of John.

John 3:1 through 21 NKJV There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

What I often do is to place myself in the scriptures as the person Jesus was addressing at the time, since it is my conviction that all Scripture is directed to me personally, including the old testament. I find it easier to understand the Scriptures if I for instance place myself as Job, or any other character; and that God is speaking directly to me.

If I insert myself into the place of Nicodemus in Chapter three of John, I can imagine myself as a preacher, and Jesus is sitting down for coffee with me, and I were to ask him that question. In my mind I can see him turn to me and say are you a preacher and don't know these things, after studying the Bible for so many years, and going through Seminary?

If you care to; just put yourself into the place of Nicodemus and go through that exchange as if you were sitting down in the manner of an interviewer; and go through chapter 3 of John or any other scripture you may choose, sometimes it has a more lasting impact than just reading it. You might even place yourself in the position of someone interviewing the President as we see on TV, only it is not the president it is Jesus or perhaps God himself.

You may or may not find that it is helpful in understanding the Scriptures; especially after going through an entire book of the Bible.

When I tried placing myself in the place of Moses it helped immensely in understanding both God's anger and Moses frustration.

Hope this helps.

If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
1Co 16:22: The word "ANATHEMA" means "accursed" (Vine's Expository Dictionary), and the words "MARAN ATHA" mean "our Lord has come" (Strong's Concordance). So, Paul was saying, "If anyone doth not dearly love the Lord, Let him be anathema (that is, 'accursed'): Maran atha (that is, 'The Lord cometh')" ("The Emphasised New Testament" by J.B. Rotherham).

Because of Paul's instruction in Rom 12:14, which says, "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not," it is certain that Paul was not violating his own instructions. He probably was stating that those who do not love the Lord are already under the curse, as John wrote in John 3:36 - He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Εἴ τις οὐ φιλεῖ τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν χριστόν, ἤτω ἀνάθεμα. Μαρὰν ἀθά.1 Corinthians 16:22

If anyone doesn't love the Lord, let him be condemned! May our Lord come! 1 Corinthians 16:22 (ISV)

The Greek word ἀνάθεμα (anathema) connotes to be doomed and so separated from Christ.

Reference:

http://biblehub.com/greek/331.htm