1 Corinthians 16:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (1 Cor 16:23). It belongs to a teacher to help not only by counsels, but also by prayers.

The teacher’s duty is not only to persuade, but also to pray, and thus to establish doubly: by teaching and by drawing down help from above through his prayers.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you from now and forever. “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” You also, brethren, keep watch and stand firm in the Orthodox faith. Let everything among you, every word and deed, be done with Christian love.

Whoever has loved Christ does not give glory to men, for there is no hope in men. In the words, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,” this is implied: you have loved the Lord Jesus.

According to custom, the Apostle wished the Corinthians the grace of the Lord Jesus. He mentioned his love not simply, but to show that, moved by love for them, he used harsher words. He imitated fatherly abundance of love and desired their salvation. Let us draw benefit from this and love the Master who loved us. Then the Apostolic curse will not fall upon us, and we shall be counted worthy of the Apostolic shelter in Christ Jesus our Lord. With Him be honor and majesty to the Father, with the All-Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The First Epistle to the Corinthians of the God-speaking Paul contains proofs of the faith, exhortations, reproofs, threats, and warnings. Its ending is a prayer and an expression of his benevolent disposition toward them. I pray, he says, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with you.

He also declares that he loves them all with a pure and holy love, such as Jesus Christ commanded. "My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen."

O Lord, may this grace, for which Paul prayed and which he desired for the Corinthians, dwell also in us. By its divine power, may we love Thee with all our soul and heart. May we be freed from the fearful condemnation of that curse, Maran atha.

May we remain inseparably united with Thee, our Savior, in this present life, at the hour of death, when Thou comest to judge the living and the dead, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Finally, he sends greetings from the churches of Asia, especially from Aquila and Priscilla. He proclaims anathema, “Maranatha,” against anyone who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 16:19-24).

Anathema, Maranatha: let him be cut off until the coming of the Lord.

The last four verses were written by the Apostle Paul’s own hand. Usually he wrote with his own hand, “The grace of our Lord...” But here he precedes this prayerful blessing with a fearful testament of love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

He threatens excommunication from the Church, for the Lord has come, Maranatha. Therefore, whoever does not love Christ does not believe in the salvation accomplished by Him, and so he is not a Christian.

If he is called a Christian, this is wholly in vain. He must be separated, just as the incestuous man was commanded to be separated, since he utterly failed to meet the most basic requirements of Christian life.

It belongs to a teacher to help not only by counsels, but also by prayers. Therefore the Apostle prays: “Grace be with you.”