What does anathema mean?
Question
What does anathema mean?
Answer
An anathema is a curse or prohibition. You will find it used in the KJV of the Bible: “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha” (1 Cor. 16:22), while the NIV reads, “If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him. Come, O Lord.” Though the term may be translated differently it is used in several other texts, such as: Deuteronomy 7:26; Acts 23:12; 23:14; 23:21; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Galatians 1:8-9; Romans 9:3, etc. In the common Christian usage it is a formal condemnation of a person or group by the church, typically involving excommunication and is generally reserved for those determined to be heretics.
Answer by: Joseph R. Nally, Theological Editor, on behalf of the staff at IIIM. The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily the “official position” of Third Millennial Ministries.