Closing 1 Corinthians 16:21 The salutation with my own hand—Paul’s. Paul’s usual habit was to dictate his letters to one of his co-workers. However, at the end he would take pen in hand, add a few words in his own writing, and then give his characteristic salutation. That is what he does at this point. 1 Corinthians 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! Accursed translates the Greek word anathema. Those who do not love the Lord Jesus are condemned already, but their doom will be manifest at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian is one who loves the Savior. He loves the Lord Jesus more than anyone or anything in the world. Failure to love God’s Son is a crime against God Himself. Ryle comments: St. Paul allows no way of escape to the man who does not love Christ. He leaves no loophole or excuse. A man may lack clear head-knowledge and yet be saved. He may fail in courage, and be overcome by the fear of man, like Peter. He may fall tremendously, like David, and yet rise again. But if a person does not love Christ he is not in the way of life. The curse is yet upon him. He is on the broad road that leadeth to destruction. O Lord, come! translates maranatha, an Aramaic expression used by the early Christians. If spaced “maran atha” it means “Our Lord has come,” and if spaced “marana tha” it means Our Lord, come! 1 Corinthians 16:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Grace was Paul’s favorite theme. He loved to open and end his Letters on this exalted note. It is one of the true marks of his authorship. 1 Corinthians 16:24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. Throughout the entire Epistle we have listened to the heartbeat of this devoted apostle of Christ. We have listened to him as he sought to edify, comfort, exhort, and admonish his children in the faith. There was no doubt of his love for them. When they read these closing words, perhaps they would feel ashamed that they had allowed false teachers to come in, questioned Paul’s apostleship, and turned away from their original love for him. 2 Corinthians (Approximately 56 AD) Overview: The Epistle is difficult. The meaning of many verses is obscure, to say the least. There are several explanations for this: (1) Paul uses a great deal of satire, but it is sometimes difficult to be sure just when he is doing so. (2) To fully understand some sections, we would have to have further information as to Paul’s exact travels, the travels of his companions, and the letters he wrote. (3) The Epistle is intensely personal, and the words are often the language of the heart. These are not always the easiest to understand. The book of Second Corinthians is a deeply personal and significant letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. It offers a unique window into Paul's heart, his ministry, and the challenges faced by the early church. This letter was written during a complex time. Paul had sent a previous letter (often referred to as the “severe letter,” which is likely lost to us) and had experienced a painful visit to Corinth. He was also dealing with opposition from false apostles who were undermining his ministry and questioning his credibility. Second Corinthians serves multiple purposes:To express his relief and joy over the repentance of the majority in Corinth.To defend his apostolic ministry and authority against those who challenged him.To encourage the Corinthians in their commitment to Christ and to complete the collection for believers.To address the persistent issues and confront the rebellious minority who continued to oppose him. Greeting 2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia: Paul introduces himself at the outset of his letter as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. It is important that he should strike this note at the very beginning, because there were those in Corinth who raised the question as to whether Paul had ever really been commissioned by the Lord. His answer is that he did not choose the ministry by his own will, neither was he ordained by men, but he had been sent into the work by Christ Jesus through the will of God. His call to the apostleship took place on the road to Damascus. It was an unforgettable experience in his life, and it was the consciousness of this divine call that sustained the apostle during many bitter hours. Oftentimes when, in the service of Christ, he was pressed beyond measure, he might well have given up and gone home if he had not had the assurance of a divine call. The fact that Timothy is mentioned in verse 1 does not mean that he helped to compose the Letter. It only signifies that he was with Paul at the time the Epistle was written. Beyond this fact, there is a great deal of uncertainty about Timothy’s movements during this period. The letter is addressed to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia. The expression church of God means that it was an assembly of believers belonging to God. It was a company of born-again Christians, called out from the world to belong to the Lord. Doubtless as Paul wrote these words, he remembered how he had first gone to Corinth and preached the gospel there. Men and women steeped in idolatry and sensuality had trusted Jesus Christ as Lord, and had been saved by His marvelous grace.