Problem: Jesus taught that we should love our enemies (Mt. 5:44), but Paul prays a curse over his enemies. This word for “accursed” is anathema. Colin Brown writes,
The LXX uses anathema regularly to translate the Hebrew herem, ban, what is banned (Num. 21:3; Josh. 6:17; 7:12; Judg. 1:17; Zech. 14:11 with the original root meaning to forbid, separate, consecrate, annihilate). What is banned (persons or things) is directly given up to God and so cannot be redeemed (Lev. 27:18).
The “ban” (Hebrew herem or Greek anathema) was originally for the Canaanites, who were judged by God (Josh. 6). Here, Paul uses the same word to describe the judgment on these false teachers. How can we harmonize Paul’s curse with Jesus’ words?
Continue reading →