Imprecation - 1 Corinthians 16:22

Sermon by Matt Trewhella on 4/25/1999

Paul declares in this passage that those who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ are cursed. The theological term used is imprecation. To imprecate is to invoke God’s righteous judgment – whether upon a person, a people or a nation.

This is NOT an unchristian thing to do nor is it merely an OT phenomenon. The reason most Christians today recoil at imprecation is because they have been schooled in unbiblical thought. They have been influenced by universal thought – that God is love and everybody will make it to heaven. Though most in American Christianity would not say everyone makes it to heaven they have bought into this idea that God is a God of love period. They have embraced this false god – the god of love period.

Yet the bible speaks of imprecation – both in the OT AND the NT over and over again. God is not just a God of love period – but He is also a God of justice. Imprecation is a normal part of NT Christianity.

1 Corinthians 16:22; Psalm 58