Anathemas—

The True and

The False

Dan Corner

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Have you ever heard of an anathema? It refers to a person who is considered accursed or excommunicated. In other words, one is doomed to eternal condemnation in hell if he is anathematized.

The word anathema is used 5 times in the Bible and Paul was the only writer to use it. It is found in Romans 9:3; 1 Cor. 12:3; 16:22; Gal. 1:8 and Gal. 1:9. Of these 5 usages only three directly apply to the Christian.

This is because one is used showing Paul’s desire for the Israelites to be saved in exchange for himself being damned and the other stating that no one can say Jesus be cursed under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Hence, of the 5 verses that the word anathema is found in, only 3 directly apply to us. Let’s look at all three of these anathemas.

Three True Anathemas

The first one is cited in 1 Cor. 16:22:

1    If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema.

Then we have what Paul wrote regarding the seriousness of preaching a false gospel in Gal. 1:8,9 where he used this word twice. He said this:

2    But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

3    As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

These are the three anathemas found in the Bible and the only three relevant for us today. They are associated with not loving the Lord Jesus and the lethal error of preaching a false gospel. With that in mind, to love the Lord Jesus means you will obey him (John 14:15, 23,24) and the real gospel includes a conditional security for the believer (1 Cor. 15:2; Col. 1:23).

Many False Anathemas

As is often the case, there seems to always be counterfeits. Such is true here with anathemas as well.

When it comes to counterfeit anathemas, no group will ever surpass the Roman Catholic church. The Roman Catholic church has pronounced numerous anathemas on any person who would disagree with them. Though Roman Catholics of our day would vehemently deny that one must be a Catholic to have salvation, the large number of anathema pronouncements against all who would doctrinally disagree with them presents a solid case for the opposite.

Let me give you a few specific examples of counterfeit anathemas from the Roman Catholic church Council of Trent, which took place from 1545 to 1564.

Regarding sprinkling infants, for what they call baptism, the Catholic church stated the following:

    If anyone says that in the Roman Church, which is the mother and mistress of all churches, there is not the true doctrine concerning the sacrament of baptism, let him be anathema. (Session Seven, canon 3 under baptism).

In other words the Roman Catholic church pronounces a curse of damnation to hell on all who correctly reject, based on the Bible, the idea that an infant is born again when sprinkled during their baptism. They also teach that baptized infants get forgiven and become children of God at that time. Such is definitely not the message of the Bible, yet to disagree with them is to have them place one of their many counterfeit anathemas on you.

Here is another example. This one is given regarding what they call the Holy Eucharist. Bible believers call that communion. They said this:

    If anyone denies that in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist are contained truly, really and substantially the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ, but says that He is in it only as a sign, or figure or force, let him be anathema (Session Thirteen, chapter 8, canon 1).

In other words, the Catholic church has placed various anathemas upon billions of people who reject their doctrine that the consecrated communion wafer is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine and should be worshiped like God Himself.

This particular false doctrine related to transubstantiation has led many into idolatry. Clearly, if one worships a communion wafer he has committed idolatry. Yet the Catholic church would call this true worship. Imagine that!

One final example of another counterfeit anathema is related to what the Roman Catholic church wrote about their own mass:

    If anyone says that the sacrifice of the mass is one only of praise and thanksgiving; or that it is a mere commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross but not a propitiatory one; or that it profits him only who receives, and ought not to be offered for the living and the dead, for sins, punishments, satisfactions, and other necessities, let him be anathema. (Session 22; chapter 9, canon 3).

So again the Roman Catholic church condemns to hell billions who correctly reject their doctrines associated with the repeated unbloody sacrifice for sins, purgatory, etc.

If you are thinking those Catholic anathemas came 450 years ago and have no place today, remember this: The latest Roman Catholic church council, Vatican Council II, reaffirmed the Council of Trent. By reaffirming Trent they also reaffirmed well over 100 Anathemas placed on all non-Catholics!

As I stated earlier, there are true anathemas and there are false ones. The only anathemas that are from God and the ones you need to be concerned about are the three cited in the Bible. They alone are relevant. All other anathemas are erroneous and therefore nothing but empty words. Don’t fear them.

GOD BLESS YOU.

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