The word “anathema” appears several times in the Bible, primarily in the New Testament. It comes from the Greek word anathema, which means “something dedicated” or “devoted to evil.” In the Bible, it refers to something or someone devoted to destruction and set apart for judgement and wrath from God.
There are a few key aspects to the biblical understanding of anathema:
- It refers to being cut off, separated, or exiled from God’s people and His blessings. This is seen in passages like Galatians 1:8-9, where Paul says that those who preach a false gospel are “accursed” (anathema).
- It is closely tied to God’s judgement and wrath against sin. In 1 Corinthians 16:22, Paul writes that those who do not love the Lord are anathema. The idea is that they are objects of God’s wrath.
- Things or people designated as anathema are considered devoted to destruction. This is clear from the Old Testament practice of “devoting to destruction” Cities or people, called “cherem” in Hebrew. The city of Jericho was anathema after being devoted to destruction by God (Joshua 6:17).
So in summary, the biblical meaning of anathema refers to being devoted to evil, set apart for judgement and wrath, cut off from God’s people and blessings, and destined for destruction. It is a severe form of condemnation for those committing grievous sin or leading others away from true faith in God.
Some key verses help illustrate this biblical usage:
- Deuteronomy 7:26 (ESV) – “And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.”
- Joshua 6:17 (ESV)- “And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.”
- Acts 23:14 (ESV) – “They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.”
- Romans 9:3 (ESV) – “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:3 (ESV) – “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.”
- 1 Corinthians 16:22 (ESV) – “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!”
- Galatians 1:8-9 (ESV) – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
These verses show that anathema refers to being devoted to evil and destruction, cut off from God’s people for grievous sin, and under God’s judgement and wrath. It is to be wholly set apart from what is holy and righteous in God’s eyes. So in its biblical usage, anathema communicates the most severe form of condemnation from God against those who directly rebel against Him or lead others to do the same.
The concept of anathema can also be seen in the practice of “excommunication” in the early church. Those who committed grievous doctrinal or moral sins could be excommunicated, meaning cut off from the church and participation in the sacraments and life of the Christian community. Paul mentions delivering certain people over to Satan “for the destruction of the flesh” so that they may be saved (1 Corinthians 5:5). This formal excommunication as judgement parallels the idea of being anathema or accursed.
In the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, “anathema” continued to refer to excommunication from the church, often for heretical beliefs. The Catholic church holds certain historical positions anathema, meaning completely contrary to orthodox church teaching and thus heretical.
So in conclusion, the biblical concept of anathema involves these key aspects:
- Being set apart for condemnation and judgement from God for grievous sin
- Being devoted to evil rather than righteousness
- Total separation from God’s people and the blessings of faith
- Destruction and wrath from God against the anathema
The severe pronouncements of anathema against false teachers and those who rebel against God emphasize the vital need to remain faithful to Him. They serve as sobering warnings about the eternal consequences of turning away from God’s truth and righteousness. Understanding this biblical definition helps us appreciate the gravity of sin and the importance of standing firm in true faith according to God’s Word.
The Bible contains approximately 7,952 verses across its 66 books. Here are some additional verses for reference that mention anathema or a similar concept:
Leviticus 27:28-29 – “But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the Lord, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord. No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.”
Numbers 21:2-3 – “And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.” And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah.”
Deuteronomy 13:13-15 – “That certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.”
Judges 21:11 – “This is what you shall do: every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction.”
1 Samuel 15:21 – “But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
Proverbs 16:27 – “A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.”
Jeremiah 25:9 – “Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.”
Malachi 4:6 – “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
Mark 14:71 – “But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”
John 17:12 – “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”
Acts 3:23 – “And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.”
Romans 9:22-23 – “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.”
Philippians 3:19 – “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”
1 Thessalonians 5:3 – “While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
1 Timothy 6:9 – “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 – “Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”
Hebrews 10:39 – “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”
2 Peter 2:1-3 – “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
2 Peter 3:7 – “But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
Revelation 17:8 – “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.”
As we can see from these many verses, the concept of anathema – being devoted to evil and destined for judgement and destruction from God – runs throughout the Bible. It emphasizes the seriousness of rebelling against God and the eventual judgement that awaits those who turn away from Him and lead others astray. The sobering pronouncements of anathema warn us to remain faithful to Christ and walk in righteousness according to God’s truth.
