"Maranatha! Our Lord, Come" in Biblical Context

Although I grew up in “Bible Churches” in which exposition of the Bible was standard fare (if given through a dispensational interpretive grid), I don’t recall hearing any discussion of Paul’s use of the term “Maranatha” found at the end of 1 Corinthians 16:22. But when I occasionally attended Calvary Chapel, I noticed the word Maranatha, was ubiquitous. Everyone seemed to know it came from an Aramaic word which means “the Lord Come.” Maranatha appeared on bumper stickers and tee-shirts. Calvary’s rapidly growing music enterprise was labeled “Maranatha Music,” which had its own a slick logo complete with the Calvary Chapel dove. At the time, this struck me as odd since Paul was obviously referring to the parousia of Jesus when using Maranatha and not Pentecost.

A quick internet search will reveal a surprisingly wide range of businesses, churches, and other enterprises which use Maranatha as a title—presumably to identify themselves as evangelical Christians of a particular sort even if not directly affiliated with Calvary Chapel. I use the term to end each of my podcasts, since it is the perfect way to end any discussion of Paul’s letters, just as he closes out his first Corinthian letter in the same way (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:22).

In re-reading F. F. Bruce’s wonderful book on the life of Paul, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Eerdmans, 1979), I found the following discussion of Paul’s use of Maranatha on page 67.

The primitiveness of the ascription to Jesus of the title “Lord” is shown by its currency in the Aramaic form maran or maranā as well as in the Greek kyrios: indeed the Aramaic invocation maranā-thā (“Our Lord, come”), used probably in the eucharistic commemoration, antedated the beginnings of Gentile Christianity and made its way (like the liturgical Amen and Hallelujah) untranslated into the vocabulary of Greek-speaking churches.

The early currency of the invocation maranā-thā bears witness to the disciples’ lively expectation of Jesus’ parousia, his advent in glory, to consummate the kingdom inaugurated by his death and resurrection. One of the most primitive eschatological passages in the New Testament comes in Peter’s exhortation to the people of Jerusalem to repent and turn again, so that their sins may be blotted out and “that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”, with the sending of Jesus, their foreordained Messiah, “whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old” (Acts 3:19–21). Here it is implied that early repentance on the part of the people of Jerusalem (perhaps as representing all Israel) would speed the parousia. This form of the expectation was soon superseded by others, but the expectation itself lived on as a potent hope throughout the apostolic age, not least in the thought of Paul.

As Bruce notes: 1). The term is primitive, that is, it was used very early before the Gentile mission got fully underway. 2). It is closely tied to the affirmation, “Jesus is Lord.” 3). Along with Hallelujah and Amen, the use of Maranatha was likely used in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, which explains the formula, “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ shall come again” in Christian liturgies and confirmed when the phrase is used in a Eucharistic context in the Didache, (14:10). 4). The early church expected and hoped for the Lord’s return, and made it a key element of their preaching, catechesis, and liturgy. 5). Maranatha, along with Amen and Hallelujah were brought over into Greek speaking churches, just as we use them today. 6). The term is thoroughly Pauline.

Maranatha is a wonderful biblical expression of hope which I think well worth using in its proper liturgical and anticipatory senses. Calvary Chapel revived the wide-spread use of the word as an identifier of the movement, but I think it better to use the word in the appropriate biblical contexts described by Professor Bruce.

I can’t help but think the apostle Paul would be taken back a bit to see a music label using the term as a logo in conjunction with a descending dove. I’ll bet he’d shake his head when he passed by the “Maranatha Sheet Metal Company” (yes, there is such a thing) or the local Maranatha High School.

As for me and my podcast, I’ll keep using it in conjunction with Paul’s affirmation that our Lord’s return is the blessed hope. It is my hope too. “Maranatha, Lord Come!”