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We should love them, be kind to them, and treat them well.
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44
“But love ye your enemies, and do good.” Luke 6:35
We should hate them and wish them evil.
“Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them. Let destruction come upon him at
unawares.” Psalm 35:6,8
“Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell.” Psalm 55:15
“Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth.... Let them be as cut in pieces.” Psalm 58:6-7
“Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.
Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon
them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate.... Add iniquity unto their iniquity:
and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living....” Psalm 69:22-28
“Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: Which perished at Endor: they
became as dung for the earth.” Psalm 83:9-10
“So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may
seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish.” Psalm
83:15-17
“Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned:
and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; and let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his
wife a widow. Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. Let there be none to extend mercy unto
him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following
let their name be blotted out. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother
be blotted out.” Psalm 109:6-14
“All mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou
hast called, and they shall be like unto me. Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done
unto me....” Lamentations 1:21-22
“Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto
them. Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:64-66
“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema.” 1 Corinthians 16:22
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The Psalms and Lamentations were written under a spirit of prophecy; i.e., the Holy Ghost was upon the authors. God was essentially
speaking through each prophet, expressing His holy indignation. In each of the quoted passages, the prophets themselves could
either see the wrath and destruction of the future from their vantage point, or at the very least, God was illustrating His
plans for the wicked. The Psalms and Lamentations were not at all mere men’s thoughts. The wrath is brought upon sinners
by God’s unchangeable attribute of justice.
Notwithstanding, the Jews had a saying, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” When Jesus Christ came
down from Heaven, He wanted to show us a better way: the way of godly love in its fullest. It was okay, under the theocracy
of Israel, to render capital punishment for certain crimes, but since the nation had lost its power, they could not do that
with as much freedom. Jesus said that it was better not to resist evil anyway.(Matt. 5:39) Jesus basically said that it
was okay to hate your brother if there is a cause(Matt. 5:22), but it is better to love him. It is okay to divorce
under strict provisions(Matt. 5:32), but it is better to stay married. Jesus came to set up the spiritual kingdom,
and therefore He outlined its corresponding values. No longer was there the temporal kingdom; the old gave way to the new
theocracy.
When Paul is talking about “Anathema”, he is referring to people who have an aversion to Jesus Christ and the
Gospel message after constant witnessing by him and other apostles. He is only speaking the truth; if sinners(everyone) do
not accept Jesus as Savior in their lifetime, they really will be damned. Apostle Paul had some of the most vicious persecutors.
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