Salute with a Holy Kiss Romans 16:16

Paul the apostle continued to list certain individuals to greet among the believers in Rome as he told the believers to, “Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine”, and he added, “Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.” He continues, “Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them”, and in chapter sixteen and verse fifteen of Romans, Paul instructed the believers to, “Salute one another with an holy kiss” where we read:

Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

The verse begins, “Salute one another with an holy kiss.”. Paul began with the word, “salute” which means “greet, bid welcome, wish well to and receive joyfully” “one another” which means “each of the other believers” “with an holy” or “with a pure, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated” “kiss” which means “the touch of the lips with which, as a sign of fraternal affection, Christians were accustomed to welcome or dismiss their companions in the faith”. Paul instructed the believers in Rome to “bid welcome and receive joyfully” one another with the sign of affection of a “pure” “kiss”.

The verse continues, “The churches of Christ salute you.” Paul added the words, “the churches” which means “the assemblies of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting” “of Christ” or “pertaining to the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God” “salute you” which refers to “greet, bid welcome, wish well to and receive joyfully the believers in Rome”. Paul shared how the other “assemblies of Christians” with whom he visited “greeted and bid welcome” to the “believers in Rome”.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how important it is for believers in Jesus Christ to “greet and receive joyfully” one another. Though the custom of Paul's day was to “greet with a kiss”, a “pure and morally blameless” handshake, hug or pat on the back might be an expression of welcome as well. People who believe and trust in Jesus Christ as their “Savior and Lord” are to be as He was in the world. “Greet, bid welcome, salute and receive joyfully” one another should be the mantra, and everyone should feel cheerfully accepted in the family of God.

Next time Paul tells the believers in Rome to “mark them which cause division and offenses”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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