1 Corinthians 16:20, Greet Ye One Another

1 Corinthians 16:20 All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.

William MacDonald observed, “All the brethren in the assembly join in sending their loving greetings to their fellow believers in Corinth. The apostle enjoins his readers to greet one another with a holy kiss.”

He explained, “At that time, the kiss was a common mode of greeting, even among men. A holy kiss means a greeting without sham or impurity.”

In applying, he said, “In our sex-obsessed society, where perversion is so prevalent, the widespread use of the kiss as a mode of greeting might present serious temptations and lead to gross moral failures. For that reason, the handshake has largely taken the place of the kiss among Christians in English-speaking cultures. Ordinarily we should not allow cultural considerations to excuse us from strict adherence to the words of Scripture. But in a case like this, where literal obedience might lead to sin or even the appearance of evil because of local cultural conditions, we are probably justified in substituting the handshake for the kiss.” Amen.