Teks -- Romans 16:16 (NET)

16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Rom 16:16 - With a holy kiss

With a holy kiss ( en philēmati hagiōi ).

The near-east mode of salutation as hand-shaking in the Western. In China one shakes hands with himself. Men kissed men and women kissed women. See note on 1Th 5:26; 1Co 16:20; 2Co 13:12.

Vincent: Rom 16:16 - Kiss

Kiss

Compare 1Co 16:20; 2Co 13:12, 1Th 5:26; 1Pe 5:14.

Wesley: Rom 16:16 - Salute one another with an holy kiss

Termed by St. Peter, "the kiss of love," 1Pe 5:14. So the ancient Christians concluded all their solemn offices; the men saluting the men, and the women the women. And this apostolical custom seems to have continued for some ages in all Christian churches.

JFB: Rom 16:16 - Salute one another with an holy kiss

So 1Co 16:20; 1Th 5:26; 1Pe 5:14. The custom prevailed among the Jews, and doubtless came from the East, where it still obtains. Its adoption into the Christian churches, as the symbol of a higher fellowship than it had ever expressed before, was probably as immediate as it was natural. In this case the apostle's desire seems to be that on receipt of his epistle, with its salutations, they should in this manner expressly testify their Christian affection. It afterwards came to have a fixed place in the church service, immediately after the celebration of the Supper, and continued long in use. In such matters, however, the state of society and the peculiarities of different places require to be studied.

JFB: Rom 16:16 - The churches of Christ salute you

The true reading is, "All the churches"; the word "all" gradually falling out, as seeming probably to express more than the apostle would venture to affirm. But no more seems meant than to assure the Romans in what affectionate esteem they were held by the churches generally; all that knew he was writing to Rome having expressly asked their own salutations to be sent to them. (See Rom 16:19).

Clarke: Rom 16:16 - Salute one another with a holy kiss

Salute one another with a holy kiss - In those early times the kiss, as a token of peace, friendship, and brotherly love, was frequent among all people; and the Christians used it in their public assemblies, as well as in their occasional meetings. This was at last laid aside, not because it was abused, but because, the Church becoming very numerous, the thing was impossible. In some countries the kiss of friendship is still common; and in such countries it is scarcely ever abused, nor is it an incentive to evil, because it is customary and common. Shaking of hands is now substituted for it in almost all Christian congregations

Clarke: Rom 16:16 - The Churches of Christ salute you

The Churches of Christ salute you - The word πασαι, All, is added here by some of the most reputable MSS. and principal versions; and Griesbach has received it into his text. St. Paul must mean, here, that all the Churches in Greece and Asia, through which he had passed, in which the faith of the Christians at Rome was known, spoke of them affectionately and honourably; and probably knowing the apostle’ s design of visiting Rome, desired to be kindly remembered to the Church in that city.

Calvin: Rom 16:16 - Salute one another with a holy kiss

16.Salute one another with a holy kiss It is clear from many parts of Scripture, that a kiss was a usual and common symbol of friendship among the Jews; it was perhaps less used by the Romans, though not unfrequent, only it was not lawful to kiss women, except those only who were relatives. It became however a custom among the ancients for Christians to kiss one another before partaking of the Supper, to testify by that sign their friendship; and then they bestowed their alms, that they might in reality and by the effect confirm what they had represented by the kiss: all this appears evident from one of the homilies of [Chrysostom] ⁴⁷⁸ Hence has arisen that practice among the Papists at this day, of kissing the paten, and of bestowing an offering: the former of which is nothing but superstition without any benefit, the other serves no other purpose but to satisfy the avariciousness of the priests, if indeed it can be satisfied.

Paul however seems not here positively to have enjoined a ceremony, but only exhorts them to cherish brotherly love; and he distinguishes it from the profane friendships of the world, which, for the most part, are either disguised or attained by vices, or retained by wicked arts, and never tend to any good. By sending salutations from the Churches, ⁴⁷⁹ he was endeavoring, as much as he could, to bind all the members of Christ by the mutual bond of love.

Defender: Rom 16:16 - holy kiss

The "holy kiss" was an oriental form of friendly greeting, which was adapted by the early church to indicate Christian love, with men so greeting the men, and women the women."

TSK: Rom 16:16 - with // The

with : Act 20:37; 1Co 16:20; 2Co 13:12; 1Th 5:26; 1Pe 5:14

The : Rom 16:4

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Rom 16:16 - with an holy kiss // The churches of Christ salute you

From greeting them himself, he proceeds to exhort them to greet or

salute one another: this he adviseth them to do

with an holy kiss You have the same exhortation, in 1Co 16:20 2Co 13:12 1Th 5:26 . This the apostle Peter calls a kiss of charity, 1Pe 5:14 . Kissing is accounted a great symbol of love and concord: q.d. You have been much troubled with dissensions, about meats and days, &c.; therefore I beseech you that, forgetting all former offences, you would manifest for the future all signs of love to and peace with one another. Kissing was an old custom amongst the Hebrews; we find it used by the patriarchs, Gen 27:26 29:11 . It is still retained more or less in all countries. The primitive Christians did use it in their assemblies; so Tertullian testifieth, Lib. Dec.; and they did it especially in receiving the eucharist. So Chrysostom witnesseth, Hom. 77. in Joh 16 . "We do well," saith he, "to kiss in the mysteries, that we may become one." This custom, for good reasons, is laid down, and the Romanists, in room of it, keep up a foolish and superstitious ceremony, which is to kiss the pax in the mass.

The churches of Christ salute you: he sends, besides his own, the salutations of others also to the Christians at Rome; and that, first, of whole churches, and by and by of particular persons, Rom 16:21-23 . By churches, here, he principally means, the churches in Greece, where he then was, of whose good affection to the Christian Romans he was well assured.

Haydock: Rom 16:16

Thus the primitive Christians express their concord and benevolence, as also their perfect equality. For it was customary with the Persians, and all oriental nations, to salute only their equals thus; though, to their inferiors, the presented their hand to be kissed. (St. Clem. Pædog. and Polus.)

Gill: Rom 16:16 - Salute one another with an holy kiss // the churches of Christ salute you

Salute one another with an holy kiss,.... Christian salutation is a wishing all temporal, spiritual, and eternal happiness, to one another; and which, as it should be mutual, should be also hearty and sincere, and this is meant by the "holy kiss"; the allusion is to a common custom in most nations, used by friends at meeting or parting, to kiss each other, in token of their hearty love, and sincere affection and friendship for each other; and is called "holy", to distinguish it from an unchaste and lascivious one; and from an hypocritical and deceitful one, such an one as Joab gave to Amasa, when, inquiring of his health, he took him by the beard to kiss him, and stabbed him under the fifth rib, 2Sa 20:9; and as Judas, who cried, hail master, to Christ, and kissed him, and betrayed him into the hands of his enemies, Mat 26:49. I say, it is an allusion to this custom, for it is only an allusion; the apostle did not mean that any outward action should be made use of, only that their Christian salutations should not be mere complaisance, or expressed by bare words, and outward gestures and actions, either of the hand or mouth; but that they should spring from real love and true friendship, and be without dissimulation, hearty and sincere:

the churches of Christ salute you. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "all the churches"; that is, in Greece, or in the neighbourhood where the apostle was, and who might know of his writing to this church, and thereby send their Christian salutations to it; or if they did not know of his writing, yet as he knew their sincere affections, and hearty good will to this church, and the members of it, he in their names sent greetings to them: this shows the communion of churches, and how they ought to wish and sincerely desire each other's welfare.