1 Corinthians 16:20
in 1 Corinthians 16All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
All the brethren salute you. Salute one another with a holy kiss.
KJV
All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 16
Commentary
13 notes on this verseBut when is peace more to be concluded with brethren than when, at the time of some religious observance, our prayer ascends with more acceptability; that they may themselves participate in our observance, and thereby be mollified for transacting with their brother touching. their own peace? What prayer is complete if divorced from the "holy kiss? " Whom does peace impede when rendering service to his Lord? What kind of sacrifice is that from which men depart without peace?
This site's exposition
The churches in the province
on 1 Corinthians 16:19-21
Aquila and Prisca, who hosted Paul at Corinth, now host the church that meets at their house. Then Paul takes the pen from the scribe, and the greeting in his own hand authenticates the letter, as 2 Thessalonians 3:17 explains.
This site's exposition
Greet one another with a holy kiss
The holy kiss appears in four of Paul's letters and as the kiss of love in 1 Peter 5:14. Justin Martyr records it in Rome about AD 155, exchanged before the bread and cup were brought. It marked believers as one family.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"All the brethren salute you. Salute one another with an holy kiss" This addition of the "holy kiss" he makes only here. What may the reason be? They had been widely at variance with one another on account of their saying, "I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ;" on account of "one being hungry, and another drunken;" on account of their having contentions and jealousies and suits. And from the gifts there was much envying and great pride. Having then knit them together by his exhortation, he naturally bids them use the holy kiss also as a means of union: for this unites, and produces one body. This is holy, when free from deceit and hypocrisy.
The holy kiss is the sign of peace, doing away with discord.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Thirdly, how the Apostle and his intimate companions greet them. Hence he says, all the brethren send greetings, who, namely, are with me: "All the saints greet you" (Phil. 4:22). From this, therefore, all greet you, and furthermore, you greet one another with a holy …
Only here does he make the addition about the holy kiss, because there were many divisions. Since he had urged them greatly toward unity, he finally unites them also with a kiss — "holy," that is, sincere, and not hypocritical.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
All the brethren greet you,.... Either the brethren, the members of the church at Ephesus; or the apostle's brethren in the ministry, that were along with him, as Sosthenes and others; or the brethren that were come to him from Corinth, namely Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus: greet ye one another with an holy kiss; See Gill on Rom 16:16.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me. In this chapter Paul closes this long epistle with some particular matters of less moment; but, as all was written by divine inspiration, it is all profitable for our instruction.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:35w-of-65
Some of these salute them much in the Lord. Note, Christian salutations are not empty compliments; they carry in them real expressions of good-will, and are attended with hearty recommendations to the divine grace and blessing. Those who salute in the Lord wish their brethren all good from the Lord, and breathe out their good wishes in fervent prayers.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
With a holy kiss - The ancient patriarchs, and the Jews in general, were accustomed to kiss each other whenever they met; and this was a token of friendship and peace with them, as shaking of hands is with us. The primitive Christians naturally followed this example of the Jews. See the note on Rom 16:16.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
holy kiss--the token of the mutual love of Christians, especially at the Lord's Supper (compare Ro 16:16; 1Th 5:26), "in which all the dissensions of the Corinthians would be swallowed up" [BENGEL].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
All the brethren ... - All the Christians with whom Paul was connected in Ephesus. They felt a deep interest in the church at Corinth, and sent to them Christian salutations. “With a holy kiss; see the note on Rom 16:16.
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀσπάζονται | aspazontai | Greet | G782 → | 57 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφοὶ | adelphoi | brothers | G80 → | 343 times |
| πάντες.¶ | pantes | all. | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| Ἀσπάσασθε | aspasasthe | do greet | G782 → | 57 times |
| ἀλλήλους | allelous | one another | G240 → | 100 times |
| ἐν | en | with | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| φιλήματι | philemati | a kiss | G5370 → | |
| ἁγίῳ.¶ | hagio | holy. | G40 → | 220 times |
ἀσπάζονταιGreet
aspazontaiG782 →57 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφοὶbrothers
adelphoiG80 →343 times
πάντες.¶all.
pantesG3956 →1235 times
Ἀσπάσασθεdo greet
aspasastheG782 →57 times
ἀλλήλουςone another
allelousG240 →100 times
ἐνwith
enG1722 →2738 times
φιλήματιa kiss
philematiG5370 →
ἁγίῳ.¶holy.
hagioG40 →220 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Thessalonians 5:26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
it leads to
- Romans 16:16
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 16:16
Through
Romans 16:16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 13:12
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:26
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
- 1 Peter 5:14
Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
- Acts 20:37
They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.
- 2 Corinthians 13:12
Through
1 Peter 5:14Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
it leads to
- Ephesians 6:23
Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 1:7
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 6:23
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 44; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Justin Martyr, First Apology; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On Prayer; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.