Saturday 4 May 2024
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. (v. 16)
Background
We are almost at the end of one of the great works of Christian literature. Considering that Paul has never visited Rome, he seems to know a lot of people there. There are more personal greetings in this passage than in the whole of the rest of Paul’s letters. He is clearly trying to establish links, so that the Roman Christians know that he is connected with some their leaders. This is a society where personal contact and recommendation are vital.
We can conclude, from this list of greetings, that many early Christians were quite mobile, travelling from city to city as circumstances and trade dictated. Jews had been banished from Rome for a while by the Emperor Claudius, and that would have affected Jewish Christians too. In criss-crossing the cities of the Roman Empire, Paul would have met many of these itinerant Christians who have now made their home in Rome.
The names of those Paul greets also tells us something about the churches. Phoebe, for instance, seems to have been a business-woman and a leader of one of the house-churches. Prisca and Aquila were close friends of Paul. Women are prominent in the list and could have led churches in their homes. Some names are Jewish, others Gentile (not Jewish).
As Paul greets individuals in the churches, so all church members are urged to greet one another – “with a holy kiss”. (v. 16) This is part of the background to the practice of ‘passing the peace’ during services of Holy Communion. Then, as a final instruction in this passage, Roman Christians are once again told to steer clear of conflict and those who stir them up.
To Ponder:
- Think of churches you know, or would like to visit. Who would you want to greet there – and why?
- What might your choice of friends say about you?
Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Richard Clutterbuck
Richard is a supernumerary presbyter, living in Gloucestershire after a ministry that has taken him to Tonga, London, Gloucester and Belfast. He was formerly principal of the West of England Ministerial Training Course and of Edgehill Theological College.