1 Thessalonians 5:26

Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Thessalonian believers near the conclusion of his letter, positioning this directive between a request for prayer and a charge to circulate the correspondence.

The words — Ἀσπασασθε (Aspasasthe) translates literally as "do greet," while φιλήματι (philēmati) means "a kiss," forming the core imperative of the verse.

The thread — The text repeats this command in Romans 16:16 and 1 Corinthians 16:20, where early congregations are similarly instructed to exchange a holy kiss as a standard practice.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to actively extend a sanctified greeting to every member of the faith community without exception, establishing a uniform practice of mutual recognition.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.