Editorial –

Be Friendly

Being friendly may not occur to us as a spiritual virtue we should develop in Christ.  At best we may rank it well below faith, holiness and love and consider its practice not of the same importance as Bible reading, meeting attendance and prayer.  Yet there are seven apostolic instructions that we should greet one another in a friendly manner.

Apostolic instructions:

“Salute one another with an holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16)

“Greet ye one another with an holy kiss” (1 Cor. 16:20)

“Greet one another with an holy kiss” (2 Cor. 13:12)

“Salute every saint in Christ” (Phil. 4:21)

“Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss” (1 Thess. 5:26)

“Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints” (Heb.13:24) “Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity” (1Peter 5:14).

The New King James has “greet” for “salute” in Romans, Philippians and Hebrews, thus translating the Greek aspazomai in a consistent manner.

Be friendly

We may read the five references to “kiss” and feel the instruction is to avoid sensual kissing when greeting brothers and sisters.  Furthermore...

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