As a male teenager in North America, this may have been one of the Scripture verses I was most eager to obey. Of course, I wasn't aware of the myriad ways the original Greek of this verse had been translated through the years...
Modern English Version:
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
This more-literal translation limited my pool of possible smooch partners to males, which greatly dampened my enthusiasm for obedience.
The Message:
Greet all the followers of Jesus there with a holy embrace.
This more-modern paraphrase opened it back up to include females, but erased the specific use of lips to greet each other.
The Living Bible:
Shake hands for me with all the brothers there.
And then Kenneth Taylor totally flipped the switch on both variables: no lips; no girls.
So, I needed to go to my favorite translation for getting every possible nuance of meaning out of a verse...
Amplified Bible:
Greet all the believers with a holy kiss [as brothers and sisters in God’s family].
...which gave me hope, but then I read the footnote:
Greeting other believers with a kiss on the cheek would be the equivalent of today’s handshake, pat on the back, or casual hug.
* * * * * * *
Truth is...The point was never about romance, but about accepting and welcoming fellow believers, harboring no ill will against anyone who calls Jesus Lord, and recognizing commonality with all who share The Faith.
In the words of the Contemporary English Version: Give the Lord's followers a warm greeting.
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