Salutation
What Are Biblical Salutations?
In the biblical world, salutations were more than casual greetings—they were important social rituals that acknowledged another person's dignity and established the tone of an interaction. These greetings could be verbal expressions, physical gestures like bowing or embracing, or written formulas at the beginning or end of letters. Jesus referenced the common practice of greeting friends and family in Matthew 5:47, noting that even tax collectors did this. The cultural importance of proper greeting was so significant that failure to offer appropriate salutations could be interpreted as disrespect or hostility.
Salutations in Person
Face-to-face greetings in biblical times were often elaborate affairs. When Jesus criticized the Pharisees in Matthew 23:7, he noted their love for "greetings in the marketplaces"—public recognition that fed their pride. Common greeting gestures included bowing (Genesis 33:3), embracing (Genesis 33:4), and kissing (Romans 16:16). These physical expressions varied in formality depending on the relationship between individuals and their relative social status. The angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28-29 caused her to be "greatly troubled" precisely because such a formal salutation from a divine messenger carried profound implications.
Written Salutations
Written salutations followed established conventions in both secular and religious correspondence. New Testament letters typically opened with a greeting that identified the sender and recipients while invoking divine blessing. Paul's letters often began with variations of "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3). These weren't merely polite formulas but theological statements that framed the entire letter's content. At the conclusion of letters, authors often added personal greetings in their own handwriting, as Paul mentions in 2 Thessalonians 3:17 and Colossians 4:18.
Jesus' Teaching on Greetings
Jesus both participated in greeting customs and challenged their misuse. When sending out the seventy-two disciples in Luke 10:4, he instructed them not to greet anyone along the way—not because greetings were wrong, but because their urgent mission required focus and efficiency. This exception highlights how important greetings normally were. Jesus also transformed the meaning of greetings, teaching his followers to extend kindness even to enemies (Luke 6:35) and criticizing religious leaders who sought honor through elaborate public salutations while neglecting justice and mercy (Luke 11:43).
Early Christian Innovations
The early Christian community developed distinctive greeting practices that reflected their theological convictions. The "holy kiss" mentioned in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, and 1 Peter 5:14 served as more than a cultural custom—it symbolized the unity and mutual affection believers shared in Christ across ethnic and social boundaries. Christian greetings increasingly incorporated explicitly theological language, moving beyond conventional Jewish or Hellenistic formulas to express specifically Christian concepts of grace, peace, and the lordship of Jesus.
The Theology of Greeting
At its deepest level, biblical greeting practices point to the fundamental human need for recognition and relationship. The Christian understanding of salutation finds its ultimate foundation in God's initiative toward humanity—the divine greeting extended through creation, covenant, and ultimately through Jesus Christ. When Christians greet one another with "The Lord be with you" or similar phrases, they participate in a practice that acknowledges God's presence in human relationships and anticipates the final greeting promised in Revelation 22:21: "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen."
Biblical Context
Salutations appear throughout Scripture, from the patriarchal narratives where elaborate greetings established relationships (Genesis 29:13; 33:3-4) to the prophetic books where greetings sometimes carried divine messages (Daniel 10:11-12). In the Gospels, Jesus both participates in greeting customs and critiques their misuse (Matthew 23:7; Luke 10:4). The New Testament epistles feature standardized opening and closing greetings that became characteristic of early Christian correspondence (Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:1-2). These greetings serve practical, social, and theological functions throughout the biblical narrative.
Theological Significance
Salutations matter theologically because they reflect fundamental truths about human dignity, social relationships, and divine initiative. The biblical emphasis on proper greeting acknowledges each person's worth as created in God's image. Christian greetings like "grace and peace" encapsulate core gospel truths in miniature, reminding believers of their reconciled relationship with God and one another. The practice of greeting—especially across social boundaries—embodies the inclusive nature of God's kingdom. Ultimately, the biblical theme of greeting finds its fulfillment in God's gracious approach to humanity through Jesus Christ, who initiates relationship with those who were once strangers and enemies.
Historical Background
Archaeological discoveries of ancient letters and documents reveal that greeting conventions in the biblical world followed established patterns across cultures. Jewish greetings often included "Shalom" (peace), while Greek letters typically opened with "chairein" (greetings, as in James 1:1). Roman correspondence employed formal titles and wishes for good health. Physical greetings varied by culture but commonly involved gestures of submission (bowing), affection (embracing), or respect (hand gestures). The early Christian adaptation of the "holy kiss" (Romans 16:16) transformed a common Mediterranean greeting into a distinctively Christian practice that crossed social boundaries, reflecting the new community formed in Christ.