Holy Kiss and Triune Prayer

Paul's emphasis in this verse was not on the kiss. He was not instituting a holy kiss, but defining the Biblical meaning of Christian greeting, which was to be governed by genuine sincerity, that is, pure without hypocrisy or ulterior motives. The constant temptation that we all face is to choose rather to follow the path of being insincere in our greetings and relating rather than deal with the issues that might have caused there to be tension in our relationships. Paul, however, says insincerity is not allowed, thus forcing us to deal with the issues. The sermon then attempts to explain what this means practically in some areas. Finally Paul, in his closing prayer, gives a comprehensive picture of what we have as God's children, namely, that the Triune Lord of the universe is totally focused and dedicated to the success of our wellbeing. This supplies us with both a solid foundation as well as motivation for zealous service. As we rest, by faith, fully in the reality of Paul's prayer, may we be about our Father's business, to the glory and praise of His name.