The Apostle Paul had a big heart of love for the believers in Corinth. Even though they had slandered him, disobeyed the teaching he gave them, persisted in tolerating sin, and had allowed false teachers to spread their poison in the church, Paul had not given up on them. Any news of spiritual progress delighted him. He kept on praying for them because he was confident in God's ability to restore His people from their entrapment by sin, to being holy once again.

Kissing, as a greeting, was and is common in the Middle East; it was no more Christian than pagan. It was part of family meetings, business meetings, social meetings – so why does Paul tell them to greet each other with a holy kiss?