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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1Co_16:19-20
19The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. 20 All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
1Co_16:19 "The churches of Asia" This refers to the first century Roman province of the western one-third of the modern country of Turkey.
▣ "Aquila and Prisca" Aquila was a Jewish tentmaker (or leather worker), like Paul. All Jews, even rabbis, were taught a trade so that they would not take money for their teaching. Aquila's wife, Priscilla or Prisca, is listed first four times out of the six that they are mentioned (cf. Act_18:2; Act_18:18; Act_18:26; Rom_16:3; 1Co_16:19; 2Ti_4:19). Many have noticed that her name was a Roman noble name (gens Prisca). Since she is mentioned first, which is highly unusual for Jewish people, many have seen in them a great love story of a Roman wealthy lady and an itinerant Jewish tentmaker!
The Textus Receptus has Priscilla, which is her name in Act_18:2; Act_18:18; Act_18:26. It also appears in Rom_16:3 and here. This follows the Greek manuscripts A, C, D, F, G, K, L, the Syriac translations, and most later minuscule manuscripts. However, Paul calls her Prisca, which is found in manuscripts P46, à , B, M, and the Vulgate and Coptic translations. See Bruce Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, p. 570.
▣ "the church that is in their house" The early church had no buildings. They met in homes. This was because of
1. lack of money
2. need for secrecy, since Christianity became an illegal religion in the Roman Empire at a very early time
3. the need for an appearance of legality since the early churches organized like Roman social societies
The house church concept begins in Act_2:46; Act_5:4. It is continued and developed in Rom_16:5; Rom_16:23, Col_4:15; Phm_1:2.
▣ "All the brethren greet you" This obviously refers to the whole church, not just the males.
1Co_16:20 "Greet one another with a holy kiss" This form of public greeting (kissing on one or both cheeks) and sign of fellowship can be seen in the OT in Exo_4:27. It can be seen in the Gospels in Mar_14:45. It became standardized in the early church (cf. Rom_16:16; 2Co_13:12; 1Th_5:26; 1Pe_5:14), which followed the pattern of the Synagogue. Men kissed men and women kissed women. It came to be abused by some Christians and misunderstood by unbelievers and was dropped by the early church. However, it still continues on special occasions in the eastern churches. Its modern equivalent western would be a warm handshake or hug.