A common misinterpretation treats the kiss of charity as a literal, mandatory ritual for modern worship, overlooking its cultural context as a standard Eastern greeting adapted by Christians to express agape love rather than romantic or obligatory physical contact; others universalize the peace blessing to all people indiscriminately, ignoring its specific address to those in Christ Jesus, which excludes unbelievers and ties divine peace to faith in Him, potentially diluting the gospel's call to salvation.
I Peter 5:14
King James Version (1769)
14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Peter concludes his epistle with a warm exhortation for believers to greet one another with a kiss of charity, symbolizing pure, affectionate unity and brotherly love in the early Christian community, much like a familial embrace that transcends cultural norms of the time; he then bestows a benediction of peace upon all who are in Christ Jesus, underscoring the profound shalom or wholeness that flows from union with Him, fostering harmony amid persecution and trials faced by the dispersed churches.