Unlimited: A Holy Kiss
Jan 10, 2024 253
Greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16a).
In many parts of the world it is common for both men and women to greet each other with a kiss. In the Middle East, it is also usual to see men who are friends walking along the road holding hands or arm in arm.
Many cultures are much more publicly affectionate and physically close than Western or Asian cultures. It was like this in the time of the apostle Paul. The first Christians customarily greeted one another with a kiss (1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:25; 1 Pet. 5:14.)
The fact that Paul calls it a “holy kiss” tells us that it meant much more among the early Christians than merely a perfunctory greeting. While we may or may not greet one another that way in our own cultures, it still has some important implications for us.
The fact that Paul calls it a “holy kiss” tells us that it meant much more among the early Christians than merely a perfunctory greeting.
Our greetings for one another should be genuine. There is too much fakery in the world around us. It should not be so within our Christian communities.
Our affection for one another within the body of Christ should be expansive. God himself has illustrated this for us in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In the story, against every social convention, the father,
ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (Luke 15:20.)
Spiritual Application
How comfortable do you feel in expressing your feelings to others? While we may each have a different personality type, our Christian love will always be expressed in our communication, and expressed through our actions.
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