The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in 1 Thessalonians 5:26,
"Greet all God's people with a holy kiss."
We read about kissing in the Scriptures. Kissing is associated with greeting one another as well as expressing relationship. In Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:26, we are told to greet one another with a "holy kiss." Peter tells us to greet one another with a "kiss of love." 1 Peter 5:14. And, we read of the Ephesian elders who embraced and kissed Paul in their grief over the news they would never see him again (in this life), and to send him on his way to Jerusalem, Acts 20:37.
Those who have studied this point out the kissing here was men with men, women with women, and men with women within the fellowship.
Over the years I have heard of differing activities found in Scripture that have been focused on as proving one is "in the faith" or at least a "member in good standing." I have seen lists concocted that purport the contents must be scrupulously followed or fulfilled (in the "lister's" understanding of "how to") if one is to have any hope in eternal life, let alone a good standing within the fellowship. I'm sure you have run into these things as well.
For instance, baptism must follow certain guidelines on order to qualify the "baptized" for eternal life. Not settling for that, others have verbal formulas which must be recited in order for the required ordinance to be "legitimate."
I think we are all too familiar with our charismatic brothers and sisters who insist we must all be speaking in tongues. Hey, they did it in the New Testament, didn't they?
Mass, the Lord's Supper, Communion, the Agape Feast, whether considered as a sacrament or an ordinance is understood by many to have to be done in certain ways, else, it just may not be "legit". Almost always the Scriptures are pointed to as the grounds for whichever position, even when the interpretations conflict.
I think you get my point here. Many things may be done in the church today due to how something is perceived in the Scriptures. Often times, things done differently become the "distinctives" that set one group apart from others, and in some cases, at odds, with other groups. I'm sure we have all seen these things. And I am sure we have all scratched our heads in wonderment over both the direction and the tenacity with which some groups promote their "distinctives."
I have to say, though, I have never run into a kissing fellowship. There is an abundance of distinctives regarding baptism, communion, the "charismatic gifts", elder rule, etc. One might think, with the same logic and the same approach, some groups might adopt kissing as the demonstrable manifestation that one is "in the faith, in good standing."
Of course, kissing, in our culture, is a bit different from the kissing we read of in Scripture. In our society, kissing is typically reserved for either romance or expressions of affection within the immediate family. I'm certain there are exceptions, but the practice of kissing in Paul's day is not quite the same as ours today. It is an interesting subject to take up when attempting to understand cultural issues in Scripture as they apply to the church in our culture today.
Why no kissing in our churches? If it was "good enough for Paul", shouldn't we? And, isn't the literary formula that tells us to kiss one another couched the same way as what many consider as "commands" when speaking of other things?
I know I'm being a bit of a smart aleck here. But I think it helpful to consider these kinds of things as we insist others follow us. Maybe we might not be on as firm a ground as we assume... And, truthfully, given our culture, I would not suggest we begin kissing each other as was practiced in Paul's day.
After all, what might the neighbors think?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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