ROMANS 16:16

“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”

If churches today in America employed this method of greetings, you might see an increase in church attendance. Lol. Just kidding. Of course, this “holy kiss” did not imply anything sensual or too familiar. We are careful to avoid any appearance of such today, aren’t we? But have we devalued something that was meant to show love and affection for another believer?

Paul uses the same expression in 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. May I point out that the Corinthian church had a sex scandal Paul had to address in the first letter to them, but this did not lead him to tell them to avoid all signs of affection towards one another. Peter even calls this the “kiss of charity” in 1 Peter 5:14. This loving greeting was common and accepted in the early church.

APPLICATION

I will never forget the first time I was greeted by someone in this manner. I had a friend who was from El Savador. We met through a Rotary Club weekend in my hometown. My family hosted him. After that weekend, every time I saw Carlos, he would kiss me on each cheek. The first time I was a little freaked out by that. Men just don’t kiss men on the cheek in South Georgia. I had learned a new custom and knew he was just greeting me the way he was used to.

Let me distinguish between this “holy kiss” and the ones employed by others who are deceitful in their intentions. One good example is found in 2 Samuel 20:9-10. “9 And Joab said to Amasa, ‘Is it going well for you, my brother?’ And Joab took hold of Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab’s hand, so he struck him in the belly with it and spilled out his intestines on the ground, and did not strike him again, and he died.” That was definitely not a “holy kiss,” was it? It was more like a “holely kiss.” Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

Another famous kiss of betrayal is found in Luke 22:47-48. “47 While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading the way for them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’”  Again, not a “holy kiss.” Wrong motives. Don’t you know that kiss stung the Savior?

As I think about it, don’t we do the same with feigned smiles and happy greetings at church and then turn around and backbite? Let’s all try to show the love of Christ toward others today. Instead of a kiss, how about a holy hug?

Father, let my expressions of affection toward others be always wrapped in the arms of Jesus.
 

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