“Greet one another with a holy handshake.” That’s probably what Paul would say in closing were he alive today and writing a letter to the church in the United States. Of course, that would be a LONG letter because we have even more issues in the American church than the Corinthians, but…
When he wrapped up the letter, I’m confident he would encourage us to greet one another — probably with a “holy handshake.” Or perhaps a “holy hug.”
Of course, when writing to the Christian churches in the first century, he urged them to…
“Greet one another with an holy kiss.” (II Corinthians 13:12, KJV)
Paul makes this same command in his first letter to the Corinthian church (I Corinthians 16:20) as well as his letters to the church in Rome (Romans 16:16) and the church in Thessalonica (I Thessalonians 5:26).
Does that mean we should kiss everyone at church?
If you’re a literalist who reads the Bible on the surface, you might be inclined to think so. But, as my former pastor taught me, you must first understand what a Bible passage meant before you can understand what it means today.
Since this is a blog post and not a theological paper, I’ll cut to the chase. “Greet one another with a holy kiss” was a culturally appropriate exhortation for Paul to make to a first-century Christian community.
In the cultures of the Mediterranean and Near East during the first century, a platonic kiss as a form of greeting was a common practice among family and close friends. This could include kisses on the cheek, hand, or forehead and was a sign of respect, affection, and familial bond.
The platonic kiss was a greeting that transcended mere social pleasantries; it was a profound gesture of peace, reconciliation, and mutual respect. And….
In societies with class consciousness, racial tensions, or hierarchical tendencies, such a gesture in the church emphasized love, humility, and unity. It represented a radical leveling of social distinctions.
Now, do you see why Paul told the Corinthian, Thessalonian, and Roman Christians to greet one another that way?
In such a church, there is no room for pride, bigotry, or looking down on others. Everyone is equal at the foot of the cross. And we should come to church not simply to be loved but to love and encourage others!
We’re a family. And the bond we share as Christians in a church should transcend social pleasantries.
It doesn’t mean we have to literally kiss one another. The culture in 21st-century America (especially in the Washington, DC metro area where I’ve grown up) is different than that of the Ancient Near East. But we take the principle of Paul’s exhortation and apply it to our culture.
For us, that means a “holy hug” or a “holy handshake.” 🙂
Or perhaps a “holy fist-bump” or maybe even “holy wave” (if you are particulary germ-conscious).
Whatever the specifics…
The important thing is that we make sure that Christians must be genuine and authentic with one another. That we transcend superficial pleasantries and truly BE the family of God that we are called to be and that we are.
God bless you!
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