I had an opportunity to talk with someone who has done a lot more study, and has a lot more resources than I, about the holy kiss. I can't verify this as fact, but I do trust this individual and I know he's got a deeper understanding than I.
In our discussion, he affirmed that the kiss was the common form of greeting for that time and area, and the emphasis was on "holy", not "kiss". Essentially, the greeting was to be sincere, not just going through the motions. We should be sincere with a handshake or hug. If you ever played sports, especially in school, you probably lined up at the end of the game and "shook hands" with the other players--often this was just going through the motions, with no real feeling involved. Sometimes we might be guilty of that when greeting brethren in Christ, and that would be wrong. We can make our worship unacceptable by thinking about the ball game or race you are missing on TV when taking the Lord's Supper, or during prayer, or during preaching, or while singing--for it to be right and proper your mind and heart have to be in it--you can't just go through the motions. In my opinion you are just getting dunked if you don't have your heart and mind in the right place during baptism.
That's what I have gathered so far.
Chad
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"We can have no '50-50' allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."-- Theodore Roosevelt
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. Ecclesiasties 10:2
The last four letters in American..........I Can
The last four letters in Republican........I Can
The last four letters in Democrats.........Rats
Thats a good post LBR, you make a good point. The Lord want's us to worship in "truth and in Spirit". Sincerity is a big step toward "truth in Spirit".
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
In my opinion you are just getting dunked if you don't have your heart and mind in the right place during baptism.
as my preacher says-"if you go in a sinner, you come out a wet sinner"
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Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work ~Isaiah 54:16
LBR I concur that be it a hand shake, a hug, or a Holy Kiss, if not done with sincerity it means nothing, but not to ne a stickler, but as there is a big difference between a handshake and a hug, there is an even larger difference between a handshake/hug and a Holy Kiss.
Do not get me wrong, I to feel it probably had a lot to do with the customs of the time and culture, but it is one of those things that IMHO is something that if a group of followers of Christ profess they follow the New Testament to a tee they can not choose to substitute it with a handshake or a hug, to paraphrase some, be silent where the Bible is silent, and in this instance there is no silence about the Holy Kiss, but there is a deafening silence in regards to substituting a hug or handshake for a Holy Kiss.
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The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
Do not get me wrong, I to feel it probably had a lot to do with the customs of the time and culture, but it is one of those things that IMHO is something that if a group of followers of Christ profess they follow the New Testament to a tee they can not choose to substitute it with a handshake or a hug, to paraphrase some, be silent where the Bible is silent, and in this instance there is no silence about the Holy Kiss, but there is a deafening silence in regards to substituting a hug or handshake for a Holy Kiss.
See there Taz, . .I was going to just leave that alone. I think you be just wanting some sugar.
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Taz; As I stated before, I am not trying to start a new practice among the brethern, but you are right about those who practice the holy kiss. I met a pastor from Houston, Texas that taught it was an act of prideful disobedience to God if one failed to greet a brother with just a handshake alone.
Holy Kiss Revisited
