"NOBODY EVER TOUCHES ME." And so one person writes. She was a young teacher, unmarried, and living far from parents and friends. She bewails, "Faculty of course are admonished to do their job 'touch-free' without even placing a hand on a student's shoulder. One teacher had a sexual harassment complaint just for talking to a single teacher." Having been a teacher myself I can appreciate the writer's observations. I agree that there are many students touch starved because of their home environments. Touch in our "Hollywood culture" is often tainted by sexualization, or corrupted by abuse; hence, "physical affection" taboo can be rationalized. ⁱ However, the Bible recognizes that man is a social being created so that it is not "good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). While this is appropriately quoted concerning the good of a help meet, yet it is proof that human nature requires holy human contact. And since sin has entered the world, man's physical interpretations and experiences have been altered and compounded. So in our ignorance of each person's history, caution within a person's "personal space"ⁱⁱ even in assemblying must be approached with respect and honor. We must not forget to treat our brothers and sisters physically with especial tenderness.

"INCITE ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE." Just as the Pentecost church (Acts 2) obeyed the Holy Spirit's Word by caring things for one another (especially, financial) so Hebrews 10:24, 25 urges faithful assembly to "incite each other to love and good works" (Webster, LITV, Murdock). Not, "inciting to riots" but "inciting unto love." "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (verses 24, 25a, KJV). Christians hunger for this assemblying for the nurtureⁱⁱⁱ of righteousness in us all. "Always do the right thing. Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with. Worship with people whose hearts are pure” (2 Timothy 2:22b, BBE). ^iv

SALUTATION WITH A KISS. What about the "saluting with a holy kiss" (in our text)? Have you ever heard of that^v ? I believe the practice of this specific command has to be guided by social customs such as Jesus' command to "wash one another's feet" (hospitality, John 13:15) and a woman's wearing a veil (or as some apply 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 as a hat). Remember, we are to "imitate" the apostle by dealing with these social matters according to the prevailing custom.^vi For example, when we are with the Jewish community, we respect their customs, but when with the Gentiles, we respect their customs.^vii

OUR TEXT: "SALUTE." Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary defines salute^G782 as “to enfold in the arms, that is, (by implication) to salute, (figuratively) to welcome. KJV translates it (G782) as: "embrace, greet, salute, take leave.” In Acts 20:1b, for example, it is translated as "embrace": “Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced^G782 them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.”

IMPLICATIONS. The basic meaning is "enfold in the arms" and sounds as a physical thing. However, upon further investigation its nuances [salute and welcome] indicates it may be used in a metaphorical sense as well. Did Paul actually physically embrace all of the brethren? No doubt. He was there and it's an emotional parting. But what about his “salute” via his epistles? Paul commands (actually an imperative) the church in Rome to “salute” many that he names: Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Junia, Amplias, Urbane, Stachys, etc., etc. Was this to be a physical embrace from him? How and by whom and when is this to be done (if physical)? According to its definition, this word can mean "salute", a word conveying a friendly greeting from Paul to them. We do this in our letters, emails, telephone calls with "hug or kiss so and so for me"^viii. So the interpretation of the word “salute” with the list of names does not require a physical touch but is an expression that he is mindful of them. And this command is not directly relative to us since these people named are dead and gone but it serves for us an example of our expression of brotherly love. So it is that our text makes it a command for us all. Surely it is within the second type of worship; i.e., our “service” to others “for our God” (Romans 12:1). To salute, embrace, hug and greet one another expresses a Christian's care for his brethren. This requires us to learn each other well enough to know to what extent we apply this.

WITH A HOLY KISS? What does "holy" mean? According to Strong's Greek Dictionary, the holy^G40 means "sacred.” It and its synonym [G53] mean "pure, innocent, modest, perfect, solemn"; the word is translated in the NT as “chaste, clean, pure” just as God is. "But like as He who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living” (1 Peter 1:15). Vine's Dictionary describes it as signifying "separated" from sin and "consecrated to God, sacred."^ix The "holy" kiss would have been understood as a clean practice that former sexual deviants at Corinth would not have misinterpreted (1 Corinthians 16:20; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). This "kiss of love" would never refer to the erotic carnal "love" that pertains to the flesh. That love word was eros and is not used by the Holy Spirit at all.

"SALUTE WITH A HOLY KISS." What is this greeting labeled a "holy kiss"? It is “commanded” also in Paul's other epistles^x Actually the word "kiss" as used here is the phileo love.

TWO MAIN BIBLE WORDS FOR DISCIPLES' LOVE: (1) AGAPE ^G25 and (2) PHILEO.^{G5368, G5370}

AGAPE LOVE. According to Vine's Dictionary, agape and (its companion word) agapao^G25xi are commanded of all of us today and is divided into two goals: agape love God (Mark 12:30),^xii and agape your neighbor (Mark 12:31). I refer you to 1 Corinthians 13 which describes this agape love.

PHILEO^{G5368, G5370} LOVE. On the other hand, a second word for love, phileo, is restricted to people (cf. to our American word, Philadelphia). Its "love" signifies a warmth of friendship, fondness, affection, delight, and personal attachment. According to Vine's, this word is one of feeling – a heart of love – whereas the other one, agape, is a matter of benevolence, duty, and commitment.^xiii Jesus at the seaside asked Peter if he had agape love for Him, but Peter responded that he had phileo , or a warm friendly brotherly affection. Later, in his epistle, Peter uses both a form of phileo and the actual agape word with his command to a "greet with philema (kiss) of agape (love; KJV charity)" (1 Peter 5:14).

PHILEO^G5368 "KISS". "Phileo is the word translated 'kiss.'" ^xiv "FOND-effect kiss"^xv This does not mean to imply that it is totally a metaphorical word for love for we understand that Judas betrayed the Lord with a visible salutation of touch; indeed, it was a historical and customary physical kiss^xvi. His certainly was not a holy kiss but one of betrayal. However, it is interesting that the text in the original uses phileo, (not its derivative, philema) clearly faking "brotherly love": "[Judas] drew near unto Jesus to phileo^G5368 (KJV: “kiss”) him” (Luke 22:47).^xvii Jesus calls it a "kiss." “Jesus asked him, Judas, do you betray me with a philema^G5370?” In Matthew 26:49's version the writer says that Judas kata-philema Jesus. Meyer says this means he embraced and kissed.^xviii He apparently hugs Jesus and kisses him on the lips. In the context Jesus did not respond to Judas as a "phileo" friend but a hetaíros^G2083, meaning just a "comrade."

WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE OF THIS?

1. This kiss is not an act of proskuneo worship required unto God (the specified first word for "worship") but was a custom of affection demonstrated among people. It was never connected to the Communion either before the Lord's Supper or after as has been added in practice in liturgies over the centuries.

2. Since it is an expression of a loving care for fellows, would not its kiss practice be governed by social customs just like any other service to our fellowmen; e.g., washing the saints' feet, hospitality, veils, etc. Historically, its practice among denominations has changed. For example, at one time the genders had to be separated so that men could kiss the men and wormen the women.^xix

3. If the word means a sign of showing phileo love (and I submit it does); there are more ways to show one's love for fellows than a kiss or an embrace. To kiss or embrace is subject to what the culture accepts. The phileo rule is as Romans 15:7 commands, “Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” This is to be done without discrimination.

4. Jesus appeared to His apostles after his resurrection; BUT He did not kiss them; instead He "saluted" them with peace: “Peace be unto you” (John 20:26). I believe it significant that He employed the salutation instead of the physical which would under the circumstances have possibly have frightened the sad group. The Jewish community still retains an expression of this greeting. In my youth, I visited a synagogue with a Jewish friend of mine. He told me that when someone said "sholem aleikum" to respond with the reverse "aleikum sholem. " Although it was their Jewish custom, I courteously honored that custom while attending. It means "peace be with you." If Jesus spoke in Hebrew to the disciples, it would have been these words.

5. A few versions of the Bible seek to interpret the passage in Romans 16:16 for our culture instead of translating. The first two are interpretations, but, perhaps in line with our customs, they harmonize with what the Holy Spirit conveys. The third is a new and free online interlinear.

   A. J. B. Phillips’ rendering of Romans 16:16 is “give one another a hearty handshake all around.”^xx

   B. CEV: “Be sure to give each other a warm greeting. All of Christ's churches greet you.”

   C. " You greet one another in(to) to show of love to holy they greet you the Assemblies of Christ” (***Interlinear).^xxi

CONCLUSION: While the Bible teaches us to “Greet one another with a holy kiss”, following such a literal interpretation would be devastating both socially in our culture and currently health wise. Western custom is to shake one another’s hands and not embrace with a kiss. If a member were to vary from that custom, Christian or no, he would be criticized if not ostracized from the congregation. My conclusion is we are to show that we love that brother/sister from our heart and seek to do him/her the good which would be within cultural norms.

GAYLON WEST

"THROW OUT THE LIFELINE"



Thanks to Janie R. Ward and Mary L. West for Perusal & Editing