KISS OF LOVE

March 28, 2022

Greet one another with a kissG5370 of loveG26. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

1 Peter 5:14

G5370 φίλημα phílēma – the kiss with which, as a sign of fraternal affection, Christians were accustomed to welcome or dismiss their companions in the faith: Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

5:14 kiss of love. The kiss was and is a common form of greeting in the Near East (Matt. 26:48, 49; Luke 15:20), corresponding to today’s handshake. For the Christians, the cultural form became an outward sign of their love and unity (a “holy kiss,” Rom. 16:16; 1 Thess. 5:26).

ESV Reformation Study Bible

1 Peter 5:12-14. Kiss of Love: The Jewish way of greeting close friends was to hug and kiss them on the side of the face. Many Mediterranean countries still use this form of greeting even today for close friends and family.

https://bibleview.org/en/bible/actsparttwo/kiss/

In Jewish culture, it was common practice to kiss a person on both cheeks as a form of greeting. It was also referred to as a kiss of peace. For Christians, this gesture came to signify their love for each other, forgiveness, peace, and unity. The sincere “kiss of love” was conveying the desire for that person to be at complete peace—nothing missing, nothing broken. It was a heartfelt Christlike love for each other. This puts Judas’s kiss of betrayal in an entirely new light. What should have been the greatest sign of affection and wishing Jesus well, was used to identify Him to those who would arrest Him.

We may not greet each other by kissing on the cheek; and thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, many do not even hug. However, our greeting to our brothers and sisters in Christ should still represent our love for them. When we have this love, peace, forgiveness, and unity once expressed in the kiss of love, we as the body of Christ will not be easily shaken. We can stand firm in the confidence of knowing that we as believers are a family that is there for one another on earth and will enjoy each other throughout eternity. We may not be able to revive the kiss of love on the cheek but think of ways you can express the same idea whenever you greet a fellow follower of Jesus.

Father, may we share our brotherly/sisterly love with each other in creative ways. Help us to demonstrate our desire for love, peace, forgiveness, and unity to all in Your forever family.