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Greeting in the Lord

Greeting in the Lord

Words of Faith 8-16-17

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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1 Corinthians 16

   [19] The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. [20] All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

 

      Paul concluded with several greetings and an exhortation... to greet one another. The greeting from the churches of Asia probably indicated the churches mentioned in Revelation 2-3. Asia Minor had become a region that was alive with the work of the Gospel. These churches joined with Paul in sending greetings to their sister church in Corinth.

       The word translated "greet" means to welcome or embrace-- literally to enfold in one's arms. This was the warmth that Paul sent and extended from the believers in Asia Minor, a spiritual extension of arms to enfold the fellow believers in Corinth.

         Aquila and Priscilla also sent "much greeting" or a "most warm greeting". They would have been well known in the Corinthians church. Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers whom Paul met in Corinth and with whom he lived. They had moved from Rome to Corinth and then followed Paul to Ephesus where they opened their house as a meeting place. They later returned to Rome.

         Paul also greeted Aquila and Priscilla in his letter to the Romans. This couple really got around the ancient Christian world! Paul was so very grateful for these precious, dedicated people who moved at the call of the Spirit and opened their home to the work of God. "My fellow workers in Christ Jesus... They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them" (Rom. 16:3-4).    

         The greeting from "all the brothers" may refer to those from the Corinthian church in Ephesus at the time of this writing or to believers in Ephesus who met in houses other than that of Aquila and Priscilla, or simply to the collective community of Christians in the province of Asia.

         But this greeting was not just a matter of words in a letter. Paul urged a warm greeting among the Corinthians as if to say, "As the church, give yourselves a big old hug".  Extend Christian affection to one another in the Lord.

       The holy kiss is referenced in several New Testament passages. In the Middle East, a kiss on each cheek was a common family greeting. In the church, this was a warm expression of the love, forgiveness, and unity which should exist among Christians. This expression became associated with the celebration of the Lord's Supper as a prelude to its observance and was a mark of the familial bond which united believers.

       There is no indication that the holy kiss was restricted to one's own sex in the New Testament era. The suggestion to separate the sexes for the exchange of the kiss arose in the late second century due to concern about criticism from non-Christians and the danger of erotic abuse. By the third century it seems that the sexes were separated and by the fourth century the clergy and laity were also kept apart. This was not the case in the New Testament church where love for one another was openly expressed.

       In western culture, we may find that a warm hug or handshake can express the very same greeting. A warm greeting is a good thing. Of course such greetings can become superficial and this sort of expression is no replacement for the refreshing of deep fellowship, but a warm greeting can also be an expression of God. It is a connecting point.

       As believers we need to express the welcome of God. This is part of why we gather. There is something about the gathering and greeting within God's family that opens us to deeper connection. We don't get it on television or through the Internet. We need to express the embrace of the Spirit. We need to express unity and forgiveness in Christ. This is probably why the writer of Hebrews urged-- "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (10:25).

 

         Heavenly Father, draw me into Your family. It is not perfect but You are. It has many faults, but You have none. Draw me into the place where I can warmly greet others in Your Name. Help me to extend the embrace of the Spirit. In Jesus' Name.