Greet The Saints

INTRODUCTION

If someone were to ask, "What makes a healthy church?" many of us would answer with things like:

sound preaching

biblical doctrine

faithful prayer

evangelism.

Those are all essential.

Yet, as Paul closes his first letter to the Thessalonians, he emphasizes something much simpler—but no less important.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:25-28

The four statements that appear in these verses come out in rapid succession:

Pray for us

Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss

Have this letter read to all the brothers

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you

Sandwiched between prayer and Scripture is fellowship. That should catch our attention.

A church can have excellent preaching, and still feel cold.

A church can be doctrinally sound, and yet emotionally distant.

A church can defend the truth while failing to demonstrate the love of Christ.

Paul refuses to separate doctrine from affection.

In fact, The command appears five times in the New Testament:

Romans 16:16

1 Corinthians 16:20

2 Corinthians 13:12

1 Thessalonians 5:26

1 Peter 5:14 (a kiss of love)

Clearly, this is not an instruction given to one group of believers in one area of the world.

This is for all believers, for all time.

The cultural expression may change, but the principle does not.

Principle: Christians should intentionally demonstrate holy, family-like affection that reflects the love of Christ.

CHRISTIAN GREETINGS SHOULD BE WARM

Greet all the brothers

Paul does not simply say, "Acknowledge each other." The word greet carries the idea of warmly welcoming someone.

This is personal.

This is affectionate.

This is intentional.

After asking the church to pray for its spiritual leaders, Paul immediately commands believers to demonstrate love toward one another.

Christianity is relational.

Love is not merely believed, it is displayed.

Romans 12:10 ESV

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

The church is not merely an organization, it is a family!

Hebrews 13:1 ESV

Let brotherly love continue.

The readers of Hebrews are facing hardships and trials and opposition, but they are told not to throw away their confidence or shrink back. Instead, let brotherly love continue.

Affection isn't something we display only when we're new believers, or only when things are going smoothly.

It is to characterize us throughout life.

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Notice Jesus did not say,

"They will know you by your buildings."

"They will know you by your music."

"They will know you by your programs."

They will know us by our love.

What is it that causes a church to stick out to others?

I have known people who have attended a church for several months, and have only had two or three people engage them in conversation.

I have also known people who have attended a church for three weeks, and feel like they have known every one for years.

People rarely forget how a church made them feel. Warmth often opens hearts before preaching ever reaches ears.

Paul says, greet all the brothers.

No favorites.

No exceptions.

Even those who are difficult.

Even those who are hurting.

CHRISTIAN GREETINGS SHOULD BE HOLY

...with a holy kiss.

One adjective changes everything. Not merely a kiss.

A holy kiss.

The kiss in biblical culture was much like our handshake or hug today. It communicated family affection.

It was not romantic.

It was not sensual.

It was holy.

Romans 16:16 ESV

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

1 Peter 5:14 ESV

Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Peter emphasizes love. Paul emphasizes holiness.

Together they teach a loving purity that ought to exist in the family of God.

Unfortunately, there are instances where the greeting between apparent brothers can be cold.

Matthew 26:48–49 ESV

Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.

Kiss is from φιλέω, a verb referring to an act of special respect and affection, as is still displayed today in many Arab cultures and even among some Europeans. In the ancient Near East such a kiss was a sign of homage.

Because of his lowly status, a slave would kiss the feet of his master or other notable person, as would an enemy seeking mercy from a monarch.

Ordinary servants would perhaps kiss the back of the hand of the one they greeted

Those above the level of servant would sometimes kiss the palm of the hand.

To kiss the hem of a person’s garment was a sign of reverence and devotion.

But an embrace and a kiss on the cheek was the sign of close affection and love, reserved only for those with whom one had a close, intimate relationship.

A kiss and embrace were an accepted mark of affection of a pupil for his teacher, for example, but only if the teacher offered them first.

Therefore, of all the signs Judas could have selected, he chose the one that would turn out to be the most despicable, not because of the act itself but because he perverted it so hypocritically and treacherously

That is the opposite of a holy greeting.

External warmth without internal sincerity is hypocrisy. Our greetings should be:

sincere

pure

free from selfish motives

free from flirtation

free from hypocrisy

People should never wonder, “Was that genuine?"

CHRISTIAN GREETINGS SHOULD BE DEMONSTRABLE

Love is invisible. Greetings make love visible.

Touch communicates tenderness, kindness, and acceptance in a way words often cannot.

The issue is not whether we kiss. The issue is whether our affection can actually be felt.

James 2:15–16 ESV

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

1 John 3:18 ESV

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

When love is put to action, it becomes known to the receiver in a way that mere words cannot express.

In Luke 15, we have the story of the Prodigal Son.

When the prodigal son returned, the father did not merely say, “Welcome home."

He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

Out of the father’s true love for his son, he moved toward him and affectionately expressed his love for his son.

Today, depending on culture and appropriateness, this may include:

a handshake

a hug

a hand on the shoulder

eye contact

a sincere smile

learning someone's name

speaking words of encouragement

The form changes. The principle remains.

CHRISTIAN GREETINGS STRENGTHEN UNITY

One reason Paul commands these greetings is because they build the body. Relationships are strengthened through repeated demonstrations of affection.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Tenderhearted people greet differently.

Colossians 3:12–14 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Paul tells believers to put on:

kindness

humility

meekness

patience

Then concludes, above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Love is the adhesive that binds believers together.

California's giant redwood trees grow hundreds of feet tall. Interestingly, their roots are surprisingly shallow. Instead of growing deep, they grow outward. Their roots intertwine with neighboring trees. Each tree helps support the others. A storm that would topple one tree alone cannot uproot a forest whose roots are connected. The church is much the same. Warm relationships strengthen believers against the storms of life.

CHRISTIAN GREETINGS REFLECT THE GOSPEL

Ultimately, Paul is not merely teaching etiquette. He is teaching theology.

Why do Christians greet one another warmly? Because Christ first welcomed us.

Romans 15:7 ESV

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Read Ephesians 2:13-22

Jesus Christ destroyed the wall of our sin separating us from our Creator

In the process, the wall of separation came down between the Jews and Gentiles, so that salvation can be offered to all men

Now we are fellow citizens and members of God's household.

Family greets family.

Next week...

Arrive ten minutes early.

Meet someone you don't know.

Learn one person's name.

Introduce yourself to every visitor.

Shake hands warmly.

Give appropriate hugs when welcomed.

Pray before church: "Lord, help me encourage someone today."

Ask: "Who needs to know they're loved today?"

CONCLUSION

Paul's command is far more than a lesson about first-century customs.

It is a lesson about gospel-shaped relationships.

Healthy churches are not simply places where truth is preached. They are places where Christ's love is experienced.

Visitors should leave saying, "Those people truly cared about me."

Children should grow up believing, "This is my church family."

The lonely should find friends.

The hurting should find comfort.

The discouraged should find encouragement.

Every warm handshake... Every sincere hug... Every welcoming smile... Every word of encouragement...

is a small picture of the welcome we have received through Jesus Christ.

When Christ saved us, He did not merely forgive us. He adopted us.

And because we belong to the same heavenly Father, we ought to greet one another as beloved brothers and sisters until the day we gather around the throne, where every greeting will be perfect, every fellowship complete, and every embrace eternal.

Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.