"Greet one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus."
Frankly, I have never thought of writing, or preaching, on this text. When I read it today, it spoke to me. I want to share with you what I found. First, Peter wrote that they should "greet one another." How we greet people is important; it is certainly true that How we greet people in our churches is important. If a family comes to your church and no one gives them a friendly greeting, they will find another church. It is important how we greet each other as members of a church. Let me put it this way: A growing church is a church where people feel accepted and wanted. A happy church is one where people greet each other in a loving and friendly way. We should all strive to be good "greeters." Second, Peter wrote that they should "greet one another with a kiss of charity." (Charity is often used in the KJV as love.) We are to greet one another with love. Love is the glue that binds us in real Christian fellowship. The "kiss of charity" is how people greeted one another in ancient times. (It is still a custom in some societies.) Today, we are more likely to greet each other with a "handshake, or hug, of charity." I have noticed that people respond positively when they feel that they are truly welcome and loved. We need to take care that we greet each other with love, and that when people visit our churches, they will feel that they are truly welcome and truly loved. Take note in how you greet people in the name of Christ. Third, Peter wrote that he wanted them to have peace. This is another important word, and almost always goes with love. Jewish people often greet each other with "shalom." This is the Hebrew word for peace. The Greek word that is translated peace in this text is "eiraynay." (It is the Greek equivalent of "shalom.") It means to be at peace. Peace and love always go together. When people love each other they are at peace with each other, even when they disagree. I call it "disagreeing like a Christian." When we are at peace within ourselves, we will normally be at peace with other people. Don't you agree that Peter's advice here is advice that we need to follow? (Let it begin with me...….This is my prayer. Let it also be your prayer.) Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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