9/25/78

DOCTRINE OF THE KISS

A. The Origin of Kissing.

1. The custom of kissing in the ancient world originated from the animistic idea. Animism is the belief that all objects possess life by the indwelling or possession of a soul. Kissing only occurred where people were intelligent. There are various kinds of kisses.

2. The kiss on the mouth was a way of conveying ones soul to another person under the concept of animism. You were giving your soul to them in the expression of love.

3. Later the essence of kissing was found in the transfer of breath to those who related breath to the soul.

4. Therefore a kiss was considered by the ancients to be an intermingling of animi or PSUCHE (souls).

5. The kiss was also used to get to know the person by scent or smell. This was especially true of the Middle East.

B. The Kiss as a Greeting.

1. Alexander the Great used the kiss as a means of identifying his friends and relatives, so that his body guard would not kill them.

2. It was also used for greeting friends. The concept in the greeting was that there is nothing (no disagreement) between our souls. Thus the kiss of Judas was an evil thing and a lie.

C. The Kiss as a Recognition of Honor or Authority.

1. The kiss conveyed honor, as has been conveyed down to the present in the award of decorations by the French.

2. Apart from the erotic implications of the kiss, it was the means of recognizing rulers. Kissing the hand or feet was a sign of recognition of authority.

3. Kissing the foot in the coronation ceremony of the Babylonian kings was the way of recognizing a new king.

4. Homer introduced the Greek concept of kissing on the cheek and forehead as a greeting.

5. Kissing the foot or hand became a matter of homage, while kissing the cheek became a matter of greeting.

6. Therefore the kiss of honor, and the kiss of recognition came to Rome by way of the Hellenistic monarchies. Augustus instituted the kiss as a part of good manners. Tiberius, who was anti-social, abolished it.

7. After Tiberius, the kiss was again used by emperors as a token of highest honor.

8. Pliny the Younger lauds emperor Trajan for granting the Senate the right of kissing at the beginning and end of the session.

9. Caligula did not like people to kiss his feet, so he had everyone kiss his shoes instead.

10. In the later Roman empire, kissing the foot was discarded for kissing the rob. This is still done today in Roman Catholicism. In Egypt, the nobility kissed the king’s feet while servants kissed the earth in front of the Pharaoh.

11. The erotic kiss of the ancient world is described in great detail by Ovid.

12. One’s reception into a closed circle was done by a kiss as a sign of brotherhood. A newly elected chief of the pirates was kissed by each of the pirates to swear their allegiance.

13. From that time on in the ancient world, and up into modern times, kissing has been used in greeting, in parting, in making a contract, as an honor in the Olympic games, and in reconciliation. So when you travel to other countries, don’t laugh at what you consider to be funny, weird, or unusual.

D. The Cultic Kiss.

1. There is also the cultic kiss, in which supernatural strength was attained by kissing an idol. If you wanted a certain thing, you kissed that particular idol.

2. The pagan custom is carried over into Romanism with kissing the foot of the statue in Rome.

3. Neither the cultic or erotic kiss is found in the New Testament.

E. The Kiss as Used in the Church Age.

1. The kiss also expressed a close relationship between members of a royal family. Since the Church is royal family, it was so used at the beginning of the Church Age.

2. The kiss was used for respect as well as love. It became the custom of greeting in the royal family of God under the title, “holy kiss.”

3. The holy kiss was the expression of impersonal love in the function of the royal family honor code. It was a greeting of respect for the perfect righteousness of God residing in another believer.

4. The kiss of Judas was a greeting kiss and says there is nothing (i.e., no disagreement) between your soul and mine; I came as a friend. This was the kiss of hypocrisy, Lk 22:47.

5. The parting kiss is documented by Acts 20:37.

6. The kissing of our Lord’s feet in Lk 7:38, 45 was a recognition of His deity as well as His kingship.

7. The “holy kiss” of Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thes 5:26 is the liturgical kiss. Its connotation is impersonal love. This is part of the eucharistic kiss which belonged to the past apostolic age, and has no significance in the current phase of the Church Age. We portray this custom by fulfillment of the royal family honor code and impersonal love. We do not have the holy kiss any long in Anglo-Saxon culture.

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R. B. Thieme, Jr. Bible Ministries 5139 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77056 (713) 621-3740

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