In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul deals with many of the same problems in the church that he addressed in his first letter to the Corinthians. But you donโt sense that he is discouraged, as he ends by saying, โ๐บ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐ โ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ โ (13:12).
Who do you normally kiss? Your parents, your children or your spouseโeach kiss is different. You can kiss lightly or deeply, but the most intimate kiss is the kiss between lovers, because it is a mingling of two persons. This kiss is weighty and full of your person; it leads to bearing fruitโa continuation of life. We can greet each other with a peck on the cheek, but this is not a true kiss. When you have a genuine relationship with someone, you kiss them wholly. They feel you. Itโs about a person giving themselves to another person. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ, ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ, ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ค๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ. The holy kiss is different than just any kiss. It is not physical; it is something very internal and mysterious. This kiss is the result of Godโs heart’s desire. God wants to come into you and speak through you. He wants to love you and love through you, to impart Himself to you and to those around you. This is Godโs kiss to us.
At times, the weight of that kiss can come through admonishing or rebuking. The rebuking is a holy kiss. It is on you. It is fully there. God loves us, so He disciplines us. Itโs not daintyโitโs very substantial, like Paulโs admonishment to the Corinthians. As an example of a true minister of God, Paulโs love to the saints he served happens in such a specific way: โ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ข๐โ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ , ๐๐ ๐ก๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ก๐โ๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ …โ and it goes on and on from verse four to ten of chapter six. This is very weighty! In our serving the saints, do we have the weight to give this holy kiss or are we kissing each other with a very thin and light kiss? Are we utterly present when we serve or are we stingy in giving out our person? Do we know what to minister in that holy kiss toward the brother or sister beside us? Is it in endurance? Is it in afflictions? Is it in necessities? Distresses? Tumults? Labors? Watchings? Fastings? Pureness? Knowledge? Long suffering? All of that is in this holy kiss! When we interact with one another, the holy kiss carries the ministry in every circumstance so that nothing should be held back. The holy kiss is so full. It is so deep. It is so mature. Our kisses should be weighty and full because we have Christ inside of us.
Paul says, โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ข๐กโ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข, ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐๐ ; ๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ Are our mouths open to each other? This is a time to be encouraged and to be enlarged. Weโve received a holy kiss from the ones who are serving us today, and the result is that we are enlarged! Our mouths are open and our hearts are enlarged.We are joyful because we fulfilled that kiss among ourselves and we are mingled with God. We can kiss God and be one with Him. How much that pleases Him.
(Above are notes of fellowship taken from gatherings on 06/26/2020 not reviewed by the speaker)