Culture And The Bible.

[Scott Hutchinson]

Originally Posted by Chan

That is part of interpreting scripture, yes.

Boy what a miracle we do agree on something.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

Well would a scripture like greet each other with a holy kiss be done by Christian men today ? Or would Christian brothers and sisters kiss each other in a fourier of a church ?

Verses about greeting one another with a holy kiss would be a good example of what we are talking about. Often in his epistles, Paul would have some personal remarks near the end. Paul and Peter stuck in the words about greeting with a kiss near the end of their epistles:
Romans 16:16
1 Cor. 16:20
2 Cor. 13:12
1 Thess 5:26
1 Peter 5:14
Modern paraphrases use terms like shaking hands (The Living Bible), or just greeting (New Living Translation), or embracing (The Message) instead of kissing. In my opinion, that would fit within the meaning of those verses and would not be wrong/sinful. Years ago I was around some folks that took those verses very literally and I had to kiss some of those elder snaggly toothed brethren in the mouth, and some of them had mustaches (mustaches weren't sinful back then).

Another passage that could be open to the same interpretation is John 13 where Jesus washed the disciples' feet and told them that He left an example and they should also wash one another's feet. Some take that very literally and insist on literally washing each other's feet today. Others take that to mean we should serve one another. In 1 Peter 5 you can see a reference to that when it speaks of submitting to and serving one another and being clothed with humility. Some versions use terms like putting on the apron of humility or the towel of humility in reference to John 13. That is something I would not argue over. I don't think it's wrong to have a foot washing service but I think that submission to one another is what is actually taught in John 13. Foot washing was part of the culture back then in the days of open toed shoes or just going barefoot and the dusty or muddy unpaved roads and no sidewalks.

The subject of head covering and/or hair length could fall into that same category and so could the place of women in ministry, but that stuff becomes very emotional when discussed and generates more heat than it does light.

Another passage which falls into that category is 2 Timothy 4:9-22 where we could be commanded to:
go to Rome to visit Paul,
get Mark and bring him with us,
stop off at Carpus' home in Troas and pick up a cloak and parchments,
watch out for Alexander the coppersmith,
greet Prisca and Aquila,
try to get there before winter.

Originally Posted by Sam

Verses about greeting one another with a holy kiss would be a good example of what we are talking about. Often in his epistles, Paul would have some personal remarks near the end. Paul and Peter stuck in the words about greeting with a kiss near the end of their epistles:
Romans 16:16
1 Cor. 16:20
2 Cor. 13:12
1 Thess 5:26
1 Peter 5:14
Modern paraphrases use terms like shaking hands (The Living Bible), or just greeting (New Living Translation), or embracing (The Message) instead of kissing. In my opinion, that would fit within the meaning of those verses and would not be wrong/sinful. Years ago I was around some folks that took those verses very literally and I had to kiss some of those elder snaggly toothed brethren in the mouth, and some of them had mustaches (mustaches weren't sinful back then).

Another passage that could be open to the same interpretation is John 13 where Jesus washed the disciples' feet and told them that He left an example and they should also wash one another's feet. Some take that very literally and insist on literally washing each other's feet today. Others take that to mean we should serve one another. In 1 Peter 5 you can see a reference to that when it speaks of submitting to and serving one another and being clothed with humility. Some versions use terms like putting on the apron of humility or the towel of humility in reference to John 13. That is something I would not argue over. I don't think it's wrong to have a foot washing service but I think that submission to one another is what is actually taught in John 13. Foot washing was part of the culture back then in the days of open toed shoes or just going barefoot and the dusty or muddy unpaved roads and no sidewalks.

The subject of head covering and/or hair length could fall into that same category and so could the place of women in ministry, but that stuff becomes very emotional when discussed and generates more heat than it does light.

Another passage which falls into that category is 2 Timothy 4:9-22 where we could be commanded to:
go to Rome to visit Paul,
get Mark and bring him with us,
stop off at Carpus' home in Troas and pick up a cloak and parchments,
watch out for Alexander the coppersmith,
greet Prisca and Aquila,
try to get there before winter.

For the most part I agree with you. But I wouldn't include the prohibition of women in ministry in the same category as the holy kiss.