i had a question spotting out in my mind whether kissing my boyfriend is a sin or not… [name withheld by Editor], India
Kissing can mean a lot of things. In the first century Roman world, kissing was a form of greeting where men kissed men and women kissed women (Matthew 26:49; Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14; compare Genesis 27:26-27; Ruth 1:9, 14; 1 Samuel 10:1; 20:41). The kiss of greeting was a culturally acceptable as well as a biblically acceptable public greeting. “Between individuals of the same sex, and in a limited degree between those of different sexes, the kiss on the cheek as a mark of respect or an act of salutation has at all times been customary in the East” (New Unger’s). A unique greeting and show of respect occurs in Luke 7:38, 45 where a woman kissed the feet of Jesus Christ. Though the New Testament did not originate the kiss of greeting, it regulated it to a “holy kiss” (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26) rather than a passionate kiss.
“Romantic kisses are mentioned infrequently in the Bible, whether genuinely loving (Song 1:2; 8:1) or seductive (Prov 7:13)” (Nelson’s). Biblically, God requires unmarried persons to practice moral purity toward each other. The church is compared to a “chaste virgin” (2 Corinthians 11:2). Unmarried persons must limit their physical interaction with each other to prevent lust and fornication (1 Corinthians 7:1-2): “but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Corinthians 7:9 New King James Version).
Kissing between unmarried persons may occur if: (1) its extent does not cause lust or tempt one to commit fornication, and (2) it is culturally acceptable where these persons live; Christians are not permitted to thoughtlessly violate customs that do not conflict with the Bible (i.e., wearing a veil as a symbol of recognition of gender roles, 1 Corinthians 11:3-7).
