https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Hospitality.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: III John 3-8<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. Sometimes you are so familiar with a term that you never stop to examine whether your\nuse of the term is actually correct\n A. Years ago, I was studying about hospitality. There are several passages in the New\nTestament that tells us to be hospitable\n
1. Romans 12:13 – given to hospitality<\/p>\n
2. Hebrews 13:2 – entertain strangers<\/p>\n
3. I Peter 4:9 – be hospitable without grumbling<\/p>\n B. Yet, for the most part, these verses tell us what to do without saying how it is\ndone.\n 1. We thus fill in the gap with our own understanding of what we think\nhospitality is.\n 2. Most Americans see hospitality as having someone over a meal or inviting\nsomeone to a party where they can enjoy time together\n C. The more I dug, the more I realized that as a whole, our society has strayed a great\ndeal from the concept of hospitality presented in the Bible\n 1. The local casinos across the river call themselves hospitality centers. By\nthis they mean they supply entertainment to those visiting the area or live\nin the area.\n
2. The hotels like to apply the word hospitality to their business as well.<\/p>\n
a. Yet, here the “guests” are paying for the service. <\/p>\n
b. It is not a gift freely given.<\/p>\n 3. Too, we often rate hospitality has how often or how well we have been\nentertained.\n a. You have your boss or a major client over for dinner, and that is\ncall being hospitable\n b. But here, too, the host is hoping for something from the service\ngiven. A new contract or a remembrance when a promotion is\navailable.\n
D. What happens in society tends to creep into the church<\/p>\n
1. “That group is not hospitable enough.”<\/p>\n
a. Everything we do as a Christian can always be improved.<\/p>\n
b. So how much hospitality is enough?<\/p>\n
2. And just what is meant by hospitality?<\/p>\n a. I ask this at times and I get vague answers about the people have\nyou over for dinner or having a party at their house.\n b. If only a few Christians hold dinner parties, then the group as a\nwhole is condemned for its lack of hospitality.\n c. Of greater fascination to me is that the one pointing his finger at\nthe congregation almost never has others over to their own home\nand often declines invitations given, except among a very select\nfew.\n 3. We also have people who push individual responsibilities off onto the\nchurch\n a. The church is expected to organize social events and entertainment\nfor various groups so these groups can enjoy each other’s company.\n b. Yet all verses dealing with hospitality are directed toward\nindividual Christians and not congregations\n
c. We cannot make an institution out of our personal responsibilities.<\/p>\n
II. Exactly what is hospitality?<\/p>\n
A. There are three Greek works translated as “hospitality” or “hospitable”.<\/p>\n
1. philoxenia<\/i> – a compound Greek word meaning “love of” + “guest room”<\/p>\n
a. philo<\/i> is familiar to many of us. It is the word for brotherly love.<\/p>\n b. xenia<\/i> is seen in Philemon 22 when Paul requests a guest room be\nprepared for him.\n c. Here is a person who loves to have house guests. They even set\naside a room just for that purpose.\n d. Romans 12:13 – Practicing hospitality means having people spend\ntime in your home, especially in the sense of overnight guests.\n e. Hebrews 13:2 – There is an allusion here to the time Abraham\nbrought three travelers to his home and feed them in Genesis 18\n 2. philoxenos<\/i> – another compound word meaning “love of” + “strangers or\nguests”\n a. A stranger (xenos<\/i>) doesn’t necessarily mean someone you have\nnever met, but someone who is not a part of your immediate\nfamily.\n
(1) It is shown in Matthew 25:35<\/p>\n
(a) The person is not local. <\/p>\n
(b) He hasn’t a place to stay, so a place was offered.<\/p>\n (2) It can also be applied to the person acting as host to a\nstranger – Romans 16:23\n b. People not from a region are xenos. <\/i>It means they don’t have local\nfamily to watch over them and give them aid.\n (1) Many of us are not natives of this area, though some of us\nhave lived here so long that we have put down roots.\n (2) We constantly have people moving in who have no local\nties. These are the strangers among us.\n
c. Elders are to have a love for strangers – I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8<\/p>\n d. All Christians are to willingly treat each other with love – I Peter\n4:9\n (1) Most of us are not related to each other. What brings us\ntogether is our love for God and His Word – our common\nbelief.\n (2) Yet we watch out for each other. We care for each other as\nfamily\n (3) A beautiful description of Christians written by Aristides\nabout A.D. 125.: “The Christians, O King, went about and\nsearched, and they have found the truth. As I have learned\nfrom their writings, they have come nearer to truth and\ngenuine knowledge than the rest of the nations. …\nFalsehood is not found among them. And they love one\nanother. They do not turn away their care from widows, and\nthey deliver the orphan from anyone who treats him\nharshly. He who has, gives to him who has not. And this is\ndone without boasting. When they see a stranger, they take\nhim into their homes, and they rejoice over him as a very\nbrother. For they do not call themselves brothers after the\nflesh, but brothers after the spirit and in God. whenever one\nof the poor among them passes from this world, each one of\nthem gives heed to him, according to his ability, and\ncarefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of\ntheir number is imprisoned or afflicted because of the name\nof their Christ, all of them carefully attend to his needs. If it\nis possible to redeem him, they set him free. If there are any\npoor and needy among them, but if they have no spare food\nto give, they fast two or three days in order to supply the\nnecessary food to the needy.” [The Apology of Aristides the\nPhilosopher<\/i>, XV].\n (4) Brethren, I can’t think of a more beautiful tribute to\nchildren of God and the essence of what is hospitality.\n
3. xenodocheo<\/i> – “stranger” + “lodging”<\/p>\n
a. Used only in I Timothy 5:10<\/p>\n (1) Note that the washing of the saints feet is a part of her aid\nto strangers.\n b. Giving people, who are not family, a place to stay. A home in your\nhome.\n
c. Gauis had Paul in his home – Romans 16:23<\/p>\n
d. Simon the tanner had Peter lodge with him – Acts 10:5-6<\/p>\n e. Mnason lodging Paul and his traveling companions. The church\nalso welcomed Paul and his companions – Acts 21:15-17\nIII. I hope you are beginning to see a difference in the Bible’s term of hospitality and the\nAmerican view.\n A. We place the emphasis on the entertainment. The Bible places the emphasis on the\ntreatment of brethren as family\n
1. Gaius mentioned in III John 3-8<\/p>\n
a. He aided brethren while they were in his area<\/p>\n b. Because of his love for the church, he cared for them and sent them\non in a worthy manner.\n
2. Dorcas sewing clothes for her sisters in Christ – Acts 9:36, 39<\/p>\n
3. It is a cup of water to a brother – Mark 9:41<\/p>\n
B. The Old Testament had similar requirements for the Israelites<\/p>\n 1. Portions of fields were left unharvested for the foreigner living in their\narea – Leviticus 19:9-10\n
2. They were to treat such people as Israelites – Leviticus 19:33-34<\/p>\n 3. They were to show love by giving food and clothing – Deuteronomy\n10:18-19\n
IV. Hospitality is knowing you have family whenever and wherever you meet brethren.<\/p>\n
A. Think of the opportunities we have here.<\/p>\n 1. We have brethren who drive through constantly – Do we see to their\nneeds?\n 2. We have brethren who are in the area temporarily for work – Do we make\nsure they aren’t lonely?\n 3. We have brethren who move in for a while with the military – Do they\nknow they have brothers and sisters, moms and dads who will ease the\nheartaches of being far from home?\nV. I know we do a fair job here. I’ve lost track of the number of times people who have left\nand later write to say they miss the group here and wished they could come back.\n A. Hospitality isn’t measured by the number of people your invite for dinner, though\nhospitable people do that often.\n
B. It isn’t any one particular type of deed, but how you treat others.<\/p>\n C. I’ve heard so many say, “I would be hospitable if I had a bigger house or time to\ncook or …”\n
1. Hospitality doesn’t require things.<\/p>\n 2. Think about how you would treat your mother or father, brother or sister,\nif they lived in this area.\n
3. That is how hospitable brethren show treat one another.<\/p>\n
D. As we close, consider this passage – I John 3:13-19<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: III John 3-8 I. Sometimes you are so familiar with a term that you never stop to examine whether your use of the term is actually correct A. Years ago, I was studying about hospitality. There are several passages in the New Testament that tells us to be hospitable 1. Romans 12:13…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[1149],"class_list":["post-40602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-hospitality"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19051,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-someone-need-to-invite-people-into-their-homes-to-practice-hospitality\/","url_meta":{"origin":40602,"position":0},"title":"Does someone need to invite people into their homes to practice hospitality?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 3, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does someone need to invite people into their homes to practice hospitality? I know this is not the only way to serve. Answer: The word \"hospitality\" can translate the Greek word\u00a0philoxenia. It is a compound word of \"love\" (philo) and \"guest room or lodging\" (xenia). This word is used\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95004,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-your-congregation-have-a-hospitality-team\/","url_meta":{"origin":40602,"position":1},"title":"Does your congregation have a hospitality team?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am seeking to better understand whether certain practices are becoming more common among congregations of the Lord's church. Would you please reply to the following question: Does your congregation currently have an organized 'Hospitality Team' (or similar group) that is tasked by the church with planning, coordinating, promoting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56957,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/hospitality-why-bother\/","url_meta":{"origin":40602,"position":2},"title":"Hospitality — Why Bother?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"by Julie Adams via\u00a0Biblical Insights, Vol. 7, No. 5, May 2007 Why is it that the very idea of hospitality conjures up thoughts of fine china, matching napkins and a five-course meal? Perhaps it is our \"Martha\" mind that causes us to dread all that we think we have to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37682,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bearing-a-different-gospel-beautifully\/","url_meta":{"origin":40602,"position":3},"title":"Bearing a Different Gospel Beautifully","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew W. Bassford The apostle Paul was fond of sarcasm, not because he didn't love people, but because he did. When Christians he had converted turned aside from Christ, it drove him to distraction, and that distraction often found its expression in heartfelt exasperation. One such expression appears in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/hospitality-169x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":84096,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/miss-grace-on-hospitality\/","url_meta":{"origin":40602,"position":4},"title":"Miss Grace on Hospitality","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Marlene Smelser via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 3, September 30, 1988 Miss Grace: Can you say anything to help with the situation here? Few women ever invite visitors into their homes, and for all their hospitality and entertainment, no one seems to realize they would enjoy being entertained\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56952,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/hospitality-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":40602,"position":5},"title":"Hospitality (Capehart)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wendi Capehart In the lovely gardening memoir\u00a0Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden, Mrs. Whaley writes about how she felt when she and her husband moved to Charleston after they had spent a short time in D.C. She says she had trouble adjusting to the social scene in Charleston. Everybody\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/TeaParty-292x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40602\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}