Category: Bible Study

by Mary Clare Freel

Hospitality gives us the opportunity to minister to the household of faith and beyond. In this session we want to explore various ways Scripture exhorts us to practice hospitality. With that in mind, let us look at different types of people to which our hospitality is to extend.

Those in the Family of God — Acts 2:46-47, Romans 12:13, I Peter 4:8-9

All these passages are within the context of functioning within the body of Christ. Believers are joyfully fellowshipping together. This should not be radical thinking within the church, but unfortunately it is. It should be a natural outflow of our love for one another.

What are particular ways to express hospitality to the saints? You may be one who hosts a Bible study in your home, or prayer group (Acts 5:42). When our church first started, for the first year we met in homes. Another way is by hosting guest preachers or missionaries in your home as they pass through (I Kings 4) or are on furlough. Your house may be a stopover for traveling Christians — friends, relatives, church conference attendees, or friends of friends. It helps establish relationships with those in other local churches. College students may need a home away from home, a weekend family for them. Inviting church members or visitors over for a meal should be a regular practice in the church.

Ministering to Strangers — Hebrews 13:1-2

We live in a violent society, one of locked doors and security systems. In the newspapers we read of atrocities committed daily, so the idea of allowing strangers into our homes is somewhat uncomfortable.

Remember the story of Lot in Genesis 18 & 19? Lot lived in one of the most violent, sinful cities since the Flood, so much so that God destroyed it for the lack of 10 righteous people. It is in this setting Lot invited these strangers into his home. What if Lot had not extended hospitality? He would have perished with the rest in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Entrusting God to take care of us, do we throw caution to the wind? We must use wisdom and discernment when dealing with strangers. I am not suggesting that you invite a strange man knocking at your door in for tea while your husband is away, but we can be willing to have those whom we do not know into your home. Perhaps seek out opportunities to do this. Mutual acquaintances are strangers to you, but have been recommended by someone.

Some options are radical hospitality, and not everyone is equipped to do this. You may have troubled individuals into your home for temporary housing. Housing for those involved in a natural disaster may be an excellent opportunity as well. Foster parenting or adoption may be an option. These all require your family to be on a strong footing and your home organized. You and your family will also need the ability to give of yourselves emotionally (James 1:27). There are also government regulations connected with fostering and adoption, so there is much to consider beforehand.

Hospitality to Enemies — Proverbs 25:22, Matthew 5:38-48

How do we express hospitality to enemies? Enemies are not just people that get on our nerves; an enemy is one that feels malice or hostility towards another. Ideally, this should not be believers. It may be a neighbor angry with you for some reason. Or a work situation. Enemies of God are our enemies. They may hate us because of our faith. God can and will handle His enemies.

You can go the extra mile. If your enemy loses his job and can’t pay the bills, you can offer meals or financial help. If their house burns, you could offer housing. Romans 12:18 says to live at peace with them as far as possible. God may use your gentle kindness, your hospitable attitude, your peaceful way of responding to your enemy, to humble him and bring him to Christ or to reconciliation with you.

A Biblical Means of Evangelism — Acts 5:42

Hospitality is a creative, but not manipulative, means of evangelism. Invite neighbors and coworkers into your home and get to know them. This is friendship evangelism. Encourage your children to ask friends over. Welcome them to stay for dinner and be a part of your family — especially those who come from troubled homes. Karen Mains, in her book Open Heart, Open Home, likened her home to a maternity ward where she saw many born into the kingdom. Your home may be the very place that God uses to bring someone from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, and you can experience that joy firsthand!

Now that we have discussed so many opportunities, your ideas may be flowing at an overwhelming level. Our next post will explore ways to simplify hospitality and hopefully relieve some of the apprehension of it.

by Mary Clare Freel

The pattern of hospitality starts with leadership. Elders and deacons are servant leaders and pattern hospitality to the body they serve. They are given to the church for the very purpose of equipping the saints to minister in the body of Christ. See I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.

A word to elders’ wives: Much falls on you here. Your attitude towards hospitality is a key element in your husband’s success as an elder. A good deal of shepherding can take place in the context of your home.

But all believers are expected to practice hospitality. The rest of you are not off the hook. The congregation cannot leave hospitality in the hands of the elders. Some are gifted with hospitality, but we are all told to practice it. It is a way that our love for each other is acted out.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Romans 12:9-13

Note, we cannot pick and choose how to love. We are responsible for all the commands above. Love is very practical — not a mushy feeling that fluctuates like the weather. None of these aspects are always easy, nor are they always convenient, but all are important.

As Christians, our homes belong to Christ, and we cannot have the mindset that, “This is all mine, and I don’t want any of it messed up.” We have been purchased by the blood of Christ, and all we have is provided by God to use for His glory — money, time, food, clothes and our homes. We are stewards and must use them wisely, but always with a loose grip.

If all this sounds foreign to you, and the idea of serving someone is repugnant to you, maybe it is time to search your own heart. Maybe you have never considered where you are in relationship to God. If you have not humbled yourself before Him in repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that is the matter at hand for you. Your are not one of His servants. Either you are a slave to your own sin or you are a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater goal or higher purpose in all of life than knowing and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. To have a relationship with the Lord of the universe is what you were created for.

The home is a useful tool in the service of the King. Consider how to serve God with your homes. Pray and ask Him to show you opportunities and make you willing. Be ready to respond accordingly because opportunities will certainly come your way. They may come in the form of little children. I used to find myself grumbling about the neighborhood kids playing at our house so much. They are food vacuums and mess makers. Jesus reminds me in the gospels that to give a cup of water to a little child is a way of serving Him. It may not be children. It may be distressed souls. It may be a neighbor suffering in her marriage. It may be the elderly. It may be anyone.

Be proactive in hospitality; don’t just wait for the perfect opportunity. Invite people over. Volunteer to host church activities, depending on the room you have. Manage your home well so you are not thrown off by spur-of-the-moment guests. You don’t have to be a great housekeeper to be hospitable, but it sure helps to be organized. Keep your pantry stocked. Efficient cleaning routines are helpful. Involve your children.

Be sensitive to those who live in your home when considering hospitality (i.e., roommates, parents, your own family). In your zeal, don’t forget to be considerate of them. If you are unable to practice hospitality in your home, you can offer to help to host a fellowship dinner with a friend at her house. A heart of service is the key. God knows your heart and will honor your willingness to use what you have for His glory.

I hope you see from Scriptures that it is the responsibility and privilege of all in the body of Christ to share in the ministry of hospitality. In our next post we will discuss the various ways hospitality is used for the advancement of the kingdom of God.