𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐀 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞

 Introduction

Hospitality in Scripture is more than just a cultural courtesy or social nicety—it is a vital spiritual discipline and a missional practice. At the heart of the gospel lies the welcome of God to the outsider, the stranger, the marginalized, and the lost. Biblical hospitality, rooted in the Greek word group philoxenos/philoxenia, means “love for strangers,” and it extends far beyond the boundaries of the home. It is the practical expression of God’s grace and love through His people. In this paper, we will explore how hospitality, as practiced by the early church and taught throughout the New Testament, played a significant role in the expansion of Christian missions and continues to provide a framework for faithful ministry today.

1. Defining Biblical Hospitality: Philoxenos/Philoxenia

Hospitality, as defined by the Greek terms philoxenos (hospitable) and philoxenia (hospitality), refers to the love and welcome extended to strangers. Unlike modern perceptions that often associate hospitality with hosting friends or entertaining guests, biblical hospitality focuses on welcoming “the other”—the unfamiliar, the foreign, the outcast. As Thomas C. Oden outlines, hospitality includes a fourfold process: welcoming, serving or restoring, living in fellowship, and finally sending the guest forward with blessing.

Hospitality in the biblical sense includes offering physical care, emotional connection, and spiritual encouragement. It seeks to meet needs, build relationships, and reflect the inclusive nature of God's kingdom. This missional dimension of hospitality was fundamental to the life and expansion of the early Church, especially as Christianity spread in a world of constant travel, persecution, and cross-cultural encounters.

2. Hospitality and the Life of the Early Church

The Acts of the Apostles repeatedly demonstrates the centrality of hospitality in the advance of the gospel. Acts 28:7 presents Publius, a Roman official in Malta, welcoming Paul and his companions generously. After receiving hospitality, Paul heals Publius’s father, symbolically becoming the host through his service. This passage demonstrates the reciprocity in Christian hospitality—both receiving and giving, and always rooted in the mission of God.

Bruce Malina notes that hospitality was both “urged and practiced” in the early Christian movement (Malina, 1986). House-to-house fellowship was the norm (Acts 2:46), and believers often relied on one another for shelter and sustenance as they traveled to proclaim the gospel. The early church's expansion throughout the Roman Empire would have been impossible without the hospitality of fellow believers.

3. Hospitality in Romans 12:13: A Dual Call

In Romans 12:13, Paul exhorts believers to “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” The structure of the passage suggests a dual direction for hospitality: inward, toward the Christian community, and outward, toward the world. Following the expulsion and return of Jews in Rome, tensions existed between Jewish and Gentile believers. Hospitality became a tangible way to restore fellowship and unity.

Moreover, the shift in Romans 12:14 toward loving enemies indicates that hospitality is also missional, extending God’s welcome to those outside the faith. Thus, hospitality serves as a bridge between doctrine and practice, between church unity and mission.

4. Hospitality and Leadership in the Pastoral Epistles

Hospitality is not optional for Christian leaders—it is required. In 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8, Paul names hospitality as a qualification for elders and overseers. Leaders must be marked by their openness to strangers and their willingness to provide for the needs of others. This requirement is not about social grace but spiritual character.

In 1 Timothy 5:10, Paul commends widows who have shown hospitality (exenodochesan), particularly to traveling Christian workers. George W. Knight notes that this term likely refers to missionary hospitality—hosting those who preach and teach the Word (Knight, 1992). The practice of footwashing, mentioned in the same passage, is also a classic act of hospitality (cf. Genesis 18; John 13).

5. Hebrews 13:2 and 1 Peter 4:9: Hospitality as Love in Action

Hebrews 13:2 warns believers not to neglect showing hospitality to strangers, noting that some, like Abraham, have entertained angels without knowing it. This verse reaffirms the sacredness and mystery of welcoming the unknown. Hospitality here is not just generous—it is potentially transformative.

Similarly, 1 Peter 4:9 commands believers to “offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” In context, this hospitality flows from the command to “love each other deeply” (1 Peter 4:8). Wayne Grudem rightly points out that hospitality is a concrete expression of earnest Christian love (Grudem, 1994). In a world of persecution and hardship, the household became a sanctuary—a place of spiritual refuge and renewal.

6. Hospitality and Mission in 3 John 5–8

The epistle of 3 John offers a powerful model of hospitality in the service of Christian missions. Gaius is praised for welcoming traveling missionaries, even though they were strangers to him. The author explains that these missionaries received no support from the pagans and were entirely reliant on the hospitality of the church (3 John 7–8).

John Stott notes that the “brothers and strangers” mentioned here are not casual visitors but missionaries sent out for “the sake of the Name” (Stott, 1988). Supporting such workers through hospitality is depicted not only as generosity but as a partnership in the truth. Thus, hospitality becomes a vital mechanism for the advancement of the gospel.

7. Jesus’ Teaching in Luke 14:12–24: Radical Hospitality

In Luke 14, Jesus turns conventional hospitality on its head. He instructs hosts not to invite friends, relatives, or rich neighbors—those who can repay them—but to invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” These guests represent the marginalized and forgotten of society.

The parable that follows (vv. 15–24) reveals the heart of God’s mission. When the original invitees reject the invitation, the master sends his servants to bring in those from the highways and hedges. God’s banquet is for all, and no one is excluded except those who choose to ignore His invitation.

Here, hospitality mirrors the divine initiative. As God opens His table to the broken and unworthy, so must His people. In welcoming those who cannot reciprocate, the church reflects God’s grace and advances His mission.

8. Hospitality and the Missional Church

Del Birkey argues that the early church’s lavish hospitality was central to its growth, and questions whether the modern church can recover its vitality without recovering this practice (Birkey, 1991). Roger Gehring echoes this, asserting that homes must once again become “missional bases” (Gehring, 2004). Hospitality is not merely a supplement to mission—it is its foundation.

The communal language of “brother” and “sister” underscores the familial nature of the church. Hospitality builds trust, breaks down barriers, and creates space for authentic relationships and spiritual formation. Whether with believers or seekers, hospitality incarnates the gospel in everyday life.

9. Contemporary Reflections: Reclaiming Hospitality Today

In our increasingly individualistic and fragmented world, the church's calling to hospitality is more important than ever. Especially in the West, where Christianity faces cultural marginalization, hospitality offers a quiet but powerful resistance. It is countercultural, inclusive, and deeply relational.

Rather than relying on programs or institutions, hospitality invites the church to embody the gospel in homes, around tables, and in daily rhythms. It is here that the “stranger” becomes a friend, the outsider becomes a brother or sister, and the gospel is made visible through love in action.

Conclusion

Biblical hospitality is a powerful expression of Christian mission. It is not optional—it is fundamental. From the early church to the present day, hospitality has served as both a practical necessity and a theological proclamation. It demonstrates the heart of the gospel: God welcoming the outsider and making them family.

Through the examples of Paul, the Pastoral Epistles, the teachings of Jesus, and the faithful practice of early believers, we see that hospitality is more than kindness—it is partnership in the mission of God. In welcoming the stranger, the church welcomes Christ Himself. In offering food, shelter, and fellowship, we offer the gospel. And in sending forth missionaries and messengers, we share in the work of truth.

As the modern church seeks to engage a changing world, it must rediscover the ancient practice of hospitality—not merely as a virtue, but as a missional imperative. In so doing, it will reflect the kingdom of God, where all are welcome, and Christ is the host.

Bibliography

• Birkey, Del. “The House Church.” Missiology, 19.1, January 1991.
• Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.
• Gehring, Roger W. House Church and Mission. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2004.
• Grudem, Wayne. 1 Peter. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: IVP, 1994.
• Hagner, Donald A. Hebrews. New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1990.
• Knight, George W., III. The Pastoral Epistles. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992.
• Malina, Bruce J. “The Received View and What It Cannot Do: III John and Hospitality.” Semeia 35 (1986): 171–194.
• Oden, Thomas C. Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983.
• Stott, John R. W. The Letters of John. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Leicester: IVP, 1988.
• Witherington, Ben. Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians, Vol. 2. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2007.