Given to hospitality

Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Romans 12:13

Another way that love manifests itself is in providing for the needs of believers, and is also a mark of genuine faith (1 Jn. 3:17-19; Jam. 2:14-17). The word given in the second half of the verse translates dioko, which means to pursue vigorously. Helping the saints and showing hospitality is not something we do just when we get around to it, it is something we are to pursue.

Though I think this is something given first to other believers, hospitality does not stop short with the house of God. John Stott notes that “Philadelphia (love of sisters and brothers) has to be balanced by philoxenia (love of strangers).” As the author of Hebrews put it, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:2). Especially in our day, we will often only be able to win the trust of our unbelieving friends when we are willing to welcome them into our lives. And in the context of trust won through hospitality the gospel becomes a more believable message.