Unlocking Scripture With Greek Word StudySýnishorn

Hospitality: Philoxenos

Recently, I saw a decoration at a party store that summed up how many people in today’s busy culture feel about having people over for an evening of socializing. The gold banner featured the statement, “Please Leave By 9.” Just imagine. You can suspend it over the cheese and crackers and people are sure to get the hint. 

Many of us want to have people over, have a few laughs, and then see our company to the door. I get it. Yet this attitude toward hospitality is quite different from what we find in God’s Word. In his first letter, Peter urges believers to use their abilities to serve the kingdom and make disciples. 

He tells them to “show hospitality...without grumbling.” The Greek word “hospitality” here is philoxenoi. It is a two-part Greek word that comes from philos (“loving,” “having special interest,” “friendly”) and xenos (“stranger,” “foreigner,” “alien”). Combined, it means “love for the stranger,” “special interest in the foreigner,” and “friendliness to the alien.” 

Peter was instructing the believers to open up their homes and welcome guests in a loving way, offering them the finest care. They could do this by housing traveling missionaries who were passing through, by welcoming unbelievers in order to build relationships that would lead to opportunities to share the gospel, and volunteering their homes to be used for congregating as a church. This sort of hospitality was essential for the early church to grow. 

When the Holy Spirit fills our hearts, He gives us a genuine desire to take good care of people who are foreign to us. Whether this means letting the visiting preacher stay in the guest room of your home, inviting your unsaved neighbor over for a cup of tea, or volunteering your home on a weeknight for a small group, you are advancing the kingdom of God in a genuine way. 

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need some enormous spiritual gift to make an impact on the kingdom. Much can be done by simply taking five-star care of the people God sends your way. 

If you have anti-social tendencies, toss those aside lest they hinder what God can accomplish through you. When you welcome others with genuine hospitality, you’ll see the kingdom grow right before your eyes.