Subject: Hospitality - 3 John

3 John 1:5-6
Support and Opposition
Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.

Subject:  Hospitality

We often think of hospitality as hosting someone in our homes.  That would be the classic definition.  However, in Christianity, hospitality is actually a spiritual gift and the word carries a much broader, nobler and Gospel meaning.  Paul states the spiritual gift of hospitality this way:

Romans 12:13
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Or, consider the Hebrews writer's text:

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

The word translated as hospitality in the Bible is the Greek word, "philoxenia."   It is made up of two Greek words.  It is the combination of the word for "friend" and "stranger."   It actually means, "to be-friend a stranger."   The English concept of hospitality is not so much the entertaining idea as it is the assisting and meeting needs idea.   This is were we are in the 3 John passage above.  John is thanking them for assisting and meeting the needs of those who are traveling through their church, spreading the Gospel message.   Our Christian hospitality is not about having a wonder home, decorated just right with the right appetizers for our friends.  It can be that, but also needs to add the concept of assisting and meeting needs of strangers and furthering the Gospel message or demonstrating the Gospel message.