On Hospitality
The apostle John writing to a man named Gaius notes,
“To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.
They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.” 3John 1:1-6.
In John’s day Christian teachers and evangelist moved from city to city. They were usually put up by a fellow believer in the town they entered. Gaius appears to be one of those people who showed hospitality to such people even though they were strangers.
We know nothing of Gaius only that he had the means to show hospitality to the visiting brothers in Christ.
Gaius set the example for any Christian that has the means to be hospitable to other believers. John notes that the people he housed told the church about his love.
As Christians especially if we have the means to do so, we need to be hospitable. The book of Hebrews notes,
“Keep on loving each other as brothers.
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews. 13:1,2.
The book of Acts records,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47.
The early church showed hospitality to all. They seen that their fellow believers had their needs met. That no one was in want.
They showed by example what we in the church today need to be doing.
I know not everyone is able to put fellow believers up for the night or longer. However we can all do something.
My mother in law while alive was dirt poor. She lived on the minimum wage most of her life. Yet you could show up at her house anytime, even at meal time and you would never be turned away. There was always food or a cup of tea available to anyone who dropped in.
She didn’t care who you were, she simply did what she could and as a result blessed many people.
If we claim to be Christians this is how we should be.
Please think about it.
The apostle John writing to a man named Gaius notes,
“To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.
They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.” 3John 1:1-6.
In John’s day Christian teachers and evangelist moved from city to city. They were usually put up by a fellow believer in the town they entered. Gaius appears to be one of those people who showed hospitality to such people even though they were strangers.
We know nothing of Gaius only that he had the means to show hospitality to the visiting brothers in Christ.
Gaius set the example for any Christian that has the means to be hospitable to other believers. John notes that the people he housed told the church about his love.
As Christians especially if we have the means to do so, we need to be hospitable. The book of Hebrews notes,
“Keep on loving each other as brothers.
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews. 13:1,2.
The book of Acts records,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47.
The early church showed hospitality to all. They seen that their fellow believers had their needs met. That no one was in want.
They showed by example what we in the church today need to be doing.
I know not everyone is able to put fellow believers up for the night or longer. However we can all do something.
My mother in law while alive was dirt poor. She lived on the minimum wage most of her life. Yet you could show up at her house anytime, even at meal time and you would never be turned away. There was always food or a cup of tea available to anyone who dropped in.
She didn’t care who you were, she simply did what she could and as a result blessed many people.
If we claim to be Christians this is how we should be.
Please think about it.
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