Loving One Another Financially, Part IV: Hospitality

There are those Christians who are just passing through that the church has obligation to provide for as well.

Although we often think the word "hospitality" in Scripture refers to being inviting to guests one has over for dinner or an event, it actually refers to much more than this.

Throughout Scripture, hospitality is seen as providing for every need of a Christian traveler. These needs include protection from any outside hostilities, as we see in the Sodom and Gomorrah story as well as the story of the Levite and his concubine in Judges. It is displayed as providing food, bathing, and rest in the story of Abraham when he greets the three men who are traveling; and is found in numerous other stories throughout Scripture as well. From these examples, we see that it can include food, drink, shelter, a place to sleep, a bath, protection from harm, etc. 

We are told that Christians are to practice hospitality (Rom 12:13; 1 Pet 1:9; 1 Tim 5:10), and that some have even provided for the needs of angels without knowing it (Heb 13:2). 

This means that they are usually strangers (Matt 25:38). Now, that needs some explaining. In the early church, "strangers" refers to fellow Christians who are traveling from other churches and are confirmed by those churches as such, not just some people off of the street who may be lying in order to do harm to your family. 

Although one can extend it to fellow confirmed Christians who are traveling for any reason, it may specifically refer to those who are traveling for the purpose of missionary activity/doing ministry.

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. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. (3 John 6-8)

The Didache argued the following in Chapter 12:

BUT let every one that cometh in the name of the Lord be received, but afterward, when ye have put him to the test, ye shall know him; [for ye shall have understanding] right and left. If he who comes is a traveller, help him to the best of your ability; but he shall only stay with you for two or three days, if there be necessity. But if, being an artisan, he wishes to settle among you, let him work and so eat; but if he have no handicraft, provide, according to your understanding, that no idler live with you as a Christian. Then if he will not act according to this, he is a Christ-trafficker; beware of such.

In other words, if someone is taking advantage and plans on just living off of the goodness of other Christians, he is to be avoided.

Chapter 11 also speaks to the fact that the early Christians did not give them money, but provisions. Strangers coming and asking for money were to be rejected.

So the church has an obligation to take care of other Christians in the larger body of Christ as well. This is done via sharing provisions and one's household with others who are confirmed good-standing members of good-standing churches, and often because they are traveling for ministry (even though, again, Christian love may extend to showing hospitality for any traveling reason as it does in the OT as well).