The unhypocritical church – Part 3
I think this will be my last post on Romans 12:9-21 for now. As a reminder, this is what Paul writes:
Let love be genuine (unhypocritical). Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21 ESV)
Once again, notice how the genuine (unhypocritical) love of Spirit-indwelled, Spirit-led believers is described:
- holding fast to good
- loving one another
- honoring one another
- serving the Lord fervently
- rejoicing
- patient
- praying
- giving to needy believers
- being hospitable (loving strangers)
- blessing
- living in harmony
- humble
- doing what is honorable
- living in peace with all
This is how the church of God should live. This description should characterize each believer and each group of beleivers.
Over the last few days, I have been asking myself which of these characteristics are evident in my life and which characteristics are absent. I can look back over the last few years and see where God has grown me and changed me. But, I can also see where I am not living as God intends. Specifically, God is still teaching me how to show hospitality (that is, love for strangers as opposed to love for those who I already know and love) and how to give to those who are in need. Perhaps, most of all, this is showing me areas in my life where I am not submitting to the presence of God.
As Joel pointed out in a recent post, we must begin with a proper understanind of who we are in Christ. I would also add that we should also recognize the awesome power and presence of the Holy Spirit who indwells us and changes us from the inside out.
Beginning with this understanding, I am going to ask you the same question that I have been asking myself: Meditating on the description of the unhypocritical (genuine) love of Romans 12:9-21, where is God still working in your life? In what ways are you not submitting to God’s presence in your life?
The unhypocritical church
Most theologians comment about how “theological” the book of Romans is. This simply means that Paul speaks in terms that most closely resemble how modern theologians speak. Of course, Romans is far from a “systematic theology”. But Romans does include a good deal of theology – that is, Paul tells us what he things about God and people and salvation.
In fact, Chapters 1 through 11 are filled with theology. We learn that all people are sinful – all people are separated from God – all people deserve eternal separation from God. We also learn that the remedy is found in the person of Jesus Christ – his death, burial, and resurrection – and that the remedy is administered through the person and presence and power of the Holy Spirit. But, Paul doesn’t stop there.
In Chapter 12, Paul begins to show how his “theology” should work itself out in the lives of all followers of Jesus Christ. He begins by showing that a life sacrificed to God will lead to a life that is tranformed – changed – into a life that is acceptable to God. This life will demonstrate the gifts of the Spirit because it will be controlled by the Spirit. The Spirit will manifest himself differently in different people, but the manifestation of the Spirit’s gifts will always be for the same purpose. But, Paul doesn’t stop there.
In Romans 12:9-21, Paul lays down specific characteristics of the life that is led by the Spirit. This is what he says:
Let love be genuine (unhypocritical). Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21 ESV)
Notice how the genuine (unhypocritical) love of Spirit-indwelled, Spirit-led believers is described:
- holding fast to good
- loving one another
- honoring one another
- serving the Lord fervently
- rejoicing
- patient
- praying
- giving to needy believers
- being hospitable (loving strangers)
- blessing
- living in harmony
- humble
- doing what is honorable
- living in peace with all
This is how the church of God should live. This is how the church of God should be described. In fact, the “theology” of the previous 11 chapters means little if the lives of believers are not being transformed by the indwelled Spirit.
So, where do you stop? Do you stop at discussing theology? Or, do you see the power of the Spirit at work in your life? How does a description of your life match up to Paul’s description of the Spirit-led, transformed life?
God’s sense of humor, or sense of timing?
Since we moved into our home almost a year ago, we wanted our home to be a place of service. We enjoy opening up our home for single guests, small groups, and even large groups. However, we also want our home to be a place where people are introduced to, instructed in, and encouraged toward the gospel. This is not always easy, since it has been difficult for us to get to know some of our neighbors – not all of them, but some of them.
Two things happened this week that left a neighbor sitting in our living room for the first time – and none of the occurrences were planned by or orchestrated by us.
First, one neighbor locked herself out of her house. Since Margaret was home, she came next door to our house to ask to use the phone. This is the first time that she had even been on our property, much less been in our home. We have walked over to their house a few times, talked to them whenever possible, but they’ve never come to our house. But, there she was, standing at our front door, asking to use our phone.
Second, a neighbor that we do not know and her 6 month old son was walking around the neighborhood with another neighbor that we know. Just as they were approaching our house, it started to rain – not a gentle summer rain, but a strong thunderstorm. (What is even more interesting is that we were watching the local weather at that very moment. The weatherman had just said that it would not rain that night when the thunderstorm started.) Anyway, since they did not want the baby to get wet, they came to our house. They waited in our living room talking to us until the rain stopped.
Now, the question is, can we use these two opportunities that God gave us to build on our relationships and point them toward Jesus Christ? Also, do we force these relationships, or do we again allow God to provide those additional opportunities?
Autonomous individuals…
A few days ago, a good friend of mine acquired a book by Abraham J. Malherbe called Social Aspects of Early Christianity (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1977). The title of one chapter caught my attention: “House Churches and Their Problems”. This post and the next post will be based on some of the excepts from this chapter.
Malherbe begins by discussing some of the circumstances concerning the first century Roman civilization that contributed to the expansion of the church: road systems, hospitality, and household communities. In particular, he suggests that understanding households in early Christianity is important to understanding both how the gospel spread, and how the early Christians viewed themselves in relation to other Christians.
He begins by explaining that in the first century Roman world, the household included immediate family as well as slaves, freedmen, servants, laborers, and sometimes business associates and tenants. He explains how early Christians viewed themselves as a household:
Converts would join themselves to a household church during its earliest period of growth in a particular locality. The household character of a church would be retained as it became a community with a broader constituency than it originally had. The converts also had demands placed upon them, which heightened the exclusiveness of the group. When they spoke of “outsiders,” early Christians revealed their minority group mind-set. They believed that they had been called to a higher quality of life than could be expected of their society, and they took measures to safeguard it through their communities. The implications of the preaching that called the communities into existence had to be worked out by those communities, which were private, voluntary organizations. This means that early Christians did not see themselves as isolated individuals; and the nature of those communities becomes clearer to us when we see them as household communities. It is striking how often the New Testament deals with issues in relation to the Christian community. [69-70]
In this regard, it is “striking” how few instructions are given to individuals (you [singular], he, or she), and how many instructions are given to groups (we, you [plural], or they). Malherbe suggests that this is one indication that the early Christians saw themselves as part of a family – not simply as individuals – and that they related to one another as members of a household.
While many theologians prefer to study the church using the metaphors of people of God, body of Christ, and temple of the Holy Spirit, I believe that the family metaphor is much more prominent in Scripture. Malherbe’s connection of early Christian communities with the Greco-Roman household reinforces my view. These believers did not see themselves as individuals who all happened to experience the same thing (i.e. salvation). Instead, through God’s work, they recognized that their existence was now defined in a new way: they were brothers and sisters with God as their father. (Note: This family metaphor – if it is a metaphor – is also demonstrated in the language of adoption and in the various family ethical codes which Paul and Peter included in their letters, as well as the titles of “brother”, “sister”, and “children” found throughout Scripture.)
Perhaps we have lost some of the understanding of what it means to be a family because we define “family” in more narrow terms. In modern (western) society, the family is composed of parents and children. Occasionally, an extended family member is added to the nuclear family in a close relationship. However, for the most part, we do not consider other people as part of our family, even if these other people spend large amounts of time with us and even if these other people depend on us for their livelihood. Thus, there may be people who would be included in our family – household – in the first century, but today we exclude these people from our household.
Similarly, since we have narrowly defined family and household as those who are the closest related to us by birth and/or marriage, we miss the implications of other believers being our brothers and sisters, and view it as nothing more than a nice way of saying that we are acquainted with them. Instead, as members of the same household, with God as our father, we are to live with one another just as husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and slaves relied upon, cared for, trained, submitted to, and honored one another in the first century. Just as others could be accepted into the household in the first century without regard to a physical (blood) relationship, we are to accept others into our household of faith, offering them the same privileges, rights, and responsibilities as other family members.
Then, in this mutual relationship between brothers and sisters in mutual relation to the Father, the good of the individual and the desire of the individual and the hopes of the inidividual become intertwined with the benefit of the family. This is why Paul tells us to consider others as better than ourselves and to look out for the interest of others instead of our own interests – with Jesus Christ, our elder brother, as the supreme example of how to give up ourselves for the sake of others.
In God’s household, there is no place for the autonomous individual who seeks his own desires and wants his own way without regard for the desires and needs of the family – unless, of course, he is a new member of the family. In that case, the autonomous individual needs more mature brothers and sisters to help him mature as well.
Overflowing…
I am writing this post late Saturday evening. As I have been thinking about the activities of today, and trying to come up with a title for this post, the word that keeps popping into my head is “Overflowing”. I wanted to share some of the things that God taught me today, some of the ways that God used me today, some of the ways that God used other people in my life today… but, I realize that there are some things that I just cannot share. In some ways, sharing these things would cheapen them… or else the telling itself would somehow lessen the reality. So, as you read through this post, please understand that you are not hearing the entire story. I am not going to tell you about all the prayers that have been prayed previously and answered today, or the conversations that have previously taken place, or the concerns that have been voiced in past days. Instead, I want to share a small part of why the only word that I can think of to describe today is “Overflowing”.
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Cindy (from “The Adventures of Maël & Cindy“) met a lady who was moving to Wake Forest, NC. This lady – a stranger to Cindy – mentioned that she could use some help moving. Cindy told some of her friends about this opportunity to serve a stranger. So today – moving day – several of us helped a stranger move into her new house. I couldn’t help thinking about how God has been teaching me about hospitality and “loving strangers”. In fact, it turns out that another church of a different denomination also helped the lady move. The lady said that she wanted to invite us all to dinner some time in the future. Wouldn’t it be like God to use a stranger to bring together two churches from two denominations at the same table?
When I returned home from helping this family move, I heard some very encouraging news. My son is an assistant coach for a five year old soccer team. His job is to let the boys and girls chase him around the field during practice without stealing the ball from him. Apparently, today the coach honored my son because of his attitude and service to the team. I couldn’t help but think back to our conversation last week about what God is doing in our lives. If you remember, my son said that God was teaching him how to help and care about people in need.
Later that morning, we rode to Dave and Becky Lynn Black’s farm (from “Dave Black Online“) for his “Student Day”. I was expecting to have some good food and good times at the farm. I was not expecting the tremendous fellowship that our family shared with another couple during the ride to and from the farm. My son and daughter look up to this young man and woman, and we are excited about the time that we were able to spend with them.
When we got to the farm – a little late, but just in time to eat – we heard Mrs. Black talk about missions. I was not expecting to learn more about being missional today. She talked about Moses and how he had to lay everything at the Lord’s feet – even his staff – before God could use him. She also talked about “the greatest missionary” – Jesus Christ. Perhaps, if we want to know what it means to be a missionary, or what it means to be missional, we should look no further than Jesus himself.
Also at the farm, I was not expecting to meet a family who plans to move into our neighborhood next week. This was a very special surprise, because they have a son just one year older than my son. It has been difficult for my son to make friends in our neighborhood for various reasons, and we were excited to hear this news. In fact, when we met this couple and heard that they plan to move into our neighborhood, our two sons were throwing a frisbee around the yard. They had already met one another.
On the way home, I was not expecting to get a call from a good friend saying that his grandfather had taken a turn for the worse. The couple who road with us to the Black’s farm asked if our children could stay with them while we went to the hospital. Because of their generosity and concern, we were able to spend some time with our friend whose grandfather was in ICU. We pray that we were a comfort and encouragement to them.
Now, as I look back over today – and this entire week – I am also thinking about tomorrow. You see, tomorrow I am planning to teach from Titus 2 –
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14 NKJV)
Today, and this week, God has revealed his grace to teach me how to live for today. Jesus gave himself to redeem me and purify me so that I could be zealous for good works. I wonder what has prepared me most to teach this Scripture: the time I spent studying the words of the text, or the time I spent living the words of the text. I believe God has used both in my life. I pray that he will continue to give me grace that teaches me how to live. And, as I learn to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, I know that Jesus will continue to overflow through me as I live.
That’s not my responsibility…
Monday afternoon, my good friend Theron (from “Sharing in the Life“) posted a blog called “Unstructured (Fluid? Spirit Led?) Gatherings – My Responsibility“. This post was a response to meeting with a group of believers in my home last Saturday evening (see “Saturday Night…“). In the post, Theron concludes that it is his responsibility (and, by extension, the responsibility of every believer) to be prepared to encourage other believers when they gather together. Now, there will certainly be times when God keeps us silent in order to listen to others, or “dry” times when we have nothing to share. We should expect these to be exceptions, not the rule. But, if we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that most of the time we have nothing to say to other believers simply (as Theron says) because we have not spent time listening to God ourselves, or, perhaps even more likely, because we do not think it is our responsibility to bring a teaching or word or encouragement to other believers.
In his post, Theron also suggests that we may not be concerned about encouraging others because we do not believe this is our responsibility. Instead, Theron says that we hide behind structures that place that responsibility on other’s shoulders:
Second, I realized that it is real easy to hide behind structure. A common example of this might be having one teacher who teaches the entire time a group gathers. Since the responsibility to speak, share, or teach is placed on only one person. The others who are there can either study up beforehand and listen actively or they can just show up and not really listen. It is very difficult to tell the difference between the two since there is no interaction during the gathering.
In a previous post (“Representative Obedience?“), I dealt briefly with this concept by asking a few questions. Who is responsible for teaching? Who is responsible for admonishing? Who is responsible for discipling? Who is responsible for edifying the church?
I believe the numerous “one another” statements of Scripture show us that all of us bear the responsibility for teaching, admonishing, discipling, edifying, etc. each other. This responsibility cannot be abdicated nor can it be delegated. “Religion” always teaches vicarious obedience: i.e., the normal person is “obedient” when the priest makes a sacrifice in his or her place. However, we must never assume that Christianity is a religion, nor that we can obey God vicariously through others.
Thinking through my posts for this week, I recognize that God is teaching me about my responsibility in obedience. Showing hospitality (“Hospitality – vacancy or no vacancy?“) toward other believers and strangers is my responsibility to God. I do not obey when others in my group or others within an organization show hospitality, but I do not. Similarly, examining my life to see what God is doing is my responsibility (“What is God doing in your life?“). Others can help me understand what God is teaching me, or how God is using me, or even where God is using me; but, it is my responsibility to listen to God myself. I am not being obedient just because others in my Christian group are spending time with and listening to God. It is also my responsibility to encourage other believers (“Hebrews and Encouragement…“). I am not being obedient to encourage other believers when I sit with a group of people and only listen to someone else teach. Finally, it is also my responsibility “to show vigilant concern” for other believers (“What does a non-bishop oversee?“). I am not obedient when I leave this to others (even leaders) to carry out.
To put this in more concrete terms, I am not obeying God in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ simply because a church organization has an evangelism program. I am not obeying God in fellowshiping and encouraging other believers simply because I am attending a planned event – even if that event happens on a Sunday morning. I am not obeying God in loving others simply because I give money to a missions organization. I am not obeying God in caring for those in need simply because I put money in an offering plate. I am personally responsible for obeying God in each of these areas, and many, many more.
So, whether we are hiding behind structures (as Theron suggests), or we are hiding behind leaders, or we are hiding by Christian celebrities, or… whatever we are hiding behind… we should understand that God holds each of us responsible for obeying him. And, just as Adam and Eve were not able to hide their disobedience behind fig leaves, our excuses will not hide our disobedience from God.
You are my responsibility, and I am your responsibility. The poor and the lost are my responsibility. The widows and orphans are my responsibility. The immature are my responsibility. The hurting and grieving are my responsibility. The haughty and arrogant are my responsibility. I cannot handle all of these responsibilities – in fact, I cannot handle any of these responsibilities. However, God can miraculously work through me by the guidance and empowerment of His Spirit. Will he find a willing vessel? Or, will I once again tell God, “That’s not my responsibility?”
Hospitality – vacancy or no vacancy?
A couple of weeks ago, some new friends came to visit from out of town. We wanted to be able to offer them a place to spend the night, that is, to offer them hospitality. Unfortunately, we currently do not have bed space for a couple (perhaps we should change this?). However, some friends of ours did open their homes in a true demonstration of hospitality. Because of this, I began to think about hospitality again. What is our responsibility to other believers? What is our responsibility to strangers? I thought that I would start with Scripture (that seems like a good place to start):
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Romans 12:13 ESV)
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… (1 Timothy 3:2 ESV)
Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. (1 Timothy 5:9-10 ESV)
For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. (Titus 1:7-8 ESV)
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2 ESV)
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9 ESV)
These verses translate various words as “hospitality” or “show hospitality”:
1. φιλοξενία (philoxenia) – “hospitality” (noun)
2. φιλόξενος (philoxenos) – “hospitable” (adjective)
3. ξενοδοκÎω (xenodokeo) – “show hospitality” (verb)
Also, I have previously discussed a different verb (Ï€ÏοπÎμπω – propempo) in a post called “Sending with hospitality…” This verb seems to denote sending someone on a journey with help that they may need on the journey. It can even mean accompanying them on their journey.
Etymologically, the words above for “hospitality” are built on roots meaning “loving strangers” or “thinking about strangers”. However, we know that etymology (looking at the source of words) does not always tell us the meaning of a word.
So, what do the Scriptures above tell us about hospitality? Well, for one thing, hospitality should be demonstrated toward those we know and toward those we do not know (strangers). Hospitality should be a characteristic of elders and widows (who would normally be older), but it should also be a characteristic of all believers. Attitude is important in showing hospitality – i.e., we should not complain (grumble) about showing hospitality to someone. Also, it seems that hospitality should normally cost us something.
When I look through this short list, without even actually answering the question “What is hospitality?”, I would have to say that I am not a very hospitable person. (This means, of course, that is 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are “qualification” for elders, then I’m not qualified. But, of course, everyone knew that when they saw the “qualification” of “blameless”.) In fact, I know very few hospitable people. I do not even know many hospitable Christians. Now, I’m sure that I know some, but I think this characteristic has been overlooked and relegated to insignificance for far too long.
I started thinking seriously about hospitality almost three years ago when my family went to Nicaragua for a week. We stayed with a family that would be considered very poor by American standards. Yet, this family gave us their best room to sleep in – with our own private bathroom. They also fed us at least two meals per day – three meals when we were in their home in the evening. They also waited for us to come home each evening in order to spend time talking with us. Now, this “talking” thing was very interesting, and they also showed hospitality in this. I know a little Spanish (I can say, “This is my pencil” and “Where is the bathroom?”) and they knew a little English. But, each night, they provided ways for us to communicate. Two evenings, they invited friends who spoke more English to come over. For the remaining evenings, they purchased a Spanish-English dictionary.
What did I learn from this experience? I learned that hospitality is costly, and that I do not practice hospitality. Has anyone else been the recipient of hospitality? If so, please tell us about it and tell us what you learned
Hospitality and the Home…
Roger Gehring has written an interesting book called House Church and Mission: The Importance of Household Structures in Early Christianity. Now, to be honest, this post is a little premature, because I have not read this book yet. But, as I was flipping through it, this paragraph jumped out at me:
With the catchword “hospitality” we are reminded of yet another benefit of the ancient oikos [household] for mission. The early Christian houses and house churches were places where Chrsitian hospitality was practiced by and for Christians and non-Christians alike in a very concrete way. In house churches it was possible for both Christians and non-Christians to experience the safety and security of the familia Dei. Closely connected with this was the early Christian brotherly love, which was able to unite radically different social groups into one community.
This passage alone makes me want to read this book. Unfortunately, it is currently far down on the reading list. I’m not sure why I tortured myself by picking it up and flipping through it, but at least this passage has given me something to think about.
According to Gehring, the early Christians demonstrated hospitality (literally, love for strangers) both to other Christians and to non-Christians. They demonstrated hospitality in a setting that was both familiar and comfortable – the household setting. We know from history that the family and the home was very important in the Greco-Roman world, though the importance of the home and family was declining. In fact, the Romans ate, studied, worked, and even worshiped out of their homes.
Today, the household setting is not the same as it was even fifty years ago. Many people only sleep and watch television in their homes. Their homes are places for showcase lawns, flower beds, home entertainment systems, and garages for their vehicles. Very little entertainment, communication, socialization, or even eating takes place in the average home today.
What does this mean? When I invite someone to my home – someone that I have never invited to my home before, or someone with whom I have not developed a relationship – that person probably assumes that I am inviting them to my home because I want something from them. Perhaps I am an Amway agent, or an insurance salesperson, or a politician, or – God forbid – an evangelical looking for another convert. So, when a person comes to my home for the first time – assuming they ever accept the invitation in the first place – their guard is up, and they’re waiting for the catch. Many times, even if we simply want to know them better, they assume that “religion” is the catch because we tend to want to talk about spiritual things.
Activities that once took place in the home, such as communication and socialization, now take place in the office or breakroom, the school hallway or cafeteria, the restaurant or bar or pub, or even the sports arena. These types of locations are often called “third spaces”. Perhaps, we as believers should think about building relationships with people through these types of locations – locations that are “familiar and comfortable” just as households were “familiar and comfortable” to Roman citizens.
Please, do not misunderstand me. There is something special about gathering with friends around a dining room table, or in a living room, or even in the backyard. But, just as unbelievers may not walk into our church buildings, they may not walk into our homes either. This brings up an interesting and important question – and I don’t know how Gehring answers this question (but I hope to find out soon):
Did the Christians practice hospitality in their homes because that was the social norm, or does this type of hospitality and home-based service transcend culturals and contexts?
Sending with hospitality…
There is a Greek verb used occasionally in the New Testament (Ï€ÏοπÎμπω – “propempo”) that helps us understand how we should treat brothers and sisters in Christ who are moving away from our location or travelling through our location. I’ve run across this verb a few times in my studies, most recently when I was reading 3 John:
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. (3 John 1:5-6 ESV)
The entire phrase “send them on their journey” translates the verb Ï€ÏοπÎμπω. The lexicon gives the following definitions for this verb: accompany, escort, help on one’s journey, send on one’s way. Here are the other Scripture passages that include this verb (the translations are highlighted):
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. (Acts 15:2-3 ESV)
And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. (Acts 20:37-38 ESV)
I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. (Romans 15:24 ESV)
I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. (1 Corinthians 16:5-6 ESV)
So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. (1 Corinthians 16:11 ESV)
I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. (2 Corinthians 1:16 ESV)
Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. (Titus 3:13 ESV)
So, while we normally think of hospitality towards those living nearby, opening our homes, providing meals, perhaps there is something more to hospitality. Luke, Paul, and John expected believers to show hospitality to one another in their journeys – even towards strangers.
How do we send believers as they leave our area to move somewhere else? And how do we treat believers who are travelling through our area? How do we show hospitality to those we have never met before, or may never see again?
Accountability and Vulnerability…
This is a quote from Doug Pagitt’s book Preaching Re-Imagined. He draws a distinction between accountability and vulnerability. Is this a valid distinction? Can we be accountable but not vulnerable? Are we called by God to one or both of these?
When we’re not careful, our churches can lose the spirit of true hospitality and friendship that are the core of life-changing relationships. When I speak of hospitality, I don’t mean a lunch-in-the-church-basement kind of hospitality. I mean something that takes the kindness and generosity of those meals and adds a new level of vulnerability. This vulnerability is a step beyond accountability. Accountability assumes a person will do her own work as she seeks to live a Christian life while others will do what they can to keep her on track. Vulnerability is a call beyond merely asking others to hold us to living in the way of Jesus—it’s inviting them to participate in our efforts to do so.