Hospitality was a fundamental function of the Jewish home in the time of Jesus. This practice is also central in the Hebraic heritage of the Church. Schooled in a rich rabbinic background, Paul inculcates this teaching in his readers. He instructs the church at Rome to "practice hospitality" (Rom. 12:13). Here Paul reflects a sacred duty that was present in Jewish life from the earliest times.
The Stranger
Biblical law specified that it was an obligation to extend hospitality and love to the ger, "alien" or "stranger," for the Hebrew people themselves once were "aliens (gerim) in Egypt" (Lev. 19:34). Isaiah states that a genuinely righteous person will heed the obligation to "share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter" (Isa. 58:7). In his personal statement of ethical vindication, Job claims, "No stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler" (Job 31:32).
The term used in rabbinic literature for hospitality is haknasat orhim, literally, "bringing in of guests" or "gathering in of travelers."* Rabbinic literature provides considerable insight into the practice of haknasat orhim, the very term used in Romans 12:13 in Franz Delitzsch’s classic Hebrew New Testament translation.
Open to All
The rabbis considered hospitality one of the most important functions of
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