Romans 15:7 – Welcoming Others as Christ Welcomed You
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
Matthew 10:14 – Welcoming Peace to Your Household
“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.”
Hebrews 13:2 – Welcoming Strangers Unknowingly Entertaining Angels
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
3 John 1:8 – Welcoming and Supporting Fellow Believers
“We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.”
Matthew 25:35-36 – Welcoming Jesus by Welcoming Others
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
1 Peter 4:9 – Offering Hospitality and Showing Love
“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
Luke 10:5-6 – Welcoming Peace by Blessing Others
“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.”
Proverbs 18:24 – Welcoming True Friends Who Stick Closer than a Brother
“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Mark 9:37 – Welcoming Children in Jesus’s Name
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Matthew 25:40 – Welcoming Jesus When Welcoming the Least of These
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”
1 Timothy 3:2 – Leaders Should Be Hospitable
“Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”
Acts 28:7 – Welcoming Others with Kindness
“There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days.”
Galatians 6:10 – Doing Good to All, Especially Believers
“Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Romans 12:13 – Contributing to the Needs of the Saints and Practicing Hospitality
“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
1 Peter 4:8-10 – Offering Love, Hospitality, and God’s Grace
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Proverbs 25:21 – Welcoming Your Enemies with Acts of Kindness
“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”
Matthew 18:5 – Welcoming a Little Child in Jesus’s Name
“And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
Hebrews 6:10 – God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them
“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”
1 Timothy 5:10 – Showing Hospitality to Widows
“And is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.”
Romans 12:20 – Overcoming Evil with Good
“On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'”
Hebrews 13:16 – Sharing and Doing Good with Others
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
1 Peter 4:5 – Showing Hospitality Without Grumbling
“They will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
Matthew 5:7 – Being Merciful and Receiving Mercy
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Acts 16:15 – Welcoming God’s Message with an Open Heart
“When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.”
Genesis 19:2 – Showing Hospitality Even to Strangers
“‘My lords,’ he said, ‘please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.’ ‘No,’ they answered, ‘we will spend the night in the square.'”
Acts 10:48 – Baptism and Welcoming New Believers
“So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.”
Titus 1:8 – An Overseer Should Be Hospitable
“Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.”
Acts 2:44-45 – Sharing Everything and Providing for Those in Need
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
1 Timothy 3:5 – Church Leaders Should Manage Their Own Households Well
“If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”
Romans 12:9-13 – Offering Love, Blessing, and Hospitality
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
2 John 1:10 – Not Welcoming False Teachers into Your Home
“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.”
Acts 17:7 – Welcoming Jesus as Lord
“And Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”
Leviticus 19:34 – Loving the Foreigners Residing among You
“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”
1 Peter 4:7-9 – Being Alert, Self-controlled, and Offering Hospitality
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
Matthew 18:10 – Not Despising Little Children
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”
Romans 13:13 – Living Properly and Not Carousing
“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”
Acts 16:34 – Rejoicing and Believing in God with Your Whole Household
“The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.”
Hospitality in the Early Church – Acts 2:46-47
“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.”
3 John 1:5-6 – Supporting and Sending Believers on Their Journeys
“Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God.”
Acts 28:30 – Welcoming All Who Came to Paul’s House
“For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.”
Acts 16:40 – Comforting and Encouraging the Brothers and Sisters
“After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.”
Psalm 133:1 – Dwelling in Unity
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
Titus 3:1-2 – Being Subject to Rulers and Showing Gentleness to Everyone
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”
Proverbs 22:9 – Being Generous and Blessing the Poor
“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
What Does the Bible Say About Welcome?
The Bible has a rich and inclusive message about the concept of welcoming others. In both the Old and New Testaments, the act of welcoming strangers, friends, and even enemies is illustrated as a key element of righteous living and godly love.
We see from the outset that hospitality is deeply ingrained in the tradition of God’s people. For example, Abraham’s welcoming attitude towards the three strangers (Genesis 18) sets a precedent for the value placed on treating guests with honor and kindness. This act of welcome was later revealed to be a divine encounter, showing us that opening our homes and hearts to others can be an encounter with the divine.
In the teachings of Jesus, the theme of welcome is central. He instructs us to host and care for others. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) reminds us that our neighborly acts of welcome should extend to those who are different from us or even considered our enemies. Jesus Himself modeled this by sharing meals with tax collectors and sinners, breaking societal norms and showing that God’s welcome extends to all.
Moreover, in Matthew 25, Jesus makes it explicitly clear that when we welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, and visit the sick, we are doing these things for Him. This vivid imagery reinforces the idea that our acts of welcome have spiritual significance and are directly connected to how we honor and serve God.
Paul, in his letters, also urges the early Christians to welcome one another warmly. In Romans 12, he encourages us to “practice hospitality,” which is not just about opening our homes but also about opening our lives to others. In Hebrews 13, we are reminded that by welcoming strangers, we may be unknowingly welcoming angels.
The message is clear: welcoming others is not merely a social nicety; it’s a powerful expression of our faith. Our openness to others reflects the inclusive love of God and fulfills the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Through these actions, we become living testimonies of the gospel’s transformative power.
By embracing and welcoming others, we participate in a divine mandate, fostering a community that mirrors the kingdom of God on earth. Therefore, let us strive always to be welcoming, recognizing that in doing so, we are not only honoring one another but also honoring God.