"Biblical Hospitality"

Sometimes people ask, "So, what's the difference between The Revised Geneva Translation and other Bibles?" Good question!

One difference is the RGT's carefully considered rendering of the same ancient Greek word in 1Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:8, Romans 12:13 and Hebrews 13:2. See if you can guess what it is.

"Therefore, an overseer must be blameless - the husband of one wife, sober, temperate, modest, a lover of strangers, able to teach - " ~1Timothy 3:2

"but one who loves strangers and goodness, is wise, righteous, holy, temperate," ~Titus 1:8

"distributing to the needs of the saints, giving yourselves to the loving of strangers." ~Romans 12:13

"Do not forget to love strangers. For thereby some have unknowingly entertained angels." ~Hebrews 13:2

The Greek word translated as "hospitality" in these verses by most modern Bibles (both CT and TR-based) is φιλόξενος (philoxenos). However, "loving strangers" seems much more appropriate.

In addition to being the first definition for φιλόξενος in the Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG), "loving strangers" also has a much broader practical application than "hospitality", which in a modern context, might often be limited to things like hosting a small group or loaning your basement out to a missionary. While those things are of great value and important, the scope of our love for strangers should be much much greater and more diverse than that, especially among our overseers.