Rom 12:13 | MHM | STEP | v. 13-14 : (3.) A liberal love: Distributing to the necessities of saints. It is but a mock love which rests in verbal expressions of kindness and respect, while the wants of our brethren call for real supplies, and it is in the power of our hands to furnish them. [1.] It is no strange thing for saints in this world to want necessaries for the support of their natural lives. In those primitive times, prevailing persecutions must needs have reduced many of the suffering saints to great extremities; and still the poor, even the poor saints, we have always with us. Surely the things of this world are not the best things; if they were, the saints, who are the favourites of heaven, would not be put off with so little of them. [2.] It is the duty of those who have wherewithal to distribute—or, as it might better be read, to communicate—to those necessities. It is not enough to draw out the soul, but we must draw out the purse, to the hungry. Communicating —koinonountes. It intimates that our poor brethren have a kind of interest in that which God has given us; and that our relieving them should come from a sense and fellow-feeling of their wants, as though we suffered with them. The charitable benevolence of the Philippians to Paul is called their communicating with his affliction (Phil 4:14). We must be ready, as we have ability and opportunity, to relieve any that are in want; but we are in a special manner bound to communicate to the saints. There is a common love owing to our fellow-creatures, but a special love owing to our fellow-Christians ( especially to those who are of the household of faith , Gal 6:10). Some of the ancients read tais mneiais —to the memories of the saints—instead of tais chreiais . There is indeed a debt owing to the memory of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises—to value it, to vindicate it, to embalm it. Let the memory of the just be blessed (Prov 10:7). He mentions another branch of this bountiful love: Given to hospitality. Those who have houses of their own should be ready to entertain those who go about doing good, or who, for fear of persecution, are forced to wander for shelter. They had not then so much of the convenience of common inns as we have; or the wandering Christians durst not frequent them; or they had not wherewithal to bear the charges, and therefore it was a special kindness to bid them welcome on free-cost. Nor is it yet an antiquated or superseded duty; as there is occasion, we must welcome strangers, for we know not the heart of a stranger. I was a stranger, and you took me in is mentioned as one instance of the mercifulness of those that shall obtain mercy. The apostle's phrase is ten philoxenian diokontes —following or pursuing hospitality. It intimates, not only that we must take opportunity, but that we must seek opportunity, thus to show mercy. As Abraham, who sat at the tent-door (Gen 18:1), and Lot, who sat in the gate of Sodom (Gen 19:1), expecting travellers, whom they might meet and prevent with a kind invitation, and so they entertained angels unawares (Heb 13:2).

‏ Romans 12:13

v. 13-14: (3.) A liberal love: Distributing to the necessities of saints. It is but a mock love which rests in verbal expressions of kindness and respect, while the wants of our brethren call for real supplies, and it is in the power of our hands to furnish them. [1.] It is no strange thing for saints in this world to want necessaries for the support of their natural lives. In those primitive times, prevailing persecutions must needs have reduced many of the suffering saints to great extremities; and still the poor, even the poor saints, we have always with us. Surely the things of this world are not the best things; if they were, the saints, who are the favourites of heaven, would not be put off with so little of them. [2.] It is the duty of those who have wherewithal to distribute—or, as it might better be read, to communicate—to those necessities. It is not enough to draw out the soul, but we must draw out the purse, to the hungry. Communicating—koinonountes. It intimates that our poor brethren have a kind of interest in that which God has given us; and that our relieving them should come from a sense and fellow-feeling of their wants, as though we suffered with them. The charitable benevolence of the Philippians to Paul is called their communicating with his affliction (Phil 4:14). We must be ready, as we have ability and opportunity, to relieve any that are in want; but we are in a special manner bound to communicate to the saints. There is a common love owing to our fellow-creatures, but a special love owing to our fellow-Christians (especially to those who are of the household of faith, Gal 6:10). Some of the ancients read tais mneiais—to the memories of the saints—instead of tais chreiais. There is indeed a debt owing to the memory of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises—to value it, to vindicate it, to embalm it. Let the memory of the just be blessed (Prov 10:7).

He mentions another branch of this bountiful love: Given to hospitality. Those who have houses of their own should be ready to entertain those who go about doing good, or who, for fear of persecution, are forced to wander for shelter. They had not then so much of the convenience of common inns as we have; or the wandering Christians durst not frequent them; or they had not wherewithal to bear the charges, and therefore it was a special kindness to bid them welcome on free-cost. Nor is it yet an antiquated or superseded duty; as there is occasion, we must welcome strangers, for we know not the heart of a stranger. I was a stranger, and you took me in is mentioned as one instance of the mercifulness of those that shall obtain mercy. The apostle's phrase is ten philoxenian diokontes—following or pursuing hospitality. It intimates, not only that we must take opportunity, but that we must seek opportunity, thus to show mercy. As Abraham, who sat at the tent-door (Gen 18:1), and Lot, who sat in the gate of Sodom (Gen 19:1), expecting travellers, whom they might meet and prevent with a kind invitation, and so they entertained angels unawares (Heb 13:2).