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1. The English word ‘home’ represents more than one Greek word; most commonly ïἷêïò gives the idea. Thus êáô ʼ ïἷêïí = ‘at home’ (Act_2:46 Revised Version and AVm [Note: Vm Authorized Version margin.] , and Act_5:42 Revised Version ; Authorized Version ‘from house to house’ and ‘in every house’); while êáô ʼ ïἴêïõò in Act_20:20 = ‘from house to house,’ Authorized Version and Revised Version , private as opposed to public teaching being referred to; and êáôὰ ôïὺò ïἴêïõç in Act_8:3 = ‘[entering] into every house.’ ‘At home’ renders ἐí ïἴêῳ in 1Co_11:34; 1Co_14:35. In 1Ti_5:4 widows’ children are bidden åὐóåâåῖí ôὸí ἴäéïí ïἶêïí , ‘show piety at home’ (Authorized Version ), or ‘towards their own family’ (Revised Version ). In Tit_2:5 Revised Version the young married women are to be ïἰêïõñãïß , ‘workers at home’ (Authorized Version ïἰêïõñïß , ‘keepers at home’; the former word is not found elsewhere, but is attested by all the best Manuscripts ).
The same idea is given by ôὰ ἴäéá , lit. [Note: literally, literature.] ‘their own belongings,’ in Act_21:6 (‘returned home’);* [Note: ïἱ ἴäéïé , ‘one’s own people,’ in 1Ti_5:8, and especially in Joh_1:11, where both expressions are joined together. The Incarnate came to His own home ôὰ ἴäéá ), but His own chosen people, the Jews ( ïἱ ἴäéïé ), received Him not.] and figuratively in 2Co_5:6; 2Co_5:8 by ἐíäçìåῖí , ‘to be at home’ (lit. [Note: literally, literature.] ‘among the people’), and ἐíäçìåῖí , ‘to be absent from home’; perhaps also by the phrase, ἐí ôïῖò ôïῦ Ðáôñüò ìïõ , ‘in my Father’s house’ (figuratively, or else lit. [Note: literally, literature.] of the Temple), of Luk_2:49. Again, ðüëéò (Lat. civitas) conveys the idea of a ‘home’ (cf. Heb_11:10; Heb_11:16; Heb_12:22; Heb_13:14, and especially Mat_12:25 : ðüëéò ἢ ïἰêßá ). To us the word ‘city’ conveys the idea of streets and buildings; to a Greek or Roman, and so to an early Christian, it means an organized society which is the home of those who inhabit it (see B. F. Westcott, Hebrews, 1889, p. 388ff.). So also we may paraphrase Php_3:20 thus: ‘Our home ( ðüëéò ) is in heaven, while on earth we are only travellers and passers-by.’
2. The idea of home is much dwelt upon in the Pastoral Epistles. There is a striking difference in the NT between the qualifications of an ‘apostle’ in the widest sense, of a travelling missionary having oversight of the churches (such is also the meaning of ‘apostle’ in the Didache), and of the local ‘bishop’ or ‘presbyter’ and deacon. The ‘apostle’ may be married (1Co_9:5), but his home life is not emphasized; while in the case of the local officials the home is much spoken of. Thus in the Pastoral Epistles the bishop must be husband of one wife, given to hospitality, ruling well his own house, having his children in subjection; for ruling his family well leads to his ruling his flock well; a test of his having trained his children well is that they believe, and are not accused of riot and are not unruly (1Ti_3:1-5, Tit_1:6). Deacons must be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well (1Ti_3:12). These Epistles also deal generally with Christian home life; the faithful are to provide for their own households (1Ti_5:8); married women must be good house workers (above, 1; cf. the virtuous woman of Pro_31:10 ff.), and must love their husbands and children (Tit_2:4 f). Among widows’ qualifications is that of having brought up children, who in turn are bidden to requite their parents by supporting the widowed mother and grandmother (1Ti_5:10; cf. 1Ti_5:4; cf. 1Ti_5:16). We have several distant glimpses of devout Christian homes in the NT-of Timothy with his mother and grandmother at Lystra, of Philip with his daughters at Caesarea, and of some others, for which see Family.
3. Hospitality is closely connected with the idea of ‘home.’ For the large guest-rooms which made this possible on a comparatively extended scale, see House. Instances of hospitality are common in the apostolic writings. Simon the tanner entertains St. Peter (Act_10:6), Lydia at Philippi shows hospitality to St. Paul (Act_16:15; Act_16:40), the jailer there brings the apostles into his house and sets meat before them (Act_16:34); Titus Justus at Corinth (Act_18:7), Philip at Caesarea (Act_21:8), Mnason of Cyprus at Jerusalem, or at a village between Caesarea and Jerusalem (Act_21:16; see W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, 1895, p. 302f.), Publius in Malta (Act_28:7)-all entertained the Apostle hospitably. In Rom_16:23 Gains is famous for this quality; he is the host of the whole Church, apparently at Corinth (cf. 1Co_1:14). It is just possible that he may be the same as the hospitable Gains of 3Jn_1:1; 3Jn_1:5, but the name is a common one. With the last passage contrast the want of hospitality shown by Diotrephes in 3Jn_1:9 f.
The duty of showing hospitality is insisted on in the case of a ‘bishop’ in 1Ti_3:2, Tit_1:8 (he is to be öéëüîåíïò ), and in the case of a widow in 1Ti_5:10 ( ἐîåíïäü÷çóåí ); and Christians in general are bidden to ‘pursue’ (Rom_12:13) and ‘not to forget’ (Heb_13:2) love unto strangers ( öéëïîåíßá ), to be ‘lovers of strangers’ ( öéëüîåíïé , 1Pe_4:9), i.e. not to be givers of feasts but to receive strangers (C. Bigg, St. Peter and St. Jude [International Critical Commentary , 1901], 173; cf. Job_31:32). In these injunctions there is a reminiscence of our Lord’s words, ‘I was a stranger, and ye took me in’ (Mat_25:35). See, further, article Hospitality.
A. J. Maclean.