The Bible welcomes everyone, whether you are a habitual churchgoer or a first-time visitor. The Bible is full of verses reminding us of God’s love, kindness, and compassion, which extends to how we greet people in our churches and homes.
These verses provide a lovely approach to demonstrating hospitality and make visitors feel at ease. In this post, we’ll look at some of the best Bible verses for welcoming people and how they can be used to create a welcoming environment.
Bible Verses For Welcome Visitors
1. Hebrews 13:2
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
2. Romans 12:13
“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
3. 3 John 1:5-8
“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. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.”
4. Leviticus 19:33-34
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 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.”
5. Matthew 25:35
“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.”
6. Luke 14:12-14
“Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.'”
7. Proverbs 25:25
“Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.”
Bible Verses on Welcoming Strangers and Visitors
8. Matthew 25:40
“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.'”
9. Hebrews 13:1-2
“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
10. Leviticus 19:33-34
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born
11. Romans 12:13
“Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
12. 1 Peter 4:9
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
13. Matthew 25:35-36
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
14. Deuteronomy 10:18-19
“He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
Bible Verses on Hospitality
15. Mark 12:31
“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
16. Galatians 5:14
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'”
17. Romans 13:8-10
“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
18. Luke 6:31
“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”
19. James 2:8
“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.”
20. Leviticus 19:18
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
21. Proverbs 19:17
“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”
Biblical Principles for Making Visitors Feel at Home
22. 1 Peter 4:9
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
23. Hebrews 13:16
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
24. Colossians 3:23-24
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
25. Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
26. Romans 12:10-13
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
27. Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
28. Proverbs 3:27
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do
Bible Verses on Welcoming Strangers and Sojourners
29. Hebrews 13:2
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
30. Leviticus 19:33-34
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
31. Matthew 25:40
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
32. Romans 12:20-21
“To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
33. James 2:5-7
“Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?”
34. Deuteronomy 27:19
“Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”
35. Isaiah 58:6-7
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Biblical Hospitality as a Reflection of God’s Love
36. John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
37. 1 John 4:7-8
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
38. Matthew 22:37-39
“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
39. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
40. Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
41. Colossians 3:12-14
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
42. Romans 12:9-13
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Biblical Examples of Hospitality and Welcoming
Genesis 18:1-8
Abraham welcomes three strangers and offers them food and shelter
Acts 16:14-15
Lydia invites Paul and Silas to stay in her home after hearing the gospel
Luke 7:36-50
A sinful woman shows hospitality to Jesus by anointing his feet with perfume and tears
Matthew 8:14-15
Peter’s mother-in-law welcomes Jesus into her home and offers him food and drink
Acts 9:36-43
Dorcas, known for her acts of kindness and charity, welcomes Peter into her home and is raised from the dead
John 4:4-26
Jesus offers a Samaritan woman living water and welcomes her into the kingdom of God
Matthew 10:40-42
Jesus teaches that whoever welcomes a prophet, disciple, or even a little child, welcomes him and the one who sent him.
Conclusion
In conclusion, using Bible verses for welcoming visitors is an excellent way to show hospitality and create a welcoming atmosphere for newcomers. The scriptures remind us of God’s love; extending that love to others is essential to Christian hospitality.
Some of the most powerful verses for welcoming visitors include “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2) and “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). These verses emphasize the importance of love, kindness, and generosity when welcoming visitors.
Other verses, such as “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions” (Romans 14:1) and “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7), remind us to be respectful of differences and to welcome all with open arms.
In addition to using Bible verses, it’s important to show visitors genuine hospitality through acts of kindness, such as offering a warm greeting, introducing them to others, and inviting them to participate in church activities. By creating a welcoming atmosphere and showing visitors love and kindness, we can help them feel at home and encourage them to return.
