Hebrews 13:2

to entertain strangers The hospitality of Christians (what Julian calls ἡ περὶ ξένους φιλανθρωπία) was naturally exercised chiefly towards the brethren. The absence of places of public entertainment except in the larger towns, and the constant interchange of letters and messages between Christian communities a happy practice which also prevailed among the Jewish Synagogues made "hospitality" a very necessary and blessed practice. St Peter tells Christians to be hospitable to one another ungrudgingly, and unmurmuringly, though it must sometimes have been burdensome (1 Peter 4:9; comp. Romans 12:13; Titus 1:8; 1 Timothy 3:2). We find similar exhortations in the Talmud (Berachoth f. 63. 2; Shabbath f. 27. 1). Lucian (De Mort. Peregr. 16) and the Emperor Julian (Ep.49) notice the unwonted kindness and hospitality of Christians.

have entertained angels unawares Abraham (Genesis 18:2-22. Lot (Genesis 19:1-2). Manoah (Judges 13:2-14). Gideon (Judges 6:11-20). Our Lord taught that we may even entertain Him the King of Angels unawares. "I was a stranger, and ye took Me in" (Matthew 25:35-40). There is an allusion to this "entertaining of angels" in Philo, De Abrahamo(Opp. ii. 17). The classic verb rendered "unawares" (elathon) is not found elsewhere in the N.T. in this sense, and forms a happy paronomasia with "forget not."