Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
hospitality.
Romans 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Romans 16:23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.
1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
without.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Philemon 1:14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
without complaining
The call to offer hospitality without complaining addresses the human tendency to grumble when inconvenienced. In a time when resources were limited and hosting could be burdensome, the temptation to complain was real. This instruction echoes the broader biblical theme of serving with a joyful heart, as seen in Philippians 2:14, which urges believers to do everything without grumbling. The attitude of the heart is crucial; God desires cheerful givers (2 Corinthians 9:7). This reflects the selfless love of Christ, who served others without complaint, even unto death. The absence of complaining in service is a mark of spiritual maturity and reflects a Christ-like character.
• Peter is writing to believers who are “aliens and strangers” in a hostile culture (1 Peter 1:1), urging them to live for God’s glory as “the end of all things is near” (4:7).
• Verses 7-11 list practical ways to do that: prayerful sobriety, fervent love, hospitality, and faithful use of gifts. Verse 9 is a clear, literal command: “Show hospitality to one another without complaining.”
• “Show hospitality” is not optional; it is an ongoing lifestyle. Romans 12:13 commands, “Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
• Throughout Scripture, hospitality displays God’s character:
– Abraham welcomed three visitors (Genesis 18:1-8).
– The Shunammite woman built a room for Elisha (2 Kings 4:8-10).
– Jesus frequently received and offered meals (Luke 7:36-50; 19:5-7).
• Hospitality uses ordinary resources—meals, spare beds, time—to meet real needs, turning houses into ministry centers (Acts 16:14-15, 40).
• The phrase focuses first on fellow believers. Galatians 6:10 says, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, especially to those who belong to the household of faith.”
• Practicing hospitality knits the church family together:
– Early Christians “broke bread from house to house” (Acts 2:42-47).
– It embodies the “one another” commands—love, care, serve, encourage (John 13:34-35; Romans 12:10).
• Welcoming believers trains us to welcome strangers as well (Hebrews 13:2).
• The command drills down to attitude. God cares not only that we open the door, but how. Philippians 2:14: “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”
• Grumbling undermines the blessing:
– Israel’s wilderness complaints provoked God’s displeasure (1 Corinthians 10:10-11).
– Giving must be “not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
• Practical safeguards:
– Plan simple, repeatable meals to ease stress.
– Share hosting duties among believers (1 Peter 4:10—use gifts to serve).
– Remember you are serving Christ Himself (Matthew 25:35-40).
1 Peter 4:9 literally commands believers to practice ongoing, open-handed hospitality toward one another—and to do it cheerfully. By opening our homes and resources without grumbling, we mirror God’s welcoming heart, strengthen the church, and shine His love to a watching world.
(9) Use hospitality.--It is a great pity that again (as in 1Peter 3:8, and elsewhere) the participial clauses are broken up in our version into separate injunctions. Here it is, properly, being hospitable. This is the first form of charity--receiving Christians who came from other towns (comp. 3John 1:5-6). See how such hospitality covers (to the surprise of the bestowers) a multitude of sins in Matthew 25:35-38.Without grudging.--That is, without murmuring. How frequently Christian hospitality is marred by grumbling at the expense and the trouble which it costs!
Verse 9. - Use hospitality one to another; literally, being hospitable (comp. Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; Hebrews 13:2 3John 5). Hospitality must have been a necessary, and often a costly, duty in the early ages of the Church. There was no public provision for the poor. Christians traveling from place to place would find no suitable shelter except in the houses of Christians. They would be obliged to avoid the public houses of entertainment, where they would be exposed often to danger, always to temptation; only the private houses of Christians would be safe for them. Hence the use of the "letters of commendation," mentioned by St. Paul (2 Corinthians 3:1). Those who brought such letters were to be received in Christian homes. The well-known 'Teaching of the Twelve Apostles' speaks of this right of hospitality, and gives cautions against its abuse. Tim apostle is not speaking of ordinary social gatherings; they have their place and their utility in the Christian life, but they do not, as a rule, afford scope for the higher self-denials of Christian charity (comp. Luke 14:12, 13). Without grudging. Such hospitality would be always costly, often inconvenient, sometimes attended with danger, as in the case of the first British martyr; but it was to be without murmuring. Murmuring would take from the hospitality all its beauty; it should be offered as a gift of love, and Christian love can never murmur (comp. 2 Corinthians 9:7).