1. The English word ‘home’ represents more than one Greek word; most commonly οἷκος gives the idea. Thus κατʼ οἷκον = ‘at home’ (Acts 2:46 Revised Version and AVm ^{[Note: Vm Authorized Version margin.]} , and Acts 5:42 Revised Version ; Authorized Version ‘from house to house’ and ‘in every house’); while κατʼ οἴκους in Acts 20:20 = ‘from house to house,’ Authorized Version and Revised Version , private as opposed to public teaching being referred to; and κατὰ τοὺς οἴκουη in Acts 8:3 = ‘[entering] into every house.’ ‘At home’ renders ἐν οἴκῳ in 1 Corinthians 11:34; 1 Corinthians 14:35. In 1 Timothy 5:4 widows’ children are bidden εὐσεβεῖν τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον, ‘show piety at home’ (Authorized Version ), or ‘towards their own family’ (Revised Version ). In Titus 2:5 Revised Version the young married women are to be οἰκουργοί, ‘workers at home’ (Authorized Version οἰκουροί, ‘keepers at home’; the former word is not found elsewhere, but is attested by all the best Manuscripts ).

The same idea is given by τὰ ἴδια, lit. ^{[Note: literally, literature.]} ‘their own belongings,’ in Acts 21:6 (‘returned home’);* ^[Note:^{οἱ ἴδιοι}^{, ‘one’s own people,’ in}1 Timothy 5:8^{, and especially in}John 1:11^{, where both expressions are joined together. The Incarnate came to His own home}^{τὰ ἴδια}^{), but His own chosen people, the Jews (}^{οἱ ἴδιοι}^{), received Him not.]} and figuratively in 2 Corinthians 5:6; 2 Corinthians 5:8 by ἐνδημεῖν, ‘to be at home’ (lit. ^{[Note: literally, literature.]} ‘among the people’), and ἐνδημεῖν, ‘to be absent from home’; perhaps also by the phrase, ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Πατρός μου, ‘in my Father’s house’ (figuratively, or else lit. ^{[Note: literally, literature.]} of the Temple), of Luke 2:49. Again, πόλις (Lat. civitas) conveys the idea of a ‘home’ (cf. Hebrews 11:10; Hebrews 11:16; Hebrews 12:22; Hebrews 13:14, and especially Matthew 12:25 : πόλις ἢ οἰκία). 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 Philippians 3:20 thus: ‘Our home (πόλις) 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 (1 Corinthians 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 (1 Timothy 3:1-5, Titus 1:6). Deacons must be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well (1 Timothy 3:12). These Epistles also deal generally with Christian home life; the faithful are to provide for their own households (1 Timothy 5:8); married women must be good house workers (above, 1; cf. the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31:10 ff.), and must love their husbands and children (Titus 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 (1 Timothy 5:10; cf. 1 Timothy 5:4; cf. 1 Timothy 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 (Acts 10:6), Lydia at Philippi shows hospitality to St. Paul (Acts 16:15; Acts 16:40), the jailer there brings the apostles into his house and sets meat before them (Acts 16:34); Titus Justus at Corinth (Acts 18:7), Philip at Caesarea (Acts 21:8), Mnason of Cyprus at Jerusalem, or at a village between Caesarea and Jerusalem (Acts 21:16; see W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, 1895, p. 302f.), Publius in Malta (Acts 28:7)-all entertained the Apostle hospitably. In Romans 16:23 Gains is famous for this quality; he is the host of the whole Church, apparently at Corinth (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:14). It is just possible that he may be the same as the hospitable Gains of 3 John 1:1; 3 John 1:5, but the name is a common one. With the last passage contrast the want of hospitality shown by Diotrephes in 3 John 1:9 f.

The duty of showing hospitality is insisted on in the case of a ‘bishop’ in 1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:8 (he is to be φιλόξενος), and in the case of a widow in 1 Timothy 5:10 (ἐξενοδόχησεν); and Christians in general are bidden to ‘pursue’ (Romans 12:13) and ‘not to forget’ (Hebrews 13:2) love unto strangers (φιλοξενία), to be ‘lovers of strangers’ (φιλόξενοι, 1 Peter 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’ (Matthew 25:35). See, further, article Hospitality.

A. J. Maclean.

Bibliography Information
Hastings, James. Entry for 'Home'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/h/home.html. 1906-1918.

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