Devine Scripture

Romans 12:13

What does Romans 12:13 mean?

A plain-English look at Romans 12:13 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Romans 12:13 means

Sincere love meets practical needs. Believers are to share with the saints who lack, treating their resources as available for others’ good. Hospitality extends this generosity to opening homes and tables—welcoming, not merely tolerating. In the early church, such hospitality supported traveling servants of the gospel and provided refuge for the vulnerable. It still displays God’s welcome. Giving and hosting express the family nature of the church and the stewardship of what God has entrusted. Generosity is not occasional charity but a posture: looking for ways to relieve burdens and make room for others within the ordinary rhythms of life.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

communicating to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

communicating to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Giving to the needs of the saints, ready to take people into your houses.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

to the necessities of the saints communicating; the hospitality pursuing.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Communicating to the necessities of the saints. Pursuing hospitality.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

distributing to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality.

Context

Having focused on the inner supports of hope, patience, and prayer, Paul turns outward to concrete expressions of love—sharing with the saints and practicing hospitality. These instructions continue the portrait of a living sacrifice community marked by warm, practical care. Next, verse 14 will extend love beyond the church to those who oppose and mistreat believers, intensifying the challenge. The order matters: strengthened by hope and prayer and practiced in the family, love now moves into the hard terrain of enemy-love.

v.12rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing stedfastly in prayer;

v.13This passage

v.14Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Acts 10:4

    And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted, said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God.

  • Genesis 18:2

    and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

  • Acts 4:35

    and laid them at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto each, according as any one had need.

  • Romans 15:25

    but now, I say, I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints.

  • Acts 9:36

    Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

  • Titus 1:8

    but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled;

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