What does Romans 12:13 mean?

So far, Paul has written generally that Christians must be devoted to each other. They should show brotherly affection and honor to one another. The two commands in this verse describes practical ways we can do that.

First, Paul writes that we must contribute to the needs of other believers. The practice of the church in its earliest days was for wealthier Christians to sell their belongings to meet the physical needs of Christians who were not as well off. Not only did these acts of sacrificial giving demonstrate sincere service to God, they demonstrated to other believers and the watching world that these Christians practiced what they talked about.

In the same way, we are commanded to show hospitality to each other. The world can be a cold, lonely, and dangerous place. One hallmark of the Christian community is that it is meant to offer safe and welcoming spaces to believers through the hospitality of other believers. Traveling from town to town in Paul's day was always a risk. Christians welcomed by other genuine believers as they passed through or arrived in a new town were protected from thieves, weather, and violence. We're called to provide the same service to each other, in the contexts of our own individual cultures.