Who's Suppose to Visit?

Hospitality seems to be a lost virtue these days. When was the last time you just dropped in on a friend and spent the afternoon sitting on the porch talking? We don't seem to have time for that kind of thing anymore. Our lack of hospitality causes us to sit for years on a pew in church with virtual strangers. Hospitality is something that Christians are commanded to embody, "Let love of the brothers continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers..." (Heb. 13:1-2). In a day when it is more comfortable to retreat into our homes and hide before the television, we all tend to avoid visiting with one another. It is much easier to point fingers and say that visiting is the responsibility of others.
It seems to me that the responsibility of visiting and checking on one another falls into three categories in Scripture. We would do well to recognize these different areas of responsibility. Notice the different categories of visiting:

1. Pastoral visitation. Every congregation is to have a plurality of pastors (elders) who watch over the spiritual health of the souls of the congregation (Acts 14:23; Heb. 13:17). When a member of the congregation is sick (physically or spiritually) they are to call for the elders of the church (James 5:14). Good shepherds will visit the families of the congregation to check up on the families of the congregation to provide spiritual counsel, to bind up the wounds, strengthen the sick, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone (Ezek. 34:2, 4; 1 Thes. 5:12-14). The Bible instructs elders to be busy to "be on gaurd for yourselves and for all the flock" (Acts 20:28).
2. Evangelistic visitation. Too many preachers have "left the word of God" to serve tables (cf. Acts 6:2), and the result has been shallow preaching and biblically ignorant congregations. The Bible gives the job description of the preacher; he is to give himself "wholly" to preaching, teaching, and public reading of Scripture (1 Tim. 5:13, 15). The visitation that the preacher is to do is to be evangelistic--visiting homes to do personal Bible studies. This is the type of visiting that Paul did while he worked as the local preacher in Ephesus, "...I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house" (Acts 20:20). The Bible instructs preachers to be busy to "pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching" (1 Tim. 4:16).
3. Christian visitation. Every Christian has the obligation to visit others and check on one another's welfare. The Bible instructs all Christians to be involved in one another's personal lives, "do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil. 2:4). We must not be guilty of being busybodies who meddle and gossip about others (2 Thes. 3:11; 1 Tim. 5:13). However, we should check on one another and keep each other accountable. Every Christian is obligated to be hospitable and concerned about his fellow brothers and sisters. Pure religion means that we "visit" those who are in need (James 1:27). The word "visit" in this passage means "to look after and inspect so as to provide help or benefit" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon).

May we all realize what our individual responsibilities are and do what God requires of us.