A Work in Progress Bible Commentary
By: Chip Crush

HEBREWS
CHAPTER 13

The final chapter of the letter to the Hebrews is often seen as an addendum to what was likely the sermon portion of the epistle. It contains a number of final instructions and a summary of the bulk of the letter. The final passages hint at the context for the letter, which help us in the exposition of it. Let’s take a look.

1)      V1-6 – 1Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. 4Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” [Deuteronomy 31:6]. 6So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me” [Psalm 118:6-7]?

The first passage here offers six basic commands and a word of encouragement. The instructions are practical ways to ensure that the life you are living is a holy and righteous one, out of humble gratitude for the gift of salvation you have received from God. First, we are to continue loving one another as brothers. Notice the ongoing nature of this command and the assumption that believers are currently doing this. Second, hospitality is a Christian virtue. We need to be welcoming, even and perhaps especially to needy strangers, for they may be angels in disguise. Third, we must not neglect those who are imprisoned. In context, I have no doubt, that the Hebrew audience had a number of its brethren imprisoned for standing firm in their faith. For us, the situation is quite different. That’s not to say that we should neglect prisoners since they are likely getting justice for their shameful crimes; but the solution may be to consider the broader scope of imprisonment. Certainly there are Christians physically in prison, and we need to visit them and provide for their needs. But the elderly, the handicapped, the orphaned, the widowed, the mentally disabled, and the like are also, in my opinion, to be deemed imprisoned. They need to be “remembered,” for they are easily forgotten. And we need to treat them how we would like to be treated if we were in their situations.

In v4, we have the fourth command of this passage, to honor marriage and to keep it pure. In the context of our culture, marriage is under attack, with the efforts of homosexual and transgender movements. God’s word says, “Marriage should be honored by all,” and it’s not referring to changing the definition of marriage so that all can honor it by engaging in it. Rather, it needs to be upheld and seen not as a right but as a sacrament, a privilege to those who are willing to keep its demands – most obviously, physical purity and faithfulness. And the reason is clear: “God will judge the adulterer and all the sexual immoral” (v4). Fifth, we are to avoid the love of money (v5). The flipside of that negative command is positively to be content with what God provides you. He promises to provide, and His presence really needs to be enough. The sixth command is issued more subtly than the other commands in this passage, but it is still present: we are to be confident (v6). A big part of standing firm in faith is confidence. It’s a lot easier to face the giant when you know God is in your corner, when you know it’s His battle much more so than yours. And that brings us to the word of encouragement, which comes from the author as a quote from Psalm 118:6-7: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Be encouraged by that simple, yet profoundly rich truth.

2)     V7-17 7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood. 13Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore. 14For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

This passage covers the importance of honoring and obeying the local church leadership. First, we are to remember our leaders, namely in our prayers, for they preach the gospel to us. They are worthy of being remembered in prayer simply because of their role and calling in gospel ministry. Furthermore, we should notice the results of their lifestyle and mimic them. They live by faith, and we ought to do the same. Why? V8 declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Therefore, living by faith in Him is a consistent and unchanging methodology that won’t and can’t fail. Other worldviews and foundations for living may be considered “strange teachings,” which carry us away from the truth and lead us astray (v9). We need “to be strengthened by grace, not ceremonial foods, which are of no value” (v9). In other words, living by faith under the grace of Jesus Christ is the only way to go; living stressfully under some routine pattern that involves ritualistic ceremonies (namely Judaism) cannot provide holiness, peace, joy, and praise.

In v10-14, the author again claims that Jesus is better than anything or anyone else. He says that Christians alone have the privilege of eating at the altar of Jesus, feasting with Jesus, on Jesus’ body and blood, and that “those who minister at the tabernacle (Jewish priests on behalf of their congregations) have no right to eat” (v10) there. Calvin explains further, “This is a beautiful adaptation of an old rite under the Law, to the present state of the Church. There was a kind of sacrifice appointed, mentioned in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus, no part of which returned to the priests and Levites. This, as he now shows by a suitable allusion, was accomplished in Christ; for He was sacrificed on this condition, that they who serve the tabernacle should not feed on Him. But by the ministers of the tabernacle he means all those who performed the ceremonies. Then that we may partake of Christ, he intimates that we must renounce the tabernacle; for as the word altar includes sacrificing and the victim; so tabernacle, all the external types connected with it. Then the meaning is, ‘No wonder if the rites of the Law have now ceased, for this is what was typified by the sacrifice which the Levites brought without the camp to be there burnt; for as the ministers of the tabernacle did eat nothing of it, so if we serve the tabernacle, that is, retain its ceremonies, we shall not be partakers of that sacrifice which Christ once offered, nor of the expiation which He once made by His own blood; for His own blood He brought into the heavenly sanctuary that He might atone for the sin of the world.’” Jesus makes His people holy by His blood (v12), which was spilled “outside the camp” (v11), a place of disgrace (v13), which we enter by faith in Him when we leave behind the rituals of Judaism or materialism or humanism or any other worldly “–ism” that is seen as acceptable in the world’s eyes. We share the humiliation of Jesus, because the world mocks Christianity as the weakest of worldviews. But as v14 declares, “Here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” As foolish at it sounds, our aspirations for glory are in the next life.

In the final part of this passage, the author reminds his audience to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (v15), which is done simply by confessing the name of Jesus with our lips throughout our lives. We leave behind rituals and ceremonies and cling wholeheartedly to Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled the laws requirements for us. Though we don’t offer a sacrifice like those offered under the Old Covenant, we still have a sacrifice to bring – our lives themselves. We “do good and…share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (v16). The passage comes full circle in v17, which again exhorts us to obey and submit to the authority of our local church leaders. Not only do they preach the gospel to us, but they also watch over us and will have to give an account to God of their shepherding. We should strive to make their task a joy and not a burden, for we would receive no advantage by making their work more difficult.

3)     V18-21 – 18Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. 20May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

As we near the end of this study of Hebrews, we can better estimate the circumstances that brought about this letter’s writing. Specifically, we have the author’s desire for his audience to “pray for us” (v18). The author is sure of his clear conscience and desire to live honorably, and not only of his but also of those with him (perhaps his local congregation or administrative support); nevertheless, praying for others to exhibit those characteristics can be nothing but helpful. Do you pray for the individuals and/or families in your local congregation or community small group? Do you pray that they would live honorably in every way and with a clear conscience?

In v19, we see that the author covets prayer especially that he “may be restored to” his audience “soon.” This reveals that the author had spent time in person with his audience and hoped to return to them. We don’t know what separated them, whether the author’s imprisonment or merely his other pastoral duties, but he wanted to fellowship with them and continue shepherding them as the flock of God. In this thinking, the author issues a benediction, a blessing from God to the audience in v20-21. He refers to God as “the God of peace” (which the Apostle Paul does on four occasions in his epistles; Romans 15:33; 16:20; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23), and uses very intentional language to describe what God has already done.

He raised the Good Shepherd, “that great Shepherd of the sheep,” Jesus, from the dead; and He did it “through the blood of the eternal covenant.” See, the New Covenant is not just better than the Old Covenant for all the reasons mentioned throughout this letter to the Hebrews. The author adds one more reason here – the New Covenant is an eternal covenant. It won’t fade or perish. The author wants the God of peace, who raised Jesus from the dead, to “equip” his audience “with everything good for doing His will.” The equipment is the Holy Spirit, who guides us in utilizing God’s word. He wants God to “work in us what is pleasing to Him” (Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13). And he wants it all to be done in Jesus’ name, according to His power, and for His glory alone. That’s a benediction!

4)     V22-25 – 22Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. 23I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. 24Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. 25Grace be with you all.

In the final passage of this letter to the Hebrews, the author makes one final plea to his audience to heed his “word of exhortation,” though this was “only a short letter” (v22). Another clue to the timing and circumstances of the letter’s origin is found in v23. Apparently, Timothy had been imprisoned and was released just before this letter was composed. It seems that he may have expected to make his way to the author, and that they could then journey together to visit the audience of Hebrews. There’s no doubt that both the author and audience knew well their “brother Timothy.” The author in v24 asks for greetings to be given to the leaders of the Hebrews, as well as “all God’s people” in their sphere of influence, and gives greetings from those in Italy, again cluing us in to the location of the author (Rome). Finally, in v25, the conclusion is another benediction, one that we all need to live out the rest of our earthly existence: “Grace be with you all.” We have received God’s grace on our past; we need God’s grace in our present circumstances; and we will need God’s grace throughout the rest of our lives in order to persevere in our faith, clinging fast to Jesus when the temptations to defect are abundant all around us. 

Footnotes

  1. 13:5 Deut. 31:6
  2. 13:6 Psalm 118:6,7


Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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