Hebrews 13
Final Exhortations
13:1 Brotherly love must continue.
The Greek word for “brotherly love” is φιλαδελφία (philadelphia), meaning a love for the saints. This word is unique to the New Testament. It was not a part of secular Greek. Some of the Messianic believers were in danger of forsaking this brotherly love for the saints, so the author encourages them to care for each other.
13:2 Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Many of the Messianic believers had lost their homes and careers through persecution. Therefore, they were to take care of each other. If a stranger with the gospel came to their town, they were to show him hospitality, such as Abraham did. Abraham was the guest of two angels who he thought were men. Angels can also refer to messengers, so this could also refer to human messengers who may be bringing a message from God.
13:3 Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them, and those ill-treated as though you too felt their torment.
Some of the Messianic believers were imprisoned for their faith, such as Onesiphorus. The believers were to take care of them.
13:4 Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.
The Greek word for “bed” is κοίτη (koiata), meaning the sexual union between husband and wife. The sanctity of marriage was to be honored. God will judge fornicators and adulterers. This was a huge clash with the Greco-Roman culture of that day.
13:5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”
The author quoted from Deuteronomy 31:6 or Jeremiah 1:5. The Messianic believers were not to center their life on materialism. They were to be content with what God gave them.
13:6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
The author quoted from Psalm 118:6. Believers should never fear another man. They should only fear God. God is on the side of the believer.
13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith.
The Messianic believers were to imitate the lives of their elders who taught them the Word of God. Strong elders proclaim Biblical truth. They were men of faith. These elders in the persecuted Jewish society lived a spiritual lifestyle worthy of imitation.
13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!
Charismatics like to misuse this verse to claim that since the early church performed miracles, the modern church should be performing miracles as well. The only people performing miracles in the New Testament were the apostles and their legates. The purpose of these miracles was to authenticate the message of the gospel.
Jesus is the same in His person. He has always been the eternal second person of the Trinity. He has always shared the same goal of the Triune God. He will always love the saints and judge those who reject him.
Jesus is also different in two other ways. Before His incarnation, He was a spirit. After His incarnation, He became a God-man. He could feel hunger, pain, thirst, and even death. After His resurrection, He received an eternal glorified body which could not feel the frailties of humanity. Therefore, His physical nature changed, but His personality and character were unchangeable.
Jesus often changed His methods. Before the Fall, He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After the Fall, He did not. During the days of Elijah, Elisha, and the early church, He used miracles. At other times, He did not use miracles. From the time of Noah to Moses, anything could be eaten. From the time of Moses to Jesus, only certain foods could be eaten. From the church to the Second Coming, any food can be eaten. Jesus has not dealt with every saint in the same way. Some are given different gifts. Others are chosen to become martyrs.
This verse cannot be used to claim healing for everyone who is sick. It cannot be used to claim that just because Jesus did one thing one way at one point in time, then He must always do it in the same way each time. Jesus did not always do things the same way even during His own lifetime.
13:9 Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, which have never benefited those who participated in them.
The author warned about false teachers. True teachers of God will teach salvation by grace alone in faith alone in Christ alone. It is good to be strengthened by these kinds of teachers. If a teacher emphasizes ritual meals or what kinds of foods are allowed and not allowed, then beware of these kinds of teachers. They are teaching law and not grace. Many of the Judaizers were attempting to persuade the Messianic believers back into their fold with this kind of ritualistic teaching.
13:10 We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from.
The altar for the Messianic believer is no longer the altar at the Jewish Temple. Their new Temple is the Lord Jesus Christ. The priests could eat a portion from all the offerings, except for the offerings sacrificed on Yom Kippur. Jesus is the final Yom Kippur sacrifice and all believers were invited to eat from His sacrifice. Therefore, the altar of the Messianic believers was greater than that of Judaism. There was no reason for the Messianic believers to return to Judaism.
13:11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp.
The Yom Kippur sacrifice was burned outside the camp. No one was permitted to eat of this sacrifice. This burning outside the camp symbolized the removal of sin from the assembly of Israel.
13:12 Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp.
Just as the offering of the Day of Atonement was taken outside the city of Jerusalem, so was the offering of Christ taken outside the city of Jerusalem.
13:13 We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced.
The Messianic believers were urged to leave the camp of Judaism and look towards the Messiah, who was offered outside the gates of Jerusalem, and outside the gates of Judaism. The Messianic believers were encouraged to bear the abuse that Jesus bore. They would have to leave Judaism and come into the suffering of the Messiah outside the camp.
13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
The city of Jerusalem had rejected the Messiah. It would not last much longer. The city was about to be destroyed. The Messianic believers were told to leave the city of Jerusalem and search for the New Jerusalem.
13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name.
The Messianic believers were to leave Judaism and become priests under Jesus the High Priest. Instead of offering blood sacrifices, they were to offer up praises of thanksgiving to God. Jesus had shown them grace. Now, they were to use the fruit of their lips to acknowledge the name of Jesus. They were not to go back into Judaism as secret believers. They were to become priests who offered up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to the One who showed them grace.
13:16 And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
The Messianic Jews were new priests under Jesus the High Priest. Instead of offering up blood sacrifices, they were to offer up good works of service for Christ.
13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.
The author commanded the Messianic believers to submit to their present elders. The elders have more Bible doctrine and Biblical wisdom than the sheep. The elders protect the souls of the sheep by teaching them Biblical doctrine. The elders are responsible for the flock. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, elders will have to answer to Christ on how they accomplished their mission. The flock needs to submit to the elders so that they can accomplish their God-given task with joy. If the elders are forced to complain about their flock not being submissive, then this will become a big disadvantage to the flock. It is the flock, not the elders, who will be judged.
13:18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect.
The author asked the flock to pray for the elders. He included himself as one of the elders. His prayer request was that the elders would have a clear conscience, meaning that they would stay out of sin. His second request was that the elders would be given the desire to conduct themselves in the way of righteousness. These elders knew and applied Bible doctrine, but they still needed the prayers of the saints to keep them in good standing with the Lord. The point is that the congregation should pray for their elders. Elders are heavily attacked by demonic forces. They often are tempted more heavily than the flock, because the wolf attacks the shepherd first so that he can devour the flock later.
13:19 I especially ask you to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.
The author was previously with these Messianic believers, but now he is in prison. He asked that they pray him out of prison so that he could visit them once again. Since Paul was imprisoned, many use this verse as evidence of Pauline authorship.
Benediction and Conclusion
13:20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, 13:21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
The author gave a lengthy benediction. He started the benediction by giving a description of the Lord Jesus Christ. First, Jesus is the God of peace. God and man are at war, because of man’s sin. Sin is rebellion against God and who He is and what He desires to do.
Second, Jesus brought peace between God and man by His own literal blood. The blood of God is esteemed by believers and despised by the enemies of God. The blood of Christ cleanses the believer of all sin.
Third, the eternal covenant is the New Covenant which replaced the Old Covenant. The blood of bulls and goats will no longer cover sins. The blood of Christ removed sins forever.
Fourth, Jesus was raised from the dead. If Jesus can raise Himself from the dead, then He can certainly solve any problems that the Messianic believers may experience.
Fifth, Jesus is the Shepherd of the sheep. The sheep have no fangs, no claws, no body armor, no intelligence, and no fast legs to protect themselves. Without the divine care of the Shepherd, the sheep will not survive.
Jesus is Lord, meaning deity. He is the Creator God, the Second Person of the Trinity, and the Sovereign God who is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent.
Jesus means “Jehovah is salvation.” Jesus is the human name, pointing to his sinless humanity.
Jesus is the Christ, or the Messiah. There were many prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament. Many skeptics claim that these prophecies were not very "specific." However, these prophecies predicted the entire life and ministry of Jesus Christ--from His virgin birth to His resurrection. For example, they predicted that Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) from the seed of a woman (Genesis 3:15), born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), at approximately the close of the sixty-nine sevens of years (Daniel 9:25). They prophesied that wise men would adore Him (Psalm 72:10), that all the infants in Bethlehem would be massacred (Jeremiah 31:15), and that baby Jesus would return to Egypt (Hosea 11:1). They foretold that He was to be introduced by a messenger--John the Baptist (Malachi 3:1), His ministry would be in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1), and that He was to be a worker of miracles (Isaiah 35:5). They predicted that He was to ride into Jerusalem on a colt (Zechariah 9:9), be rejected (Isaiah 53:3), be betrayed for the exact price of 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12), and the money was to be thrown into the potter's field. (Zechariah 11:13). He was to be beaten (Micah 5:1), spit upon and scourged (Isaiah 50:6), nailed to the cross (Psalm 22:16), mocked (Psalm 22:7-8), and given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21). They predicted His intercession for His murderers (Isaiah 53:12), yet He was to be patient and silent during His suffering (Isaiah 53:7). Psalm 22:1 predicted His exact words on the cross 400 years before crucifixion was even invented. Other predictions were that His garments would be parted and that soldiers would cast lots for them. (Psalm 22:18). He was to be numbered with His transgressors (Isaiah 53:12), to die (Isaiah 53:12), and His bones were not to be broken (Psalm 34:20). He was to be pierced in His side (Zechariah 12:10), to be buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9), resurrected (Psalm 16:10), and to ascend (Psalm 68:18) to the right hand of God. (Psalm 110:1) to exercise His priestly office in heaven (Zechariah 6:13).
God has called the Messianic believers to perform a heavenly task. Since Jesus is God in human flesh, He will be able to equip the Messianic believers with whatever they need to accomplish the task that God has assigned them.
God will not be pleased with the Messianic believers if they return to Judaism. They will suffer the sin unto death. If they remain and grow in Christ, then God will be very pleased with these Jewish believers.
13:22 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly.
The author is writing with urgency. The destruction of the Temple was just around the corner. He was writing to brothers and sisters, meaning fellow Jewish believers. He wrote to encourage them. The letter is brief, but they must act upon it.
13:23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon, he will be with me when I see you.
The author and Timothy were imprisoned together. Timothy was a traveling companion of the author. This is more evidence that suggests that the author may have been Paul.
13:24 Greetings to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings.
The author was either writing from imprisonment from Rome, or there were Italians with him in prison. Since Paul was imprisoned in Rome, this is more internal evidence that the author was possibly Paul. Those in Rome sent greetings to the Jewish churches in Judea that were surrounding Jerusalem.
13:25 Grace be with you all.
This was a typical Pauline greeting and salutation. This is more evidence that the author may have been Paul. The author asked God to show kindness to the Messianic believers, because they were about to go through a tough ordeal.
Appendix:
How did the readers of Hebrews respond to this letter? The Bible does not say, but there were three external resources which give some insight on these issues.
Josephus was a first century Jewish historian and unbeliever in Jesus. He was an eyewitness to the Temple destruction of 70 A.D. Heggisippus was a Jewish believer who lived in the second century. Eusebius was a Gentile Christian who lived in the fourth century. These three writers gave some details on these events.
According to the secular history of these three authors, when the Messianic believers read this letter, they obeyed it. They broke away from Judaism. Two years later, the First Jewish Revolt broke out in 66 A.D. 20,000 Messianic believers left the country and headed to the city of Pella, which was outside of the war zone. They stayed in Pella until the war ended. Four years later, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, just as Jesus predicted. Over 1,100,000 Jews were slain in the conflict. All three writers commented that not a single Messianic believer lost his life, because they were obedient to this letter. Therefore, this was a very powerful letter that preserved the Messianic believer culture and helped to spread the gospel to the rest of the world.