Hebrews 13

Finale

Finally we have made it to the last chapter of Hebrews. Here the writer is giving his final thoughts in short exhortations. Like the words you tell your kids prior to leaving on vacation. It’s sort of like The Book of Proverbs.

Let’s read ch 13.

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

Vs 1 -3 - The writer opens with the subjects of brotherly love and Hospitality.

Brotherly love is the Greek word philadelphia . the exhortation is to keep on loving your Brothers and Sisters in the Lord.

Jesus said” they will know you are Christians by your? Bible knowledge, spiritual gifts NO, but your love for one another”.

The Didache was an early church “ministry manual,” written perhaps somewhere between 90 and 110 a.d. It had this to say about how to tell if a false prophet abused the hospitality of those in the church:

Let every apostle that comes to you be received as the Lord. But he shall not remain except one day; but if there be need, also the next; but if he remains three days, he is a false prophet. And when the apostle goes away, let him take nothing but bread... but if he asks for money, he is a false prophet. And every prophet that speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this one sin shall not be forgiven. But not everyone that speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he holds the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the true prophet be known.(From The Ante-Nicean Fathers, Volume 7, page 380)

Verse 2 is interesting because it raises the possibility of meeting angels. Do you know of anyone who has? Where - , Abraham, , Lot

Vs 3 - here he is speaking of prisoners who are believers. All over the world are precious believers who are imprisoned for their faith. We need to do a better job of remembering them.

4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

God established the marriage relationship. The building block of society. He also created sex as beautiful expression to be enjoyed within the bounds of the marriage relationship, exclusively. Outside of marriage though, God will judge.

It is interesting to me that the institution of marriage is taking so much abuse and that sex is so exploited in our world. The enemy is working over time to destroy families..

“Fornication and adultery are not synonymous in the New Testament: adultery implies unfaithfulness by either party to the marriage vow, while the word translated ‘fornication’ covers a wide range of sexual irregularities.” (Bruce)

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (,  So we may boldly say:

​​“The LORD is my helper;

​​I will not fear.

​​What can man do to me?” ()

This is another area we are bombarded with daily. Covetousness.

In the Greek it means: not loving money, not avaricious

What does it not mean. You shouldn’t try hard to better your self.

It means in practical terms we trust God and alway do our best and leave the out come to Him.

Be content with such things as you have: Contentment has much more to do with what you are on the inside rather than what you have. The Apostle Paul had the right idea in : Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I will never leave you nor forsake you: “You that are familiar with the Greek text know that there are five negatives here. We cannot manage five negatives in English, but the Greeks find them not too large a handful. Here the negatives have a fivefold force. It is as though it said, ‘I will not, not leave thee; I will never, no never, forsake thee.’ ” (Spurgeon)

Vs 7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

Please pray for your Pastors..

Vs 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(Hbr 13:9-14) Following the rejected Jesus.

Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.

Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines: There is never a shortage of various and strange doctrines in the church. The ones specifically in mind here seem to deal with a return to Mosaic ceremonies and laws that were fulfilled in Jesus.

We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat: Other Jews probably branded these Jewish Christians “illegitimate” because they did not continue the Levitical system. But the writer to the Hebrews insisted that we have an altar, and it is an altar that those who cling to the Levitical system have no right to.

Essentially, our altar is the cross – the centerpiece of the Christian Gospel and understanding ( and ).

Jesus... suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach: If our Savior was rejected and His sacrifice (performed at the cross, our altar) was branded illegitimate, we expect no better. Identifying with Jesus often means bearing His reproach, the very thing many are unwilling to do.

Outside the camp: The camp refers to institutional Judaism, which rejected Jesus and Christianity. Though these Christians from Jewish backgrounds were raised to consider everything outside the camp as unclean and evil, they must follow Jesus there.

Vs 15 -16 our sacrifice

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Learn to praise God in everything, thank Him continually. It changes you.

Vs 17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Prayer Requested

18 Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. 19 But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell

20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you[fn] what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

22 And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. 23 Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.

Another reason we believe Paul is the writer.

24 Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

25 Grace be with you all. Amen.