Hebrews chapter 13

The author provides moral instructions. Be a good citizen of your faith group. Hold to solid teachings. Glorify God by evangelizing outsiders.

 


 

MORAL INSTRUCTIONS

 

VERSE 1. Let brotherly love continue.

 

VERSE 2. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.

hospitality to strangers. The Bible is clear. We believers are to welcome immigrants. The Bible commands us to love them as ourselves. Read more »

entertained angels.  Sometimes we might interact with an angel without even knowing it. Here is an example:

Jacob had sent his family across the Jabbok. During the night, a mysterious stranger arrived. They wrestled all through the night. In the morning, they finally stopped.

The stranger wouldn’t give his name. The stranger may have been an angel. Or perhaps it might have been the LORD God incarnate.

Similarly, when three strangers arrive, Abraham welcomes them into his camp and treats them like royalty. This is called “desert hospitality.” We are to do the same. Read  more »

In our day, many church leaders have fine homes and are paid a decent income. But in the Bible, some of our greatest heroes were poor and sometimes homeless. Read more »

A homeless man, or an Angel of God? [Japan; the late 1980s] While traveling to a Pentecostal church in Osaka, I met a homeless man. He offered me food and drink. He may have been an angel of God. Read more »

 

VERSE 3. Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.

 

VERSE 4. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled; but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

 

VERSE 5. Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”

Be free from the love of money. The Bible is clear as to the root of evil. And yet Christians explain it away in order to justify their greed. Read more »

content with such things as you have. Most Christians are as materialistic as anybody else. But the Bible calls us to be content with food and clothing. Read more »

 

VERSE 6. So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

What can man do to me. Compared with the great things God is doing for us, other people can hardly hurt us.

When we walk with the LORD God, we can overcome our fears and be bold. As bold as a lion! Read more »

 

BE A GOOD CITIZEN OF YOUR FAITH GROUP

 

VERSE 7. Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

NIV translation: Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Letter to the Hebrews and from the entire Bible.

Remember your leaders. We are to bring to mind our great leaders in the Christian faith. What sort of leader is being suggested?

who spoke the word of God to you. In this context, the word “leader” means someone who teaches the Bible. It does not necessarily refer to pastors or politicians, but rather to Bible teachers.

considering the results of their conduct. We are to consider the outcome of their way of life. What did they do? How did they teach the Bible? What fruit did it produce in their own lives? What fruit did it produce in the lives of other people?

imitate their faith. We are to imitate the great Bible teachers.

Philippians 3:20. For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

 

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

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Letter to the Hebrews and from the entire Bible.

the same. It is great that Jesus doesn’t change. He is not arbitrary. He doesn’t vacillate back and forth.

yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus Christ calls himself the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega. Here are the verses about this »

 

HOLD TO SOLID TEACHINGS

 

VERSE 9. Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

Don’t be carried away by … strange teachings. There are lots of strange teachers. They are eager to infect you with their strange teachings!

by grace, not by food. Some liturgical Christians imagine that in order to be blessed by God, they absolutely must receive the food of the host at their liturgy.

However, Gods’ grace is not held hostage to liturgies.

 

VERSE 10. We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat.

We have an altar. This probably refers to the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary.

 

VERSE 11. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp.

 

VERSE 12. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate.

Jesus also … suffered outside of the gate. The Lord Jesus suffered outside of the gate. That is, it was necessary that he was crucified outside of Jerusalem. Read more »

 

VERSE 13. Let’s therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.

 

VERSE 14. For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come.

 

GLORIFY GOD BY EVANGELIZING OUTSIDERS

 

VERSE 15. Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.

NIV translation: Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Letter to the Hebrews and from the entire Bible.

In ancient days, people sacrificed animals to the LORD God. Later, when they were in Babylon, there was no temple for the animal sacrificed. So the sacrifice had to change. It became a sacrifice of praise.

let us offer up a sacrifice of praise. Through Jesus Christ, we can continually offer to God a unique type of praise.

lips that confess his name. The unique praise we can offer to God is to help people convert to faith in Jesus Christ.

In other words, we can bring praise to God by the Ministry of Evangelism.

By bringing more people into the sheepfold of Jesus Christ, there are more lips that confess his name.

 

VERSE 16. But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

The Bible calls us to support the people who teach us in the faith. Read more »

 

VERSE 17. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

NIV translation: Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Letter to the Hebrews and from the entire Bible.

joy, and not with groaning. Being a pain to your spiritual leader is of no advantage to you. Rather, it’s to your advantage to make their involvement with you a joy.

 

VERSE 18. Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.

 

VERSE 19. I strongly urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.

 

CLOSING PRAYER

 

VERSE 20. Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,

The Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd. He lays down his life for his people. He knows them, and they know him. Read more »

 

VERSE 21. make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

complete in every good work. Until we are putting 100% of our faith into practice, our faith is incomplete. We are called to completion.

 

FINAL GREETINGS

 

VERSE 22. But I exhort you, brothers, endure the word of exhortation; for I have written to you in few words.

in few words. In the author’s opinion, the Letter to the Hebrews is brief.

 

VERSE 23. Know that our brother Timothy has been freed, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.

 

VERSE 24. Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. The Italians greet you.

leaders and all the saints. The author differentiates between a leader and a saint. Often, those in positions of power in the church are not “saintly.”

Italians. The Greek word is Ἰταλίας (“Italias”). It means Italy, a region of western Europe.

Why are the Italians mentioned?

 

VERSE 25. Grace be with you all. Amen.

 


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HEBREWS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13

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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.