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Hebrews 13

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Review (overview of book)

Author unknown (most likely not Paul), written around 67-69 AD
Addressed to Jewish believers outside Israel
Ornate Greek, reads more like a sermon than a letter
Main theme: Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God and is superior to everything in the Mosaic system

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Reading

Hebrews 13:1-6

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Discussion Questions (Hebrews 13:1-6)

Why should we do the things listed here?

How do you process lists like this?

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I want to ask a couple of questions regarding these first few verses:

Why should we do the things listed here?

I think there are at least 2 reasons that reach back into the immediate preceding context of chapter 12. Hebrews 12:28 mentions us offering “acceptable worship, with reverence and awe”, which hearkens back to “pleasing” God (Hebrews 11:6). Hebrews 12:29 follows that up with God being a “consuming fire”, which has some connotations of judgment.
There are some additional reasons given in these first few verses that are consistent with the reasons given toward the end of chapter 12:

Entertaining angels (Hebrews 13:2)
We could just as easily be in similar situations to those in prison or suffering (Hebrews 13:3)
God’s judgment on sexual immorality (Hebrews 13:4)
God will always be with us (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Of course, the entire book of Hebrews also provides background motivation as our author is closing out this letter. The latter part of chapter 12 is certainly a description intended to inspire awe in readers.

How do you process lists like this?

We may not really be able to properly dig into every item listed here today, but since many letters in the NT have lists somewhat like this of things we should/shouldn’t do, I figured it’d be worthwhile to ask and discuss how we mentally “process” lists like this. So what do you do when you see a list like this in the Bible that enumerates a lot of things?

Note on word relationships

There’s actually a lot more relationship between some key words in the opening few verses of this chapter than I think commonly gets across with our English translations. If you look at the underlying Greek words, you can see the close relationships:

Brotherly love (Hebrews 13:1) - philadelphia - https://biblehub.com/greek/5360.htm
Hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2) - philoxenias - https://biblehub.com/greek/5381.htm
Have entertained (Hebrews 13:2) - xenisantes - https://biblehub.com/greek/3579.htm

Abraham and Lot both did this (Genesis 18-19).

And in English, you see this idea of ongoing “remembrance” to do things, rather than forgetting to do them.

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Discussion Questions (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” - Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV)

Why does “for he…” allow us to be content with what we have and enable us to be free from love of money?

What can(‘t) man do me?

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Hebrews 13:5 tells us to be free from love of money and be content with what we have. The reasoning it gives comes next, starting with “for he…”. Why does this reasoning, the fact that God will never leave us nor forsake us, apply to what we’re directed to do here?

Well, to start, I think pretty much everything the book of Hebrews has been trying to get at forms the foundation. Pretty much the entirety of the book of Hebrews is dedicated to showing the superiority of Christ (and thus God). Based on that alone, we should see God as our supreme joy and satisfaction, making all of these other things (money, possessions) seem pale by comparison. We’re also warned about the relative lack of value in pursuing these temporary, earthly possessions (For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? - Matthew 16:26 ESV). Furthermore, we’ve seen in the previous two chapters of Hebrews in particular (Hebrews 11-12), how what we have in Christ is imperishable compared to what we see now. And this doesn’t even get into the monetary/possession benefits that come with being with God (Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 9:10-11, Matthew 6:33).

Let’s next turn to look at Hebrews 13:6 to further strengthen our case for God. Hebrews 13:6 asks a question - “what can man do to me?” - so let’s attempt to at least partially answer that question - and it’s opposite: “what can’t man do to me?” as a way to probe even further.

First off, let’s observe that there are a lot of things that man (other humans) can do to us. Hebrews 10:32-12:4 pretty much identifies a lot of them. Men can kill us, which could in many ways be considered the “greatest” (most severe) thing they could do to us. But what can’t man do? Man can’t take away the unshakable kingdom God has promised us nor the eternal security provided in Christ Jesus (John 10:28-29) - those things are entirely outside of man’s reach. Furthermore, man can’t do anything to us unless God allows it - God is ultimate sovereign:

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. - Matthew 10:28-30 (ESV)
Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” - John 19:11 (ESV)
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” - James 4:13-15 (ESV)

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Reading

Hebrews 13:7-19

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Outside the Camp (Hebrews 13:9-14)

Day of Atonement:

And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. And he who lets the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. Their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned up with fire. And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. - Leviticus 16:25-28 (ESV)

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Let’s next turn to the description/theme of sacrifice that flows through Hebrews 13:9-14.

First, let’s note that we’re not quite sure exactly what “diverse and strange teachings” the author of Hebrews may have had in mind here. I think a certain wide variety are likely encompassed - you can see similar warnings in other letters in the NT. However, I think at least one thing the author of Hebrews has in mind is specifically a Jewish focus on teachings about sacrifices and related foods, so that’s what we’re going to focus on today.

If you look at Leviticus, you’ll see directions for burnt offerings of animals. Initial sacrificing, burning, and sprinkling of blood was done near the tabernacle entrance/on the altar. However, there are at least some cases where the rest of the body (besides what may have been allocated to the priests for eating, which doesn’t occur for all sacrifices - specifically some sin offerings; Leviticus 6:30) was taken outside the camp and burned. Leviticus 4 mentions this, but I think the primary intended reference here is more to the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16.

Now, there’s a lot about this sacrificial stuff that I don’t feel I really understand well yet. But even accounting for that, I think what the author of Hebrews is doing here is using a metaphor, and I think we should be careful to not stretch the metaphor too far.

But what we do have here is the following:

Similar to blood used for atonement with the OT sacrificial system, we see Jesus’ blood used for sanctification.
We see the notion of “uncleanliness” outside the camp where the “final” part of these offerings occurred, which would correspond some to the “reproach” of Jesus.
There’s the main analogy of OT sacrifices for sin and Jesus’ sacrifice.

However, regardless of all that, I think the main point (given Hebrews 13:10) contextually is to emphasize again the difference and superiority of the new covenant to the old Mosaic one. We saw several times previously in Hebrews the emphasis that the old Mosaic covenant was insufficient for God’s aims of true salvation from sin - it just didn’t work, it wasn’t capable of doing all that was needed. And a large part of Hebrews is to help draw people away from falling back into that system but instead draw them toward Jesus. I think that’s the main functional intent of these verses.

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Discussion Question (Hebrews 13:7-19)

What kind of sacrifices should we be offering?

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Discussion Question (Hebrews 13:7-19)

What should the relationship be like between leaders and others in the church?

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There’s a lot in this section that I think is useful to consider when considering leaders in our churches and how we relate and support them. However, note that this section is fairly brief, so what’s mentioned here should not be considered exhaustive.

Toward leaders:

Remembering leaders (Hebrews 13:7)
Considering their manner of living (Hebrews 13:7)
Imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7)
Obey and submit in a way to give leaders joy rather than moaning (Hebrews 13:17)
Pray (Hebrews 13:18)

By leaders:

Proper manner of living (Hebrews 13:7)
Faith (Hebrews 13:7)
Provide appropriate direction (Hebrews 13:17)
Watch over souls (Hebrews 13:17)
Remember they’ll have to give an account (Hebrews 13:17)
Maintain a clear conscience (Hebrews 13:18)
Act honorably (Hebrews 13:18)
Be involved in others’ lives (Hebrews 13:19)

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Reading

Hebrews 13:20-25

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Discussion Question (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)

What are the different parts of this statement and why are they important?

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Alright...last small section...let’s look at these couple verses near the end, which will act like a bit of review to highlight some key portions of this book. What are the key different parts and why are they important?

God of peace - So much that could be said here (see https://biblehub.com/greek/1515.htm)...Reconciliation with God, peace of eternal security, rest, wholeness. But this is a lot of what God’s been trying to give - one of his goals - through Jesus Christ.
Brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus - This is another key aspect of Jesus and the new covenant that has been emphasized (even if indirectly) throughout much of Hebrews. It’s a key component in how the “system” of salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ works.
Great shepherd of the sheep - The concept of shepherds hasn’t been mentioned in Hebrews, but it would be a familiar concept to a Jewish audience (John 10, Ezekiel 34). In contrast to other shepherds in Judaism, or even other Christian leaders, Jesus is the superior, great shepherd. Again, the author is turning emphasis and focus over to Jesus.
Blood of the eternal covenant - Jesus’ sacrifice was legitimate for dealing with the problem of sin and seals the covenant. Furthermore, this covenant is eternal, in contrast to the older one that was made obsolete.
Equip you with everything good that you may do his will - We still have a lot to on this earth as part of God’s kingdom, and it can be challenging (as evidenced by sections of this book like Hebrews 11). It’s important to maintain this focus and recognize that God can equip us to do what we need to do.
Working in us that which is pleasing in his sight - God is working within us - we’re not solo, isolated entities, and we owe what we can do that is pleasing to God to Him.
Through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever - Again, emphasizing the importance of Jesus Christ.

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Review and Discussion

Jesus is superior messenger than angels
Jesus’ message is for us
Lesson of Israelites in the wilderness
Entering God’s rest
Jesus chosen as high priest
God’s promise and oath to Abraham
Jesus as priest after order of Melchizedek
Superiority of the new covenant
Jesus entering the true holy place
Christ’s sacrifice once for all
Faith
Persevering
Practical application for our lives

Anything you want to review, discuss, or ask about from our study of Hebrews?

What stood out to you from our study of Hebrews?

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