12/02/17 Hebrews 13:1-13 “Let
us go forth unto Him, bearing his reproach.”
Hebrews 13:1 – Let brotherly love
continue.
brotherly love – philadelphia
(brotherly love, especially noted as between Christians)
Let (brotherly love) continue – abide (in); remain
(constant). That is, they aren’t being told to have or get brotherly love, but
to abide in or continue in such love. The word signifies the continuation of
something that already exists.
Romans 12:10 – [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in
honour preferring one another;
John 13:34-35 – 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By
this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one
to another.
1 Peter 1:22 – Seeing ye have
purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love
of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart
fervently:
Hebrews 13:2 – Be not forgetful to
entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Be not forgetful – do not neglect, don’t be uncaring.
to entertain strangers – translated “hospitality” in Romans 12:13 – Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
entertained angels unawares – see Genesis 18:2 – And he (Abraham) lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three
men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the
tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
The idea is that you just don’t
know to whom you are showing hospitality.
Matthew 25:40 – And the King shall
answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it]
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto
me.
Hebrews 13:3 – Remember them that
are in bonds, as bound with them; [and] them which suffer adversity, as
being yourselves also in the body.
Remember – be mindful of.
Hebrews 2:6 – But one in a certain
place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or
the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Keep in mind those who suffer,
especially those who suffer for their faith, that is, in bonds, for if they are
truly brothers, then you should feel what they are feeling – that is, empathy.
Because we are one with them in the same body of Christ, then we should suffer
their bonds and their adversity as if we are experiencing it ourselves.
1 Corinthians 12:26 – And whether one
member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all
the members rejoice with it.
Hebrews 13:4 – Marriage [is] honourable
in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Or (Let) marriage (be) held in
honour by (or among?) all, for the bed is not defiled by marriage. It appears
to be a statement that allowed sexual relations between married couples to be
honourable and not to be held in contempt perhaps by those who might have
thought that celibacy was a more holy option. Of course, the bed is still
defiled by all other options such as fornication (pornos – whoremonger; fornicator – including male temple
prostitution) and adultery (any sexual relations outside the marriage
covenant). That is, there’s a right way (in marriage) and a wrong way
(whoremongering and adultery); God will bless the marriage option, yet will judge
(negatively) the whoremonger (translated “fornicator” in 5 out of 10 New
Testament occurrences) and adultery options.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Hebrews 13:5 – [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and
be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Deuteronomy 31:3; 6; 8 – 3 The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, [and] he
will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: [and]
Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said.
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid
of them: for the Lord thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
8 And the Lord, he [it is] that doth go before thee;
he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not,
neither be dismayed.
conversation – behaviour. Thus, Let your behaviour be without
covetousness (greed; envy) and be content (satisfied) with what God has provided
you, for God has promised to never leave you nor forsake providing for your
every need.
Matthew 6:33 – But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.
Philippians 4:11; 18-19 – 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned,
in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.
18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of
Epaphroditus the things [which were sent] from you, an odour of a sweet
smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 19 But my
God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus.
It may well be said that if we
don’t have it (and can’t get it or afford it), then we don’t need it, regardless
of how much we think we need it! And Matthew 6:33 above says that our greatest
need is to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, which means that if God
says we can’t have it, we shouldn’t want it. Conversely, though, if we really
need it, God will provide it!
Also, it may well be said that a
satisfied Christian cannot be tempted! All temptation requires a lack of
satisfaction in order to work, for what Christian can be tempted when he has no
need of anything? (Except God’s kingdom and His righteousness, of course!) And
if we should ask what happens if God isn’t around, then He has promised to
never be absent; He’ll always be there to supply our every need.
Hebrews 13:6 – So that we may boldly
say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto
me.
Psalm 118:6 – The Lord [is] on
my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
So that we may have the courage or
boldness to proclaim that God is our constant helper in time of trouble; what
hope has any mere man against one of God’s people?
Nothing is mightier than the God
who created the universe and who now rules with all authority and power.
Zechariah 4:6 – Then he answered and
spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel,
saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
Nothing is capable of separating
us from the love of God. Nothing is able to defeat the one who trusts in the
victory of the Lord God.
Romans 8:35-39 – 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall]
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are
killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Do not fear anyone (the context is
for man – anthropos) who can destroy
your physical body, but fear Him who may destroy you for eternity in hell. Only
God has the power of life and death for all.
Matthew 10:28 – And fear not them
which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him
which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Do not pick on God’s people for
God will fight for them.
Zechariah 2:8 – For thus saith the
Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled
you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
And for those who think they can
run from the Lord God of Hosts:
Isaiah 30:15-18 – 15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In
returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be
your strength: and ye would not. 16 But ye said, No; for we
will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the
swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. 17 One
thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall
ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an
ensign on an hill. 18 And therefore will the Lord wait, that
he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have
mercy upon you: for the Lord [is] a God of judgment: blessed [are] all
they that wait for him.
Hebrews 13:7 – Remember them which
have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith
follow, considering the end of [their] conversation.
This applies in particular to
spiritual leaders such as pastors and church leaders. It should be kept in
mind, however, that they have to be called by God to take such rule over others,
or else God does not provide for their ministry.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 – Faithful [is] he
that calleth you, who also will do [it].
If they speak the word of God and,
as seen in their behaviour, seek to be above reproach in following that word
(by faith), then keep them in mind. 1 Timothy 3:2 says a bishop (elder or
pastor) must be blameless (above reproach) in his behaviour. As the saying
goes, practise what you preach, but likewise, expect that those who preach it should
also practise it. Consider the consequences of the behaviour of those who rule
over you. 2 Timothy 4:7 – I have fought a good
fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:
considering the end of their
conversation – pay careful attention to
their behaviour and, if faithful, imitate them.
James 3:13 – Who [is] a
wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good
conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ the same
yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
same – autos (himself;
herself; themselves; itself; he; she; it; the same) Thus auto = self. Used 5787
times and translated “same” only 80 times. It has the idea that Jesus Christ is
Himself always, never anyone else!
Malachi 3:6 – For I [am] the
Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
It is a statement of eternalness,
a claim that only God can make, for Himself, and for those beings He has
created for eternity (notably man and angel/demon). Such beings also exist
forever, and therefore physical death is not the opposite of life, but instead
it is an eternal existence without life. God, however, controls all of this. he
is the I AM, the ever-eternal, ever-existent God.
John 8:58 – Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
It is a statement that can never
be “I was” but “I am” because “I was” signifies a change over time, whereas “I
am” signifies no change, therefore eternal.
Eternal is the opposite of
temporal which means bound by time. Temporal things will change given enough
time, but eternal things cannot change because they are outside time.
2 Corinthians 4:18 – While we look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things
which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are]
eternal.
For the Hebrews who must have been
suffering persecution, it was very important for them to rely upon the promises
of One who had never changed and would not change in the future. The rules
would remain the same for all time!
Hebrews 13:9 – Be not carried about
with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the
heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them
that have been occupied therein.
divers – various. There is only one true doctrine and that is the
Bible.
strange – alien; new; unheard of. Doctrines that are not
compatible with the Bible.
Ephesians 4:14 – That we [henceforth]
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive;
1 John 4:1 – Beloved, believe not
every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world.
A doctrine that was not consistent
with the Bible was a doctrine of devils.
1 Timothy 4:1 – Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
meats – broma (that
which is eaten; foods) Mostly translated “meats” but can mean food in a more
general sense.
The Christian Hebrews would have
been brought up on all the rules and regulations of the temple with respect to
foods, drinks and special washings etc.
Hebrews 9:10 – [Which stood] only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal
ordinances, imposed [on them] until the time of reformation.
But now it is apparent they are
being told that this was no longer the case. It was important that they
continue to rest in the grace of God which had brought them to salvation in
Christ …..
Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of
God:
….. and not the rules and
regulations of the old and now annulled covenant.
Note that the gift of God is not
faith here, but salvation by grace.
It was good that the heart (the
centre of their belief in Christ), their salvation, that is, be established by
grace, and not by rules regarding the eating of various foods which had not
profited them who had been more concerned with such. Even today we see the
fastidious commitment of Jews to the eating of only certain foods and none
other. This might be traditionally correct but certainly cannot save them
(cannot profit them).
Hebrews 13:10 – We have an altar,
whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
The Jews who served at the altar
had the right to partake of the altar. This implied that those who didn’t serve
at the altar had no right to partake of it.
1 Corinthians 9:13 – Do ye not know that
they which minister about holy things live [of the things] of the
temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
The Hebrews had probably been
banned from partaking at the altar of the Jews (in a sense, excommunicated),
but here they had an altar which they served, and which they partook of. Their
altar was the cross of Jesus and He was offered for them (and us) to partake
of, to “eat” – look at the following:
Matthew 26:26 – And as they were
eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed [it], and brake [it], and
gave [it] to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
The tabernacle here probably means
the temple which was built after the pattern of the tabernacle in the desert.
Those that served at the temple (tabernacle) opposed and refused the altar of
the new covenant, the cross of Jesus, and therefore had no right to partake,
whereas those who had come to the cross for salvation had been partakers of
that grace (Vs 9). (Those Jews of the old covenant worship at the temple were
those who considered that their hearts were established with the eatings of
certain foods (Vs 9) which would not have profited them who were occupied with
such.)
Hebrews 13:11 – For the bodies of
those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for
sin, are burned without the camp.
This is explained in detail in
Leviticus 4 where the animal carcass (with blood drained and such as fat
removed for the sin offering) is then taken outside the camp to be burned.
Leviticus 4:3; 12 – 3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the
sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a
young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin offering.
12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the
camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the
wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.
It couldn’t be eaten; it had to be
absolutely destroyed by burning.
Leviticus 6:30 – And no sin offering,
whereof [any] of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the
congregation to reconcile [withal] in the holy [place], shall be
eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire.
Hebrews 13:12 – Wherefore Jesus also,
that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the
gate.
In the same way, Jesus, whose
blood was poured out for a sin-offering on the cross, was taken outside (“without”)
the gate (the camp) and crucified for the sanctification of His people
(firstly, the people or sheep of Israel, then when they rejected Him, the
people of the world – the Gentile nations – who would receive Him).
John 1:11-13 – 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: 13 Which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God.
Hebrews 13:13 – Let us go forth
therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Those who claim to be His (that
is, Christians) should therefore act as if they are His. That means obeying His
commandments.
John 14:15 – If ye love me, keep
my commandments.
It means a calling to suffer for
our faith.
1 Peter 2:21 – For even hereunto
were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that ye should follow his steps:
It means turning away from the
world, carrying our crosses, and following Jesus.
Luke 9:23-24 – 23 And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow
me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but
whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Those who cannot carry their
crosses cannot be His disciples.
Luke 14:27 – And whosoever doth
not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Those who cannot take up their
crosses cannot be considered worthy of being called a follower of Jesus.
Matthew 10:38 – And he that taketh
not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
It means bearing His reproach,
that is, oneidismos – such as Christ
suffered, for the cause of God, from his enemies.
The point is that no matter how
many false doctrines there are out there to oppose, including calvinism, it all
boils down to one thing: all that matters is that we remain true to our calling.
Philippians 3:13-14 – 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this]
one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
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