< Hebrews 13 >

The apostle concluded his letter to the Jewish Christians by giving them sundry commandments. In particular, he exhorted them, as Jesus had done, to love one another.v.1Hebrews 13:1XWaiting for response In exhorting them to be hospitable he reminded them that some in the past have entertained angels without knowing it,v.2Hebrews 13:2XWaiting for response e.g. Abraham. Genesis 18:3Genesis 18:3XWaiting for response The apostle here gives many commandments, including not to depart from the true teaching of Christ into believing “strange doctrines”.v.9Hebrews 13:9XWaiting for response Only maintenance of God’s truth will bring us eternal life like Jesus who is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”.v.8Hebrews 13:8XWaiting for response He suffered for us and, as prefigured in the Law of Moses, was taken without the gate of the city to suffer and bleed.vs.10-12Hebrews 13:10-12XWaiting for response Therefore the apostle exhorted the disciples to “go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come”.vs.13-14Hebrews 13:13-14XWaiting for response

We are not called upon to make animal sacrifices as the people of God were in the past, but we are required to “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name”.v.15Hebrews 13:15XWaiting for response

Our circumstances are also different from those of the disciples in the first century. In those days disciples had Holy Spirit gifts, including the gift of government 1 Corinthians 12:281 Corinthians 12:28XWaiting for response to rule the congregations, and the disciples were commanded to obey them that had the rule over them. There are no ecclesiastical rulers appointed by God today whom we must obey, although many claim this authority. The only divine authority extant is that of Holy Scripture which we can use to test those who claim ecclesiastical authority over others: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”. Isaiah 8:20Isaiah 8:20XWaiting for response Likewise, we cannot now pray for the apostles and those who were then with him in Rome vs.18-19Hebrews 13:18-19XWaiting for response because they have passed into the grave and await resurrection from the dead. God has already brought Jesus, our shepherd, from the dead and he will raise his sheep also because of the shedding of his blood.v.20Hebrews 13:20XWaiting for response Therefore the apostle prays that God will “make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen”.v.21Hebrews 13:21XWaiting for response