Hebrews 13 – Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Hebrews 13:1-3

1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are ill-treated as if you yourselves were suffering.

A. Find Out:

1. What is his first exhortation? v.1
2. What are they not to do? v.2a
3. What had happened to some who did that? v.2b
4. Who are they to remember? v.3a
5. How are they to remember? v.3b
6. Who else are they to remember? v.3c
7. How are they to remember them? v.3d

B. Think:

1. What does v.2a indicate about that time?
2. What does v.3 indicate about the Christian life at that time?
3. How can verses 2 and 3 be seen as extensions of verse 1?

C. Comment:

     Some consider each of the exhortations in this chapter to be unrelated, but a writer normally has a linked chain of thoughts in his mind when writing. So far the writer has been largely detailing spiritual principles or doctrine. Now he comes to practical Christian living. His mind focuses on the life of the Christians to whom he was writing.   His first command, as from any other New Testament writer is first and foremost to love, e.g. Jesus’ command – Jn 15:12, Paul’s teaching – Gal 5:14, Peter’s teaching – 1 Pet 1:22, John’s instruction – 1 Jn 3:23. Love is be the primary expression of our lives.

    But then he describes particular aspects of love as it could be the expressed in those days. This was written to the Jewish Christians, who were not merely in Jerusalem but were the first believers in every church throughout Asia Minor. From the book of Acts and from Paul’s writings we see that there were many travelling between the many churches, so the writer instructs that they be looked after: a very real and needed expression of love. Next, he is aware that many Christians were in prison for their faith. They must not be forgotten – it could be you – so pray for them, visit them, help them (is implied). This is practical love in operation.

D. Application:

1. Love is very practical. It is not merely words.
2. We should care for those who travel and those imprisoned for faith.

Passage: Hebrews 13:4-9

4 Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

‘Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.’

6 So we say with confidence,

‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so.

A. Find Out:

1. What instruction does he next bring, and why? v.4
2. What instruction comes next? v.5a
3. Why should we be content? v.5b,6
4. What is the next (treble) instruction? v.7
5. What truth does he then declare? v.8
6. What is his next instruction? v.9a

B. Think:

1. What truth should keep us morally pure?
2. What truth should keep our hearts at rest over our provision?
3. What truth helps us maintain a right attitude towards authority?

C. Comment:

     The writer continues to bring exhortations about the problem areas of the Christian life. First in this passage is his concern over their moral purity in respect of sexual matters. The family is the foundation stone of a society and he is aware that in a world of flexible standards, sexual temptation is very real. Resist it!

     Next he is aware that for all of us we live in a material world and the temptation to materialism is constantly there. The world focuses on getting more and more, but God says be content with what you have. Why? Because He is constantly with us and He will provide for us. Rest in His provision!

   Next he is aware that the spirit of the enemy is always against authority and so we need to guard against a rebellious spirit. So, he says, remember those who brought you to the Lord, think about their (holy) lifestyle and copy it.

    Why? Because Jesus is still the head of his church. He is the one who raises up leaders and gifts and enables them. It’s his church. Follow his leaders.

   Finally he touches on the subject of maintaining the truth and resisting strange teachings. Again, here, another common temptation to be resisted. Each of these are common temptations to be resisted.

D. Application:

1. Keep clean. Keep at rest. Keep submissive. Keep true.
2. God judges the impure. God provides for His people. Remember that.

Passage: Hebrews 13:9-14

9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

A. Find Out:

1. How are our hearts to be strengthened? v.9b
2. What do we have? v.10
3. What was the procedure at the Tabernacle? v.11
4. How does this apply with Jesus? v.12
5. So how does the writer exhort us? v.13
6. What does he say we don’t have and why? v.14

B. Think:

1. To what do you think the writer refers in verses 9 & 10?
2. What point is he making in verses 11-13?
3. How do these verses echo what has gone before in the book?

C. Comment:

      The writer just can’t help reverting back to Jewish symbolism in his exhortations. The way for us to overcome the various temptations he has just been referring to, is to receive grace. Now the ceremonial food of the Old Testament also fed the priests. Our “altar” is the Cross and the sacrifice is Christ (e.g. 9:25 ,26) and we “feed” on him (see Jn 6:53 -57) and thus receive enduring grace which changes us.

     But then there is something else about the sacrifices, they were taken outside the camp and the remains burned there. So also Christ was taken outside Jerusalem and crucified there. It was a disgraceful death.

    So, says the writer, let us not be ashamed to be seen as outsiders, to be derided by society. Remember, he says, the city or society that we are looking and yearning for is not to be found here on earth, it’s in heaven.

     In these two pictures the writer picks up and re-emphasises what he has said earlier in the book. First that our offering was Christ, and he is our source of grace for day to day living, being at peace with God, and being provided for by God. Second, we shouldn’t give up because we are outsiders in the world. Instead we are to remember Christ’s example and that our future is in heaven. Thus we persevere, thus we keep on faithfully!

D. Application:

1. I am to receive grace from God daily. Christ is my supply.
2. I am not to be ashamed of being a Christian. My future is in heaven.

Passage: Hebrews 13:15-19

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honourably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

A. Find Out:

1. What are we encouraged to do? v.15
2. What are we not to forget to do? v.16
3. What further exhortation does he give and for what reasons? v.17
4. What does he ask his readers to do? v.18
5. How and why? v.19

B. Think:

1. What sacrifices does he speak about here?
2. What does this passage teach about leadership?
3. What does it tell us about the writer?

C. Comment:

     Note, to start with, the phrase, “through Jesus therefore”. All that we do is to be because of all that Jesus is and has done. We are to continually go back to Jesus for our motivation. We are not to do things legalistically but because of our love for him.

     He next speaks about various sacrifices. He speaks of the sacrifice of praise (v.15), and then the sacrifice of doing good and the sacrifice of sharing with others (v.16). These are our offerings to God today. This means that as we do good, or as we share with others, we should be doing it, not for our own personal self-fulfillment, but as a means of blessing God.

   Then comes the exhortation to obey leaders. Leaders are those who have responsibility and who are answerable to God. Don’t make it harder for them is what he is saying. They are guardians of the flock, that is their calling – to guard and protect the flock, and that is not easy to do if the flock is being wilful and disobedient.

     Finally, he asks for prayer. His heart is open to God and he longs to do God’s will, so he asks his readers to pray for him. For some reason he is separated from them and longs to go back to them. His is obviously a travelling ministry, and he is very much aware of his own personal need and is not afraid to ask for prayer.

D. Application:

1. A sacrifice is an offering to God. We are called to offer to God praise which is due to Him, and love for others, which will bless Him.
2. Leaders carry burdens in ministry. Pray for them.

Passage: Hebrews 13:20-25

20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.

23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

24 Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.

25 Grace be with you all.

A. Find Out:

1. How is God described? v.20a
2. What has He done? v.20b,c
3. What does the writer want God to do for them? v.21
4. What does he ask of them? v.22
5. What news does he impart? v.23
6. How does he conclude it? v.25

B. Think:

1. How would the description of God & Jesus bring encouragement?
2. What sort of people does he obviously want them to be?
3. What does it tell us about the early church?

C. Comment:

     As he winds up this “short letter”(!) the writer blesses his readers. Observe first of all, his description of God. First who He is: the God of peace. The Lord brings peace to men. He is not wanting to be at war or upsetting. He wants to restore men to peace.

    Then what He has done: He has raised Jesus from the dead. He is the God who intervenes in human history to bring peace by divinely supernatural means. “Through the blood of the eternal covenant”: Jesus’ blood shed on the Cross was even the means that allowed God to move to bring the resurrection of Jesus himself.

    His obedience brought in an eternal covenant. Jesus is here described as the great Shepherd of the sheep. His is now the one who looks after the people of God.

     Each of these descriptions is designed to encourage the reader. God brings peace to us by the sacrifice of His own Son, and now the Son’s job is to look after us. How more comforting can that be!

     He basically prays that God will equip them with whatever they need to do God’s will. What is that? To be Jesus to the rest of the world, bringing the love of God and the Gospel of peace in power.

     His final words give clues to the corporate sense of church in those days with travelling ministries joining them together.

D. Application:

1. All God does is for our blessing to bring peace.
2. Jesus is the Shepherd of our souls, caring for and providing for us.