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Hebrews 13.end
END OF THE YEAR and HEBREWS
December 28th 2014
Meat
Okay we left off last week in Hebrews 13 talking about the marriage bed being undefiled.
The writer is wrapping his epistle up with some general advice and directives and we note that last week he said:
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
3 Remember them that are in bonds and,
4 Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
We’ve got twenty verses to try and cover so let’s get to it by first reading through the rest of our text today.
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.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
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.
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
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.
10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
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.
12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
19 But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect 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 glory for ever and ever. Amen.
22 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.
24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.
25 Grace be with you all. Amen. (Written to the Hebrews from Italy, by Timothy.)
Alright back to verse 5 where he says:
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.
When we read the word “conversation” in the New Testament it often refers to our conduct or character, the way we comport ourselves.
Well here the writer says “let the way you comport yourselves be without” (the King James says, “covetousness”) but the Greek word seems to mean, “without a love for filthy lucre” which can be covetous or covetousness may be applied to other areas.
Simply put, “don’t walk about conducting yourselves as lovers of money.” He adds:
“And (or but) be to content with such things as ye have.”
The reason the writer gives for telling them to be content in all things is because they ought to realize that God has promised to never leave them – trust in this, and be content.
For he hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
The writers advice seems to dovetail in perfectly with Jesus words in Matthew 6 where the Lord says:
“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”
There is no reason to walk about pandering for filthy lucre, Jesus seems to be saying, God will care for all your needs – be content!
Paul says in Philippians 4
11 I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Which prefaces that ever popular verse where he says:
13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
The writer pushes this point further saying, that in our contentment and trust that God will care for us (verse 6)
6 . . . we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
I’ve gotta tell you, whether we are talking about being content and trusting on God for our financial well-being (or in any other area of life) it all produces the same results – our ability to boldly proclaim:
“The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
(beat)
Most of you know I am a huge proponent of freedom. Liberty. And sometimes the price for liberty can get pretty high.
We all have desires for liberty but those desires are highly subjective so what is freedom for one person may wind up being bondage for another.
Where I would find going back to the corporate world a burden in chains others would find being in full time ministry nothing short of a prison.
Taking these notions in hand I think that as believers we can agree that whatever we find restrictive there is Christ to set us free.
I might suggest that discontentment is one of the last stages of bondage of one kind or another.
The writer here is telling the believers to be content WHEREVER they may be . . . and for this to be truly possible the only freedom of this source must come from within, and therefore from on high.
To me the writer is saying that if we find ourselves full of discontent we might step back and ask why? And we may discover that our answer lies in the fact that we have somehow lost trust in the Lord as having the willingness and capacity to work all things out for our good.
Re-embracing the day to day minutia of life our burdens grow. And in the end discontentment abides.
The writer says to his audience, who had the concept of “trusting in the Lord for their EVERYTHING” really put to the test, that they ought to be content to the point that they could . . .
“boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.’
I know from personal experience, in this day and age, such an attitude continues to liberate the human soul no matter what our prisons or our liberties.
(verse 7)
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.
Couple things about this passage. First of all most Christian leaders will use it to their leadership advantage when attempting to get the sheep to conform to their “authoritai.”
Remember them that have rule over you? And who had rule over the readers of this epistle! Why the pastors and elders and bishops, of course. So fall in line!
When it comes to organizations – even religious – I see the wisdom in this passage and even these interpretations. They help with continuity and peace among the body.
Considering the environs surrounding these folks the advice is even more important.
But there are some problems with applying this verse to the typical modern application where it is frequently employed.
The problem is the real intent of the message – it is written in the past tense not the present – and the writer is telling them to remember those teachers, prophets, and apostles who came before them and taught – and to hearken BACK to their messages from the word.
For this reason we read the passage translated this way in the literal translations like Weymouth’s New Testament:
“Remember your former leaders–it was they who brought you God’s Message. Bear in mind how they ended their lives, and imitate their faith.”
This passage therefore has nothing to do with obeying current leaders in the faith but all who came before.
Again, this is not to say we don’t humbly fall in line when those put in leadership make decisions. That’s fine. I would really hate to make a decision about how to schedule Sunday’s gatherings only to have believers ignore me and schedule a dance at the same time.
Order is good. But this passage cannot be used to endorse it in the modern or historical church.
Now, the next verse is alone remarkable. But it seems to pop up out of nowhere.
We could say that as the writer has just advised his reader to “remember former rulers” and ends the passages with, “and imitate their faith” and when He says in verse eight
8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
. . . that he is speaking of Jesus and His faith and walk.
I don’t think so. The Lord is never described so cavalierly in scripture as just being a former leader so I think that explanation is out.
We might suggest that after giving the advice to remember the former leaders who taught them the Word and to look at the example they set and left behind that the ultimate example is Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday, today and forever.”
I think this is getting closer.
But in the laundry list of things to do as believers that the writer presents here in chapter 13 I would suggest that this is simply an absolute proposition – He is unchangeable, “Jesus Christ,” the same yesterday, to-day, and forever.”
The purpose of Hebrews has been to get the believers to continue in faith in and on the Son.
This is much much easier to do if people can see that He is truly the Rock which does not shift, and is therefore a trustworthy source of hope.
In other words He sustained the universe which He created. He sustained the nation of Israel and being always the same He could AND WOULD sustain them in these days of trial.
If He were transitory, fickle, arbitrary, we could never trust in Him. But He is the SAME, yesterday, today, and forever.
I react to people trusting men along a spectrum of emotions. Sometimes it makes me really sad. Other times it makes me shake my head and almost laugh.
WE ARE SO BLOODY FICKLE!
To trust a human being with ANYTHING of eternal significance is truly a travesty of misappropriated hope! Men are shaky and failing.
But not the King. Because of this the writer is telling them (and us) to stand on this rock . . . and no other . . . and He will see them through.
Now . . . I realize what this passage says relative to the eternality of Yeshua (Joshua) Meshiac. It says that Jesus the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever.
We know that if we are talking about Jesus the man or even Jesus the Son of God that He (the Man named Jesus) has NOT been the same yesterday, today and forever. He was once a baby who went through puberty and changed constantly in His Jesus the Man form.
So we must admit that the passage is speaking of His deity, right? His deity does NOT change.
Because the writer is referring to God in the flesh named Jesus he calls Him Jesus the Messiah – because that’s who He was when the writer wrote.
But I would strongly suggest the writer is NOT saying that Joshua the Man has been the same forever going backward or forward into the eternities.
God with us “the same?” (YES) The fleshly Son of Man the same (NO).
Verse 9 the writer gives another directive and this one appeals to an abiding part of the religious culture that continued to plague the church – what people ate.
So the writer says:
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.
Translation? “Don’t get all caught up in things that thrive outside the realms of God’s grace – like what to eat – these things never benefited those who have made them important.
“Where the writer says, “Don’t get carried away,” the Greek word is peripheo and it means to be transported from one place to another.
I like this. Have you ever met people who get transported all over by strange doctrines?
The Greek for strange is xenos and it means foreign. Don’t get wrapped up in doctrines that are foreign and alien to grace.
“For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.”
Having brought up “meats” (or the attempts to regulate and legislate eating or not eating of various meats) the writer launches into a teaching related to animal sacrifices in the next five verses and says (verses 10-14)
10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle
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.
12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
The Jews had an altar on which their sacrifices were offered which was regarded as sacred and no others in the world could join in.
Here the writer seems to say that as Christians we have an altar too. And evidently this altar to which He refers is the cross upon which the greatest sacrifice was made.
Now stay with me because the point the writer makes is profound as he says:
“Whereof (meaning the sacrifice made on the altar of the cross) they (the Jews) have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.”
Here’s the meaning.
Part of the meat offered in the temple became the property of the priests and Levites, and they had the right (according to the Law) to eat this as payment for their labors.
Here the writer says that there is a higher and more valuable sacrifice of which they have no right to partake as long as they remain in the service of the “tabernacle” or temple – in other words, while they remain bound and tied to the rituals and rites of Judaism.
“True and valid “participation in the great Christian sacrifice” that Jesus made on the cross could only come by those (LISTEN) who recognized Him and the ONLY way to appease and please God.
The writer continues with the thought, saying in verse 11-12
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.
12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Moreover, the writer says in his comparison, the law commanded that the very bodies of the animals sacrificed were taken and burned outside the camp where the people resided so also was Jesus taken outside the city gates to be crucified.
This leads the writer to give application to his reader (including us), saying:
13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
The implication is that we, as followers of Christ, who too have been crucified with Christ, are also going forth with him to be crucified in a physical location that the world would have no esteem.
Obviously Jesus was put to death as a common criminal and was tortured to death in a place of utter contempt and scorn.
Along the way to this place of ill-repute he was derided, taunted, and mocked.
Those who follow Him in this life, the writer seems to be saying, will face similar treatment.
This was especially true in that day prior to the Fall of Jerusalem where the treatment of Christians was as vile as it was to Christ Himself.
To be identified with him there, to follow him, to sympathize with him, to be regarded as his friend, would have subjected one to similar shame and reproach.
In the end the meaning seems to be as Jesus was taken OUT of the city to die, we too, as His followers, lose our residences in the cities of this world, so the writer says at verse 14:
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
In other words, as a result of our following the life of Christ, the moment we too allow ourselves to be crucified with Him, we also lose the citizenship we have with this world, and are taken outside the respectable established locations of this world and to places outside the city gates which are where the trash heaps lay.
Why is it described this way? This is not our final home.
“We have no continuing city,” he says, “BUT we seek one to come.”
The line lends to the mindset we as believers have toward this life. It is not founded in cities here but in a city to come.
We keep a very light touch on the things of this world. We may be blessed with its elements and riches by God or we may wander without a place to call home but in either case the eyes and hearts of all who are His are collectively fixed on a future and final destination.
At verse fifteen the writer gives another bit of advice, saying:
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
By Jesus Christ, our great High Priest and the finished work He did, let us (those who follow Him as such) the writer says,
“Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.”
This line hearkens back to the Old Covenant as well but is applied to Christians in the New.
Jews had different types of offerings which they called peace-offerings or friendship-offerings.
These were not offered to create peace with God (those were the results of the sin and trespass offerings) but were the result of gratitude for God and the blessings they had received from Him.
Burnt-offerings, sin-offerings, and trespass-offerings (as I said) were all on account of transgression but the peace-offerings were made due to their friendship with God and the gratitude they had for His mercies and wisdom in their lives.
Well those offerings were actual things – food or animals.
The writer here takes this concept and speaks of Christians offering or making sacrifices with our lips – meaning with words.
How does a Christian make a gratitude offering (peace offering) with His lips for the blessings God bestows upon them?
With words of praise. The writer appeals to a Hebraism (found in Proverbs 18 and Hosea 14 which is fruit of the lips) and assigns this to us today.
In other words where the ancient Jews offered up literal items out of gratitude we offer up the fruit of our lips – words that (hopefully) are the product of our hearts for Him.
The writer adds that the fruit of our lips is giving thanks to His name, which is another way of saying that we give God thanks for all He is and all He does all the time.
It is one of the standard offerings Christians make.
Having talked about the praises we give to God the writer adds some insight on what we do with our fellow man saying (verse 16)
“But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
The sacrifices to God are the fruit of our lips but to each other the writer say, “to do good and communicate forget not FOR WITH such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
That word communicate not is difficult in the King James because the Greek word is Koinonia which is true fellowship in every sense.
Reading the King James we think that the instruction is to not to forget to speak with each other. But Koinonia is a very intimate word.
In fact from it we get coitus, the word for sexual intercourse. Koinonia is social and spiritual and temporal intercourse. It’s engaging in all non-carnal elements of true Christian fellowship.
Broken down to specifics it is describing communal sharing of goods and supporting each other with conversation, prayer, encouragement and love.
Because this can easily go overboard among human beings cults proliferate with extreme utopian applications of the word.
But bottom line in the Christian sense it is the caring and true love of others which would exclude rather than include sexual intercourse among believers because this would be the truly loving non carnal spiritual thing to do.
Nevertheless, the writer is describing utter engagement.
Okay at verse 17 the writer launches into another piece of advice, saying
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Because this is written to believers, most scholars – in fact all of them that I consulted suggest that the writer is certainly speaking of rulers within the church – elders set over them.
This is probably so – and it is good advice.
Nevertheless, there is no proof that this is what the writer meant in the text itself. Quite frankly the word for ruler is the same word used from officers, governors, and people in the secular world set in charge over civic and military concerns.
Paul takes the time to instruct believers on how to relate and engage with civil authorities in Romans 13 and I find no reason to believe that this instruction is as much toward the believers attitude toward civic authority as it is religious.
We ought to probably read the passages as having application to whomever has rule over a Christian – whether it be a boss or employer, a slave owner, an elder in the body or a soldier.
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”
There is one reason to believe that the writer was addressing church rulers especially here and NOT just civic leaders.
Later in his benediction the writer instruct his readers to salute those who have rule over them and to me this specifically speaks of those who are placed in positions of leadership in the body. As a result it seems that this verse this is what the writer is speaking to.
Okay . . .
At verse 18 the writer begins to transition toward the end of the epistle, saying:
18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
Your prayers will be toward a good cause because all we have done we have done with a good conscience, and we have always tried to live honestly so pray for us. And he adds:
19 But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
I am asking that you do this so that whatever is keeping me from your presence will be removed that I might be restored to you as soon as possible.
And then he pronounces something of a benediction over the reader, saying:
20 Now the God of peace, (don’t you love that title) that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus (who resurrected our Lord Jesus from the dead), that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will (complete in the good works that are of His will and not our own), working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
After having delivered this benediction the writer, as an apparent afterthought, presents his desire that the reader of his words would truly consider them. And so he says:
22 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
“My friends who are headed toward apostasy by returning to the Law, consider these words of exhortation,” he says. And then in the next verse supplies us with perhaps the greatest evidence that the writer was the Apostle Paul because he says:
23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.
Now we have no evidence that Timothy was ever imprisoned but it doesn’t mean he wasn’t – so the writer could have been referring to this.
Or he simply could be saying that Timothy had been released from a former place of labor and being set free may come to see them shortly.
The writer could also have just been saying that Timothy had been set free of his connection to someone in prison and was therefore at liberty to come to them shortly.
Being that Paul was often in prison and timothy is always associated with Paul herein lies the best evidence that this epistle to the Hebrews was written by Paul.
See, scripture represents Timothy as Paul’s constant companion. No other one of the apostles would have so naturally spoken of Timothy and since the New Testament writings are apostolically authored Paul is the logical choice.
24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.
We know from other letters that Paul was accustomed to asking his reader to Salute all who of key position to be saluted by the recipients of his writings and also as usual he never mentions any of them by name. Same thing here.
And because the writer says, that “they of Italy salute you,” we can be pretty certain that the epistle was written from Rome which is confirmed by the last verse (25):
25 Grace be with you all. Amen. (Written to the Hebrews from Italy, by Timothy.)
Now, the line Grace be with you all. Amen is certainly authenticated from the Mss evidence but that parenthetical reference is dubious.
Let me give you so reasons why.
First of all, the writer just told us that Timothy had been liberated or set free. Whether this means from prison or to move on in an assignment is irrelevant.
But if he was set free how is that he was the writer? This has always bugged me.
Then let’s consider that the other versions end with – ready?
The Syriac says:
The Epistle to the Hebrews was written from Roman Italy, and sent by the hand of Timothy.
The VULGATE (or latin translation provided by Jerome says nothing, in the present printed copies).
The Arabic says this:
It was written from Italy by Timothy: with the assistance of God, disposing every thing right, the fourteen epistles of the blessed Paul are completed, according to the copy from which they have been transcribed. May the Lord extend his benedictions to us. Amen.
The Ethiopic says:
The Epistle to the Hebrews is completed. The end.
The Coptic says:
Written in Italy, and sent by Timothy.
The Codex Alexandrinus says:
To the Hebrews, written from Rome.
The Colophon (one of the first printed Bibles) says:
The epistles of Saint Paul the apostle are finished.
The Greek Complutensian says:
“The end of the Epistle to the Hebrews.”
The Latin Text says:
The Epistle of the blessed Paul to the Hebrews is finished.
Several Mss says:
To the Hebrews.-The Epistle of Paul the apostle to the Hebrews.-The Epistle to the Hebrews, written from Italy.-From Athens.-From Italy by Timothy.-Written in the Hebrew tongue
In other words, there is absolutely no authoritative basis for the conclusion we are reading here in the King James.
Does it matter? Not really. What matter is the content, the zeit geist, if you will, of the epistle as a whole.
We have just completed a verse by verse discussion of perhaps the greatest articulation of the most important Old Testament concepts as now seen through the Christian lens.
Written by someone who had an obvious and intimate acquaintance with the Jewish system of things we have been able to see the wonderful tapestry of God’s truths interwoven into His ultimate end – the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
By and through this presentation of what the Old represented we have been better equipped to comprehend the new and its ultimate meaning.
Hopefully all of us can walk away knowing that there is nothing in the former that can benefit us – that in its purity it served a beautiful purpose but once He came – our final and perfect High Priest – and nailed all the rites, and rituals, and ordinances to His cross, God has now written His laws upon our minds and hearts, and we, as His children, have been set free.
(long beat)
Q and A
Prayer
End Hebrews
