This Week with the Word

The Uniform Lesson for June 29
Background & Commentary by Sam E. Stone

Each week in June we have considered one of the “Images of Christ” mentioned in the book of Hebrews. Next month we will turn to the Gospels for still more pictures of our Lord.

Those from Hebrews have included: Trustworthy Leader, God’s Son, Only Intercessor, and Perfect Redeemer. Today we are reminded he is the Eternal Christ. Each description of Jesus is especially appropriate for this letter, one designed to show his superiority to everything in the Old Dispensation.

At a time when Christians were tempted to turn back toward Judaism, the inspired writer called them to take the long view. Remember the eternal Christ, our living Lord.

The Christian’s Life/Hebrews 13:1-6

Verse 1. Keep on loving each other as brothers. The Greek word here is philadelphia. We use it speaking of “the city of brotherly love.” Warm goodwill and caring were clearly present in the first-century church. The writer urges the Christians not to allow it to be interrupted (see John 13:34; 2 Peter 1:7).

Verse 2. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. This happened literally to Lot (Genesis 18, 19), but it could also refer to others in a spiritual sense (compare Matthew 25:44, 45). In the early church, believers counted on Christians, not computerized reservations, to locate a place to stay (see Romans 12:13).

Verse 3. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. This could include prisoners of war, captives in dungeons, people awaiting trial, those imprisoned for righteousness’ sake, as well as slaves. If one brother suffers, all Christians are affected (Hebrews 10:32-34, 1 Corinthians 12:26).

Verse 4. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Scripture commands purity both for the married and the unmarried. God will judge both groups by this requirement (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10). Christians brought a new level of purity to the Roman world.

Verses 5, 6. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have. Loving money is at the root of many problems (1 Timothy 6:9, 10). Contentment, not greed, should be the Christian’s goal (see Philippians 4:11, 12). God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” The writer alludes to a scriptural promise (see Genesis 28:15; Joshua 1:5; 1 Chronicles 28:20). He adds, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6, 7). The eternal Christ is always ready to sustain his followers.

The Christian’s Leaders/Hebrews 13:7-16

Verse 7. Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. After discussing the individual’s personal life, the author moves to his church relationships and beliefs. The heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11) provide an example.

Verse 8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. From “yesterday” until now, our ultimate leader is the same. What’s more, he always will be. This verse provides a link between what has been said and what follows.

Verses 9, 10. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. The legalistic Judaizers were requiring believers to continue following the Old Covenant. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. We have a spiritual altar, not a physical one.

Verses 11-13. 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. The animals’ bodies would be consumed by fire outside the camp (Leviticus 6:30). And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. The parallel between the Old Testament ritual and the better sacrifice of Jesus has already been discussed (9:13–10:18). Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. All who would accept the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice must do so “outside the camp,” forsaking Judaism, coming to Jesus, and accepting his reproach.

Verse 14. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Jerusalem would one day be destroyed (Matthew 24). Our permanent home is not anywhere on earth, but Heaven (compare Hebrews 11:10, 14, 16).

Verse 15. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. Animal offerings are no longer needed. Our life is our sacrifice (Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Peter 2:5). The “fruit of lips” are the words they produce (Proverbs 18:20; Hosea 14:2) as we offer praise to God. The one perfect sacrifice has already been offered to God and approved by God.

Verse 16. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Like Jesus, we should go about doing good (Acts 10:38). What we do for others, we do for the eternal Christ (Matthew 25:34-40). That pleases him! |L

Sam E. Stone is the former editor of Christian Standard. He continues his writing and speaking ministry from his home in Cincinnati, Ohio.