Podcast 133, Hebrews, “Pt 13 A, Ch 13”

Podcast 133, Hebrews, “Pt 13 A, Ch 13”Though Hebrews is traditionally attributed to Paul, the authorship is still controversial. I claim no scholarship in this or any other area and rely entirely upon others for historical content. I follow the KJV which begins with, “The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews.” I am entirely responsible for my own interpretations. It appears, however, in Chapter 13, Timothy is involved in this chapter, either in delivering it or writing it. I shall not make a distinction.In the final letter to the Hebrews, Chapter 13, we are given 12 injunctions as a kind of summing up. One of the overriding themes of Hebrews is to encourage the Jewish Christians to press forward and endure in the faith. Injunction 1Hebrews 13:1Let brotherly love continue.This, of course, is at the core of Christian doctrine. What Christian cannot quote the following commandment of Christ. John 13:34–35A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.Let’s also consider what is often referred to as the Two Great Commandments. Matthew 22:37–40 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.There is no commandment repeated more often by Jesus than love or its variations. The Savior alone uses the word love or its variation about 60 times. As we saw above, he refers to love as “A New Commandment.” It replaces the Mosaic Law of ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”Exodus 21:23–25 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.Injunction 2Hebrews 13: 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.Christians believe in angels. The word angel, singular or plural, appears approximately 290 times in the KGV of the Holy Bible. They may be referred to as heavenly messengers, servants of God, ministering spirits, archangel (Michael), heavenly beings, watcher, holy one.  Though the term “guardian angel” is not mentioned, descriptions of angels who watch over us do appear. For example.  Matthew 18:10Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.Psalm 91:11–12For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?“Heirs of salvation” refer to all, Jew or Gentile, who come unto Christ, obey his laws, and endure to the end. Hebrews 13:3Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.That, of course, reflects the concept of brotherly love and echoes the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. It also establishes the importance of Marriage and the law of chastityInjunction 49 LINDAHebrews 13:4 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. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.I suppose many of us struggle with the concept of “being content with what we have.” What we have is almost never enough. Even advertisers promote covetousness in the way they package their products. They are able to create desires that didn’t even exist before. Advertisers depend upon selling new and better products, the latest technology. There is even a term that describes a method used to force us to buy new products. It is called “designed obsolescence.” Things are made to wear out. It is implicit in another term we are all familiar with, “limited warranty.” The phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” is familiar to all. We are fighting a system that we ourselves promote. It is as if Paul saw our day.  The promise, however, that “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” gives us all unlimited hope.Injunction 5Hebrews 13:5-6Remember 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. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.Though clearly the audience is experienced in the gospel; nevertheless, this is still first generation Christians. The audience, being Hebrews, would be steeped in the traditions of the Mosaic Law. Traditions are very hard to let go, particularly if their family and friends still hold to them. Here the Hebrews, including all Christians, are encouraged to follow the words of the apostles and prophets. In other words, “them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God,” meaning the New Testament. The end of the injunction contains profound doctrine, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.” That is one of the most comforting scriptures. The author is talking to a group steeped in tradition and also steeped in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are being taught that the God of the New Testament is also the God of the Old Testament. Though the old law has been fulfilled in Christ, Christ himself didn’t change. He was the Jehovah of the Old Testament. Injunction 6Hebrews 13:9-12 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. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.Animal sacrifice was done away with Christ who was the final sacrifice. He was the sacrificial lamb. Here we get an insight of the struggles the new saints are facing. Strange doctrines are creeping in. Using the Gospel of Christ as the shell some want to slip in their own philosophy. They are not content with the simpleness of the teachings of Jesus. They want mystery. They want to introduce the philosophies of man. Remember Paul’s experience on Mars Hill. Acts 17:18-22Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.Apostasy in the church began very early. The apostles were constantly fighting against false doctrine, false teachers, ignorance, and apostasy. That was one of the major roles of the Apostles to keep out false doctrine. As we read the Apostles Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Nicene Creed, we see the struggles in the early church to define doctrine. And then fifteen hundred years after Christ, Martin Luther led the Protestant Reformation which was an attempt to return back to the Bible, but even the Protestant Reformation splintered into many Christian denomination. For example, today we have over thirteen major denominations and over 45000 minor Christian denominations, meaning those with fewer numbers, We also have the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea, often called the ‘Father of Church History,” writing about 300 years after Christ who gives us great insight into early Church History and conflicts over doctrine.Christ established only one church through his apostles sometime referred to in the Holy Bible as The Church of the Firstborn. Fortunately for Christians and all other religious denominations, we have freedom of religion in America and can choose for ourselves. We should never, ever give up that right or infringe on the rights of others to worship as they please as long as it is in the boundaries of just laws that respect the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Attacks against Christianity and the Jews in America today is reaching an appalling intensity and is being winked at by people in high places. That is a serious sign that our liberties are being chiseled away.