Study in Hebrews

1. Study in Hebrews Presentation 20

2. Virtues And Leadership Chap 13v1-9 Presentation 20

3. Introduction The writer has completed what might be called the burden of his epistle. Chapters 1-12 are bound together by the overall theme of encouraging Christians to press on in their faith and not to turn back. The writer now directs his concern to a number of practical issues which need an airing. And in v1-6 attention is drawn to 5 essential Christian qualities. 1. Given the background of a church in which the faith and courage of some was failing can we see the importance of the exhortation to ‘brotherly love’? They have already been exhorted to think back to the former days in their church fellowship, cf. 10v32-34. Presentation 20

4. Essential Christian Virtues Within the church both our brotherhood and our love for the brotherhood comes from Christ. His love for us is both the source and the stimulus for our love for one another. [Jn. 13v34]. The word used here for ‘love’ is ‘philidelphia’ and it is commonly used in the N.T. [1 Thes. 4v9]. This love does not flow out automatically but is something that has to be worked out from within. Hence the repeated exhortations in scripture to ‘love one another’ [1 Jn. 4v11]. Can you think of areas of tension in your own fellowship where you are tempted to be censorious and unsympathetic and where you need to WORK at loving others? Presentation 20

5. Essential Christian Virtues 2. In the ancient world inns had a very poor reputation. And in those days, because there was often no settled ministry, church fellowships were dependant upon itinerant preachers. These Christian travellers looked forward to the fellowship and ‘hospitality’ which their brothers in Christ might be able to offer them. We find Gaius commended for his hospitality in 3Jn. v5, [cf. also 1Pet. 4v8,9]. Christianity has been called the ‘religion of the open door’, but these readers had begun to be less committed to the practice of hospitality. We could ask what prevents Christians today from being hospitable and from using their homes for Jesus’ sake? Presentation 20

6. Essential Christian Virtues The writer draws our attention to the special blessings that can be ours as a result of exercising hospitality; ‘some people have entertained angels without knowing it.’ This appears to be an allusion to Gen. 18v1ff [cf. Gen 19v2 and Jud. 13v3,9,13,15]. Clement of Rome ,a church leader at the end of the C1st, writes to the church at Corinth using all of these references and a few more in order to exhorts the Corinthians, who had grown slack in their hospitality, to give attention to this grace which was in need of restoration. Presentation 20

7. Essential Christian Virtues 3. The third exhortation is a reminder to ‘remember those in prison’. Sympathy must be practical. Imagine yourself in their place. What would be your needs; what would encourage and comfort you? The early church was noted for the help it gave to fellow believers. Tertullian writes, “If there happen to be any in the mines, or banished to the islands, or shut up in prisons for nothing but their fidelity to the cause of God’s church, they become the nurslings of their confession”. A heathen writer comments, “If they [Christians] hear that any one of their number is imprisoned or in distress for the sake of their Christ’s name, they all render aid in his necessity and if he can be redeemed, they set him free”. Presentation 20

8. Essential Christian Virtues 4. The writer inv4 calls for the ‘marriage bond’ to be honoured. Two things may be intended. First, setting a guard against lapsing into immorality - the ancient world noted for its immorality was the background from which many Christians came. Secondly, some Christians, reacting against immorality may have begun to despise marriage rather than see it as a good gift of God to be honoured. In 1Tim. 4v3ff Paul identifies those who forbid marriage. In the later development of the church, first through the influence of an exclusive charismatic group known as the Montanists, and later through the monastic movement the single state was described as superior and even a meritorious form of living. Presentation 20

9. Essential Christian Virtues In fact some of the later patristic writers were embarrassed by the words ‘by all’ and they suppressed this passage by removing it from some manuscripts. But it is sexual promiscuity that is clearly in the writer’s mind as the later part of the verse makes clear. The word translated ‘immoral’ is the Greek word ‘pornoi’, which was used to describe people who indulge in sexual relationships outside the marriage bond. It applies to both heterosexual and homosexual sin, while the word ‘adulterous’ indicates unfaithfulness within the marriage bond. Presentation 20

10. Essential Christian Virtues And so marriage which is God’s gift is neither to be viewed as a defiling relationship nor is it a relationship which we dare defile. When contemporary society advocates ‘no fault divorce’, it demonstrates a rejection of marriage as God intended it to be. Whenever we spoil something that God has ordained then we cannot avoid culpability. And while it is true that it is not always wise or true to say that marriage break-ups were exclusively one person’s fault, [both parties often contribute] it is positively unhelpful to suggest, or give the impression, that no blame can or should be apportioned. Presentation 20

11. Essential Christian Virtues 5. What does the writer see to be the greatest hindrance to contentment? Quite simply ‘the love of money’ v5. cf. 1Tim. 6v6-10. Note the practical solution he offers; we are to see God as our portion. This brings contentment to mind and heart - a God who cares and provides. [Ps. 23v1,2 Cor. 6,10, Lk. 12v15]. The recipients of this letter had forgotten the days when they once accepted the plundering of their property joyfully, 10v34. Whenever our hearts cool towards God then eternal blessings pale in value and we find ourselves much more absorbed with this world’s goods. Our anxiety springs from the fact that we have shifted the focus of our security. Presentation 20

12. Leadership In The Church In v7-8 the theme changes to that of leadership within the church, those who were responsible for preaching God’s word. It might be helpful to preface any study on leadership in these verses by asking the following: What important pointer does v7 make concerning the leader and the content of his speech? What is important beyond the content of the leader’s speech giving it substance and weight? cf. Matt.5v19. Former leaders set them an example of faith. What was the purpose of the example? In the whole business of leadership, why must we see Jesus as the ultimate leader? Presentation 20

13. Leadership In The Church Those previously responsible for communicating had taught the church the first principles of God’s word before moving elsewhere or going on to glory. And so the readers are encouraged to reflect upon their message, their manner of their lives [Matt. 5v 19] and the response which they made to it. Their former leaders set them an example of the life of faith, which they are now called on to imitate. There is nothing as powerful as a good example. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me”. 1 Cor. 4v16 Presentation 20

14. Leadership In The Church Why do we find the words, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’ v8 at this stage in the epistle? The writer didn’t simply slip them in just in case he failed to point out this truth elsewhere. The reason for choosing this context would seem to be as follows: the Jesus that they first responded to when the gospel truths had been unfolded by the teachers mentioned in v7 is the Jesus who had blessed their lives so abundantly in the ‘yesterday’ of their lives and he continues to be the same all-sufficient and all-powerful Saviour ‘today’. Indeed, he can be trusted to be so forever. It is the changeless constancy of Jesus and his eagerness to bless that is being driven home. Presentation 20

15. Leadership In The Church This constancy not only relates to Jesus but to the truth concerning him so that there is no place for different doctrinal teaching cf. v9-10. Are we surprised by the amount of “strange teaching” that existed in the early church? Cf. Col. 2v1-8, 1 Tim. 1v6-7,4v1-2, 6v3-5, 2 Tim. 4v3, Tit. 1v10-11, 2 Pet. 2v1-3. The particular teaching in the writer’s mind centres upon food and v10ff provides a clue to the particular error he has in mind. Moffat argues that ‘at this early stage in the life of the church some taught that the sacrament involved eating the actual sacrificial body and blood of Christ. And it was by partaking of these elements that the believer was strengthened. Presentation 20

16. Leadership In The Church On the Day of Atonement eating the flesh of the sacrificial victim was forbidden, but now the flesh of Christ can be literally eaten’. But against this position there is no historical evidence for such a view of the sacrament until the C3rd. More likely is the possibility that some church members were being lured into eating Jewish sacrifices, believing that this ‘special food’ would benefit them spiritually. It is foolish for the Christian to imagine that his heart can be strengthened by foods that have not benefited the adherents of the Jewish faith. cf. 9v9ff see also 1Cor. 8v8, [the context is different but the principle is the same]. It is not what we eat that benefits us spiritually. Only grace strengthens the heart of a man. of Presentation 20