Chapter Thirteen

Exhortation to hospitality, brotherly love, and purity of life (1–6). Exhortation to obedience to leaders, to imitation of their faith, and to following in the footsteps of Christ (7–17). Concluding greetings and good wishes (18–25).

Hebrews 13:1. Let brotherly love continue. He did not say: be brotherly, but: “let brotherly love continue.” He did not say: be hospitable, as though they were not already such, but: “do not neglect hospitality.” See how he commands them to keep what was already with them, adding nothing else (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:2. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. He further adds what could especially encourage them: for through hospitality, he says, “some entertained angels without knowing it.” Do you see what honor, what benefit! (Chrysostom). — “They received angels as guests, not knowing that they were angels. Therefore Abraham was also counted worthy of a great reward, that he received angels as guests not knowing they were angels; for if he had known, it would have been in no way remarkable. Some think that the apostle here also means Lot and speaks of him” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:3. Remember those who are in chains as if you were bound together with them, and those who are suffering, as though you yourselves were in the body. The command about prisoners and those who suffer evidently has its historical basis here in the fact that many of the Christians at that time were being thrown into prisons and chains, as well as subjected to all manner of other sufferings. In this connection, the nearness of the same danger to each person is implied — and therefore the possibility for each person to experience the need for that help and those consolations to which the apostle is calling. The general sense of the apostle’s reply is: feel compassion for your imprisoned brothers with such feeling as if you yourselves were bound; remember those who suffer, as if you were in their bodies and enduring what they endure.

Hebrews 13:4. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. He said first: “let marriage be held in honor among all and the marriage bed undefiled,” and then added the threat of punishment, showing that he was right to make the further addition.

Hebrews 13:5. Keep your character free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For He Himself has said: I will never leave you nor forsake you, Hebrews 13:6. so that we may confidently say: “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid; what will man do to me? “Keep your character free from the love of money,” that is, let your mind be free, let your thoughts express wisdom; and this will be evident if we do not seek after what is superfluous, if we are content with only what is necessary… He adds consolation as well, so that they do not despair (Chrysostom), recalling the words of God in Gen 28:15; Josh 1:5 and the words of the Psalmist — Ps 117:6.

Hebrews 13:7. Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you, and considering the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith. What is the connection of thought here? Very good: looking, he says, at their “manner of life,” that is, at their life, imitate their faith, because faith comes from a pure life (Chrysostom). What does “considering” mean? Constantly turning to it, reflecting within yourselves, meditating, carefully examining and testing as you see fit. He spoke well: “the outcome of their way of life,” that is, the life to the end, because their life had a good end (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Here by the word “yesterday” the apostle means all past time; by the word “today” — the present; by the words “forever” — the future, which has no end. And the meaning of his words is as follows: you have heard of the High Priest, but of a High Priest who is not temporary. He is always the same. Perhaps at that time some were saying that the Crucified One was not the awaited Christ, but that another would come; and therefore he says: “yesterday, today, and the same forever,” expressing that the Christ who came will come again, that He is one and the same — He was before, He is, and He will be forever (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:9. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good to have the heart strengthened by grace, and not by foods, which have not benefited those who have been devoted to them. “Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings…” He wishes them to be carried away neither by strange teachings alone, but by varied ones as well; he knew that both bring ruin to those who are carried away (Chrysostom). — “It is good to have the heart strengthened by grace and not by foods.” Here he hints at those who, proceeding from their strange teachings, observed a superstitious distinction of foods. For faith all things are pure; faith is needed, not foods (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:10. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. What is ours, he says, does not resemble the Jewish, so that even the Jewish high priest is not permitted to partake of our mysteries (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:11. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp — Hebrews 13:12. therefore Jesus also, in order to sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hebrews 13:13. Therefore let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach; Do you see the clear foreshadowing? “Outside the camp” then, and here — “outside the gate.” And so we too must imitate the One who suffered for us and be outside the world, or rather — outside worldly deeds…, bearing His reproach — that is, enduring the same, sharing in His sufferings. Just as He, having been condemned, was crucified outside the gates, so let us too not be ashamed to withdraw from the world (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:14. for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come. Cf. Heb 12:22; Phil 3:20.

Hebrews 13:15. Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name. “About what sacrifice is he speaking? He himself explains it when he says: ‘the fruit of lips that confess His name’ — that is, prayers, hymns of praise, thanksgiving — this is the fruit of the lips. They offered sheep and oxen, giving them to the priest; but we shall offer not something of that sort, but gratitude and imitation of Christ in everything, to the extent possible: this is what must spring forth from our lips!”…

Hebrews 13:16. Do not neglect to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. “Let us offer Him such a sacrifice,” he says, “that He may bring it up to the Father” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:17. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account; let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Lack of authority is evil and the cause of confusion; but no less an evil is the disobedience of subordinates, for from it the same results follow. However, obedience to leaders also lays many obligations on the leaders themselves. Let them hear, says Chrysostom, not only the subordinates but also the leaders: that just as subordinates must be obedient, so leaders must be watchful and vigilant. And what do you say? The leader watches, incurs dangers for his own sake, is liable to punishment for your sins, feels such fear on your account, and you — are lazy, resist, are vainglorious, and do not want to obey! Therefore the apostle adds: “so that they may do this with joy and not with groaning, for that is of no advantage to you.” You see that a leader, if he is disregarded, must not take revenge, but that his tears and groaning serve as better vengeance? And rightly so… The groaning of a leader is worse than any vengeance. When the one who is groaning can do nothing himself, he calls on the Master; just as when a teacher or tutor is involved, if a child does not obey him, another — stricter — is summoned, so exactly here (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:18. Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. You see, says Chrysostom, that he is making his defense, as if addressing people who were displeased with him, who turned away from him, who looked upon him as an apostate and did not even want to hear his name. From those who hated him he was asking what others could ask only of those who love them, and therefore he now says the following: “we are confident that we have a good conscience.” Do not bring accusations against me, he says: our conscience does not condemn us in anything; we are not aware of having harmed you. “Desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things…” — we have done nothing out of self-interest, nothing out of hypocrisy. He was probably accused of this (Acts 21:21).

Hebrews 13:19. I especially urge you to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner. So, to ask them to pray is characteristic only of one who loves them deeply. Not simply pray, he says, but with all earnestness, so that I may come to you sooner. Such a desire to come to them and such a request that they pray for him is characteristic of one who has no reproach against himself. Therefore, having first asked for their prayers for himself, he then himself asks God to grant them all blessings (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:20. Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus (Christ), “The God of peace” — he says this because there were disagreements among them (Chrysostom). — “Who brought up from the dead the Shepherd…” The teaching about the resurrection of Jesus Christ was meant to show the Jews that Christians believe not only in the suffering Christ, humiliated and a stumbling block (1 Cor 1:23), but also in the One raised from the dead alive forever, and therefore great and able to help those who believe in Him (Rom 10:9; Heb 4:14). — “Through the blood of the eternal covenant…” — refers both to clarifying the greatness of the Shepherd who redeemed His sheep through this Blood, and to the perfecting in every good work and the pleasing of God, for which the blood of Christ provides the most powerful forces and means.

Hebrews 13:21. equip you in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever and ever! Amen. “Equip you…” The apostle bears witness to their great virtues, because what is accomplished is that which has a beginning and continues to be carried out (Chrysostom). — “See how he suggests that virtue comes neither entirely from God alone, nor entirely from ourselves alone; he clarifies this with the words: ‘equip you in every good work,’ and what follows — as if saying: you have virtue, but you need to be perfected in it… He made a beautiful addition: ‘working in you what is pleasing before Him.’ ‘Before Him,’ he says — because the greatest virtue is to do what is pleasing before God” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:22. I appeal to you, brothers, bear with this word of exhortation; for I have written to you briefly. Having written so much, the apostle calls it small, comparing it with what he had wished to write (Eph 3:3).

Hebrews 13:23. Know that our brother Timothy has been released, and if he comes soon I will see you together with him. This was sufficient for them to maintain meekness, given that he himself with his disciple was ready to come to them (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:24. Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. See what honor he showed them, by writing the letter to them and not to their leaders (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:25. Grace be with all of you. Amen. When is grace with us? When we do not offend against this benefaction, when we do not disregard this gift… It is within our power for it to remain with us or to depart. “The first,” says Chrysostom, “happens when we care for heavenly things; and the last — when we care for earthly things… Whoever carries fire with him does not fear those who meet him, whether it be a wild beast, or a man, or a multitude of nets — as long as he is surrounded by fire, everything yields to him, everything flees from him. This fire is unendurable, this flame is unbearable and all-consuming. Let us then clothe ourselves in this fire and send up glory to our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit — glory, dominion, honor, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.”