In this chapter we find exhortations apparently springing out of a
desire to arrest symptoms of a tendency to hide their Christian
profession disowning their teachers and fellow Christians and
resenting the shame and hardship incident to the following of Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
Exhortations to social manifestations of their Christianity. Ἡ
φιλαδελφία μενέτω. “Let love of the brethren
continue”; it existed (Hebrews 6:10) and so, as Chrys. says, he does
not write Γίνεσθε φιλάδελφοι, ἀλλὰ,
μενέτω ἡ φιλ. In the general decay of their faith
tendencies to disown Christian fellow... [ Continue Reading ]
μιμνήσκεσθε (Hebrews 2:6) τῶν δεσμίων (Hebrews
10:34), “Be mindful of those in bonds” (Matthew 25:36). This also
they had already done (Hebrews 10:34). The motive now urged is
contained in the words ὡς συνδεδεμένοι, “as having
been bound with them,” as fellow-prisoners. The ὡς ἐν
σώματι of the next... [ Continue Reading ]
τίμιος ὁ γάμος ἐν πᾶσιν. “Is ἔστω or
ἐστὶ to be supplied?” Probably the former, as in Hebrews 13:5,
“Let marriage be held in honour among all”. As a natural result of
holding marriage in honour, its ideal sanctity will be violated
neither by the married nor by the unmarried. Therefore the καὶ
links... [ Continue Reading ]
As in Ephesians 5:5 and elsewhere impurity and covetousness are
combined, so here the precepts of Hebrews 13:4 lead on to a warning
against love of money: ἀφιλάργυρος ὁ τρόπος,
“let your turn of mind [disposition] be free from love of money,
content with what you have”. [ὁ τράπος frequently in
class... [ Continue Reading ]
The Hebrews are exhorted to keep in remembrance their former leaders,
to abide steadfastly by their teaching, to rid themselves of the ideas
of Judaism, to bear the shame attaching to the faith of Christ, to
persevere in good works. Μνημονεύετε τῶν
ἡγουμένων ὑμῶν … “Have in remembrance them who had... [ Continue Reading ]
διʼ αὐτοῦ οὗν ἀναφέρωμεν.… Going without
the camp as believers in the virtue of Christ's atoning sacrifice, and
bearing His shame as those who seek to be identified with Him, we are
brought near to God and are disposed to offer Him a sacrifice of
praise (Leviticus 7:2 ff.). The διʼ αὐτοῦ is in the e... [ Continue Reading ]
End. The conclusion of the Epistle.
Hebrews 13:17. “Obey your rulers and submit; for they watch for your
souls, knowing they are to give account, that they may do this with
joy not with lamentation for this would be profitless to you.”
Having exhorted the Hebrews to keep in mind their former rulers... [ Continue Reading ]
προσεύχεσθε περὶ ἡμῶν.… Both the next clause
and the next verse seem to indicate that by ἡμῶν the writer
chiefly, if not exclusively, meant himself; the next clause, for he
could not vouch for the conscience of any other person; the next verse
because one principal object or result of their prayer w... [ Continue Reading ]
The writer adds, in closing, a request that the Hebrews would take in
good part his “word of exhortation” a request which implies that
they were in an irritable state of mind, if not against the writer,
then because their own conscience was uneasy. As a reason for their
bearing with his exhortation... [ Continue Reading ]
γινώσκετε τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν.… “Know
that our brother Timothy has been released”
(ἀπολελυμένον, for example of this use of the participle,
see Winer, sec. 45, 4 b). Evidently Timothy had been under arrest;
where, when, or why is not known. The information is given because it
would interest these Hebre... [ Continue Reading ]