The Superiority of Christ, continued

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The Superiority of Christ in Love, (Love in the Social Realm)

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Chapter 13 is an exhortation to love. It deals with love in two areas of our lives, our social life and our religious life. The first 6 verses deals with love in our social life.

Lack of "brotherly love" (philia) is the prime weakness of the church today. It is evident in our business sessions and in our worship as well. It is sighted by those who are constantly seeking arguments against the church. Most of our disagreements can be traced to our lack of love for one another.

An example of how we can show our love of others is given in these verses. It has to do with hospitality toward strangers. To these Hebrews in Rome, it was a three part command. One, love those who were strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, Gentiles, Romans and Greeks. Secondly, love those who were strangers to the Kingdom of God, the unsaved. Thirdly, love those who were not Jews but were fellow believers in Christ, the Gentiles. As an added incentive he reminds them that in times past, men have entertained Angels as they practiced the welcoming of strangers.

Two examples of entertaining Angels are given. Abraham and Lot welcomed "heavenly messengers" into their home and our Lord in Matt. 25 said, "I was a stranger and you took me in, when you have done this to the least of these, you have done it unto me." So brotherly love should manifest its self in love for strangers.

Another commandment regarding the manifestation of our love in a social way is here given, we are to remember those who are in prison. Here the Author is talking about persecuted Christians who were in prison. Some Christians, even at this early stage, were imprisoned for their beliefs and many were killed. The day is rapidly coming when Christians who truly stand for what they believe will be persecuted, even now in many places they are social outcasts. The Author says that we must love and pray for these people for we are all of one body. Paul says in I Cor. 22:26, "If one member suffers, all the rest suffer with it." We, as Christians, should bear one another's burdens.

Then, as Christians, we are told to let our love manifest its self in "honor for marriage". "Let the marriage bed be undefiled." Refrain from adultery. God ordained and blessed the first union between man and woman, it was a vital part of paradise. Earthly marriage is to be held in honor for God will judge the immoral and adulterous person.

Then, as Christians, we are told what not to let our love encompass. "Do not love money or covet what is your neighbors." Paul often spoke against the love of money and he warned of the secrete desires of the heart. If we do not overcome these things, they will overcome us. We must, as Matthew Henry says, "root it out of our lives". We all like to have what we consider is our share of this world's goods, weather it is money, position or social standing, sometimes to the point that we covet what our neighbor has. We cannot do this and still claim to love our brother.

So the Author exhorts these Hebrews who were decidedly inclined to love possessions, to refrain from this sin and expend their energies and time on loving in a social way.

The Superiority of Christ in Love (Love in the Religious Realm)

These verses declare the duty of Christians to this ministers and religious leaders. They relate to our need to love our present leaders and to remember and imitate those who were in the past.

The Author was striving to get them away from false teachings and practices by urging them to "remember" past teachers, their words of wisdom, their praying, their private council and their example. Secondly, he was striving to get them to follow their faith, to strive to imitate the faith of those past leaders who had meant so much to them. By doing this, they would carefully weigh any new teachings and judge them by past examples, remembering that Christ and His teachings is the same yesterday, today and forever.

"Do not be led astray by diverse and strange teachings." These new teachings, brought in by the false teachers, were inconsistent with the teachings of the Gospel. They were of a disturbing and distracting nature and they kept the church in a constant turmoil. Notice they were mostly about food and drink. New regulations concerning food and drink which did not make those who practiced them any more holy, did not make them any more humble, did not make them any more thankful and did not make them any more heavenly. They apparently only succeeded in causing trouble.

There was also another problem that these false teachers were causing that had to do with an "alter". The alter was the central point of Hebrew worship. Sacrifices were visible expressions of obedience to God. Christ freed these Hebrews from this form of worship by becoming the ultimate sacrifice, but they missed it, for some reason, and were bringing it back into their worship services. Some Christian churches, even today, still have some form of an alter and we need to remember, as the Author was trying to get these Hebrews to remember, that Christ is now our alter and our sacrifice. He was telling these converted Jews that those who return to the "tabernacle" or "tent" of the dispensation of the Levites, exclude themselves from the alter of Christ and its benefits and privileges.

"Therefore, let us go forth, bearing abuse (persecution) for Him." The Author is saying to these Hebrews that they should get away from ceremonial Law, from the sin of regressing back, form the world and from themselves and be willing to take abuse, even social and physical persecution for the sake of Christ, for we are here but a little while but we will spend eternity with Him.

Verse 15 speaks of the duty of Christians and it is called "the fruit of lips" and it deals with our witnessing for Christ and our phrasing His name. All of this must be done in God's name and for His sake and not for ours.

Verse 16 reminds them not to neglect their good deeds and not to neglect their charity. Good deeds contribute to the needs of God's people and charity contributes money, food, time, talents and council to those who are in need.

These instructions, that we have been talking about, deals with the care that must be taken with any new doctrine, the accepting of persecution of the sake of Christ and the need to be diligent in witnessing, phrase, good deeds and charity.

Verse 17 describes our duty to the minister. Obedience. This is not implicit obedience, we are to be obedient only as far as he is agreeable to the mind and will of God. It is obedience and acceptance of his office as minister. Why? They have the authority, under God, to provide leadership and instruction. They are not to make laws, they are to interpret God's laws. Secondly, we are to obey them because they watch over the souls of the people, to keep them from false doctrines. Thirdly, we are to obey them because that are responsible and must give an account of how they discharged their duties. Souls are committed to their trust. Were they hindered by their neglect or were they sanctified by their ministry.

Fourth, we must obey them so they can joyfully discharge their duties. Souls sanctified by their labor will be their joy and crown in the day of the Lord. If, by our disobedience, we cause a minister to give up his duties, or make it impossible for him to do his duties, we will greatly share in his loss.

All that we have been talking about in these first 17 verses of chapter 13 have to do with love and the results of loving one another, socially as well as religiously.

Conclusion

The Author closes this letter to the Hebrews with a request for prayer and an urging for them to listen to his words of exhortation (pay heed to what I have written to you). Notice the Author, who ever he was, sounds a lot like Paul for he asks for prayers for himself and for Timothy.

He gives three reasons why he cherished their prayers. One, that he might have a clear conscience and act honorably in all things. It is a proven fact that the more we pray for the ministry of a person, the more useful he becomes. Secondly, he desired their prayers in the making of decisions that he might do so in confidence and thirdly, that by their prayers, he might be with them sooner.

Then the Author closes with a benediction. "May the God of peace...." Surly, if we accept all the freedoms and promises that are ours in Christ and do not burden ourselves with undo obligations, we should be possessors of great peace. "Who brought from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ...." The Author reassuring them and us of the resurrection from the dead and the assureity of the covenant of Grace purchased by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. "Equip you with every good thing that you may do His will..." Salvation and the gifts of the Spirit are gifts from God that will equip us to serve as he calls us. "Working in you that whish is pleasing in His sight..." He works in us and only by this can we do anything pleasing for Him. All this we receive and do through Jesus Christ, too whom be glory forever and ever.

Then he adds a P.S. "I appeal to you brethren, read and hear these words which I have written to you." He sincerely wants these "back sliden" Jews to return to this freedoms in Christ and their love and witness for Him. He has given them five warnings and unlimited reasons why they should do this. He sends his love to those in charge and also the love of some Italians who had left Rome and were with him. "Grace be with all of you, Amen."

THIS ENDS THE STUDY OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

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