Further Thought: “After the descent of the Holy Spirit, … [believers] rejoiced in the sweetness of communion with saints. They were tender, thoughtful, self-denying, willing to make any sacrifice for the truth’s sake. In their daily association with one another, they revealed the love that Christ had enjoined upon them. By unselfish words and deeds … Continue reading –>
Compare Hebrews 13:10-14, Mark 8:34, Matthew 10:38, Luke 14:27, and Galatians 2:20. What does it mean to go to Jesus outside the camp? The place outside the gate was the most impure of the whole camp. The carcasses of the sacrificial animals were burned there (Leviticus 4:12). Lepers were also excluded from the camp (Leviticus 13:46) and blasphemers and other criminals were executed … Continue reading –>
Compare Hebrews 13:9; Hebrews 2:9; Hebrews 4:16; and Hebrews 6:19-20. Where is grace obtained? How are our hearts strengthened? The relationship between false teachings and foods, touched on in Hebrews 13:9, probably does not refer to the distinction between clean and unclean foods. Why? First, Paul does not seem concerned in the epistle with the distinction between clean and unclean … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 13:7-17. What should be our relationship with our leaders? Hebrews 13:7-17 contains an exhortation to respect and obey the leaders of the congregation. It begins with an invitation to “remember” those leaders of the past who spoke the word of God to them, and it closes with a call to “obey” the leaders in the … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 13:4-5; Luke 16:10-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1; Ephesians 5:3-5; and Colossians 3:5. What two evils are related in these passages? Paul warns the readers against sexual immorality and greed because they were two grave threats to brotherly love. In fact, New Testament authors and ancient moralists noted a connection between them. Paul’s call to honor marriage implied the avoidance … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 13:1-2; Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; and 1 Peter 4:9. What was the role of hospitality in the early church? Christianity was a wandering movement that often depended on the hospitality of both Christians and non-Christians. The instruction to “not forget” to show hospitality probably does not simply refer to the failure to think about taking … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Hebrews 13:1-25, Romans 12:13, Ephesians 5:3–5, 1 Peter 5:1–4, Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 4:16, Galatians 2:20. Memory Text: “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1). Hebrews chapter 13 presents the apostle’s concluding admonition: “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1). He has affirmed throughout the epistle that we are of the household of the King-High Priest, Jesus, His brothers and … Continue reading –>
Perfect Health By Andrew McChesney Noy was a wealthy woman who oversaw more than 100 workers at a family-owned coffee plantation in Laos. But then she fell ill with a mystery disease in her village. Her physician couldn’t identify the illness. Noy went to many medical doctors across southern Laos, but no one could help. … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection the judgment of the wicked takes place. The apostle Paul points to this judgment as an event that follows the second advent. ‘Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, … Continue reading –>
Hebrews concludes this section by pointing out that the appropriate response to God for all the wonderful things He has done for us is to show gratitude by offering Him an appropriate type of worship. Compare Hebrews 12:28 and Hebrews 13:15-16. How do we offer God acceptable worship? In the old covenant system, the sacrifice of animals was … Continue reading –>
