Welcome to the online Hebrews Bible study. We welcome anyone who wishes to engage with us during these thirteen days and even go through and/or post after the study has ended. Want to learn more about this study, be sure to check out theHebrews Bible Study Page here for more info.
*Thank you so much to everyone for participating in this online study/application through Hebrews. We are going to leave this online for sometime so that anyone may participate at any time. Please be sure to read the final thoughts below and watch the video from Shane and Shane.
Guest Commentary:
Today’s guest commentary comes from brother John Paton – Andhra Pradesh, India
We can see whole Hebrews chapter is a mixture of Warnings, Love, Unity, Hospitality and it continually teaching us to remain in the fellowship of Christ.
Jesus said: A new Commandment I give to you, that you love one another : Just as I have Loved you (John 13:34). It is much worthy when brothers are in Unity and Love one another. Loving one another is more valuable than Gold, silver or anything that called as riches in this World. How Jesus has loved us?? He laid down HIS life for us. (1 John 3:16-17) and the same principle and commandment of Jesus we can see here in Verse 1. In our Trials and Temptations our Love must be continued and it should grow and grow, (Rom 12:10, 1 Thess 4:9-10). If we continually loves, we would be able to stand in any kind of situation in our Life.
Abraham had seen 3 people and He gave Hospitality in wonderful way. And later Abraham came to know that HE gad given Hospitality to God Himself. (Gen 18: 1-10) Perhaps Angel directly may not come to our House but Strangers can visit us. we should not reject them but should welcome them and share the Love of JESUS that would bring Great inspiration in their lives. among the 3 people, 2 were went to protect Lot in great way. (Gen 19:1-16). It is beneficial that if we give Hospitality to people we may be protected in the way we want! We should be blessing to others and it is our responsibility to give hospitality to others. (Matthew 25: 34-40, Rom 12:13) and we have to be completely involve with the problems of others and should be able to do good as much as we can. As we are in one Body in Christ, also we are ‘one’ in others problems, burdens, trails and temptations.
And the writer is discussing about very important thing in Human life. That is about the Marriage! It is Honorable in all as we see in 13:4. God wants everything to be pure and Holy in HIS sight including marriage and the relationship with others. HE talks about the Family here. Gd would provide everything for us, and He knows what we need. HE does best for us in everything. So, He provides Money for us and informing not to Love Money., if we Love the Lord., Money will Love us and follow us. Worshiping Lord more worthy, valuable than money. (1 Timothy 6:6-8) (Matthew 6:33). God never leave us nor forsake us.
From 13: 1-17, great things and commandments gives us for the peaceful and joyous life.
Psalm 118:6 – ” The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;what can man do to me”.
If man thinks the Lord is his/her help he/she fears for nothing. Because HE promised HE will be with us to the very end of the World and Nobody can do anything to God’s people. He protects always. HE is the Beginning and HE is the End Rev. 1:17-18).
We eat Physical food for our body to be healthy and Strong. likewise., in order to be much more healthy, strong in spirit we have to be graced by God and HIS word.. not to submit our ears to Strange false teachings. But to Healthy teachings and commandments of Jesus. When we eat at the feet of Jesus, our spirits will get benefited and we will be united with Christ( John 6:53-56)
Jesus died for us and He is making us Holy, by washing our sins as white as snow with HIS Holy blood, shed on the cross of Calvary. So we must carry our cross and Follow Jesus ( Mark 8:34) If we believe in Jesus we will see the new Permanent place for us in Heaven. We are seeing the great city, which lasts forever and ever. Lord promised for all of us and Who understand HIS word and Love also will be with HIM. ( Hebrews 11: 10, 16, 12: 22, 28) And the Old testament sacrifice is stopped and Jesus Sacrificed for all of us at once and It is sufficient for us. Now, we must sacrifice our Spirit to our Lord and HE accepts this Offering ( 1 peter 2:5) Worshiping Lord and Thanksgiving are wonderful sacrifices to our Lord. We are to obey to our Leaders and intercede on behalf of them. and It is our Responsibility. ( 1 Thess 5; 12-13)
13: 18-25- We will get blessing when we pray for our elders, leaders. We pray to God who gives answers to our prayers. HE hears because HE is living now. and HE had give us New Covenant and Made Jesus as our High and main Priest. Jesus not only our High Priest but our Great Shepherd. God wanting us to pray and ask for HIS will in everything that we do. We cannot do anything by our own. ( John 15:5) But the Spirit of God will do everything for us more than our Expectation. ( Eph 3: 20 -21) Our hope and Faith in Jesus will get us to the best and quality life that glorifies Lord Jesus. When we have Jesus in our hearts and in our lives, and when we give top priority to HIM in everything, family, personal life and business, churches.. we could feel and say that is meaningful life and real sacrifice which is pleasing to God. Our Lord Jesus is living now and looking us as we are. When we please HIM and worship HIM with our whole heart HE will raise us up in the END. And there is no END to HIS love, grace, and care. HE loves at all times and HE is our Real friend and real Brother loves at all times. May HIS name be Glorified and Magnified. Worthy is the Lamb. Hallelujah. !
Thank you bro. Jeremy for the opportunity to share the message in Hebrews Chapter 13 Bible Study. God is glorified. Amen. And please edit brother for any typing mistakes or Language. Love you all in the Lord. Blessings.
yours in Christ,
Bro. John Paton ( Babu)
Andhra Pradesh, India.
After Thoughts:
The below are from brothers Sebastian Ombima and Bill Wilson.
by brother Sebastian Ombima – Kenya, Africa
Chapter 1- God in the past spoke through the prophets but in these last days He speaks through His son and I believe the his spirit. It is true that even today there are some Jews that still don’t believe that Jesus came, died and resurrected and is the mouthpiece of God. Jesus that born again Christians have in their hearts is the one who speaks in our days. He is also the word- He who was there before Abraham.
2- Jesus is greater than Angels, prophets and priests and so if people took seriously words from angels we should take Christ even more seriously. He is our high priest.
3- Jesus was so faithful even as Moses was and even more faithful. We should be more faithful to the calling Just like Jesus who lives in us
4-Talks about rest under the law. In our days it is spiritual rest from all the things of the world.
5-Jesus is the high priest and in the of Melchezedech- He learnt obedience by the things He suffered: we should follow his footsteps.
6-Repentance from dead works, sin, possible. We should be confident of better things
7-Jesus is likened with Melchezedech: He is the high priest of the new covenant and even higher than Melchezedech. He is not a priest under the law and is better qualified than Melchizedech
8- Jesus is a greater high priest with even better promises and greater priviledges
9- In the old testament the sins of the people were atoned by the high priest once per year but in the new testament Jesus our high priest atoned for our sins when he went to calvary on the cross!
10- Sacrifice in the old testament never took away sins but covered- but when the veil of curtain was split that was over. Christ washes away ALL sins
11- This is the favourite verse of faith. It gives examples of acts of faith in the old testament under the law. Now we have Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith and with even sureity of promises of God
12- It is encouraging us to leave all the sins that can weigh us down and prevent us from running this race of faith and reaching the promise of the father.
13- Encourages us about love and other characters of Jesus- the same yesterday today and forever. Encourages us not to cling on levitical offerings but to the new covenant
Hebrews Highway to Heaven
Flow of Thought through the New Testament Book of Hebrews
by brother Bill Wilson – Oklahoma, USA
Intro: This book is a somewhat delicate but definitely deliberate attempt to communicate to Jews, who have started to follow Jesus but are being tempted to turn back to the laws of the Levites, truths which will be very difficult for them to accept in view of their background and upbringing. Of the 12 references to the New Covenant in the whole Bible, half of them are in the book of Hebrews.
Ch. 1 Jesus is fully God who has spoken to us.
Ch. 2:1-4 Therefore we must earnestly heed what He and His apostles taught!
Ch. 2:5-18 Jesus is fully man, completed through suffering, our compassionate new High Priest…forever!
Ch. 3:1-6 Therefore, as SON, builder, faithful Apostle and High Priest OVER His house, He is greater than Moses, who was only a faithful SERVANT IN his house.
Ch. 3:7-4:13 Therefore, we must enter God’s rest 24-7, as long as it is called “Today” just as God rested from “all His works” from “the foundation of the world”.
Chs. 4:14-end of 6. Let us hold fast our confession of Jesus as our great High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek”, or else suffer severe consequences.
Ch. 7:1-10 The greatness of Melchizedek, who “…made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually”, superior over the Levitical priests of the Law.
Ch. 7:11 – 8:6 The “main point” of the book: The Levitical priesthood had to be changed and the old law had to be annulled, so that Jesus (descended from Judah), according to the order of Melchizedek could establish a forever, new and “better covenant”, and be our sure Hope to whom we can draw near.
Ch. 8:7-13 Since the law was faulty, God established a “new covenant…not like the covenant I made with their fathers”, and so “…He has made the first obsolete.”
Ch. 9 Therefore, the first covenant’s earthly tabernacle blood sacrifices which only temporarily “cleansed the flesh”, was only “symbolic” “until the time of reformation”. But now, our forever High Priest, Jesus, has replaced the earthly by the heavenly tabernacle in which He cleanses once for all by His own perfect blood the conscience of all who come to Him. Thus He is “Mediator of the New Covenant … that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
Ch. 10:1-14 So, the one sacrifice of the blood of the Son of God accomplished way more than the blood of a gazillion bulls and goats, viz., the eternal sanctification of all who would come into His New Covenant.
Ch. 10:15-39 Therefore, what good are the temple sacrifices and worship since we are completely sanctified forever by the blood of Jesus? Let us assemble together then to encourage one another and also remember that the consequences are severe for drawing back from living by faith in Jesus alone.
Ch. 11 Faith defined and illustrated by many before Christ who lived by faith, but without mention of the Law of Moses, for all these “…did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
Ch. 12:1-27 Therefore, with these examples of faith, but especially since Jesus endured the cross, for the joy set before Him, let us also endure and accept any of God’s discipline, for we “…have come to … the heavenly Jerusalem, … to the general assembly and church of the firstborn… to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling…. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.”
Ch.12:28 – 13:19 Therefore, live out this new covenant by loving brothers in Christ, entertaining strangers, supporting the persecuted, being faithful in marriage, avoiding covetousness by trusting God’s presence is always with me; faithfully follow the teachings of faithful followers of Jesus, and thus watch out for false teachers, especially remembering “We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.” I.e., for these Jewish believers, don’t get caught up in following the law as part of following Jesus. Go to Jesus outside the camp of the law, continually offering up sacrifices of praise to God through Him, and doing good wherever we can. And submissively be obedient to the leaders of the church to give them joy in their leadership duties. Pray for them!
Ch. 13:20 – end: Benediction, praise report concerning Timothy, and final greetings.
“Though You Slay Me” – Shane and Shane (with John Piper)
I was struck by the writer of Hebrews’ final words. Though he has spent much of the book declaring that Jesus is better than angels, Moses, High Priest, author of a better covenant, etc. he spends much of his last words on how we behave in this new covenant and under the influence of the true Messiah. Some of these behaviors are after ‘let’ or ‘remember’: brotherly love, entertaining of strangers, remembering those who are in prison, having a pure marriage, being without covetousness, remembering those who mentored us in the faith, praising God, praying for others. Correct theology is no substitute for righteous conduct.
Verses 5&6 are also interesting. It is said that the words ‘content with such things as you have’ here is more than just being ‘satisfied’. It also has the meaning of dependence on the Holy Spirit to the extent that we are independent of whatever outward circumstances might want to trouble us. Kenneth Wuest says, “Paul was self-sufficient because he was Christ dependent.”
Finally, vs. 6 in the original apparently has the literal meaning, emphasized by several negatives, “For He Himself has said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you, I will not, I will not, I will not let you down….”
What a powerful promise this is!
ForgeFlower 
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