Heb. 13:1-14, Maintaining our Testimony in Trials (1)

Hebrews 13 contains a lot of application ideas that are intertwined with profound doctrine.  Again, remember the context.  These believers are in a hard trial and are being tempted to escape the trial.  Rather, in this chapter, they are encouraged to be faithful servants of Christ in their trials.

·       13:1: There should be no ignoring the needs of our brothers in Christ.  Our love for each other is still the greatest proof of our love for Christ (Jn. 13:34-35).

·       13:2: One specific aspect of that love should be the showing of hospitality.  In the persecution there would be many fleeing who could use a meal and a bed.  Some might have a husband in prison or even dead.  The great illustration is Abraham in Gen. 18:1-8.  He took the initiative and was blessed in the process.

·       13:3: Another way to love the brothers is through a “prison ministry.”  We are not to be ashamed of those imprisoned for Christ (1 Cor. 12:25-26; 2 Tim. 1:8).

·       13:4: Family life, and particularly the marriage, must be maintained in holiness. The “bed” is a Greek term that includes all aspects of the physical relationship in marriage.  Again, there might have been an issue with women whose husbands were imprisoned or had been put to death in the persecution.

·       13:5-6: Covetousness needed to be put off.  One of the greatest ways we testify to people is by our trust in God during times of trial.  That can open a door for the gospel when those who have seen our faith are themselves in trials.

·       13:7,17: In the fellowship it is likely that the leaders were admonishing people not to go back to the temple worship.  This might have given rise to division.  Thus, there was a need to follow their example (v7) and obey them (v17), all the time respecting their position.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (12:8).  Why does the Spirit put this here?  Because the commands have been to love continually and to remember how you have been living prior to this great trial.  Our Lord, who sees us through peaceful times, will also lead us through the fire.

The next command is to beware of strange doctrines, particularly teaching about religious food.  If it is like today in most homes of “Messianic Jews” these believers were maintaining their Jewish customs while not trusting in them.  But the issue of returning to temple worship could easily begin in the home, at meal time.  Thus the Spirit reminds them, and us, of the central teaching of Hebrews.  There are two altars: the altar of Judaism (13:9b) and the altar of Christ (13:10-16).  The one is not profitable.  Food was never a basic issue in the Bible.  Adam was a vegetarian; Noah ate meat.  Under Moses it was regulated.  But Christ declared all foods clean.  The bottom line here is that “we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat” (13:10).   In our trials we must not let our testimony become blurred by erasing the distinctions between Christ and the world!