Chuck Larsen

The argument that Paul is the author of this letter might be supported by the final benediction of the writer. It sounds very much like Paul’s closings to his other letters. The author begins to wrap up his letter in Hebrews 13:20-21 saying, “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

These two verses summarize much of what has been said throughout the letter. We don’t do God’s will; He does His will through us. It’s our faith and trust in the three elements of the good news that changes lives. First, we believe in the goodness of God. He’s a loving and caring God even when it doesn’t look like it. Second, he has forgiven our sins through our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross proven by His resurrection from the dead. Finally, we trust that He has a great future for us that transcends our trek through this valley of the shadow of death. Faith equips us with all good things that we might do the will of God through the power He gives us through the indwelling of His Spirit. Only faith pleases God! This ensures that it’s Jesus who gets all the glory. That’s the end goal of our writer’s assertions about the superiority of Jesus over all religious expressions.

Again, Kistemaker says, “Two major themes dominate the epistle: the high-priestly work of Christ, summarized in the expression blood, and the covenant that is eternal. In this verse, once again and for the last time these themes are highlighted. God’s covenant with his people will remain forever. That covenant has been sealed with Christ’s blood which was shed once for all (9:26; 10:10).^[1] Lea’s concluding comments on the book of Hebrews are right on. He says, “The author of Hebrews points us to the superiority of Jesus Christ. He is superior to the prophets (1:1–3), superior to the angels (1:4–2:18), and to Moses (3:1–4:13). He provides a superior priesthood on the basis of a superior covenant (4:14–10:31). Not only is Jesus superior to the foundational aspects of Judaism, but He is also superior to any aspect of contemporary religion. This means that Jesus is not just one good option among many ways of drawing near to God; He is the only way. Because of the superiority of Jesus we must not neglect such a great salvation that He has provided with His sacrificial death (2:3; 10:1–18).”^[2]

^[1] Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of Hebrews, vol. 15, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 430–431.

^[2] Thomas D. Lea, “The General Letters,” in Holman Concise Bible Commentary, ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 627.

The writer of Hebrews is a leader in his own right. And the difficulties associated with Christian leadership now moves him to ask for prayer for himself. He wants them to pray because he definitely needs help personally because of a current situation which has kept him away from the believers he is writing to, but also he asks for prayer for “us” which appears to be a request for himself and other leaders. Hebrews 13:18 says, “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.” Nothing is more desirable for Christian leaders than to have the people believe in the leadership and trust that they sincerely have the best interest of the people at heart and desire only the best in the most honorable way possible. He is arguing that they do have a clear conscience that they are not attempting to lord it over the church for personal gain, but only desire the welfare of the entire body.

This kind of prayer is something every leader prays. Leadership in the church is the most difficult form of leadership possible. It’s all voluntary. There are no salaries to hold members faithful to the leadership. It’s just the opposite. Members give to support the ministry. There’s nothing quite like Church leadership in the first century and even more so today. That’s why Kent Hughes writes, “So, we see that leadership is difficult in the modern church because the ever-present radio has inbred in some an implicit disregard for local pulpits. The disregard has been further fed by a worldly business mentality that regards bigger as worthy of more respect. Mix in the anti-authoritarian strain of American individualism and subjectivism, and it all adds up to a leadership crisis for the modern church and an entire generation of beat-up clergy. No wonder that in so many places the church is awash, drifting aimlessly, and at the mercy of the hostile seas of neo-pagan culture.”^[1]

Now verse 19 is a change in requesting prayer for “us” to requesting prayer for himself. It reads, “I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.” We don’t know the reason he was prevented from coming to them. The Preacher’s Commentary suggests that, “A thought of imprisonment comes quickly to our mind, but this is probably not his situation, as he says he hopes to come with Timothy if he arrives in time for an imminent departure. Some other cause for which he sought relief must have detained him, perhaps sickness.”^[2] We don’t know what that was but what is really important is what Kistemaker says, “What is important, however, is that we realize the significance of the author’s special request: he desires that the church ask God for a speedy reunion of pastor and people. When this happens, the writer knows that the bond of peace and harmony is strong. He prays for unity in the Lord.”^[3]

^[1] R. Kent Hughes, Hebrews: An Anchor for the Soul, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993), 234.

^[2] Louis H. Evans Jr and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Hebrews, vol. 33, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1985), 247.

^[3] Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of Hebrews, vol. 15, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 429.

We’ve read earlier that Jesus has ascended to the heavenly throne and is seated at the right hand of God where he makes intercession for us. The heavenly city, and the heavenly role Jesus plays is a permanent one! The role played by the sacrificial system on Earth along with the whole law were simply temporary. This fact is again emphasized in Hebrews 13:14. It says, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” The religious system of the Jews was a temporary system. Jesus is the permanent way to the Father. Richards explains this, “Nothing in Hebrews suggests that the old way was wrong. As a system instituted by God, it was good. But the old was temporary. It foreshadowed only. When the new that it mirrored came, reality replaced shadows. The old priesthood faded away as a single High Priest took His stand in the heavens. A single sacrifice replaced the endless repetition. And the promise of perfection became a present possibility.”^[1]

But there is a sacrifice that we offer to God. It’s our praise, our worship, all in the name of Jesus. That’s what the writer says in Hebrews 13:15, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Fleming argues that you cannot blend religion with Jesus. It’s always only one or the other. They are contradictory systems. One focuses on the works of man and the other focuses on the works of God in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. He writes, “Those Jews who still wish to be members of the earthly Jerusalem (i.e. the old Jewish religion) cannot belong to Christ and his heavenly kingdom. They must come out of the ‘camp’ of Judaism and share the shame of Christ through being insulted by their fellow Jews as Christ was (13–14). The sacrifices they then offer will not be dead animals, but sincere praise to God and practical kindness to their fellows (15–16).”^[2]

It won’t be praise and worship to gain or earn God’s acceptance. No, it will be praise and worship and caring for others because of our complete acceptance by God through our faith in the one and only fully sufficient sacrifice. Believers in the complete sufficiency of Christ are set free from offering sacrifices and doing deeds to earn God’s favor and now respond to God’s love and acceptance by living in love. This seems to be the basis for verse 16. It says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

^[1] Lawrence O. Richards, The Teacher’s Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987), 1015.

^[2] Donald C. Fleming, Concise Bible Commentary (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1994), 569.

The Gospel is truly “good news.” But it can be corrupted by adding to it some aspects of religious observations or rituals or regulations that add man’s own efforts to the salvation offered freely by God through faith in Jesus Christ. This has always been a problem in the Church and remains a problem today. Many still argue that our true salvation is by faith and works. Jesus did his part and we must do our part. What exactly are the parts that we must add is a conglomeration of confusion. It seems every specific sect has their own ideas as to what we “must” do to be saved in addition to what Jesus has accomplished for us. This is what the writer of Hebrews warns us against in Hebrews 13:9. He writes, “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.” The voices of religion today certainly present a plethora of “diverse and strange teachings.”

None of those teachings do a thing to strengthen our hearts. No, on the contrary! The demands of religious fervor or strict ritual observances along with many other ideas just confuse us and discourage us. Only through the full “grace” of God offered freely in Jesus Christ do we find true strengthening of our hearts. Grace is what “strengthens” our hearts. Law does nothing but condemn us. Fruchtenbaum, a former Jew, points this out well. He writes, “The author states: for it is good that the heart be established by grace. The heart should be established by grace as over against being established by the Law. Spiritual maturity will come by means of the teachings of the Messiah not by means of going back to the Levitical system.”^[1]

The Levitical system has failed to make anyone acceptable to God. But in Christ we have confidence regarding our eternal destiny which enables us to live at peace with God and others today. The passage speaks about “food” not benefiting anyone in any way. Homer Kent observes, “Paul wrote to the Colossians about those who made unwarranted judgments about meat and drink (Col. 2:16). He told the Corinthians that meat per se has no spiritual value either positive or negative (1 Cor. 8:8).”^[2] The author wants us all to remember that we have come to “Mount Zion” and have not returned to “Mount Sinai.” The law has been fulfilled in Christ and we can find our acceptance by God in our connection with Christ by faith and faith alone! No religious ritual or observation will win favor with God. As Pentecost says, “The writer previously stated, ‘The law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God’ (Heb. 7:19). Faith will provide a foundation so that the one living by faith might enter into rest and peace even in the midst of conflict.”^[3]

^[1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Messianic Jewish Epistles: Hebrews, James, First Peter, Second Peter, Jude, 1st ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2005), 191–192.

^[2] Homer A. Kent Jr., The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1983), 282.

^[3] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 218.