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1 Let love of the brethren continue.

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Jesus commanded us in John 13:34, “a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” It wasn’t a nice gesture he encouraged us to show. It was a commandment.

These Hebrew believers loved each other. The writer instructs them to continue that. If believers should discontinue loving all other believers, Satan will gain a great foothold in the church. Wait... he already has.

Can I be honest here? I’ve observed in the multiple churches I’ve been part of that there is very little evidence of the brotherly love (the Greek here is “philadelphia,” φιλαδελφία). There are certainly friendships and deep love for others. But think of what brotherly love really looks like. I have 4 siblings. Half of us (I’m part of the half) were really, really bad teenagers who did terrible things, even to our siblings. I wronged all 3 of them numerous times when I was young. My younger brother unfortunately followed in my footsteps. But today, you will find a very deep love among all of us. We hold each other up during difficult times. We encourage and strengthen each other. With aging parents who have tough old-age decisions just around the corner, we work together and support each other. There’s not one sib who doesn’t love me and not one whom I don’t love profoundly.

I don’t see that in the churches. I see cliques. I see people who barely if at all even know each other’s names and certainly don’t know anything about each other’s lives. This takes us way back to Hebrews 10:13, “encourage each other DAILY” (which requires us to be in each other’s lives), and Hebrews 10:25 adds that we must encourage each other daily “all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The disconnected congregation of modern day churches was not the original vision. Let love of the brethren continue.

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2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

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The word translated “hospitality” here is philoxenia (φιλοξενία). It’s a compound of the Greek words “philos” (family love) and “xenos” (stranger). This verse tells us that we must "love strangers like family." Without that in the early church, the gospel could not have spread as rapidly as it did! “Angels” here could have either the common meaning of “messengers” or the more specific meaning of spiritual beings who were messengers from God. Abraham and Lot both entertained the latter in Genesis 18-19.

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3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

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Empathetic compassion. The hand suffering when the foot is injured. 1 Corinthians 12. That’s the writer’s focus in this beautiful and succinct statement. When a brother is in prison – or hungry, or lost a job, or is struggling with a rebellious teenager, or is in a marriage that is falling apart, or whatever – experience the pain and frustration, because what affects one part of the body affects the whole body.

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4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

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See 1 Corinthians 16:9: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality”.

God considers fidelity in the commitment of marriage to be extremely important and He *will judge* those who break it. After all, marriage is a symbol of our relationship with Christ (Ephesians 5).

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5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

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I’m not really a money guy – not one of those who is always looking for ways to make more. But 7 years ago I lost my job in the recession and had no backup plan, no savings to speak of, had a mortgage, had a family to feed, was the only breadwinner, and lived in an area that was hit very hard by the recession. It truly looked hopeless. And then realized that I rely on money much more than I realized. God taught me then how little I truly depended on Him.

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7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

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There are numerous references in scripture to imitating the faith of mature Christians. For instance:

• Hebrews 6:12, “[Be] imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
  
• 1 Corinthians 4:16, “I urge you, then, be imitators of me.” 
• 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 
• Philippians 3:17, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” 
• 1 Thessalonians 1:6, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord” 
• 2 Thessalonians 3:7, “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us” 
• 2 Thessalonians 3:9, “to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.” 

What’s the point of this? Is it arrogant for Paul to offer himself up as an example? In my opinion, no. We are called to be disciple makers, and that means we are called to teach people a way of life. A little boy watches his daddy and tries to mimic him. A little girl watches her mommy and does the same. How many times have you met members of the same family and seen similarity among them in their mannerisms and personalities? We should so live that we do not flinch at the thought of other Christians imitating our imitation of Christ. And we should so live that there are others in our lives who would want to.

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8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

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Jesus is consistent. If people are teaching you to mix the grace of Jesus with regulations of the Law [“foods” in v.9 refers to the food regulations of the sacrifice], they are teaching something that is foreign and strange. The way of Jesus Christ never changes. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So allow grace – rather than regulations – to strengthen your heart. Jesus became your sacrifice. Jesus was taken outside of Jerusalem – Golgotha – to be sacrificed. If Jerusalem rejects us too, we must also go willingly. Jesus was shamed in that sacrifice. If you are shamed as well, consider it an honor to identify with Him.

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14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. 15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

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This world will pass away. Jerusalem will be gone one day [Note: It was destroyed only a few years after this letter was written].

But we seek the city that is to come just as Abraham and other heroes of faith did (refer back to Hebrews 11:10-16). That is the heavenly Jerusalem (look back at Hebrews 12:22 for context).

So let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God. “Sacrifice of praise” is a strange phrase, as praise hardly seems like a sacrifice. I think the writer here was simply being tongue-in-cheek and that that was his exact point. Rather than sacrificing to get God’s approval, praise Him because through Christ you already have it.

But if you want to think in terms of sacrifice, make your sacrifice one of doing good and sharing with others. God will be pleased with those.

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17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

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He is saying nothing more here than Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13: “respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

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18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.

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See Acts 24:16: “I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man” 

Conscience proves that even the heathen know God’s standards of holiness. It convicts even the unregenerate when they do wrong and excuses them when they do right (Romans 2:14).

We who know Christ must have clean consciences and live honorably.

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19 And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner. 20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 22 But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. 24 Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. 25 Grace be with you all.

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It is probable that the writer was in prison in Italy. If the church body acted honorably, his release may happen more quickly and he may be restored to them as Timothy was.