ACC ~ Hebrews 13 v1 - 7

OVERVIEW:

In this pericope the theme of mutual love in the community is reinforced, especially hospitality. One was not expected to give up everything, but “superfluities” were to be discouraged (CHRYSOSTOM, AUGUSTINE) as we should practice self-discipline (CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA). Marriage and childbearing are worthy of honor (EPHREM, EUSEBIUS). We are to remember our leaders, that is, the ones who preach the word to us (DIDACHE, THEODORE). Faith is validated by steadfastness (CHRYSOSTOM).

13:1-2 | Hospitality to Strangers

PAUL ENJOINS THEM TO PRESERVE WHAT THEY HAVE. CHRYSOSTOM: See how he enjoins them to preserve what they had; he does not add other things. He did not say, “Be loving as brothers,” but “Let brotherly love continue.” And again, he did not say, “Be hospitable,” as if they were not, but “Do not neglect to show hospitality,” for this neglect was likely to happen, due to their afflictions.

Therefore, he says, “Some have entertained angels unawares.” Do you see how great was the honor, how great the gain!

What is “unawares”? They entertained them without knowing it. Therefore, the reward also was great, because he entertained them, not knowing that they were angels. If he had known it, it would have been nothing wonderful. Some say that he here alludes to Lot also. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 33.1.

HOSPITALITY IS LOVE OF STRANGERS. CHRYSOSTOM: If others have plundered your property, display your hospitality out of such things as you have. What excuse, then, shall we have, when they, even after the spoiling of their goods, were thus admonished? And he did not say, “Do not neglect” to entertain strangers, but “to show hospitality”; that is, do not merely entertain strangers, but do it with love for the strangers. Moreover, he did not speak of the recompense that is future and in store for us, lest he should make them more supine, but of that already given. For “thereby some,” he says “have entertained angels unawares.” ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 33.4-5.

13:4 | Marriage Held in Honor

GOD JUDGES THE IMMORAL AND ADULTERERS. AUGUSTINE: Sometimes people who commit this sin treat it lightly out of heaven knows what kind of perversity. They hunt about for heaven knows what null and worthless proofs in their support, and say, “God does not mind the sins of the flesh.” Well, what about what we have heard today, “God will judge the immoral and adulterous”? So there you are, pay attention, any of you afflicted with this sort of disease. Listen to what God is saying, not to what your own prejudice is saying in favor of your sins, or to your friend, perhaps, chained with the same shackles of wickedness as yourself—though in fact he is more your enemy and his own. SERMON 82.11.

IS THE MARRIAGE BED HELD IN HONOR? EPHREM THE SYRIAN: A further interpretation of “he knew her not until she had borne a son” is that this holiness was of necessity, even though they both willingly shared in it. But the holiness they observed after the birth of our Lord was of their own free will.

The Evangelist defined the nature of this necessity and showed us concerning its limit, that it was “until.” … Should it be deduced from this therefore that he did not live with her chastely after she had given birth, since it is indicated “until”? But “until” is not the end limit. For he said, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” Therefore, when his enemies were put beneath his feet, did he stand up? Another interpretation of “he knew her not” follows. Is not marriage pure, according to the testimony of the apostle, “The fruit of their womb is pure”? But, if one were to say, “See, the brothers of our Lord are named in the Gospel,” I would reply, “Because our Lord entrusted his mother Mary to John, it is clear that these are not her sons, nor is Joseph her husband.” For how could he who said, “Honor your father and your mother,” have separated Mary from her sons and entrusted her to John instead? COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 10-11.

CHILDREN ARE NOT FORBIDDEN. EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA: According to the laws of the new covenant, the producing of children is certainly not forbidden, but the provisions are similar to those followed by the ancient men of God. “Now a bishop,” says the Scripture, “must be the husband of one wife.” Yet it is fitting that those in the priesthood and occupied in the service of God should abstain after ordination from the intercourse of marriage. To all who have not undertaken this wondrous priesthood, Scripture almost completely gives way, when it says, “Let marriage be held in honor, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterous.” PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 1.9.

13:5 | Be Content with What You Have

HE FORBADE NOT POSSESSIONS. THEODORET OF CYR: He forbade not possessions but the love of money, from which greed springs. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13.

SEEK NOT SUPERFLUITIES. CHRYSOSTOM: And having first set down, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled,” he shows that he rightly added what follows. For if marriage has been conceded, justly is the fornicator punished, justly does the adulterer suffer recompense. . . .

He did not say again, “Let no one be a fornicator”; but, having said it once for all, he then went on as with a general exhortation, and not as directing himself against them. “Be content with what you have,” he says. He did not say, “Possess nothing,” but “be content with what you have”; that is, let it show forth the philosophical character of your mind. And it will show it, if we do not seek superfluities, if we keep only to what is necessary. For he says above also, “you joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods.” He gives these exhortations that they might not be covetous. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 33.2.

RELEASE YOUR HEART FROM MONEY. AUGUSTINE: So keep a moderate amount of money for temporal uses; treat it as journey money, with the end in view stated in the text. Notice above all what he put first: “Free from love of money,” he says, put your hand in the purse in such a way that you release your heart from it. SERMON 177.3.

SELF-DISCIPLINE IS GOD’S GREATEST GIFT. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: We must join in disciplining ourselves to beware of all that is subject to the passions. We must, like true philosophers, escape from any foods that arouse sexual desire, from a dissolute relaxation in bed, from luxury and all the passions that make for luxury. We realize that others find this a grievous struggle. It is no longer so for us, since self-discipline is God’s greatest gift. He has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you,” who have judged you worthy by a decision that is wholly genuine. In this way, as we carefully strive to go to him, the Lord’s “easy yoke” will receive us. … There is, according to Hippocrates of Cos, a discipline of the soul as well as of the body, “a state of health which does not shrink from hardship and cannot have enough nourishment.” STROMATEIS 2.20.126.

13:7 | Remember Your Leaders

REMEMBER THE ONE WHO PREACHES. DIDACHE: My child, day and night “you should remember him who preaches God’s word to you,” and honor him as you would the Lord. For where the Lord’s nature is discussed, there the Lord is. Every day you should seek the company of saints to enjoy their refreshing conversation. You must not start a schism but reconcile those at strife. DIDACHE 4.1-3.

“FAITH” MEANS STEADFASTNESS. CHRYSOSTOM: By “faith” he means steadfastness. How so? Because they believe in the things to come. For they would not have shown forth a pure life if they were troubled with questions about the things to come, if they had doubted. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 33.3.

LEADERS LONG DEAD. THEODORET OF CYR: He referred to the saints long dead—Stephen the protomartyr, James the brother of John, James called Just; many others as well were done away with by the Jews’ fury. By having an eye to them, he is saying, and acquainting yourselves with their praiseworthy lifestyle, emulate their faith. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13.

LEADERS WHO WERE KILLED. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: “The leaders” are those who have proclaimed the word of godliness among them and were killed by the Jews on the spot. And there were many, not only Stephen and James who was killed by the sword, but also James, brother of our Lord, and very many others handed over in silence. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 13.7.