Sermon Tone Analysis

*Hebrews 13:1-3…* Continue in brotherly love. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels unawares.

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

*Commentary*

The author of Hebrews spent the first 10 chapters writing doctrinal truths.

In Hebrews 11 he gave  /examples/ of the faithful believers of the past.

In Hebrews 12 he gave great /exhortations/ to faithful believers in the present based upon the actions of those in the past.

In chapter 13 the writer puts together a hodgepodge of miscellaneous issues needing attention before he closes the letter.

These issues concern love, hospitality, marriage, and church leaders – all of which will comprise the /evidences/ of faith expected among those who call themselves Christians.

The first evidence is “brotherly love.”

This is one word in Greek – /philadelphia/, coming from /philos/ (fond affection) and /delphos/ (brother).

Brotherly love in the NT is to be the fruit all Christians display toward each other (Rom.

12:10; 1 Thess.

4:9; Heb.

13:1; 1 Pet.

1:22; 2 Pet.

1:7).

It is brotherly in the sense that all Christians are related like family, and it is commanded in the NT as a fondness for persons belonging exclusively to the Christian faith.

The Greek literally says, “The Philadelphia must continue.”

It’s as if “Philadelphia” was some kind of Christian fraternity, a singular group of people with the fruit of love (cf.

John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17).

They had brotherly affection towards each other, and though there were divisions existing among them due to the desire for some of them to apostatize, they were commanded to continue their fraternity, as it were, which was known by the fruit of love.

With this in mind, the author might very well have also had fellow Jews in mind who were not Christians.

The Jewish audience who had converted to the Christian faith were to continue their love for their unbelieving Jewish brothers without turning from them.

But the primary command in 13:1 is love for Christian brothers to continue, and because it must continue clearly means that it already existed.

All Christians have love and need not pray for more.

They only need to put the love God has poured into their hearts into full motion and love as Christ did.

The second evidence for true Christian faith is the fruit of /hospitality /(Heb.

13:2).

The Greek word means “love of strangers,” and it too looks like a kind of fraternity.

There was “the Philadelphia” and “the Philoxenias” – those who showed brotherly affection toward strangers.

In the early church this ministry was vital because persecution drove many new believers from their homes.

There were also traveling preachers who needed lodging (3 John 5-8).

Overseers are required to be hospitable in order to hold the office of elder (Titus 1:8), but hospitality is for all saints to practice (Rom.

12:13).

Some have even “entertained angels without knowing it,” as was the case of Abraham (Gen.

18) and Lot (Gen.

19).

God may send undesirables to the brethren for lodging, and they may very well be angelic!

Bottom line: a faithful Christian is hospitable.

A third evidence is concern for others (Heb.

13:3).

Many Christians were arrested for their faith, and even though it was dangerous to identify with them, Christ’s love demanded it.

Ministry to a Christian prisoner is ministry to Christ Himself (Matt.

25:36, 40), so any ministry of care toward brothers in need, whether in prison or not, is an grand opportunity for service.

*Food for Thought*

One of the popular mega-church preachers today refuses to preach doctrine saying that God did not send him to do so but only to teach love.

But how can one love as Christ loved and understand true Philadelphia without knowing doctrine?

The command to love is impossible without Christian doctrine!

Let us be about the task of learning doctrine so that we can love.

*Hebrews 13:4…* Marriage /is to be held/ in honor among all, and the /marriage /bed /is to be /undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

*Commentary*

Continuing the list of Christian evidences from Hebrews 13:1-3, v. 4 presents a fourth fruit which grows in the life of genuine Christians: /an honorable marriage/.

In the Greek text the first word in the sentence is “honor” which is done that way for emphasis.

This word “honor” is used in the NT to describe a well-respected teacher (Acts 5:34), valuable gems (1 Cor.

3:12), the blood of Jesus (1 Pet.

1:9), the promises of God which make believers partakers of His divine nature (2 Pet.

1:4), and it’s used in reference to the fruit of the ground that a farmer works diligently for (James 5:7).

So “honor signifies something of great price, highly esteemed, and especially dear.”

This is how the institution of marriage is to be thought of.

God created marriage in Genesis 1-2 in the beginning.

And so because it is strictly a creation of God it is to be honored as God-given and existing solely between one man and one woman.

Their marriage bed is to be undefiled (v.

4).

The word for “bed” is /koita/, which can mean simply a literal bed, or it can refer euphemistically to sexual intercourse (Rom.

13:13).

It can also be used in the sense of becoming pregnant (Rom.

9:10).

In this context the bed has to do with the sexual relationship between two Christians, a man and a woman, in the covenant of marriage.

Their sexual relationship must be “undefiled.”

This word is used elsewhere in relation to Jesus Christ as the great High Priest who is “holy, innocent, and undefiled.”

It is also used in James 1:27 to describe the eternal inheritance believers will one day receive in heaven.

So the sexual relationship between a Christian husband and wife is to be the most pure relationship two human beings can have, for it is compared not only with heaven but with Jesus Christ himself!

Marriage has always been defiled by those who get married, but God has never changed his attitude towards such vile behavior.

Those who defile the sexual relationship which is to exist honorably and beautifully within marriage are called either “fornicators” or “adulterers.”

Fornication is the act of engaging in sexual immorality which includes sex prior to marriage.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “in the letter I wrote you I told you not to associate with sexually immoral people…” (1 Cor 5.9), and he makes it clear in that context that he was only addressing professed Christians who do so as opposed to unbelievers.

Adultery, on the other hand, is the sin that married people commit when they have sex with one who is not their spouse.

God is a God who judges sin and sinners.

He has lovingly mapped out His requirements for those who call upon Him for salvation, so there are no excuses for those who ignore His teachings.

Hebrews 13:4 plainly teaches that God will judge fornicators and adulterers.

To judge is to evaluate, decide, and condemn.

Now because God will pass the final judgment on sinners, it is the responsibility of other Christians to warn of God’s judgment.

Unfortunately, this is often seen as unbiblical, for Christians are forbidden to judge (Matt.

7:1).

In reality, warnings of God’s impending judgment are actually one of the most loving things one Christian can do for another.

*Food for Thought*

You may have sinned sexually at some point in your life, or you may have made a habit of it throughout your life.

But sexual purity must take root when one comes to Christ.

Many just don’t view marriage as God does, and that is to their detriment.

God judges, and He demands purity.

He also grants the power to obey Him fully through the Holy Spirit.

If you sin willfully in this way, then maybe you aren’t truly a believer.

So why not make it right while there is time?

God is lovingly calling you to repent and to purify your marriage bed.

It is ever-so holy!

*Hebrews 13:5-6…* /See 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?

 

*Commentary*

Continuing the list of Christian evidences from Hebrews 13:1-4, the fifth evidence of a genuine Christian is that he is free from the love of money.

The love of money is covetousness, found in most Christians, and yet it is rarely confessed as sin.

Plain and simple, the love of money is an affront to God because it reveals a distrust in God.

Money, in and of itself, is not a sinful thing; however, it is the love of money that is the root of all evil (1 Tim.

6:10).

By it Achan lost his family and his life and the lives of at least 36 others (Josh.

7:1, 5, 25).

Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, got greedy and obtained the leprosy that Naaman was cured of (2 Kings 5:15-27).

And the worst of all was Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Some folks like to hoard money, others like to spend it on themselves and display their wealth, and others just get a rush from acquiring more and more.

Yet they never seem to have enough!

True Christians, however, must be free from the love of money.

This English phrase comes from three Greek words: “a” (not), “/phileo/” (fondness), and “/arguros/” (silver).