Applying Brotherly Love

From our Sunday service on April 12, 2026, Hebrews 13. This is part 10 of our Hebrews series. Watch the full message: Applying Brotherly Love – Hebrews Series #10 on YouTube.

We’re in Hebrews chapter 13. This will be our final message in our Hebrews series. Last time, we talked about how the author of Hebrews reminded us that God wants us to invest in the kingdom of God, because in the end it’s the only investment that will be eternal. To review a little, let’s read the last two verses we left off on.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:28–29

That’s the idea here. Last time we left off with the idea that God’s kingdom is immovable. Everything in this world will one day be shaken, and the things that are shaken are going to be gone forever. So the author of Hebrews says that if we want to have a lasting effect beyond this world and into the new world, we need to invest in God’s kingdom.

He talked about how the people were at the foot of Mount Sinai receiving the law, and how we as Christians are at the bottom of a spiritual mountain, with God speaking to us about what to do. It’s our responsibility to respond to God’s voice. Why? Because our God is a consuming fire. He brings that out because the people at Mount Sinai, after they heard the Ten Commandments, said, “No more. God’s voice is too scary. It’s too powerful, too much authority. Please talk to Moses instead.” They were too scared to receive the rest of the commands, because their God was a consuming fire.

So the author of Hebrews says we should take that same motivation, knowing that our God is so pure, so just, and so holy, and move to follow his commands. Not because we’re afraid of condemnation. He took a whole chapter to explain to us that we’re not the ones who are condemned. We are the ones who are saved. But with this idea of God being a consuming fire and so powerful, we should submit to him in obedience.

Today he’s going to talk to us about brotherly love. Remember, Jesus says the entire law is summarized in two statements: love the Lord thy God, and love thy neighbour as thyself. We already talked about loving the Lord thy God. He’s a consuming fire. He terrifies us. We should obey him. Now we move into the closing section: love thy neighbour as thyself. He’s going to tell us that being a good Christian means applying brotherly love to every aspect of your life.

Through our time in the Scriptures today, God wants you to know that he wants you to give him the gift of a life lived in brotherly love.

Let Brotherly Love Continue

Let brotherly love continue.
Hebrews 13:1

If we just read that verse, you’d have the entire application of today’s lesson. This is a command. The word “let” there is a very soft word, but another way you could translate it is “ensure that brotherly love continues.” It’s not just something that happens because we allow it to continue. It’s something we have to put effort into to make happen. Christian, you need to have brotherly love in your life. That’s the main idea of this entire closing section of the book. The author of Hebrews is telling us to continue practicing love toward others.

He uses the Greek word phileo for this. We talk about the word agape, which is a sacrificial love. Today he’s talking about brotherly love, phileo. Not a sacrificial love, but a familial love, like the love that members of an immediate family have for one another. That’s the kind of love we’re talking about today.

What does that mean? It means we forgive others. We sacrifice for others. We help others even when it costs us to do so, even when we don’t feel like it, even when it’s not deserved. How many of you have forgiven your sibling more than you think they deserved? I think everybody who has one is going to agree. The author of Hebrews is saying, take that forgiving, compassionate, enduring love you have for your family, and open those walls of family to encompass everyone in your life. So he gives us a list of practical examples of how we can take brotherly love and expand it into other areas of our lives.

Hospitality: Love the Stranger

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2

The first example is in verse 2, where he tells us to show hospitality. I think a lot of us are familiar with this verse. How many of you have used it to ask whether you’ve actually interacted with an angel before? Is it possible? I’m sure we talk about that. But a lot of times we get excited about the angel part and forget the first part, about showing hospitality.

The Greek word translated “entertain strangers” is the word the Greeks used for hospitality. Etymologically, in the way the word is formed in the language, it has the literal meaning of a lover of foreigners. In other words, loving someone who has no attachment to you. The Bible says, “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” A neighbor has an attachment to you by proximity. This word is the opposite of “love thy neighbor.” It’s “love thy foreigner.” Love the person who is so distant from you that he has no attachment to you. Love those who have no connection to you. Be a lover of foreigners, a lover of strangers, a lover of people you have never met. And part of that word is phileo, the same word for brotherly love that he uses in the first verse.

Travel in the First Century

If you take this in the culture of their day, it has a very practical application. In the first century, travel was very dangerous. Today you have very nicely built roads, and in every town you have a hotel. If you wanted to, you could open up Airbnb on your phone and have your destination booked months or even a year in advance. But in the first century, there was no Airbnb. There were no phones. You couldn’t even send a messenger ahead of time to book a room in a hotel. In fact, some people might even be using a totally different calendar than you. In the first century, the Romans and the Jews were using two totally different calendars. That makes it very hard to make plans for a place to stay.

So in that society, travel was based on mutual trust. You would go to a town and try to find a place to stay. Remember the story of baby Jesus: there was no room for them in the inn. They got to Bethlehem, and there was nowhere for them to stay. This was a very common situation before the modern era. People traveling through the Roman Empire had to rely on the kindness, the phileo, of strangers to survive. When you went to a city, you didn’t know where you were staying. Usually you didn’t know if you could stay with family.

So the application is very practical. People were traveling to and fro, and he says, when you see a foreigner, someone from outside your city traveling to your town, extend familial love to them. Take them into your home like you would somebody from your immediate family. How many of you have had family just show up one day? I have some family who just swing by and say, “Hey, I’m here,” and you’ve just got to take them in. That’s what he’s saying: bring strangers into your household like family. It’s dangerous for these people to travel on the road, and not every home is going to be as safe as another. So when you see someone with a need for safety, comfort, or a friend, go out of your way and bring them into your community. Show hospitality to them.

Hospitality Today

In 2026, this is going to look a little different, because we don’t have that same culture of needing a safe place to stay all the time. We don’t need to literally take people into our homes to show hospitality, but the philosophy still applies. We should still be hospitable.

What did they need to offer these travelers? A room wasn’t enough. They needed to offer them water and food. They needed to have some kind of relationship, because it would be super weird to take someone into your house and never talk to him. I think those aspects are just as applicable today as ever. If you see someone who isn’t part of your immediate community, who’s suffering, who has no shelter, no food, no water, or no fellowship, extend the box of familial love so that it encompasses him. Help him find food, shelter, drink, and community. Show hospitality to those who have no connection to you. Show the love God shows to you to those who do not expect it. That’s the application for us today.

The author of Hebrews is telling Christians that we need to be people who are quick to welcome others into our circle, and that Christians will do this often. The way this is worded implies that it’s a regular thing they do. It’s not something you do once a year. It’s a way of life. You’re going to see the word “conversation” later, and that word means lifestyle. This is the idea he’s talking about. Brotherly love shouldn’t just be an action we do. It should be a lifestyle we have. All of our lives should be encompassed in brotherly love.

Entertaining Angels Unawares

Now let’s deal with the second half of the verse: “for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” This could be taken one of two ways. The word for angels in Greek is angelos. We just transliterated it into English in our Bibles. But the word angelos doesn’t always mean a divine messenger. It can also be used for anyone who delivers God’s message to us.

In some cases, they literally entertained angels unawares. Abraham is an example. There are multiple stories in the Old Testament where people showed hospitality to travelers and made them a meal, only to find out they were literal angelic messengers. But I think the author of Hebrews is expanding it beyond that. Not just angels: you never know when someone is going to come into your life who has a message from God for you, and you wouldn’t know it.

How many of you could say, “I met somebody and went to help him, and what I got out of it was more of a blessing to me than I was to him”? If that’s happened in your life, you have quite literally met an angel on the way, a messenger.

A Messenger at the Waffle House

There’s a Christian YouTuber who talks about how he was really struggling with God’s love. He was getting ready to take his own life, and he went to Waffle House to have his last meal. The Waffle House was crowded, and he thought, “This is terrible. My life’s terrible. I want to end my life. I don’t want to wait for Waffle House.” So he said to a stranger, “Hey, you and I are going to get seated faster if we sit two to a table.” He took that person in and ate the meal with him.

He says it was one of the worst meals he ever had in his life. He was only being nice to this guy so they could eat sooner. He was ready to kill himself, and he thought, “This is the last thing I need.” The guy was ranting about his wife, how she had left him, and how everything was falling apart in his life. Then he said this line: “I’ve been talking to her. I’ve been trying to reach out to her and make this relationship work. But there’s no relationship where there’s no communication, and she’s not talking to me.”

The YouTuber says, “At that moment, I realized that the man was talking about his life, but God was actually talking to me.” God was saying, “You have been complaining about me and how I haven’t blessed your life, but you don’t have a relationship with me. You don’t communicate with me. It’s give me, give me, give me.” He says, “I had a meeting with God.”

Did he really meet God? Did he meet an angel physically in the flesh? Or did he meet a man struggling with his marriage, whom God used to communicate a heavenly truth to him? At that moment he said, “God, I want to have a relationship with you. Take away my anxiety. Take away my depression. Take away my panic attacks.” He says that from that day forward, he never struggled with it again.

He was showing some hospitality to a stranger, and God used that stranger to deliver a message that transformed the rest of his future. I think that’s more what this passage is talking about than the super rare, once-every-couple-hundred-years experience of a divine angel showing up. When we go out of our way to be kind to strangers, God brings a lot of people into our lives to speak to us in ways he wouldn’t have unless we allowed them into our circles. So we should be Christians who show brotherly love through hospitality.

Remember Them That Are in Bonds

Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
Hebrews 13:3

This verse is focused on compassion and empathy. “Remember them that are in bonds.” Those are people who are in prison, in jail. It doesn’t say these are people in jail falsely. It doesn’t say they’re Christians. It just says, across the board, remember them that are in bonds as if you were bound with them. This is the way we’re supposed to look at the prisoner.

It’s very easy to look at a prisoner and be judgmental, isn’t it? It’s easy for me to judge a prisoner. I think, “What did they do to get in there? They must have done something really bad.” But the author of Hebrews is saying that’s not the right philosophy. You need to extend your box of familial love. What would you do if your brother was thrown in prison? Would your first assumption be, “He did it. He’s guilty. He’s terrible”? No. You’d say, “Bro, what happened? Tell me what happened.” So he says, don’t be quick to judge everyone around you. Treat them like you would someone in your family. Try to understand them. Remember them in their bonds as if you were bound with them. Put yourself in their place. Build a relationship with them.

Prison Ministry

Prison ministry is a very effective ministry. I was told by my college never to do it, because I’m too short and they’d beat me up. But prison ministry is super effective. Why? Because people in there are ready for some life change. So the author of Hebrews says, go out there. Be personable with the prisoner. Sympathize and empathize with them, connect with them in their bonds, and be there for them.

Just because they’re in prison doesn’t mean they don’t need anybody. Because they’re in prison, they probably need somebody more than they ever have in their lives. They’re at the lowest of lows. There’s not much lower you can go. Maybe in their lives they never had anybody who was an example to them, who told them the right way to live. When we see them, we say, “Wow, what did they do?” But really we should say, “What can I do to help this person in his bonds? What can I do to help him get out of this situation? I don’t know what will happen when he gets out. Does he have anybody to help him or encourage him? Is he just destined to end up in the same place, because no one has taken the time to care about him like Christ cared for me?”

Them Which Suffer Adversity

It continues: “and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” The adversity here refers to those who are oppressed, the people in society who are seen as less than and who are exploited by society. When you see that, you shouldn’t think, “That’s their problem. I’m so glad I’m not in that group of oppressed people. I’m so glad I’m over here.” He says no. When you see the person oppressed, sympathize with him. Empathize with his difficulty. Be there with him and comfort him.

If the Lord is close to those who are oppressed, shouldn’t we as Christians, who are the body of Christ, also be with those who are oppressed? Isn’t that the natural thing to believe? Here the author of Hebrews specifically states it. When you see oppression, don’t be far from the oppressed. Be near them and with them in their suffering, as if you yourself were in their body suffering the same thing. We need to wish the best for people and extend help to bring them to the best experiences they can have. We need to be available to others.

Is Toxic Empathy Biblical?

I’ve seen a modern movement toward the concept of toxic empathy: the idea that empathy is misused and misplaced, and that you should be careful whom you have empathy with. Read this verse and tell me if toxic empathy is a biblical concept. Remember those in prison as if you were a prisoner with them. Remember those who are oppressed as if you were oppressed in their body. Does that sound like toxic empathy is a thing? I don’t think it is. I don’t think there’s one verse in the Bible that will teach you the concept of toxic empathy.

In fact, I think the Bible tells you that you should try to empathize with everyone first. If you empathize with people first, you’re going to find a much better middle ground than if you start by assuming people are in the wrong. We need to first put ourselves in their place so that we can understand them better. Once you have the empathy and the sympathy, you’re going to be better equipped to minister to that person.

However, if you start with the assumption that they’re always in the wrong, that this person deserved what he got, you’re starting off on the wrong foot to lead someone to Christ. You have to start with sympathy and empathy. Once you have brought yourself into their world, once you try to understand them instead of assuming, then you can show brotherly love and bring them into your circle.

Marriage Is Honourable in All

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Hebrews 13:4

Once again, this is a command. It should be understood this way: marriage should be honored by everyone, and the bed left undefiled. What’s he saying? He’s saying, Christian, you’d better respect marriage lines. You shouldn’t cross the boundary of marriage. You shouldn’t be flirting with someone else’s wife. Every Christian should respect the boundary line of marriage. If you are meddling with that line, Christian, get as far away in the other direction as possible. It ought not to be a thing associated with any Christian. If you’re married, you’d better respect that boundary clearly. It had better be defined.

Don’t mess around with the covenant of marriage. Don’t be around other people’s wives. Don’t leave your wife open. Don’t leave yourself open. Don’t mess with other people’s husbands. The marriage bed should be left undefiled. Why? Because “whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Christian, don’t think you can meddle around in this sin and God’s just going to look the other way. Don’t assume you can get away with not honoring your marriage. Don’t think, “Well, technically this isn’t wrong. I’m just meeting them. I’m just having dinner with them. They’re just a friend.” Don’t mess with it. Why? Because God does not tolerate it.

You cannot have brotherly love when you don’t even love your own spouse and don’t respect the marriage covenant of other people. There is no way to show brotherly love with that sin in your life.

A Sin with No Benefit

Solomon also talks about how destructive this sin is. We’ve always had sects of Christianity that say, “Marriage is more of a metaphor. It’s not that big of a deal. Polygamy is okay. Sex outside of marriage is okay. It’s not a big deal.” But the Bible tells us it is a very big deal. Why? Because whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Solomon even goes as far as to say that adultery destroys your own soul: “Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul” (Proverbs 6:32). When you commit other sins, you might get a benefit from them. If you steal something, you get an item. If you steal money, you get money. If you lie, you might get out of trouble. But when you commit adultery or fornication, you destroy yourself just as much as you destroy the other person. It’s a sin with no benefit in any situation. It will always lead to more destruction toward you than anyone else.

So he says very strongly, “Marriage is honourable in all.” The word honor in Greek carries the idea of valuable or precious. Marriage should be valued. It should be protected like your 401(k), like your retirement plan. You would never risk all that. So value it and protect it, because it’s precious, and leave that bed undefiled, or God will judge you for it. You will not find a benefit in it. There is no exception.

Content with Such Things as Ye Have

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Hebrews 13:5–6

Next he talks about contentment. Like I said before, the word “conversation” carries the idea of lifestyle. It’s not about what you talk about every day. It’s about how you go about your life in general. “Let your conversation be without covetousness.” Let your lifestyle be without loving money. That’s what the Greek word for covetousness actually means etymologically: a lover of money.

Maybe you’re going through life saying, “Money, money, money. How can I make another dollar? How can I get another five bucks? I know I have all the money I need, but what if I had a little bit more? What if I could scheme and connive my way to a little more moola in my pocket?” If that’s your philosophy, you’re not showing brotherly love. Why? Because brotherly love cannot exploit somebody else for its own benefit.

Let your lifestyle be without covetousness. Let your lifestyle have no love of money. Don’t let any aspect of your life be driven by the desire for wealth. If any aspect of your life is driven by the desire for wealth, it’s going to soil the rest of your life. If money is the most important thing, you’re not going to value your spouse the right way. You’re not going to value your children the right way. You’re not going to do things for God as much as you should. If money becomes a priority, there’s going to be another area of your life where you fail. So the author of Hebrews says, let your conversation, your lifestyle, have no love of money in it at all. The things that define your life should not be wealth.

I Will Never Leave Thee

Instead, what should we do? The second half of verse 5 says, “be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Be content with what you have. The Bible says that if you follow God with all your heart, soul, and mind, he’ll give you the desires of your heart and take care of your needs.

The author of Hebrews is talking to a group of people who have been struggling with oppression, excommunication, and threats of violence from Rome. They had a lot of problems. They had a lot of financial needs. And he says, “Stop chasing after the money. Be content with what God has given you. He’s promised he’ll take care of you.” What’s more valuable than any money in the world? The promise of God that says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” No matter where you are in life, that promise should be the most valuable thing to you. And if it is, your lifestyle is going to be blessed as well.

Verse 6 says, “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Rather than focusing on how much money we can obtain for ourselves, we should focus on being grateful for what we already have from God, because God promises that no matter what happens, he will not leave us. He will not abandon us. When we truly believe this, we will have the faith to persevere no matter what goes on around us.

Faith Under the Hammer of Rome

Remember, Hebrews is all about perseverance. These people were ready to give up their faith to make their lives easier. The author of Hebrews says that if you focus on the truth that God is your helper and will not abandon you, you can get beyond those fears.

Let me tell you, those fears were well justified, because within four to five years of this being written, the hammer of Rome was going to come down hard on the Christians. God knew what was coming down the line, and through the author of Hebrews he was preparing his people for this persecution. There were people who said, “I will not fear what man shall do unto me,” as they were burned at the stake, as they were eaten by lions, as they were put to death for their faith in Christ.

Christian, you and I are probably not going to face any of that in our lifetime here in the United States. We’re not going to face that kind of persecution. So what excuse do we have not to trust God? Our lives are not nearly as persecuted as these Christians’ were. They were willing to say, “I have no fear of man,” even though man was threatening some horrible things and was going to carry them out. They said, “But God will never leave me. He will never abandon me.” Don’t trade the promises of God in search of wealth. Don’t trade the promises of God in search of comfort. We should have boldness and faith and persevere no matter what happens around us.

Remember Them Which Have the Rule over You

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Hebrews 13:7

Next he talks about our relationships with our spiritual leaders. Once again, “conversation” is lifestyle. This verse is talking about pastors, elders, bishops, that kind of thing.

When you see “the rule over you,” you might think of a military term, like a drill sergeant or a king ruling over you. That’s not the kind of term being used here. In the Greek, the word carries the idea of to bring, to carry, or to lead. It’s the word you would use if my Bible were sitting over there and I said, “Hey, could you bring me my Bible?” It’s not an ownership kind of word. Your pastor is not your owner. He’s your helper: “Can you bring that to me? Can you show me where this is?” Your leader, so to speak. Leaders lead you. They bring you places. They direct you.

It’s not military terminology, but shepherd terminology. That’s where we get the word pastor, from the Latin word for shepherd. Obey those who lead you, who take you through the valley of the shadow of death, who show you the words of God when you need them. Remember them. Remember what they teach. Pastors are not to be tyrants, but people who come alongside you, help carry you, and bring you where you need to go.

Whose Faith Follow

The word “follow” there is the Greek word mimeomai. You might remember it this way: it’s where we get the word mime. If you mime something, what are you doing? What does a mime do? He copies everything you do, and you get mad and say, “Stop.” That’s the word. See what your leaders do. Look at their lifestyle and what they do that’s godly, and copy it. Do as they lead. We should understand this as imitating our spiritual leaders, walking the same steps they do. As they follow God, we follow them. As Paul says, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

Why? It tells us right there: “considering the end of their conversation.” Look at the end result of their lifestyle. This is how you can tell a good pastor from a bad pastor. A good pastor is going to have a lifestyle that matches what he’s preaching. If your pastor preaches one thing, and every other day of the week his life looks completely different, you can look at the end result of his lifestyle and say, “Uh-uh, I’m not following him. He’s not practicing what he preaches.”

But when you see a pastor who preaches the Word of God, who follows the Word of God, whose lifestyle matches the things he preaches, and you see God bless his life, then you can say, “That lifestyle leads to blessing. That is a safe way I can walk.” As you see your spiritual leader take the steps, you say, “I will follow in those steps as well, because if God is blessing him for his walk, God will bless me as well.” So if you see a pastor whose lifestyle is terrible, don’t imitate him. Run the other way.

Beware of Divers and Strange Doctrines

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
Hebrews 13:8–9

The author deals with this in the next two verses as he tells us to beware of false teachers. In verse 8 he says Jesus never changes, because he’s God. He is always the same. What God taught is what God taught. He doesn’t change moral standards. From the beginning of the Bible to the end, God’s moral standard has always been the same. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What Jesus has said will always be true.

So if somebody comes along and brings you a “divers and strange” doctrine, that is, a varied and foreign teaching, don’t listen. If it doesn’t line up with what Jesus said, with what God said, it should be thrown out, because God doesn’t change.

You might think, “I wouldn’t fall for that.” But this is how we get some of the biggest problems in religion. These new, varied, and foreign teachings come along where somebody says, “God told me this,” or, “God told me that.” That’s how we got new religions like Gnosticism in the second century, Islam four to five hundred years later, the Latter-day Saints a couple hundred years ago, and the Baha’i faith that we have now. They are all based on the claim that someone had new revelation from God, and that God said, “That was corrupt. That was wrong. We’re in a new era. Truth has changed.” Because people weren’t fixed on the Bible, they were driven to these false doctrines.

Gnosticism

Suppose they had listened to the author of Hebrews. The teachings of Gnosticism are varied, because the Gnostics say that all things physical are bad. But God says in his Word that “a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry,” to enjoy the things God has given him. Think of the Feast of Sukkot, when people would eat in booths and drink and celebrate God’s blessing over the harvest season. God says to enjoy physical things as a blessing from him. The Gnostics say everything physical is bad. That doesn’t line up with Scripture, so it should be thrown out. It’s varied and different.

Islam, the Latter-day Saints, and the Baha’i Faith

What about Islam? Islam came along and said, “The Bible used to be right, but that changed. Jesus wasn’t the Son of God. Jesus was just a prophet.” There was a passage about a prophet who would come, and it was Muhammad. They changed it. They varied the teaching. They twisted it, and it became a whole different religion. If they had listened to the author of Hebrews, they wouldn’t have been taken by that false doctrine.

The Latter-day Saints came along and said that Joseph Smith discovered tablets of gold that say something different from what the Bible says. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. There is no new revelation of Jesus Christ. Hebrews tells us to reject that premise on the grounds of the premise itself. Because they didn’t listen to the author of Hebrews, it has become a stumbling block.

Then you have the Baha’i that come along and say all religions have the truth and all religions were talking about the same thing, so Christianity is one way to understand the truth of the gospel. But is that what Jesus says? He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So can the Baha’i faith be correct? It says it comes from Christianity, but it rejects what Jesus said was truth. And Jesus never changes. So it must be rejected on the premise alone.

Established with Grace, Not with Meats

The example the author of Hebrews uses, though, is one from his own day: the Jews who wanted to keep the Jewish traditions as part of Christianity. They were holding to a superstitious, legalistic view that ritually clean food and practices were needed to maintain salvation. The author of Hebrews says those who do this are adding to the gospel. Paul talks about this too. He says, “You’re adding to the gospel of Jesus, and you’re putting weights on people that they aren’t meant to carry. It’s a useless thing you’re making people do.” The author deals with this in verses 10-15, because it was the issue of their day. He says we have better sacrifices than the Old Testament.

Outside the Gate

We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Hebrews 13:10–15

The author continues to preach against the version of Christianity infused with Jewish tradition. These people thought they needed to live under the sacrificial system to maintain their salvation. But, as the author of Hebrews said, the sacrificial system is just an illustration of the truth and not the truth itself. He reminds us that Jesus is our sacrifice, and we were cleansed with his blood.

Like Jesus, we need to take up our cross and walk outside the city gates. We need to carry his reproach and go outside the cities as pilgrims looking for a new country, drawing back to Abraham leaving his home. He says, “Christian, the temple is over. The veil was torn. Jerusalem is the holy city, but it’s not your salvation. Walk outside the city of Jerusalem like Jesus did, carrying his cross. Go out into the world and seek the heavenly kingdom, not the kingdom of Jerusalem. That’s gone.” Sure, in the last days Christ will come and be the King of the Jews and the Gentiles. But for now, the sacrificial system and that city are just a city. Jesus was crucified outside of it, and we need to follow Jesus outside the camp.

The Tabernacle Outside the Camp

In the Old Testament, when the tabernacle was moved outside the camp of the Israelites, it was because God had rejected the Israelites. Here he says that Jesus walking outside the city of Jerusalem to the cross was him rejecting them, as they had rejected him. “You have not chosen to follow me. I’m bringing my temple outside the camp.” Where Jesus was sacrificed was outside the camp, outside the city of Jerusalem.

So salvation isn’t found within the city of Jerusalem anymore. It’s not found within the old temple, but in a separate temple: Jesus Christ, who died and offered his own blood, so that we as the body of Christ, the temple of Christ, the church, could serve him in that new temple. Just as Jesus walked outside that sacrificial system and made the body of Christ, you too ought to abandon it. Stop trying to hold on to something that’s just an illustration. Soon they were going to see this confirmed, because in just a couple of years that entire city would be destroyed by the Romans.

The Sacrifices God Wants

What do we do instead? Verse 15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” God doesn’t want the physical sacrifices, but there is a sacrifice God wants: a sacrifice of praise. “The fruit of our lips” has always been an idiom in the Bible for gratitude or thankfulness. Instead of going through the ritualistic system, God wants us to be thankful for what he has done.

But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Hebrews 13:16

But it doesn’t end there. There are other sacrifices God wants as well. The first sacrifice you can give is the sacrifice of praise: be thankful for what God gave you. That’s a sacrifice you still need to keep. The second is to do good, that is, to do good deeds for other people. Go out there and sacrifice yourself in the name of Jesus. A cup of water in Jesus’ name has its reward. Give up something you have to benefit someone else in the name of Jesus. That’s a sacrifice God will accept.

It says “and to communicate.” That word means to share, not to talk. It’s the same root word we have in communism: to have things in common. He’s talking about the opposite of greed. Greed says, “Money, money, money, for me, for me, for me.” Communicating says, “Share, share, share with those in need.” When I have the means to help someone, I ought to share what I have to be a blessing to them. That is a sacrifice with which God is well pleased.

They Watch for Your Souls

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Hebrews 13:17

In verse 17, he says to listen to your spiritual leadership. Once again, this word “rule” means leader, bringer, helper. Obey those who are trying to lead you and help you. Why? “For they watch for your souls.” They are here to watch over you and help you for your soul’s benefit.

As a pastor, my goal is to help you. If I’m hurting you in any way, I am not doing my job. My job is to help you when you need help. So feel free to come ask for help. I’d be happy to help in any way I can. We’re supposed to watch for your souls, to look out and see what’s going on. Is there anything that could be damaging to you, where I could help and steer you in the right direction once I find out about it? We’re supposed to guide you.

Why? Because as a pastor I have to give an account. The Bible says I’m doubly accountable. I’m accountable for everything I do myself, but I’m not just accountable for me. I’m accountable for everybody here. When I stand before Jesus, he’s going to ask me how I led my church. Read verse 17 again: “as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” When I stand before God, I want to have a happy conversation. I don’t want to have to go through a list of places where I failed to lead you properly.

So he says, help your pastor lead you. When he stands before God, he’s going to have to give an account for where he failed. If you didn’t help your pastor help you, that’s not beneficial for you. Help your leader help you. He’s there for your benefit. Make it easy for him to be a helper alongside you, so that you benefit and he benefits in the end.

Pray for Us

Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Hebrews 13:18–19

As the author closes, he makes a request for prayer. Before closing the letter, he asks them to pray that he would be able to continue to serve in faithfulness. He says, “My conscience is clear. I know I’ve been following God accurately. I know I’ve been doing what God says. But please continue to pray that I maintain my honesty.”

More importantly, he says, “I want you to pray that I can be restored to you sooner.” At this time, the author of Hebrews either was in prison or was being threatened with prison, so he was being hindered from going to help the churches around him. He says, “Please pray that I can come to you, that I can help you, that I can not just write to you but minister to you in person as your brother, and show the brotherly love I taught so much about.” He asks them to pray more earnestly for his return, and for him to be an encouragement to those around him.

The God of Peace

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20–21

To conclude, he gives a benediction. This is his prayer for all the people. He prays that through reading this book of Hebrews they would have peace during this time of difficulty, that they would be perfected in all areas of the Christian walk, that they would take to heart this idea of brotherly love and extend their circle of family love to each and every person they interact with, so that in the end all the glory would go to God forever and ever.

And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
Hebrews 13:22

In verse 22, he gives them a word of encouragement. “I beseech you” means I urge you. “Suffer” means allow. He encourages the people: “Listen to these words of encouragement I’ve given you. Take them to heart. Hold on to them.” He says, “I have written a letter unto you in few words.” In other words, “I could have rambled on and on, but I really tried to make this as short as possible. I want to be an encouragement. So please read this, study this, and make it your lifestyle, not just a one-time letter.”

Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Hebrews 13:23–25

In verse 23, this is the Timothy of 1 and 2 Timothy, the companion of Paul. He had been released from prison, and he was going to visit. “Them that have the rule over you” are your pastors.

Conclusion

As we conclude the book of Hebrews, we’re reminded that the goal of this letter was not to create a systematic theology of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. It was about perseverance in faith and spiritual transformation for believers. The author has shown us who Jesus is. He’s greater than the angels, greater than Moses, greater than the priesthood, and he was the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Now, in his final chapter, the author of Hebrews shows us what a life changed by this truth should look like. He summarizes a changed life with brotherly love. A changed life should be defined by brotherly love. That is our calling: a life marked by a love that is visible, practical, and sacrificial. A love that opens your home to those in need. A love that remembers the hurting and the forgotten. A love that respects marriage and purity. A love that is content because it trusts God. A love that follows faithful leadership and stands firm against false teaching. And a love that praises God openly and gives generously to others.

Hebrews teaches us that God is not interested in rituals and religion. He’s interested in a transformed life defined by brotherly love. And Hebrews reminds us that we don’t live this way to earn salvation. We live this way because we already have it. We have received an unshakable kingdom from an unchanging Savior, and no matter what comes in life, he will never leave us nor forsake us.

So what do we do with that knowledge? We give God the only thing we can give, and that’s a life that reflects him. As we close this series, don’t just walk away with more theological knowledge about Jesus and the new covenant. Walk away with a renewed commitment to love others like family, to live differently from the world, and to fix your eyes on the kingdom that is coming. Because in the end, that is an investment that will endure forever.

God wants you to give him the gift of a life lived with brotherly love. So, will you choose to live by brotherly love today?