Hebrews 13
DOYLY—for that is unprofitable for you.] The word means exceedingly hurtful or dangerous, according to the
in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:7
- Remember them which have the rule over you.] Pay a due respect to the memory, and follow the example, of such as have been your spiritual guides and governours. Pyle.
— considering the end of their conversation.] With what constancy and perseverance they continued in the faith, and sealed it with their blood, in hopes of that crown of glory, which Christ hath promised to them that are faithful to the death. Dr. Whitby.
Hebrews 13:8
- Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.] And as theirs, so let your faith be steadfastly fixed on Jesus Christ your Saviour, who altereth not, but is, and was, and will be still the same for ever. Bp. Hall. This passage is most justly understood of the nature of Christ, especially as the phrase here used, “the same,” is that by which the immutability of the Son is expressed, chap. i. 12, “But Thou art the same.” According to this interpretation the verse connects with the preceding. Dr. Macknight.
The phrase was used to express all time, past, present, and to come; and is the same with “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come,” Rev. i. 8, and other places of Scripture. Leslie.
Hebrews 13:9
- Be not carried about &c.] And, as Christ is one and the same, so is the truth of His doctrine; which ye ought therefore constantly to embrace: be not therefore carried away with diversity and newfangleness of doctrines, with vain and superstitious observations. Bp. Hall.
— with grace; not with meats.] “With grace,” that is, the sense of the Divine favour, and the grace brought to us by the Gospel; and “not with meats,” eaten at the Jewish festivals, and their festivals. Dr. Whitby.
Hebrews 13:10
- We have an altar, &c.] Under the law it was appointed, that they which served in the tabernacle should eat of those sacrifices, which were offered upon the altar; but now it is otherwise: we have a spiritual and living altar and sacrifice, even Christ Jesus Himself; of whom they cannot claim any right to partake, that are addicted to the ceremonies of the abrogated law. Bp. Hall.
That the altar here signifies the sacrifice offered upon the altar, is plain from this, that of this altar they were to eat. So they that eat of the Jewish sacrifices are said to be partakers of the altar; and then it must import
Hebrews 13:11
11, 12. For the bodies of those beasts, &c.] For, as the flesh of those beasts, whose blood was offered up on the great day of expiation, was ordered to be wholly burnt without the camp, (whilst the tabernacle stood,) and afterwards without the gates of the city, and none but the priests or people permitted to eat it; so in like manner Christ our great sacrifice was for our redemption crucified without the gates of Jerusalem; and accordingly none can partake of the blessings of His sacrifice and religion, till they come entirely off from the Jewish ceremonies, and become true Christians. Pyle.
St. Paul is so exact in the parallel betwixt Christ and His types, that he gives this for the reason of that seeming small circumstance in the sufferings of Christ, which otherwise, I suppose, nobody had observed; and that was, that He “suffered without the gate” of the city. But the Apostle tells us, that this was ordered by Providence, on purpose that He might fulfil His type of the sin-offering, or expiatory sacrifice, whose body was to be “burnt without the camp.” Leslie.
Hebrews 13:13
- Let us go forth therefore unto him &c.] Let us therefore leave the Jewish camp; that is, the Jewish ceremonial religion, and entirely embrace His more excellent dispensation. Let us carry His cross, and after His example patiently suffer the reproaches and persecutions of our adversaries. Pyle.
Hebrews 13:17
- Obey them that have the rule over you.] Your bishops and pastors. Dr. Whitby.
To prevent those differences and distinctions, which divide the hearts of men and break them into sects, the Apostle instructs the Hebrews to “obey them that have the rule over them,” their lawful pastors and teachers, whom Christ hath appointed to keep them in the way
Exhortation to pray for the apostle. The conclusion. Anno DOMINI 64.
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 13:18
- —for we trust] Notwithstanding our sufferings: or, “we trust,” though represented by some of you as an apostate, and an enemy to the law. Bp. Fell.
Hebrews 13:20
- —through the blood of the everlasting covenant.] Through His blood, whereby was ratified the Gospel covenant, which is to endure for everlasting. Dr. Wells.
Hebrews 13:21
- —through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.] Here eternal glory is ascribed to Christ, as it is likewise 2 Pet. iii. 18; Rev. v. 12, 13. Dr. Macknight. Hence it follows, that Christ is to be owned as the true God: for this is the doxology ascribed in the New Testament to Him, of whom, and by whom, and to whom are all things, Rom. xi. 36; to God the Father, Gal. i. 5; to the Omnipotent God, Eph. iii. 20, 21; to Him who dwelleth in fight inaccessible, 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16; to the God of all grace, 1 Pet. v. 10, 11; to the only wise God our Saviour, Jude ver. 25. Dr. Whitby.
Hebrews 13:22
- —in few words.] That is, howsoever large in itself, yet very short in comparison of the weight and worth of the arguments, and that entire affection of mine from whence it hath proceeded. Bp. Hall.
Hebrews 13:23
- —Timothy is set at liberty:] Who had been a prisoner, some think at Rome; others, in some part of Asia. Bp. Fell.
The following Chapters from The Epistle to the Hebrews are appointed for Proper Lessons, or as Epistles, on Sundays and Holydays:
CHAP. I…ver. 1—12,… — IV… — V…ver. 1—11,… — IX…— 11—15,… — IX…— 16—28,… — X…— 1—25,… — XI. ver. 32 and XII. 1—7,… Christmas-day,… Epistle. Easter Even,… Evening. Sunday next before Easter,… ditto. 5th Sunday in Lent,… Epistle. Wednesday before Easter,… ditto. Good Friday,… ditto. All Saints,… Morning. King Charles the Martyr,… Evening. # OF THE # SEVEN CATHOLICK EPISTLES.
THE Epistle of St. James, the two Epistles of St. Peter, the three Epistles of St. John, and the Epistle of St. Jude, are called Catholick or General Epistles. They are mentioned by many ancient authors under that name; and they were probably so called, because most of them were written, not to particular persons, or to the churches of single cities or countries, as St. Paul’s Epistles were, but to several churches, or to believers in general. Bp. Tomlone.
THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF # JAMES. ### INTRODUCTION.
IN the catalogue of the Apostles given by the Evangelists we find two persons of the name of James, of whom one was son of Zebedee and brother of John, and the other was son of Alpheus or Cleophas, which are supposed to be the same name differently written, or different names for the same person. The latter James is in the Gospels called James the Less, Mark xv. 40; and the former is distinguished by the name of James the Great, though that appellation is not given him in Scripture. St. Paul mentions one of these two Apostles as “the Lord’s brother,” Gal. i. 19, that is, His near kinaman. And as there is no reason to think that the son of Zebedee was related to Christ, we conclude that he speaks of the son of Alpheus, who in other places of Scripture is said to be the brother of Christ, Matt. xiii. 55; Mark vi. 3. The degree of his relation to Christ seems to have been that of cousin-german, for St. John says, that Mary the wife of Cleophas was sister to Mary our Saviour’s mother, John xix. 25: and St. Mark informs us, that the name of the mother of James the Less was Mary, Mark xv. 40.
James the Less was the author of this Epistle. We have no account of his call to the Apostleship, nor are any particulars recorded of him in the Gospels. In the Acts, and in St. Paul’s Epistles, he is several times mentioned with great distinction; Acts xii. 17; xv. 13; xxi. 18; 1 Cor. xv. 7; Gal. i. 19; ii. 9, 12: but not in a manner to furnish us with many circumstances of his history. He seems to have been appointed by the other Apostles, probably soon after the martyrdom of St. Stephen, to reside at Jerusalem, and to superintend the affairs of the church there, while the rest of the Apostles travelled into other countries. His near relation to our Saviour was probably the cause of his being selected for this honourable station, the duties of which he discharged with such inflexible integrity and holy zeal, that he obtained the appellation of James the Just. By ancient writers he is called Bishop of Jerusalem, and is considered as presiding in that character at the council held at Jerusalem, for the purpose of determining whether it was necessary that Gentile converts to the Gospel should be circumcised. Upon that occasion he was the last who delivered his sentiments; and he summed up the arguments, and proposed the substance of the decree, to which the whole assembly readily acceded. He was put to death in the year 62, in a tumult raised by the unbelieving Jews, when there was no Roman governour in Judea, Festus being dead, and his successor Albinus not yet arrived.
This Epistle is generally believed to have been written a short time before the death of St. James: and therefore we may place the date of it with great probability about the year 61.
The immediate design of the Epistle was to animate the Jewish Christians to support with fortitude and patience any sufferings to which they might be exposed, and to enforce the genuine doctrines and practice of the Gospel,