A Torah Verse By Verse Commentary Of Paul's Epistles by Re'tzon Ha'El - HTML preview

Chapter 13

V1-2 Philadelphia/fraternal affection with a personal attachment to it, differs from agape/social, moral love of which we are commanded to have for our fellow man even if they are our enemies Matt 5:44. We should have a deep affection for all saints, even those who may be strangers yet holy, as we may unbeknown to us, be fellowshipping with angels of YHVH cf Gen 18:1-3

V3 This is typical Pauline exhortation as are v4 and 5. We are reminded that if one member of the body of Messiah suffers, we all do as a result, and hence should never shy away from reaching out to those in tribulation.

V4 Requires no commentary as it is plain fact. It is unfortunate that adultery is rife within Christendom in our day and age, almost being embraced as redeemable sin. Pornos refers to male prostitutes. Pastors in today’s mega churches are curiously associated almost exclusively with prostituting themselves with their female congregants, particularly in so-called prosperity gospels and also worse of Catholic priests and young boys whom they prey upon.

V5 cf Deut 31:6,8 Our tropos/deportment must by all means exclude envy and jealousy. In the increasingly materialistic world we live in, even the churches of today have become an arena to outclass one another in dress, cars, and general wealth, worryingly being preached by prosperity pastors as evidence of Elohim’s love for us. The whole epistle has beyond measure defined the promise of inheritance and blessings being that of life eternal, and the author being most likely Paul lived a life of trials and imprisonments, and certainly not of worldly glamour and splendour. YHVH provides for us spiritually, no matter how dire our worldly, fleshly state may be Phil 4:11-13.

V6 cf Ps 118:6. Nobody, not even Satan himself can forcefully imprison our souls. Satan and his worldly powers may afflict our bodies in order to try and win our souls, but ultimately, we choose either him or YHVH as our Lord. We were left with the Spirit of Elohim to be our succourer when Yeshua ascended to heaven Jn 14:16-18. A comforter is one who helps in times of trials and tribulations. The Holy Spirit was not left for us to accumulate fleeting worldly riches, otherwise Yeshua would have clearly stated such a superfluous need.

V7-8 A different word for conversation is used from that of v5. The Greek anastrophe means behaviour. The exhortation here has nothing to do with worldly political leaders, who invariably source their power from Satan himself, who currently is the prince of the world. Rather the reference is to follow the faith of leaders of the congregation e.g. elders and deacons, who practice what they preach. Their conduct must be unwavering in nature as that of our example Yeshua the High Priest. It is important to note that if Yeshua is the same yesterday, today and forever then it is foolish to think that the author of Torah, who has commanded us to obey His laws, should then suddenly decide to capriciously abolish Torah after having died on the cross. Simple reasoning should prevent us from being deviated into false doctrine.

V9-10 These 2 verses when read by someone who has no understanding of the Torah and chooses to ignore the law laid out in Genesis through to Deuteronomy, will foolishly conclude that the dietary laws were abolished through the teachings of Yeshua and writings of the apostles (Paul in particular). The same conclusions are derived from lack of understanding of the contexts in Mark 7, Acts chs. 10 and 11, Romans 14, Colossians 2:16-17, or 1 Timothy 4:1-5. I refer the listener/reader to my commentaries on Romans 14 and Colossians 2:16-17 which thoroughly bring clarity to the messages given in the aforementioned scriptures.

In order to bring Heb 13:9-10 into perspective it is necessary to read some Old Testament and Pauline scripture to understand what the author was bringing to light. Cf Num 5:9-10; 18:8-20; Deut 12:1,15,18,23,26-27; 1 Cor 8:1,7-8;9:13. Broma is translated meats which is King James English for food. Our hearts are established by the grace brought about by sanctification through Yeshua’s blood, not by food/meat. In 13:10 ek translated ‘whereof’ in modern English is ‘out of which’ and the word translated ‘right’ is the Greek exousia which is almost always translated elsewhere as authority and power. Correctly translated v10 should read ‘we have an altar out of which they have no authority and power to eat which serve the tabernacle’. It is clear that those serving the tabernacle is in reference to those serving the earthly tabernacle of Levitical priestly lineage, who as we have seen in the Old Testament scriptures relating to Torah, were allowed to eat the food (meat or grain) sacrificed to Elohim at the altar, as were the laity in certain circumstances.

Because Yeshua is our one-time sacrifice for remission of sins, the altar where His blood was offered is in heaven, of which it is indeed true that those sacrificing on earth had no authority nor power to be in the heavenly altar. This greatly Pauline analogy, was to differentiate the inferiority of earthly sacrifice of meat and grain to that of the infinitely superior blood of Messiah. There is no allusion to Kosher vs non-Kosher food whatsoever. Dietary laws were and always will be standing and the replacement of the Aaronic priesthood by that of the order of Melchizedek has nothing to do with dietary law.

Yeshua never broke the dietary laws and at His return to rule for a thousand years on earth shall never break these laws which He instituted and codified at Mt Sinai. The strange doctrines around food in Paul’s day, which he had to bring to our attention were numerous and included veganism vs meat eating, food sacrificed to idols, food abstinence and unwarranted condemnation for observing dietary laws.

V11-12 cf Lev 4:1-2,12-13,21. Continuing with the analogy which ever-the-more is incongruous with the flawed inference to dietary law, the author in Pauline style reveals the antitype of the sin offering being burned outside the camp being that of Yeshua who was crucified outside the camp Jn 19:17. Golgotha is outside the gates of Jerusalem.

V13-14 By leaving behind the old sacrificial system whereby sinners of old sought remission of sins in Jerusalem, we are to seek the superior means of redemption in Yeshua who is in New Jerusalem, which is heavenly and yet to come. Again, I stress that the means of remission in Torah was improved. Torah in its entirety was not abolished.

V15-16 Sacrifices which please Elohim are:

a. Praise by our lips giving thanks Hos 14:2; Ps 50:14; Neh 12:40

b. Good deeds-which Torah defines 2 Thes 3:13; Mic 6:7-8. His name refers to the sacred name Yehovah cf Ex 22:20.

V17 cf Ez 9:6, 1Pet 4:17; Matt 18:6 Peitho translated obey, is better rendered trust. The phrase ‘them that have the rule over you’ is the Greek word hegeomai which means a leader. Hence, we are exhorted to trust our leaders in the ecclesia and we are to hupeiko/yield to their authority. This admonition is only valid provided these elders of the ecclesia pass the test of Heb 13:7-8 i.e. those who walk in the steps of Yeshua. Such leaders have that knowledge that YHVH’s judgement starts with them, and hence cannot afford to deviate from truth, and apostatise the ecclesia, as their punishment would far exceed that of their congregants Lk 12:47-48.

V18 The author, evidently being a leader requests prayers from the flock of Yeshua given unto him to watch over, in order to remain strong in the faith, never falling for the wiles of Satan, for the profit of the body of Yeshua. Leaders in the church must never forget that the flock is not theirs, but of the good and great shepherd, and that they are merely temporary caretakers John 10:11. Prayer for the elders is necessary as they are targeted by the greater forces of evil to destabilize the body of Messiah. In essence their Christian walk is in most cases more perilous than that of the congregants.

V19 Increased evidence that Paul penned this epistle, as this is his style of writing Phile 1:22; Rom 15:31-32; 1 Cor 4:19. This statement also qualifies my comment of true Christian leaders being in greater perils and tribulations wrought by Satan’s host than congregants.

V20 -21 It is Elohim, through His Holy Spirit working in us, guiding and leading our every thought and action, that perfects our deeds, aligning them with His will. It is the atoning blood of our Great Shepherd, Yeshua of Nazareth that permits the Holy Spirit of peace to work in us who have faith in that precious blood.

V22-25 As heavy in content and meaning as this epistle is, the author evidently felt that it was but a synopsis of a greater deal that he still had to share. Regardless he begged the readers to uphold the encouragement detailed in its content. The mention of Timothy, the author’s amanuensis, being in the author’s company and also the fact that the epistle was penned in Italy, gives greater weight to the argument that Paul wrote the epistle anonymously to the Jewish nation, whom he generally was at variance with. His closing statement is Pauline in nature too. Amen