Read Hebrews 13:4-5; Luke 16:10-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1; Ephesians 5:3-5; and Colossians 3:5. What two evils are related in these passages?

Paul warns the readers against sexual immorality and greed because they were two grave threats to brotherly love. In fact, New Testament authors and ancient moralists noted a connection between them.

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Paul’s call to honor marriage implied the avoidance of anything that would belittle it. This avoidance included abstaining both from violation of the marriage oath and from unwarranted divorces (compare with Matthew 19:9). The exhortation to keep the marriage bed undefiled refers to avoiding the profanation of marriage through sexual relationships outside of marriage. The expression “fornicators” refers in the New Testament to every form of sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Matthew 19:9; Ephesians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15). In addition, Greco-Roman society was lax in regard to sexual ethics. A double standard was common; this allowed men license in their sexual relationships as long as they were discreet. Paul warns, however, that God will judge adulterers. Believers should not let social conventions establish their own ethical standards.

“Love of money” was one of the main categories of vices in the Greco-Roman world. In fact, in another letter Paul referred to “love of money” as the source of all evils (1 Timothy 6:10).

The defense against this vice is an attitude that Paul encourages in several epistles. First, they should “be content” with the things they had (also 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:11-12). Furthermore, Christians should believe and embrace God’s promise that God would “never leave … nor forsake” them (Hebrews 13:5). This promise was given at several places and moments to His people and is available to us today (Genesis 28:15; Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:8; Joshua 1:5; 1 Chronicles 28:20). Believers, then, are invited to respond to God’s promise with the words of Psalm 118:6 (ESV): “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” This reference to Psalm chapter 118 is appropriate because the psalmist expressed there his confidence in God, despite the suffering inflicted upon him by unbelievers.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Read Hebrews 13:1-2; Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; and 1 Peter 4:9. What was the role of hospitality in the early church?

Christianity was a wandering movement that often depended on the hospitality of both Christians and non-Christians. The instruction to “not forget” to show hospitality probably does not simply refer to the failure to think about taking someone in but about willful neglect.

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Paul does not have in mind hospitality only for fellow believers. He reminds his readers that by entertaining strangers some have unwittingly entertained angels (Hebrews 13:2). He probably had in mind the visit of the three men to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:2-15). Offering hospitality implies sharing possessions with another person and suffering with others, which is what Jesus did for us (Hebrews 2:10-18).

Brotherly love toward those in prison implied not simply that believers remembered prisoners in their prayers but also by providing relief through material and emotional support. There was a risk of willful neglect of prisoners. Those who provided material and emotional support to those condemned by society identified themselves with them. In some sense they became “partners” with them and made themselves vulnerable to social abuse (Hebrews 10:32-34).

Paul’s exhortation uses images and language to encourage the readers in regard to prisoners. First, the author evokes the readers’ own support for their incarcerated brethren in the past. They had become “companions” or “partners” to those who had been “publicly exposed to reproach and affliction” (Hebrews 10:33, ESV). Second, the language of “mistreatment” echoes the example of Moses, who chose “rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25, ESV). Finally, Paul captures the ideal of brotherly love. He reminds the readers that they “also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3, ESV). They share the same human condition and should treat others as they would like to be treated if they were in the same circumstances; that is, in prison. The people should, then, provide material and emotional support to prisoners, showing them that they were not abandoned.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Hebrews 13:1-25, Romans 12:13, Ephesians 5:3–5, 1 Peter 5:1–4, Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 4:16, Galatians 2:20.

Memory Text: “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1).

Hebrews chapter 13 presents the apostle’s concluding admonition: “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1). He has affirmed throughout the epistle that we are of the household of the King-High Priest, Jesus, His brothers and sisters. The author does not conceive of the audience only as a group of individuals who work on their salvation in a one-to-one relationship with Jesus, but as a family, or household, saved together. Paul has characterized the work of Jesus for us as “brotherly love”: He was “not ashamed to call them brothers” (Hebrews 2:11, ESV). Thus, believers should do for one another what Jesus did for them.

Throughout the letter, brotherly love involved “exhorting one another” so that no one would fall short of the grace of God (Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:24-25; Hebrews 12:15-17). In chapter 13 it involves numerous elements: hospitality (Hebrews 13:2), visiting and supporting prisoners and those who had been mistreated (Hebrews 13:3), honoring marriage (Hebrews 13:4), avoiding covetousness (Hebrews 13:5-6), remembering and obeying the leaders of the church (Hebrews 13:7-17), and praying for the author himself (Hebrews 13:18-19).

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 26.

Sunday–>

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Support for the mission activities of the Seventh-day Adventist church has always been part of the Sabbath School program. This video is Mission Spotlight for this week.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQPgKJVO0oc&w=560&h=315]

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This video is produced by the South Pacific Division Discipleship team.

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