Chapter Thirteen
Heb. 13:1. Let brotherly love continue among you. (cf. Rom. 12:10)
Heb. 13:2. Do not forget hospitality,
He did not say that you have acquired brotherly love and hospitality, for they had these, as it seemed; but since they were in danger, due to unceasing afflictions, of abandoning the care of these virtues, he says: "Let brotherly love... continue," let it be firm, and do not allow yourselves to avoid it. And hospitality, he says, "do not forget." For having suffered the plundering of their possessions, they were perhaps behaving stingily. Or he is also safeguarding them for the future.
Heb. 13:2. For through it some, without knowing, showed hospitality to Angels.
So important is hospitality, the reception of all people in general, and the non-judgment of brethren, that Abraham and Lot were given the occasion to receive angels (Gen. 18–19). "Without knowing," that is, they did not know that the strangers were angels, yet they received them with honor. This is what makes them great, for if they had known, then in that case they would not have done anything great.
Heb. 13:3. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them,
For he who is bound to someone, even if he wished to forget, cannot.
Heb. 13:3. And of those who suffer, as you yourselves also are in the body.
"The suffering" — whether in prisons, or in hunger, or in some other calamity. For whoever reflects that he too is clothed in a similar body will defend them, on the one hand out of sympathy, and on the other out of fear lest he himself, for his lack of compassion, should fall into similar calamities.
Heb. 13:4. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled;
See how often he speaks about chastity. Above, when mentioning the holiness of marriage (Heb. 12:14), he spoke about this chastity, and again after this he speaks about adulterers and fornicators. Or: in all circumstances and at all times. Not only in affliction and not only in times of peace: not "honorable" in this respect only, and not in another, but let it be entirely honorable. Here also the heretics who slander marriage are put to shame. For behold, it is called honorable precisely because it is preserved in chastity.
Heb. 13:4. But fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
And here the prohibition of fornication is joined with the threat of punishment, for God judges, that is, will condemn. And naturally so. For if marriage is permitted, then the fornicator and adulterer is justly subjected to punishment.
Heb. 13:5. Let your conduct be free from the love of money,
He did not say: acquire nothing, but, even if you have possessions, do not be slaves to them, but relate freely to what you have, so as not to grieve if you should ever be deprived of any of your property, as he also said above: "you accepted the plundering of your possessions with joy" (Heb. 10:34). And in general, since many after losing their possessions strive to acquire them again, in view of the necessity of rendering help to others he says: "let your conduct be free from the love of money." Which is why he continues.
Heb. 13:5. Content with what one has.
He shows how one can avoid being lovers of money, namely: if we are content with what we have, if we do not strive to acquire anything beyond what is needed and necessary. For whoever strives to acquire more than is needed is obviously a lover of money.
Heb. 13:5. For He Himself said: I will not leave you nor forsake you. (Cf. Josh. 1:5; Gen. 28:15)
Since as it was likely that some were saying: what then, if we do not even have the necessities? – he answers that this can never be, for God says through the mouth of Isaiah: I will not forsake you (cf. Isa. 43:2) and, of course, does not lie. But since it was likely that these same people from among the Jews were saying: what present things shall we be content with? We have been plundered and nothing is left to us – he says: one can be content even with what remains, however little it may be. For God said: I will not forsake you, that is, I will not allow you to come to that. If the apostle perhaps understood this with reference to material needs, then you should understand it as said also with reference to every matter.
Heb. 13:6. So that we boldly say: The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear: what shall man do to me? (Cf. Ps. 117:6)
Since God Himself said this, it is undoubtedly true. And so, let us boldly say again that the plunderers of our possessions will not constrain us.
Heb. 13:7. Remember your leaders, who preached to you the word of God,
He convinces the Thessalonians of this as well, to show them the greatest honor (1 Thess. 5:13). And just as those teachers made them partakers of the word of God, so they in turn ought to assist them as much as possible in material needs. Regarding this, he hints to them with the word "remember." Or he urges them to imitate them.
Heb. 13:7. Looking at the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith.