Concluding Commandments St. Paul concluded his epistle by a practical speech like in all his other epistles. The speech corresponded to the spiritual thought which was declared throughout the whole epistle. In the previous chapter, he talked about our commitment to the living strife, to enjoy the intercession of the Lord Jesus and our unity with the Father in Him. In this chapter, he translates this strife to practical points like love, praise, obedience etc. 1. Brotherly love 1. 2. Love for strangers 2,3. 3. Marital love 4-6. 4. Love for the Pastors 7. 5. Fleeing from heresies 8-11. 6. Suffering with Christ 12-14. 7. Praise 15,16. 8. Submitting to those who rule over us 17-22. 9. Conclusion 23-25. 1. BROTHERLY LOVE To enjoy the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus as the Heavenly High Priest and the propitiation for our sins, we have to declare our love to others. This is not a condition, but rather a unity between the divine love and the brotherly love. Truly, the more our heart is widened through His love and work in us, the more we love our brothers. The more we love our brothers, the more that God manifests His love in us. St. Paul commands us by saying: "Let brotherly love continue" [1]. St. John Chrysostom says: [See how he commands to continue on what they were previously doing... For he does not say, "love the brothers," but rather, "Let brotherly love ue1." Thus through the wisdom of the Spirit, St. Paul encourages them to grow in love, not as a new commandment, but rather as a life that they have practiced. He repeated what he had said to the Thessolonians, "But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another" (1 Thess.4:9). St. Paul realized that the believers cannot be void of love, but they carry its seeds all the time, and they need to grow and be steadfast in it. 2. LOVE OF STRANGERS St. Paul translates the brotherly love into practical aspects, starting with entertaining strangers. For the second time, he does not present the commandment as an order, but rather as a reminder to practice what they already do, and their fathers have formerly practiced it, and obtained a great reward. He said, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" [2]. He reminded them of their father Abraham when he entertained the three angels at his tent door at Mamre, then he discovered that they were the Lord Himself and two angels. He also reminded them of Lot who entertained two angels. We, as strangers on this earth, have to take care of strangers; and as liable to fall into trouble to help those who are in trouble. He said, "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them, and those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the body also" [3]. We do not share just with mere sympathy, but practical love. We have true fellowship with each member and share his feelings. "If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it" (1 Cor. 12:26). "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those 1 In Hebr. hom 33:1. Chapter 1 2 who weep" (Rom. 12:15). God's children lived in this fellowship in the Old and New Testaments. When Jeremiah the prophet saw the people suffering because of the captivity, he said, "For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; astonishment has taken hold of me" (Jer. 8:21). St. Paul says, "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?" (2 Cor. 11:29) The fellowship of practical love was also apparent in what the loving Church Fathers have said. St. John Chrysostom says, [I love you more than anything else in the world, more even than light! I would like to offer my eyes many times, very happily to you, for your repentance! I love you, and you are everything to me, my father, my mother, my brothers and children2.] 3. MARITAL LOVE "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge" [4]. Marriage is honorable in the eyes of man who cannot tolerate defilement. A true Christian lives in purity not under the slavery of carnal lusts. St. Paul emphasized, "Marriage is honorable among all," that is, in the eyes of the married as well as the celibates. St. Paul was afraid lest the Gnostic philosophy, which antagonizes the body and defiles marriage, may sneak into the thoughts of Christian people. Even the Fathers of the wilderness have emphasized this to the monks and the nuns, that their choice of the life of virginity was nothing except a desire to devote all energies to worship God and serve Him, and not as hatred to marital life nor consider it impure. St. Athanasius of Alexandria wrote to Father Amon saying: [There are two roads in life: one is chaste and normal, which is marriage, and the other is surpassing nature and angelic, which is virginity. When someone chooses the former way, that is marriage, he is not to be blamed, but he is not rewarded like the other, for he brings forth fruit, thirty times. However, when one chooses the latter road, the harder way, he is more wonderfully rewarded for this way of life brings forth more complete fruits, that is a hundred times3.] St. Jerome says: [Virginity, which is a product of marriage, is preferred over marriage. Is it considered an insult to the tree when its apples are preferable to its roots and leaves? Does it hurt the wheat when priority is given to its spike rather than the stem and the blade?! As the apples are from the tree, and the wheat seeds are from the spike, likewise virginity is from marriage. Crops may produce hundred times, sixty and thirty times from the same soil and from one plant, but the difference is in the quantity. Thirty times refer to marriage... Sixty times refer to widowhood where the widow is in distress... Hundred times refer to the crown of virginity4.] After talking about the holiness of marriage and fleeing from adultery, St. Paul moves on to talk about not loving money, and depending on God without fear and worry, for He cares for us. and supports us. "Let your conduct be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said. 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" [5,6] Adultery and love of money are related to one another, for both come out of an empty heart, and have no place in a heart satisfied with God's love. Such a person does not need a physical lust which gives a temporarily satisfaction, nor money on which he can rely! God's love satisfies a person so he may find rest, physically, spiritually, and psychologically, under all circumstances. 4. LOVE OF PASTORS "Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct" [7]. Let us remember our spiritual fathers the shepherds who hide behind the Word of God and witness to it, not by their money, but by the Divine Word proclaimed in their ministry and behavior. St. John 2 In Acts, hom., 3. 3 Ep. 48. 4 Ep. 98:2,3. Chapter 1 3 Chrysostom says: [What kind of remembrance is that? Let us follow what is good in them, for He said to follow their example and faith, for faith is declared in the pure life5.] We have previously mentioned in the book “Pastoral Love,” that believers should declare their love to the priests, because they have devoted all their lives to the Word of God. The priest by his turn, should not preach only by words but by his life and example which should be illuminated and witnessing to the truth. 5. FLEEING FROM HERESIES "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines..." [8,9] St. Paul, commanding them not to be carried about with various and strange doctrines, assured them that Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. He is the living Son of God who is unchangeable. We accept Him as our Fathers have accepted Him yesterday, and we deliver the faith to the next generations without deviation. He is the heavenly High Priest who worked in our Fathers, and still works for our sake, and works forever till He brings the whole Church to His eternal glory. When we abide in the Lord Christ, we reject all heresies. We do not ask for new teachings, for our Christ never gets old, but His blessings are new, every day in our lives. Here, he mentions the heresies which appeared in his era, as the Gnostic philosophy that deprived people of certain food, not because of spiritual asceticism, but because it is evil, and they also consider marriage defilement. St. Paul says, "For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them" [9]. St. Paul wanted to remove that Gnostic approach from their thinking, and presented a holy look toward everything, even food. 6. SUFFERING WITH THE LORD CHRIST St. Paul moves from the talk about fleeing from heresies to the necessity to contemplate on the sufferings of the Crucified Lord. And instead of occupying ourselves with temporary foods, we should lift our hearts to the Holy Heavenly Sacrifice! Upon meditating on the cross, St. Paul wanted to accomplish two matters: to remove bitterness the Hebrews who believed in Christ felt, because they were deprived of the Jewish rites, and were expelled from the camp. The second matter is to accept suffering with the Crucified Christ joyfully. St. Paul says, "We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp" [10,11]. As if he says, since in the Jewish rite, the Jewish priests had no right to eat from the beasts whose blood was brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, and were burnt outside the camp, then, how much more, they can not enjoy the Sacrifice of the Lord Christ who was crucified outside the camp, and risen to heaven! They were deprived of what we enjoy, the Lord's Body and Blood shed for us; the mystery of the Eucharist for our sanctification! Here St. Paul assumes them, that it’s not them who are deprived, but rather those who still follow the Jewish rites and are still remaining under the symbols and shadows. They are deprived of eating animal sacrifices that the high priest offers for sin, also the True Sacrifice which the Lord has granted to His believers. This rite symbolizes that the Lord Christ is cast outside the camp and is crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem. Therefore, we have to go out and carry the reproach of His cross, and share in His sufferings while we are expelled outside Jerusalem. "Therefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach" [12,13]. He is telling the Hebrews not to be ashamed of being expelled from the Sanhedrin, because their Christ was expelled earlier. It is a great honor for us to be expelled with Him and remain outside the camp, as a deposit for our going out of this world and 5 In Hebr. Hom., 33:3. Chapter 1 4 enjoying the city to come. "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come" [14]. Our expulsion from the earthly Jerusalem is a deposit for our entry into our Heavenly Jerusalem. St. John Chrysostom says: [He was crucified outside as a criminal; therefore, we should not be ashamed of our expulsion6.] By the Lord's expulsion as a criminal, we became honored to be expelled. Even if people do not expel us by troubling us, we should not love worldly things, but carry our cross inside us, and desire the heavenly glory. 7. PRAISE "Therefore, by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" [15]. Going outside the camp does not cause grumbling nor murmuring, but transfers the person to a divine harp which utters praise and arouses joy. As long as one is not expelled alone, but with the Lord Jesus, and in Him, then suffering and expulsion become a source of inner joy, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, who gives joy to the believer by offering himself a sacrifice of love to God through His Son. This joy is declared through praises, through the fruit of our lips that witness to Him, and through the inner heart, as well as through action by fulfilling the commandment. St. Paul continues, "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" [16]. Praising is not just mere words to be uttered by the lips, but rather it is a nature of life which the believer lives. He declares it in his heart through feelings full of love to God, through words of praises by his lips, and through good deeds. St. Jerome comments on what the Psalmist says, "Let the rivers clap their hands" by saying that believers, who became like rivers, on which the waters of the true River flows, clap not only by hands but by continuous spiritual deeds, and praise the Holy Trinity by the living behavior. 8. SUBMITTING TO THOSE WHO RULE OVER US "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you" [17]. St. John Chrysostom talks about the importance of submitting to spiritual guidance by saying: [Lack of administration causes many problems and creates chaos and no organization! A band with no conductor has no harmony in the music. When the officer is away from his army, he cannot discipline his troop. If the ship has no leader, it will sink. Likewise, when the flock is without a shepherd, it will be scattered.. Hence, Lack of administration causes chaos. Moreover, not obeying the rulers is worst. Those who have no rulers are excused if they are not disciplined. But those who have rulers, and they do not obey them, have no excuse, but they have to be punished7.] Obeying the rulers does not mean aristocracy of the pastors or their superiority over the people. for St. Paul himself feels that he needs the prayers of his people. He says, "Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner" [18,19]. St. Paul declares the relationship of love between the pastor and his flock. The pastor prays for them, and they for him. He desires to meet them soon, thus he asks for their prayers to support him, and to fulfill his desire for them. 9. CONCLUSION OF THE EPISTLE St. Paul concludes his epistle by his apostolic blessing. "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, 6 In Hebr. Hom., 33:4. 7 تفسیر العب ا رنیین، مقال 34 ، (مخطوط بدیر السریان). Chapter 1 5 to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen" [20,21]. The apostolic blessing is in harmony with the content of the epistle, for he asks the Father to grant them the perfect life in every good work to do His will, working in them through the heavenly High Priest, the great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ. Since the Lord Jesus has offered Himself the Perfect Sacrifice, submitting to the Father in complete obedience, therefore, St. Paul desires that we carry His traits in us. Finally, St. Paul asks them to bear with the word of exhortation [22], as if the epistle here is directed to the whole congregation. As he says to them: "Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints" [24].
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