Hebrews 13:17-25 Lesson 436

Hebrews 13:17-25
Lesson 436

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

The final appeal (13:17-19), benediction (13:20-21), and closing remarks (13:22-25).

Verses 13:20-21 are a short but masterful summary of Hebrews.

"Abide with me."

By British artist Simon Dewey (1962 - ).

Who was -
Timothy -
Timothy was a disciple of Christ, Paul's protégé, a minister, an important leader in the early church, and an evangelist from the city of Lystra (in modern-day Turkey). He was also called Timotheus (one who honors God). Timothy was part Jewish, the son of a Jewish mother (Eunice) and a Gentile father (Acts 16:1-3). He studied The Old Testament as a child (2 Timothy 3:15) and became a believer with his mother and grandmother Lois (2 Timothy 1:5) during Paul's first visit to Lystra. Shy by nature and plagued by illness (1 Timothy 5:23), Timothy was well thought of by believers (Acts 16:2). He was like a son to Paul (Philippians 2:22; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1:18; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2:1) and accompanied him on the second (Acts 16:3-4) and third missionary journeys (1 Corinthians 16:10). Timothy helped Paul spread the Gospel (Romans 16:21; 1 Corinthians 16:10), write 2 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1:1), Philippians (Philippians 1:1), Colossians (Colossians 1:1), and Philemon (Philemon 1:1), and helped him found the church in Philippi (Acts 16:11-12). Acts 19:22, 1 Thessalonians 3:1-10, and 1 Corinthians 4:17 report that Paul sent the talented Timothy to Macedonia, Thessalonica, and Corinth respectively to stabilize their struggling churches. Later, the aging Paul addressed the epistles 1 Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2) and 2 Timothy (2 Timothy 1:2) to him, and the loyal Timothy traveled to Rome to visit the imprisoned Paul (Philemon 1:1). Timothy himself was imprisoned and then released (Hebrews 13:23). He was devoted to Jesus, committed to the welfare of others (Philippians 2:20), and spent his life spreading the word of God.

Study Tip:

As you read the Bible, concentrate on how to apply each passage to your life. Applying God's truth to better ourselves is a difficult part of Bible work and sometimes requires several days of thought and prayer per application. But the results are worth the effort.

The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Hebrews

The King James Bible

Hebrews 13:17-25
Final verses

17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for 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.

18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

19 But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

22 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.

23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.

24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

25 Grace be with you all. Amen.

Margin notes:

"Obey them that have the rule over you." (13:17) - "Obey your religious leaders."  Acts 20:28 tells religious leaders to watch over their "flock." This verse tells believers to reciprocate by obeying their leaders.

"We trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly." (13:18) - "We have a clear conscience, and want to live honestly in everything we do."

"I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner." (13:19) - "I urge you to pray that I can visit you again soon."

"The everlasting covenant." (13:20) - "The New covenant." The Old Covenant was temporary; the New Covenant is everlasting.

"Make you perfect in every good work to do his will." (13:21) - "Make you equipped (prepared, informed) to do His will."

"Through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever." (13:21) - Glory to Jesus Christ (Romans 11:36).

"Suffer the word of exhortation." (13:22) - "Tolerate my words of encouragement."

"Timothy is set at liberty." (13:23) - "Timothy is out of prison."

"Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints." (13:24) - "Greet all your church leaders and believers."

New Living Translation

Hebrews 13:17-25

17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

18 Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do.

19 And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon.

20 Now may the God of peace-
      who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
   the great Shepherd of the sheep,
      and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood-

21 may he equip you with all you need
      for doing his will.
   May he produce in you,
      through the power of Jesus Christ,
   every good thing that is pleasing to him.
      All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

22 I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation.

23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released from jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you.

24 Greet all your leaders and all the believers there. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.

25 May God's grace be with you all.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. What is the job of church leaders?

"The more you come to know about the Lord, the more useful you are in this world to someone else."

Pastor Calvin Perrigo (1925-1994)

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. The job of church leaders is to teach the word of God, lead people to Christ, and help them grow spiritually.

Application thought for the day:

Go back and review the thirteen chapters of Hebrews.
You'll find many practical applications, anyone could make a positive change in your life.

If you let Him, God will change your life.

This is the final lesson for "The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Hebrews."

In twenty-two lessons we learned how to survive the spiritual uncertainty.
We found that the New Covenant is superior to the Old and that Jesus is the mediator between
God and mankind. Hebrews ties the New Testament to the Old Testament and is an inspirational
message designed to help Christians overcome life's many obstacles and temptations.

The Next book is James, written by Jesus' half-brother.

God Bless!

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2023 evolke

Subscribe for Free Bible Lessons