The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (252 page)

Sacrifices Well-Pleasing to God

13
  
*
 Let brotherly love continue.
²
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have
entertained angels
unawares.
³
Remember those who are in prison, as though
in prison
with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body.
⁴
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let
the marriage bed
be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous.
⁵
Keep your life free from
love of money
, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never fail you nor forsake you."
⁶
Hence we can confidently say,

  
"
The Lord is my helper
,

  
I will not be afraid;

  
what can man do to me?"

7
 
Remember your leaders
, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.
⁸
Jesus Christ is
the same
yesterday and today and for ever.
⁹
Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be strengthened by grace,
not by foods
, which have not benefited their adherents.
 
*
¹⁰
We have
an altar
from which those who serve the tent
^a
have no right to eat.
¹¹
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.
¹²
So Jesus also suffered
outside the gate
in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
¹³
Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing abuse for him.
 
*
¹⁴
For here we have no lasting city, but we seek
the city which is to come
.
¹⁵
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
¹⁶
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

17
 
Obey your leaders
and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.

18
 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.
¹⁹
I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction

20
 Now may the God of peace who brought again
from the dead
our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,
²¹
equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you
^b
that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Exhortation and Greetings

22
 I appeal to you, brethren, bear with my
word of exhortation
, for I have written to you briefly.
²³
You should understand that our brother
Timothy
has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon.
²⁴
Greet all your leaders and all the saints.
Those who come from Italy
send you greetings.
²⁵
Grace be with all of you. Amen.

Commentary on The Letter to the Hebrews

1:1-4
Hebrews opens with a contrast between two periods of history: the
past,
where the revelation of God through the prophets was piecemeal and provisional, and the
present,
where the disclosure of his plan through the Son is complete and definitive. No new revelation will be given to supplant or surpass the faith that was "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). All has been finalized through Christ, who is the divine Creator (Heb 1:2), Sustainer (1:3), and Redeemer of the world (1:3) (CCC 65, 320). 
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1:1 many and various ways:
OT revelation came at many different times (primeval, patriarchal, Mosaic, etc.) and in many different ways (dreams, visions, theophanies, etc.).
God spoke:
A towering theme in Hebrews, linked with divinely sworn oaths (3:11; 6:17-18; 7:21) and with the divine voice speaking in the Scriptures (1:5, 7, 13; 2:11-12; 3:7; 4:3-5; etc.). 
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1:2 these last days:
An expression used in the Greek OT for the messianic age (Num 24:14; Is 2:2; Dan 10:14; Hos 3:5).
heir of all things:
As all things were created through the Son as an instrument, so they return to him as an inheritance. Christ is thus the legal "first-born" (1:6) who inherits the cosmic estate of the Father (Col 1:15-16). See word study:
First-born.
• If the Son is the heir of all things, then he must be distinct from all things. If God created the world through him, then he cannot be one of its creatures, since he existed before them. No creature has its origin before the foundation of the world but is created in time. Only the Son exists timelessly with the Father and the Holy Spirit (cf. St. Cyril of Alexandria,
Treasury of the Trinity
32).
the ages:
Or "the world"—the Greek term can refer to space as well as to time (e.g., in 11:3, the world/ages refers to all that is "seen" in the visible universe). 
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1:3 reflects the glory
: Christ is the divine "brightness" or "radiance" that shines forth from the Lord. As such, he is Light from Light, true God from true God (CCC 464). • The author is using a term from Wis 7:26, where the divine Wisdom of God is described as the "reflection of eternal light".
See note on Col 1:15-20
. stamp of his nature: Also testifies to the divinity of Christ, who is said to bear the "character" or "imprint" of God's eternal Being. his word: The context implies that Christ himself is the Word of God, in contrast to the fragmentary expressions of God's word that came through the prophets (1:1). See word study:
Word
at Jn 1:1. purification . . . sat down: Jesus is both priest and king. Later chapters will show that his enthronement is not his retirement, but merely the beginning of his royal-priestly ministry in heaven (7:23-25; 9:24; CCC 662). 
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1:4 name . . . more excellent:
The superior name is "Son" (1:5, 8). However, since the angels are collectively called "sons of God" in Scripture (Job 1:6; 38:7), it is possible that the author is thinking specifically of Christ as the "first-born" Son (Heb 1:6), as this would certify his unique preeminence over the angels. See word study:
First-born.
 
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1:5-13
Seven quotations from the OT are cited to support the exalted description of Christ in the opening verses: he is the Son and heir of the Father (1:2 and 1:5), the mediator of creation (1:2 and 1:10), the eternal God (1:3 and 1:8, 11), and the enthroned king (1:3 and 1:13). • The passages cited are Ps 2:7, 2 Sam 7:14, the LXX Greek version of Deut 32:43, Ps 104:4, Ps 45:6-7, Ps 102:25, and Ps 110:1. Together these texts affirm the divinity (Son of God) and royal dignity (son of David) of Jesus Christ. 
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1:14 ministering spirits:
The angels are protectors of the saints, mediators of grace, and ministers who offer the prayers of God's people in heaven (Ps 91:11; Acts 12:11; Rev 8:3-4) (CCC 331-36). • All angels have the same nature among themselves; nevertheless, some of them stand over nations, while others are present beside each one of the faithful (St. Basil the Great,
Against Eunomius
3, 1). 
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2:1-18
Hebrews 1 established the exaltation of Christ
above
the angels; Hebrews 2 looks back on the humiliation of Christ when he stooped
lower
than the angels. There is also a contrast between the angels as mediators of the Old Covenant and the Lord Jesus as the mediator of the New Covenant (2:1-4). Later chapters will show that Christ is superior to other covenant mediators, such as Moses and Joshua (chaps. 3-4), as well as Aaron and the Levitical priests (chaps. 5-7). 
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Word Study

First-born
(
Heb 1:6
)

Prōtotokos
(Gk.): "first-born" or "oldest son". The term is used three times in Hebrews (1:6; 11:28; 12:23) and five times in the rest of the NT (Lk 2:7; Rom 8:29; Col 1:15, 18; Rev 1:5). In Israel, primogeniture, or first-born sonship, was a mark of fraternal distinction. Socially, the first-born of an Israelite family was entitled to the largest share of his father's inheritance (Deut 21:15-17; 2 Chron 21:3). In patriarchal times, the first-born son succeeded his father as the ruling and religious head of the family. This helps to explain why first-born sonship and priesthood are closely associated in Scripture. Through the Mosaic covenant, Yahweh consecrates his "first-born son" Israel (Ex 4:22) to be a "kingdom of priests" over the family of nations (Ex 19:6). Through the Davidic covenant, Yahweh established David and Solomon as his "first-born" sons (Ps 89:27) to act as kings and priests over Israel (2 Sam 6:12-19; 1 Kings 3:15; 8:62-63). This sets the stage for messianic times, when the Father enthrones his Son as the first-born, priest, king, and heir of all things (Heb 1:2-13; 5:5-6). In union with the First-born, other brothers and sisters in the faith (Heb 12:23) become fellow heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17), as well as a royal and priestly people (1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:6).
See note on Rom 8:29
.