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"Outside the camp" and "within the veil" find their equivalent in the prison epistles
where we are seated together in the heavenlies, we find our citizenship in heaven,
counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, having no room
for the elements of the world, or for its attempts at sanctity. We, too, shall find that as we
set our mind on things above, where Christ is sitteth at the right hand of God, there will
be a corresponding mortifying of the members that are on the earth.
#65. The Great Shepherd, and the adjusting of the believer
(13: 18-25).
pp. 123 - 128
We now consider the closing portion of this wonderful epistle: "Pray for us; for we
trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you
the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner." Paul continually
expressed a desire for the prayers of the saints on this behalf. The following may be
taken as samples:--
"Ye also helping together by prayer" (II Cor. 1: 11).
"Praying . . . . . for all saints and for me" (Eph. 6: 18, 19).
"Finally, brethren, pray for us" (II Thess. 3: 1).
His reference to a "good conscience" is also quite characteristic, and especially when
he has been touching upon the passing of the faith of his fathers:--
"Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day"
(Acts 23: 1).
"But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I
the God of my fathers . . . . . I exercise myself, to have a conscience void of offence
toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24: 14-16).
Paul has much to say concerning the conscience, but this is better dealt with as a
separate subject.
His request that these Hebrews should pray for him that he might be restored the
sooner, and the reference to Timothy being "set at liberty", or "dismissed", show that
those to whom the epistle was written knew who the writer was and the circumstances in
which he was then placed. We do not, and it is evident that such knowledge is
unnecessary for the understanding of the epistle.
The writer of the epistle calls it a "word of exhortation" and "a letter in few words".
Whether the word apoluo should be interpreted as "set at liberty", as from prison, or
"dismissed" in the sense of being sent on a journey, we cannot decide. The salutation
from those of Italy (verse 24) would express the desire for unity between those who were