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No.56.
The Great Shepherd (13: 18 - 25).
pp. 81 - 84
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 his 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 always 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 is 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 a 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 Jews by nature and those who were Gentiles, but whether the writer was actually in
Italy at the time of writing cannot be decided from these words.
We now give our attention, in closing, to the prayer of the apostle for the Hebrews to
whom he had written this word of exhortation:
"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 aionian covenant, make you perfect in
every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever (unto the ages of the ages).
Amen" (Heb. 13: 20, 21).