Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

CHAPTER 13 Hebrews: Obey Your Leaders

“for they keep watch over your souls.”

Hebrews 13217b

to us, although he was well known to his readers (Heb. 13218 24). It seems probable that this letter was written shortly before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD. 70. It was written to a predominately Jewish Christian community, possibly located in Rome (Heb. 13223.24). Of interest to our study is the writer’s closing, in which he exhorts his readers to obey their “leaders” and to greet them all: The identity of the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews is unknown Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you (Heb. 13:17).

Greet all of your leaders and all the saints (Heb. 13:24).

Although the exact identity of these leaders is not disclosed, they would certainly have included the local elders, if they existed, and there are sound reasons for believing they did exist. There is disagree ment over the geographic location of the congregation addressed by the writer of Hebrews. If the letter was written to a Jewish Christian

265