“But the God of peace, who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, in the power of the blood of the eternal covenant, perfect you in every good work to the doing of His will, doing in you what is pleasing before Him through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for the ages of ages. Amen. But I beseech you, brethren, bear the word of exhortation, for it is but in few words that I have written to you” (Hebrews 13:20–22).

“Perfect” or “perfection” is one of many key words in Hebrews. It occurs 12 times in the epistle (in the JND translation) and has the meaning of ‘fitting for an office or service’.

• Four times it is used in relation to the Lord Jesus, always in a positive sense (2:10; 5:9; 7:28; 9:11—He has been perfected [or ‘fitted’], for example, for the exercise of His priesthood by the things that He suffered);
• Four times it is used in relation to the law, always in a negative sense (7:11, 19; 9:9; 10:2—it was, for example, unable to fit Israel for the presence of God); and
• Four times it is used of believers, always in a positive sense (10:14, 11:40; 12:23; 13:21).

The last time it is used in the epistle is in connection with the good works of believers, yet here it is not said that the Hebrew believers had been fitted for every good work, but rather it is in the form of a prayer that God would fit them in every good work. How would this be done, and by whom?

Only God—the God of peace—could ultimately do this. This is why the writer addresses his prayer to Him. His power and will to do this are seen in that He raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, here characterized as the Great Shepherd of the sheep, the One who would lead these Hebrews out of the Jewish fold once and for all into the “green pastures” and “still waters” of Psalm 23 and whose blood had fitted them for heavenly glory.

But the Hebrew believers had a responsibility also, they had “to bear the word of exhortation.” This involved them taking account of all the teaching of the epistle, the “few words” that had been written to them and acting upon it in faith.

So, what had been written to them? Perhaps it is worthwhile summarizing the main points of the epistle starting with how the Lord Jesus is presented to us:

1. >His characteristic place is seated in glory at the Father’s right hand as prophesized of Him in Psalm 110 (1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2, though in each case the emphasis and wording are slightly different and worthy of close study to see why this is).
2. >He is there as “Jesus,” His characteristic Name in the epistle, that is, the same Man who was here on earth (2:9; 3:1; 4:8, 6:20, 7:22; 10:19; 12:2, 24; 13:12).
3. >His Priesthood is the main feature of the epistle (“priest/priesthood,” “offer/offering,” “sacrifice,” “blood,” and “sanctuary” are all very prominent words in the epistle, used more often in Hebrews than in any other New Testament book). This priesthood has two main aspects:
   1. >He keeps us from falling while we are in the wilderness pathway (chapters 1–7), and
   2. >He leads us in praise and worship in the Sanctuary (chapters 8–10).

These three features as relating to the Lord Jesus give character to the whole epistle, transferring the expectations and hopes of the Hebrew believers from earth to heaven. The teaching of the epistle emphasizes His greatness and superiority over everything that they had known as under the law. The epistle is based upon three main Old Testament portions, although there are about 40 direct quotations from the Old Testament with many more allusions:

1. Psalm 110,
2. The Levitical Offerings, and
3. The Day of Atonement.

Other key words or expressions include:

1. “Better” (used 14 times—1:4; 6:9; 7:7, 19, 22; 8:6 (x2); 9:11, 23; 10:34; 11:16, 35, 40; 12:24),
2. “More excellent” (used four times—1:4; 3:3 [though there it is not translated in these words]; 8:6; 11:4),
3. “Great” (used 16 times—1:3; 2:3; 3:3; 4:14; 6:13, 16; 7:4; 8:1, 11; 10:21, 35; 11:24, 26; 12:1, 3; 13:20),
4. “We have…” (used nine times—4:15; 6:19; 8:1; 10:10; 12:9; 13:10, 14, 18),
5. “Eternal” (used six times—5:9; 6:2; 9:12, 14, 15; 13:20),
6. “Once” (used 11 times—6:4; 7:27; 9:7, 12, 26, 27, 28; 10:2, 10; 12:26, 27),
7. “No more” (used six times—8:12; 10:2, 17, 18, 26; 12:19), as well as
8. “Perfect” or “Perfection” (used 12 times—2:10, 5:9 (5:14); (6:1); 7:11, 19, 28; 9:9, 11; 10:1, 14; 11:40; (12:2), 12:23; 13:21).

Following these references through, it will be seen that the teaching is done mainly by way of contrast, for everything that the Lord has brought in is better and higher than what they had been used to under law.

If the Hebrew believers took account and acted on these teachings then they would be fitted for every good work, works which the law had demanded but which it did not give any power to accomplish, works that can only be done in faith, on the principle of grace (perhaps another key word, mentioned eight times—2:9; 4:16 (x2); 10:29; 12:15, 28; 13:9, 25)—and not law.

It is not the Hebrew believers only who needed such words of exhortation, for we, too, are prone to desire to accomplish works on the principle of law, works done not through the Spirit but through the flesh, in our own power (if we had any!). We, too, need to meditate over the teachings of this precious epistle and pray to God that He may accomplish His will in us, that we too may be fitted in every good work, God “doing in [us] what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for the ages of ages.”