What Are They Saying about Hebrews 13?

What are they saying about Hebrews 13? In recent scholarship, the final chapter of Hebrews has come in from the proverbial cold, its status as a valid, constituent part of the whole letter rarely in serious question. The scholarly consensus seems to view Hebrews 13 as a core – if still somewhat idiosyncratic – part of the epistle, and it can longer be dismissed (not easily, at least) as merely a late, unrelated addition to chapters 1-12. However, with such a return to the epistolary fold, key interpretative questions remain, be it the ongoing issue of the relationship of the chapter to the previous twelve, or its particular use of Old Testament imagery; likewise the distinctiveness of its exhortations and teachings, or its specific geographical and personal references remain under scholarly discussion. This paper will consider these and other questions in an attempt to survey recent scholarship on Hebrews 13, and so locate where current research enquiry is occurring. It will thus offer a Status Queastionis examination of recent scholarly work, in an attempt to set the context for further investigation of the chapter.