The Call To Love Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ (Hebrews 13:1-9).
‘Let love of the brothers and sisters (phil-adelphia) continue.'
This is the third mention of Christian love in the letter, although here with a different Greek word. Compare Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 10:24 (both ‘agape'). As the first exhortation after the climax of the letter it demonstrates that it is central to his thinking. For without love everything else is irrelevant. The word used emphasises love among Christians. He possibly especially had in mind to address those who forsook the assembling of themselves together (Hebrews 10:25). But the idea applies to all Christians.
This love has little to do with deep affection or romantic love, but is a love which is true and reveals itself in action, and while sometimes emotional is not dependent on emotion. It is a pure love. Such Christian love was urged by Christ as an essential element of being a Christian (John 13:34-35; John 15:12; John 15:17; John 17:26. Compare also Romans 12:9-10; Romans 13:8; Galatians 5:13-14; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:2; Ephesians 4:15-16; Ephesians 5:2; Philippians 1:9; Philippians 2:2; Colossians 1:4; Colossians 2:2; 1Th 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 2 Timothy 1:7; Titus 1:8; 1Pe 2:17; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 John 2:11; 1Jn 3:11; 1 John 3:14; 1 John 3:19; 1Jn 3:23; 1 John 4:7-12; 1 John 4:16-21; 1 John 5:2). It is defined in 1 Corinthians 13. And this is now considered in more detail