13:8 The leaders of the past are to be trusted,
and strange teachings to be rejected (v. 9), because Jesus Christ always
remains the same. Therefore, the gospel message does not change. The author’s
pithy affirmation primarily serves to emphasize the constancy of the proclamation
and the need to remain firm in one’s commitment to it.
Because of the confessional character
of the statement, many scholars have detected a traditional, creedal formula
behind it. It is impossible to know. Some scholars have also sought to find
specific references in the terms “yesterday,” “today,” and “forever,” but there
are few contextual clues to support such interpretations. It is best to be
content with the affirmation that the message about Jesus never changes. (Sigurd
Grindheim, The Letter to the Hebrews [The Pillar New Testament
Commentary; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2023], 676, emphasis added)
