Hebrews 13:9

Be not carried away (mh paraperesqe). Prohibition with mh and present passive imperative of paraperw, old verb to lead along ( Jude 1:12 ), to carry past ( Mark 14:36 ), to lead astray as here. By divers and strange teachings (didacai poikilai kai xenai). For poikilo (many coloured) see Mark 2:4 . Xeno for guest we have had in Mark 11:13 , but here as adjective meaning unheard of ( 1 Peter 4:12 ) as in older Greek also. The new is not always wrong any more than the old is always right ( Matthew 13:52 ). But the air was already full of new and strange teachings that fascinated many by their very novelty. The warning here is always needed. Cf. Galatians 1:6-9 ; 2 Timothy 3:16 . That the heart be established by grace (cariti bebaiousqai thn kardian). Present passive infinitive of bebaiow (from bainw) to make stable with the instrumental case cariti (by grace) and the accusative of general reference (thn kardian). How true it is that in the atmosphere of so many windy theories only the heart is stable that has an experience of God's grace in Christ. That occupied themselves (oi peripatounte). "That walked" in the ritualistic Jewish rules about meats. Were not profited (ouk wpelhqhsan). First aorist passive indicative of wpelew, to help. Mere Jewish ceremonialism and ritualism failed to build up the spiritual life. It was sheer folly to give up Christ for Pharisaism or for Moses.