Hebrews 13:13

Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

On the "reproach of Christ," see under Hebrews 11:26. The immense significance of Christ's suffering "without the camp" lies in the fact that it totally dissociated him and the blessings available in him from the old institution. Not only in the manner of his death was the Lord made a curse (Deuteronomy 21:23), but also the very place of his death, without the city, beyond the pale, richly symbolizes the total break away from the old system. The old law failed signally in this, that it cast forth, upon what amounted to the city garbage dump, the holy Christ himself! This was according to prophecy; but it was the sin of Israel, as well as the sin of all people, that fulfilled the prophecy; and their only means of recovering grace in the sight of God was to reverse their decision, to go beyond the camp, identify with him whom they had cast out, and accept the mercy of God in Christ.

That the original addressees of this epistle were most likely citizens of Jerusalem may be deduced from the writer's assumption of their full knowledge of so many things that would have needed an explanation if others had been the recipients. Thus, "the gate," mentioned in Hebrews 13:12, and suffering "without the camp," as here used without explanation, indicates the writer's confidence that his readers knew all about these things.