VERSE 1. JUDE, THE SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST. The author first gives his name, and then proceeds to give the means by which he may be identified. He first says, a servant of Jesus Christ. This expression can mean no more nor no less than the same means when used by Paul or John, viz.: an apostle of J... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 2. MERCY UNTO YOU, AND PEACE, AND LOVE, BE MULTIPLIED. By God's mercy they were pardoned; the apostle desires a continuance of this pardoning mercy, and the other things relate to their lives here, and may be summed up by saying he wishes them an increase of happiness here, temporal and spiri... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 3. BELOVED, WHEN I GAVE ALL DILIGENCE TO WRITE UNTO YOU. Just what the apostle meant by giving all diligence may be gathered from some things subsequently mentioned. I take it that he desires them to understand that it had been his intention to write them, possibly taking more leisure and bes... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 4. FOR THERE ARE CERTAIN MEN CREPT IN UNAWARES. The reason for the haste in writing and the urgency of the exhortation are here given. Unawares, or slyly, certain men, false teachers, had crept into the church. The word "unawares" implies that the character of these certain men that crept in... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 5. I WILL THEREFORE PUT YOU IN REMEMBRANCE. I call your attention to the fact, which you all know, while the Lord saved the Hebrews that is, brought them out of bondage, a great exhibition of his loving-kindnessyet even after this he destroyed them because of their unbelief. If this be God's... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 6. AND THE ANGELS WHICH KEPT NOT THEIR FIRST ESTATE. Here, it is asserted as a fact, that heavenly messengers at some time in the past had sinned, deliberately left the habitation assigned them; and, although higher in many respects than man, God visited punishment upon them. They were cast o... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 7. EVEN AS SODOM AND GOMORRAH. Cited by a former writer, it is now urged again by Jude to show the certainty of the punishment that awaits the ungodly. But one single righteous man was found in these cities. Their wickedness was so exceedingly great and so utterly disgusting, naught but the s... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 8. LIKEWISE ALSO THESE FILTHY DREAMERS. Well may the apostle call these false teachers "filthy dreamers." Their thoughts, awake or asleep, are impure. Their punishment shall be as sure as that of the Sodomites whom they imitate. DESPISE DOMINION, AND SPEAK EVIL OF DIGNITIES. These false tea... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 9. YET MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL. That it may plainly appear why you should ignore the false teachers in their attempts to seduce you from the path marked out for your career as Christians, I call to your attention the conduct imposed by the Father of Lights upon one even as mighty as an archange... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 10. BUT THESE SPEAK EVIL OF THOSE THINGS. While Michael would not bring a railing accusation even against the devil, these false teachers, pretending to have superior knowledge, speak ill of things concerning which they absolutely know nothing. And as to things pertaining to the flesh as the... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 11. WOE UNTO THEM! FOR THEY HAVE GONE IN THE WAY OF CAIN. Woe only is their portion; in destroying the souls of their brethren, their course is that of the murderer, as it is the same in effect as was the act of Cain, who killed his brother Abel. They that run in the course of error and sin a... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 12. THESE ARE SPOTS IN YOUR FEASTS OF CHARITY. The gathering of the saints together at stated times, the duty of Christians. When wicked men meet with you, their excesses are so great they are like black spots upon a clean white surface. They regard not the holy character of the feast, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 13. RAGING WAVES OF THE SEA. Another view of these creatures is presented. When the sea is lashed into fury by the winds, her waves dash and boil into mountains of white foam. These false teachers are likened thereunto. They were turbulent and furious, attempted to place no restriction whatev... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 14. ENOCH ALSO, THE SEVENTH FROM ADAM. We have here the announcement of Enoch as a prophet, not to be found elsewhere in the Bible. To make it plain, the party so named as a prophet is the Enoch seventh in line of descent from the first man, Adam. Why this particularity is observed will be see... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 15. TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT UPON ALL. The object of the coming of the Lord is here given. To execute judgment is to pass sentence. This was to be upon all. I take it, the "all" here means the "all" upon whom a judgment of condemnation shall be rendered. While it is true all, in its full sense, wi... [ Continue Reading ]
1. Verse 16. These are murmurers, complainers. To make the idea intended to be communicated in this verse stand out more prominently, I have given the Syriac translation. "These are they who murmur and complain of everything, while they walk according to their lusts, and their mouth speaketh shocki... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 17. BUT, BELOVED, REMEMBER. The utterances of these false teachers ignore, and this you will do, if you but remember, as I exhort you to do, the words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our Lord. He and he only has a right to rule and have dominion over us. He bo... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 18. HOW THEY TOLD YOU THERE SHOULD BE MOCKERS IN THE LAST TIME. This is now what the inspired apostles had declared would occur. In the last time that is, about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem mockers should appear men professing superior light and knowledge, disregarding the teachin... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 19. THESE BY THEY WHO SEPARATE THEMSELVES. The class mentioned in preceding verse separate themselves from those who walk as Christ's apostles instruct, because they claimed superior virtue. Claiming superior virtue, they opposed apostolic teaching, saying that the disciples were not walking... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 20. BUT YE, BELOVED, BUILDING UP. The apostle now turns to the brethren in earnest exhortation: You are built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ; you are a part of his spiritual edifice, the temple he erected in the world. The faith you have is a most holy faith; you believe Jesus Christ to... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 21. KEEP YOURSELVES IN THE LOVE OF GOD. Constantly keeping before our minds what we owe as a duty to God for his wondrous mercy and love to us, we will do cheerfully, willingly and gladly what he requires of us, and thus we show our love to him and keep ourselves in his love by this course. W... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 22. AND ON SOME HAVE COMPASSION. While it is our duty to do all in our power to save sinners, the common version says that in our efforts a difference is to be made. Here, I confess, for a time I was greatly puzzled, and am not certain that I have reached the correct solution, yet I believe t... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 23. AND OTHERS BY FEAR. The Syriac for the foregoing verses 22 and 23 reads as follows: "Verse 22. And some of them snatch ye from the fire. Verse 23. And when they repent, have compassion on them, with fear, hating even the tunic that is defiled by the flesh." Macknight has the following tr... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 24. NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE. That is, unto God. To him is this doxology addressed. God only is capable of so guarding our footsteps that we neither stumble nor fall. The Christian life is, metaphorically, called walking, so that falling into sin would be to a Christian, metaphorically, stum... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 25. TO THE ONLY WISE GOD OUR SAVIOR. He that guarded and guided us, even God, to him who is only wise that is, wise without deriving his wisdom from any other source than himself who conceived in his own infinite love the plan by which we are saved, and therefore our Savior be ascribed the gl... [ Continue Reading ]