Jude 1:12

These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; SPOTS. So 2 Peter 2:13 [spiloi; here, spiladees (G4694), which, in secular writers, means rocks, namely, on which the Christian love-feasts were in danger of shipwreck]. A B C read [ hoi (G3588)] emphatically, 'THE rocks.' The reference to "clouds ... winds ... waves," accords with rocks. Vulgate, misled by the similar word, translates, "spots." Compare, however, J...

12._These are spots in your feasts of charity_. They who read, “among your charities,” do not, as I think, sufficiently explain the true meaning. For he calls those feasts _charities_, ( ἀγάπαις,) which the faithful had among themselves for the sake of testifying their brotherly unity. Such feasts, he says, were disgraced by impure men, who afterwards fed themselves to an excess; for in these there was the greatest frugality and moderation. It was then not right that these gorgers should be admitted, who afterwards indulged themselves to an excess elsewhere. Some copies have, “Feasting with you,” which reading, if approved, has this meaning, that they were not only a disgrace, but that they were also troublesome and expensive, as they crammed themselves without fear, at the public expense of the church. Peter speaks somewhat different, [2 Peter 2

8-16 False teachers are dreamers; they greatly defile and grievously wound the soul. These teachers are of a disturbed mind and a seditious spirit; forgetting that the powers that be, are ordained of God, Romans 13:1. As to the contest about the body of Moses, it appears that Satan wished to make the place of his burial known to the Israelites, in order to tempt them to worship him, but he was prevented, and vented his rage in desperate blasphemy. This should remind all who dispute never to bring railing charges. Also learn hence, that we ought to defend those whom God owns. It is hard, if not impossible, to find any enemies to the Christian religion, who did not, and do not, live in open or secret contradiction to the principles of natural religion. Such are here compared to brute beasts, though they often boast of themselves as the wisest of mankind. They corrupt themselves in the thi...

Verse Jude 1:12. _SPOTS IN YOUR FEASTS OF CHARITY_] It appears that these persons, unholy and impure as they were, still continued to have outward fellowship with the Church! This is strange: but it is very likely that their power and influence in that place had swallowed up, or set aside, the power and authority of the real ministers of Christ; a very common case when worldly, time-serving men get into the Church. The _feasts of charity_, the αγαπαι or _love feasts_, of which the apostle speaks, were in use in the primitive Church till the middle of the _fourth_ century, when, by the council of Laodicea, they were prohibited to be held in the Churches; and, having been abused, fell into disuse. In later days they have been revived, in all the purity and simplicity of the primitive institution, among the _Moravians_ or _Unitas Fratrum_, and the pe

THESE ARE SPOTS - See the notes at 2 Peter 2:13. The word used by Peter, however, is not exactly the same as that used here. Peter uses the word, σπἶλοι spiloi; Jude, σπιλάδες spilades. The word used by Jude means, properly, “a rock” by or in the sea; a cliff, etc. It may either be a rock by the sea, against which vessels may be wrecked, or a hidden rock “in” the sea, on which they may be stranded at an unexpected moment. See Hesyehius and Pollux, as quoted by Wetstein, “in loc.” The idea here seems to be, not that they were “spots and blemishes” in their sacred feasts, but that they were like hidden rocks to the mariner. As those rocks were the cause of shipwreck, so these false teachers caused others to make shipwreck of their faith. They were as dan

THESE ARE SPOTS IN YOUR FEASTS OF CHARITY,.... Or "love". The Jews speak סעודתיה דמהימנותא, "of a feast of faith" b. These here seem to be the Agapae, or love feasts, of the primitive Christians; the design of which was to maintain and promote brotherly love, from whence they took their name; and to refresh the poor saints, that they might have a full and comfortable meal now and then: their manner of keeping them was this; they began and ended them with prayer and singing; and they observed them with great temperance and frugality; and they were attended with much joy and gladness, and simplicity of heart: but were quickly abused, by judaizing Christians, as observing them in imitation of the passover; and by intemperance in eating and drinking; and by excluding the poor, for whose benefit they were chiefly designed; and by setting up separate meetings for them, and by admitting unfit p...

VER. JUDE 1:12 avga,paij u`mw/n {A} Instead of avga,paij, which is strongly attested by a B K L most minuscules vg copsa, bo syrh, hgr arm eth Ephraem Lucifer Augustine Palladius _al,_ several witnesses, influenced by the prevailing text of 2 Peter 2:13, read avpa,taij (82 378 460) and two read euvwci,aij (6 224c)....

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE INTRODUCTION Jude 1:1 Jude in his brief introduction speaks of the Christian believers, whom he addresses, as called ones, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ. The latter statement may also be translated “kept for Jesus Christ.” What was true of the believers in Jude's day is true of all believers. Especially comforting is the fact, that, no matter how dark the days may be, however strong the current of evil, those who are “the beloved of God called saints” will be preserved in Jesus Christ and kept for Him as the members of His body, till He comes. He keeps His own. It is the blessed assurance that the believer's keeping rests in His own hands. In the Revelation we see in the glory vision that Christ holds seven stars in His right hand, which is the symbol of the hand of His power with which He keeps His own. Then there is th

The false brethren sin in like manner. In their dreamings, _i.e._ vain conceits (yielding to their own wayward fancies, Chase), they are licentious and rebellious. They despise the Lordship (Jude 1:8 *) and rail at the glorious ones (_cf. mg.)._ Unlike Michael, who in his controversy with the devil did not abuse him, they do not fear to utter abuse upon things which are beyond their knowledge (_i.e._ the Lordship and the glorious ones); and in the carnal things which, like mere animals, they do understand, they are destroyed. They are compared to Cain, to Balaam, and to Korah. They are as dangerous as hidden rocks, selfish as shepherds who only feed themselves, useless as floating, waterless clouds or barren trees, disobedient as wandering stars (which keep not their own principality their sin is like that of the fallen angels and they are doomed to the same fate see on...

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN (Jude 1:1-2)...