Reference: Jude, Epistle of
Easton
The author was "Judas, the brother of James" the Less (Jude 1:1), called also Lebbaeus (Mt 10:3) and Thaddaeus (Mr 3:18). The genuineness of this epistle was early questioned, and doubts regarding it were revived at the time of the Reformation; but the evidences in support of its claims are complete. It has all the marks of having proceeded from the writer whose name it bears.
There is nothing very definite to determine the time and place at which it was written. It was apparently written in the later period of the apostolic age, for when it was written there were persons still alive who had heard the apostles preach (ver. 17). It may thus have been written about A.D. 66 or 70, and apparently in Palestine.
The epistle is addressed to Christians in general (ver. 1), and its design is to put them on their guard against the misleading efforts of a certain class of errorists to which they were exposed. The style of the epistle is that of an "impassioned invective, in the impetuous whirlwind of which the writer is hurried along, collecting example after example of divine vengeance on the ungodly; heaping epithet upon epithet, and piling image upon image, and, as it were, labouring for words and images strong enough to depict the polluted character of the licentious apostates against whom he is warning the Church; returning again and again to the subject, as though all language was insufficient to give an adequate idea of their profligacy, and to express his burning hatred of their perversion of the doctrines of the gospel."
The striking resemblance this epistle bears to 2PE suggests the idea that the author of the one had seen the epistle of the other.
The doxology with which the epistle concludes is regarded as the finest in the New Testament.
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Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
and Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus and Simon the Canaanite
Jude, slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those that are called, sanctified in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:
Hastings
This short epistle is an earnest warning and appeal, couched in vivid and picturesque language, addressed to a church or a circle of churches which have become suddenly exposed to a mischievous attack of false teaching.
1. Contents
(1) Text.
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Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no one deceive you. read more. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and shall deceive many.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for it is necessary that all these things must take place; but the end is not yet. read more. For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they shall deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.
And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because lawlessness shall abound, the charity of many shall wax cold.
And because lawlessness shall abound, the charity of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. read more. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. Therefore, when ye see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, which shall stand in the holy place (whosoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judaea flee into the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house, neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto those that are with child and to those that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter neither on the sabbath day, for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Behold, here is the Christ, or there, believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders in such a manner that they shall deceive, if possible, the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and of Juda and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
and Judas the brother of James and Judas Iscariot, who also was the traitor.
The former treatise I have made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where Peter and James and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James were.
But there was a certain man called Simon, who before this in the same city used magic arts and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that he himself was some great one, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This is the great virtue of God. read more. And to him they had regard because for a long time he had amazed them with magic arts. But when they believed Philip preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were being done. Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John unto them, who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them; they were baptized only in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God, if perhaps this thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the prison of iniquity. Then Simon answered and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain wise man, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man, who called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the word of God. read more. But Elymas the wise man (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul (who also is Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him and said, O full of all deception and all licentiousness, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is against thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. read more. And all the men were about twelve.
And many that believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds. In the same manner many who had practiced vain arts brought their books together and burned them before everyone, and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
and the hope shall not be ashamed, because the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.
And likewise also the Spirit helps our weakness; for we know not how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes entreaty for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Now to him that is able to confirm you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was concealed from times eternal but now is made manifest, and by the writings of the prophets, by the commandment of God eternal, declared unto all the Gentiles, that they might hear and obey by faith, read more. to God, only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
But the natural man does not perceive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with idolaters, for then ye would need to go out of the world.
Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not: that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
Then fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also.
and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision.
For before certain ones came from James, he ate with the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
rooted and built up in him and confirmed in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
being certain, beloved brethren, that you are chosen of God.
Let no one deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,
Even as I besought thee to remain at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou might charge some that they not teach diverse doctrine,
Therefore unto the King forever, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Some men's sins are manifest beforehand, before they come unto judgment, but to others they follow after.
perverse disputings of men of corrupt understanding, and destitute of the truth, using piety as a source of gain: from such withdraw thyself.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, they shall heap up unto themselves teachers who shall speak to them according to their own lusts,
Procure to come shortly unto me;
Admonish them to be subject to dominion and power, and to persuade those who have authority, that they be quick unto every good work.
which he poured out abundantly in us through Jesus, the Christ, our Saviour;
The Word is faithful, and I desire that thou affirm this constantly, that those who have believed God might be careful to conduct themselves in good works. This is good and profitable unto men.
Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on ahead, procuring that nothing be lacking unto them.
Jude, slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those that are called, sanctified in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:
Jude, slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those that are called, sanctified in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy and peace and charity be multiplied unto you. read more. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly persevere in the faith which was given once unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares without fear or reverence of God, who from beforehand have been ordained unto this condemnation, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying God who alone has dominion, and our Lord Jesus, the Christ. I will, therefore, remind you, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those that did not believe.
I will, therefore, remind you, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those that did not believe.
But these speak evil of those things which they do not know; but what they know by nature as animals without reason, in those things they corrupt themselves.
These are those who make divisions, and are as animals, not having the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, read more. keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life, And receive some with mercy, discerning;
And receive some with mercy, discerning; And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Now unto him that is powerful to keep you without sin and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, read more. to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and in all the ages. Amen.
I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear those who are evil; and thou hast tried those who say they are apostles and are not and hast found them liars,
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
But I have a few things against thee because thou hast there those that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication. So hast thou also those that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate.
Morish
Written by Jude the brother of James, and apparently the same person as the apostle JUDAS, q.v. The Epistle is addressed to "the called ones, beloved in God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ." Apostasy had set in, and the saints are exhorted to contend for the faith divinely delivered. Ungodly ones had crept in, who abused the grace of God, and denied their only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.
Three instances are produced to show how apostasy had been punished:
1. Some of those saved out of Egypt were yet destroyed.
2. Fallen angels are kept in eternal chains for judgement.
3. Sodom and Gomorrha, which lie under the abiding effect of the judgement on them. Then the railers are put to shame by the conduct of Michael the archangel, who when rightly contending with Satan about the body of Moses did not rail against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee."
Three stages of departure from the way of truth are mentioned, with a woe upon those who are found in them:
1. The way of Cain
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Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Smith
Jude, Epistle of.
Its author was probably Jude, one of the brethren of Jesus, the subject of the preceding article. There are no data from which to determine its date or place of writing, but it is placed about A.D.
65. The object of the epistle is plainly enough announced ver. 3; the reason for this exhortation is given ver.
4. The remainder of the epistle is almost entirely occupied by a minute depiction of the adversaries of the faith. The epistle closes by briefly reminding the readers of the oft-repeated prediction of the apostles --among whom the writer seems not to rank himself --that the faith would be assailed by such enemies as he has depicted, vs.
exhorting them to maintain their own steadfastness in the faith, vs.
while they earnestly sought to rescue others from the corrupt example of those licentious livers, vs.
and commending them to the power of God in language which forcibly recalls the closing benediction of the epistle to the Romans. vs.
cf. Roma 16:25-27 This epistle presents one peculiarity, which, as we learn from St. Jerome, caused its authority to be impugned in very early times --the supposed citation of apocryphal writings. vs.
The larger portion of this epistle, vs.
is almost identical in language and subject with a part of the Second Epistle of Peter.
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But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who covertly shall bring in destructive sects and shall deny the Lord that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be blasphemed; read more. and in covetousness they shall make merchandise of you with feigned words, upon whom the condemnation from a long time ago does not delay, and their perdition does not sleep. For if God did not forgive the angels that sinned, but cast them down into the deepest abyss and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and if he did not forgive the old world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if he condemned by destruction the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, turning them into ashes, making them an example unto those that after should live without fear and reverence of God; and delivered just Lot, who was persecuted by those abominable people because of their nefarious conversation; (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, afflicted his righteous soul from day to day with the deeds of those unjust people); the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished; and chiefly those that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise dominion; presumptuous, arrogant, they are not afraid to speak evil of the higher powers; whereas even the angels, who are greater in power and might, bring no curse of judgment against them before the Lord. But these, speaking evil of the things that they do not understand (as natural animals without reason, who are made to be taken and destroyed), shall utterly perish in their own corruption, receiving the reward of their unrighteousness, as those that count it pleasure to live luxuriously every day. These are spots and blemishes, who eat together with you, while at the same time they revel in their deceit, having their eyes full of adultery, and not knowing how to cease from sin, baiting unstable souls, having their heart exercised in covetous practices; cursed sons, who forsaking the right way have erred, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, and was rebuked for his iniquity; a dumb animal accustomed to a yoke (upon which he was seated), speaking with man's voice, hindered the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are brought by a whirlwind, to whom gross darkness is reserved for ever. For speaking arrogant words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from those who converse in error, promising them liberty, being they themselves the slaves of corruption: for he who is overcome by someone is subject to bondage by the one that overcame him.
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly persevere in the faith which was given once unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares without fear or reverence of God, who from beforehand have been ordained unto this condemnation, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying God who alone has dominion, and our Lord Jesus, the Christ. read more. I will, therefore, remind you, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those that did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their first estate but left their own habitation, he has reserved in eternal chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh, were set forth for an example, having received the judgment of eternal fire. In the same manner these deceived dreamers, defile their flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of higher powers. Yet when Michael, the archangel, contended with the devil, disputing over the body of Moses, he dared not bring against him a curse of judgment, but said, The Lord reprehend thee.
Yet when Michael, the archangel, contended with the devil, disputing over the body of Moses, he dared not bring against him a curse of judgment, but said, The Lord reprehend thee. But these speak evil of those things which they do not know; but what they know by nature as animals without reason, in those things they corrupt themselves. read more. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your banquets of charity, feeding themselves without any fear whatsoever: clouds without water, carried to and fro of the winds; trees withered as in fall, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own abominations; erratic stars, to whom is reserved gross darkness eternally. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have unfaithfully committed and of all the hard words which the unfaithful sinners have spoken against him.
to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have unfaithfully committed and of all the hard words which the unfaithful sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own desires; and their mouth speaks arrogant things, admiring persons to take advantage. read more. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that they told you, That in the last time there would be mockers, who would walk after their own ungodly desires. These are those who make divisions, and are as animals, not having the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life, And receive some with mercy, discerning; And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Now unto him that is powerful to keep you without sin and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and in all the ages. Amen.