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 tax collector; James, he of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, he surnamed Thaddeus;
And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James him of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
Jude, servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the consecrated in God the Father, and the kept in Jesus Christ, the called:
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 son of the carpenter? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
And sitting upon the mount of Olives, his disciples came to him apart, saying, Say to us when these shall be, and what the sign of thy arrival, and the termination of the time. And Jesus having answered, said to them, See lest any lead you astray. read more. For many shall come upon my name, saying, I am Christ; and deceive many.
For many shall come upon my name, saying, I am Christ; and deceive many. And ye will be about to hear of wars and rumors of war: see, be not terrified; for all must be, but the end is not yet. read more. For nation shall be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and plagues, and shakings in places. And all these the beginning of anguish. Then shall they deliver you to pressure, and they shall kill you: and ye shall be hated by all nations, for my name. And then shall many be offended, and they shall deliver up one another, and they shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall be raised up, and deceive many.
And many false prophets shall be raised up, and deceive many. And because anxiety shall increase, the love of many shall be cooled.
And because anxiety shall increase, the love of many shall be cooled. But he having persevered to the end, this shall be saved. read more. And this good news of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole habitable globe for a witness to all nations: and then shall the end come. Therefore, when ye see the abomination of devastation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (let him reading, understand:) Then let them in Judea flee to the mountain; He upon the house-tops, let him not come down to take away anything out of his house: And he in the field, let him not turn back to take up his garments: And woe to those having in the womb, and to those giving suck, in those days! And pray that your flight be not in winter, nor in the sabbath. For then shall be great pressure, such as has not been from the beginning of the world till now, nor should be. And except those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the chosen, those days shall be shortened. Then if any say to you, Behold, here Christ, or there; believe ye not. For false Christs, and false prophets, shall be raised up, and give great signs and wonders; so as to deceive, if possible, also the chosen. Behold, I have told you beforehand.
Is not this the carpenter, son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Jude, and Simon and are not his sisters here with us? And they were scandalized in him.
Judas, of James, and Judas Iscariot, and he was the traitor.
Truly the first word had I made of all things, O Theophilus, of which Jesus began to do and also to teach,
And when they came in, they went up into an upper room, where were remaining also Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas of James.
And a certain man, Simon by name, was before in the city using magic, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be somebody great: To whom attended from little to great, saying, This is the great power of God. read more. And they attended to him, because for a sufficient time they were astonished by magics. And when they believed Philip announcing the good news of the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed, both men and women. And Simon also himself believed: and having been immersed, he was persovering with Philip, beholding the signs and great powers having been, they were astonished. And the sent in Jerusalem having heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John: Who, having gone down, prayed for them, that they receive the Holy Spirit (For not yet was it fallen upon any of them: only they were immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then put they hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And Simon having seen that by putting on of hands of the sent the Holy Spirit is given, he brought money to them, Saying, Give me also this power, that upon whomsoever I put hands, he might receive the Holy Spirit. And Peter said to him, May thy silver be for ruin with thee, for thou thoughtest the gift of God to be purchased for money. No portion is to thee, nor lot, in this word: for thy heart is not upright before God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray to God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart be remitted to thee. For I see thee being in the bile of bitterness, and bond of iniquity. And Simon having answered, said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that nothing which ye have spoken come upon me.
And having passed through the island to Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false prophet, a Jew, the name to him Barjesus: Who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paul, an intelligent man; he having called Barnabas and Saul, sought anxiously to hear the word of God. read more. And Elymas the magician withstood them, (for so was his name interpreted,) seeking to turn the proconsul from the faith. And Saul, (also Paul,) filled with the Holy Spirit, and looking intently upon him, said, O, full of deceit, and all dexterity, son of the devil, enemy of all justice, Wilt thou cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun till the time. And immediately fell upon him mist and darkness; and going about he sought leading by hand. Then the proconsul having seen that done, he believed, being struck with amazement at the teaching of the Lord.
And they having heard, were immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus. And Paul having laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. read more. And all the men were about twelve.
And many of them having believed came, acknowledging and proclaiming their deeds. And sufficient of them having done unnecessary things, having brought books together, burned before all: and computed their prices, and found fifty thousand of silver.
And hope shames not; for the love of God has been poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit given us.
And likewise also the Spirit takes hold together, and assists our weaknesses: for what we would pray for as we ought, we know not, but the Spirit itself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.
And to him being able to support you according to my good news, and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent from eternal times, And now made manifest, also by the prophetic writings according to the command of the eternal God, for the obedience of faith made known to all nations: read more. To the only wise God, by Jesus Christ, to whom glory forever. Amen.
And the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: and he cannot know, for they are spiritually examined.
And not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or the rapacious, or idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
And this announcing I approve not, that not for the better come ye together, but for the worse.
Then after fourteen years, again went I up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, having taken together Titus.
And having known the grace given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, seeming to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hands of communion; that we for the nations, and they for the circumcision.
For before certain came from James, he ate with the nations: and when they came, he drew down, and separated himself, being afraid of them of the circumcision.
In the body of his flesh by death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable before him:
Being rooted and built up in him, and rendered firm in the faith, as ye were taught, abounding in it with gratitude.
Knowing, brethren beloved, of God your selection.
Let none deceive you in any manner: for, except an apostasy come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
As I besought thee to remain in Ephesus, going into Macedonia, that thou mightest proclaim to some not to teach another doctrine,
And to the King of times, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, honour and glory for the times of times. Amen.)
Some men's sins are manifest, going before to judgment; and also to some they follow in the train.
Unprofitable occupations of men corrupted in mind, and deprived of the truth, thinking gain to be devotion: be separated from such.
For the time will be when they will not hear sound doctrine; but according to their own eager desires they will heap up to themselves teachers, feeling itchings for a report;
Be earnest to come to me quickly
Remind them to be subordinate to beginnings and powers, to yield obedience to authority, to be prepared for every good work,
Which he poured out upon us richly by Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Faithful the word, and I wish for thee to be assured of these things, that they having believed God might turn their thoughts to excel in good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
Send forward zealously Zenas pertaining to the law, and Apollos, that nothing fail them.
Jude, servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the consecrated in God the Father, and the kept in Jesus Christ, the called:
Jude, servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the consecrated in God the Father, and the kept in Jesus Christ, the called: Mercy to you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. read more. Dearly beloved, making all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, I had necessity to write to you, beseeching to fight for the faith once delivered to the holy ones. For certain men entered in by stealth, long ago written of beforehand for judgment, irreligious, having changed the grace of our God into licentiousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. And I wish to remind you, ye having once known this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, the second time destroyed them not having believed.
And I wish to remind you, ye having once known this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, the second time destroyed them not having believed.
And these truly what things they know not they defame: and what things naturally, as irrational animals, they know, in these they corrupt themselves.
These are they separating themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit. And ye, dearly beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, read more. Keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life, And truly compassionate some, discriminating:
And truly compassionate some, discriminating: And some save in fear, snatching out of the fire; hating also the coat stained from the flesh.
And some save in fear, snatching out of the fire; hating also the coat stained from the flesh. And to him able to watch yourselves from falling, and to place blameless before his glory with transport of joy, read more. To the only wise God our Saviour, glory and majesty, and strength and power, also for now and for all times. Amen.
I know thy works, and thy fatigue, and thy patience, and that thou canst not bear the wicked: and thou bast tried them saying they are sent, and are not, and thou Last found them liars:
But this hast thou, that thou dost hate the works of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
But I have a few things against thee, for thou hast there them holding the teaching of Balsam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. So also hast thou them holding the teaching of the Nicolaitanes, 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 was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what slew he him? Because his works were evil, and those of his brother just.
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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And also were there false prophets among the people, as also among you shall be false teachers, who shall privately bring in doctrines of perdition, and denying the master having purchased them, having brought upon themselves swift destruction. (And many shall follow their licentiousness; by whom the way of truth shall be defamed.) read more. And by covetousness with feigned words shall trade in you: to whom judgment since a long while is not inactive, and their perdition sleeps not. For if God spared not the angels having sinned, but delivered up, hurled into Tartarus, to cords of darkness, having been kept for judgment; And spared not the old world, but Noah the eighth, a herald of justice, he watched, having brought an inundation upon the world of the irreligious; And the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha having reduced to ashes, condemned with a catastrophe, a pattern set to them about to act irreligiously; And just Lot, being harassed by the licentiousness of the lawless for the turning back, he delivered: (For the just one in seeing and hearing, dwelling among them, from day to day tried the just soul with lawless works;) The Lord knows to deliver the religious out of temptation, and to keep the unjust restrained for the day of judgment; And chiefly them going after the flesh in eager desire of defilement, and despising dominion. Self-sufficient, rash men, they tremble not, defaming glories. Where angels, being greater in strength and power, bring not defaming judgment against them to the Lord. But these, as natural irrational living creatures, having been for catching and destroying, defaming in what things they are ignorant of; and shall be destroyed in their corruption; Receiving the reward of injustice, deeming luxurious indulgence pleasure in the day. Spots and blemishes, rioting in their deceits, feasting together with you Having eyes full of an adulteress, not ceasing from sin; decoying unstable souls: having a heart exercised with covetousness; children of a curse: Having forsaken the straight way, they were led astray, having followed in the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the reward of injustice; And he had reprehension for his own iniquity: the dumb ass speaking in man's voice impeded the insanity of the prophet. These are fountains wanting water, clouds impelled by a hurricane; for whom the obscurity of darkness has been kept forever. For speaking excessive things of vanity, they decoy with the eager desires of the flesh, for licentiousness, them having truly escaped from those turned back in error. Promising them liberty, they being servants of corruption: for by whom any is conquered, by him has he been made to serve.
Dearly beloved, making all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, I had necessity to write to you, beseeching to fight for the faith once delivered to the holy ones. For certain men entered in by stealth, long ago written of beforehand for judgment, irreligious, having changed the grace of our God into licentiousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. read more. And I wish to remind you, ye having once known this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, the second time destroyed them not having believed. Also the angels not having kept their beginning, but having left their own habitation, he has kept in perpetual chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. As Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities about them, debauched in like manner to these, and having gone away after other flesh, are set before a sample of eternal fire, enduring punishment. And likewise indeed these dreaming truly defile the flesh, and despise dominion, and defame glories. But Michael the archangel, when fighting with the accuser, discussed concerning the body of Moses, dared not to bring the judgment of defamation, but said, May the Lord censure thee.
But Michael the archangel, when fighting with the accuser, discussed concerning the body of Moses, dared not to bring the judgment of defamation, but said, May the Lord censure thee. And these truly what things they know not they defame: and what things naturally, as irrational animals, they know, in these they corrupt themselves. read more. Woe to them for they went in the way of Cain, and were poured out in the error of Balaam for a reward, and they were destroyed in the controversy of Core. These are spots in your loves, feasting together fearlessly, taking care of themselves: clouds wanting water, carried about by winds; decayed trees, unfruitful, twice dead, uprooted; Fierce waves of the sea, foaming out their own shames; wandering stars, to whom the obseurity of darkness has been kept forever. And also of these prophesied Enoch, the seventh from Adam, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,
And also of these prophesied Enoch, the seventh from Adam, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, To do judgment to all, and to convince all their irreligious of all their works of irreligion which they have impiously acted, and of all the hard things which the sinful irreligious spake against him.
To do judgment to all, and to convince all their irreligious of all their works of irreligion which they have impiously acted, and of all the hard things which the sinful irreligious spake against him. These are murmurers, discontented, going according to their eager desires; and their mouth speaks exceeding bulky things, admiring faces on account of advantage. read more. And ye, dearly beloved, remember the words spoken before by the sent of our Lord Jesus Christ; For they said to you that in the last time shall be deceivers, going according to the eager desires of their impieties. These are they separating themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit. And ye, dearly beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life, And truly compassionate some, discriminating: And some save in fear, snatching out of the fire; hating also the coat stained from the flesh. And to him able to watch yourselves from falling, and to place blameless before his glory with transport of joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, glory and majesty, and strength and power, also for now and for all times. Amen.