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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Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus;
and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus,
Jude a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified in God the Father, and who are preserved and called 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 brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
And when He was got to the mount of olives, the disciples came to Him in private and said, Tell us when these things shall be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world. And Jesus answered them, See 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 rumors of wars, but be not troubled; for all these must indeed come to pass, 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 several places: all which are but the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they afflict you, and kill you; and ye shall be hated by all nations for my name: and then will many take offense, and betray one another, and hate one another: and many false prophets will rise up and deceive many: and because iniquity shall abound,
and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will grow cold.
the love of many will grow cold. But he that endures to the end, shall be saved: read more. and this gospel of the kingdom of heaven shall be preached in all the world, for a testimony to all the nations; and then shall the end come. When therefore ye shall see the desolating abomination, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing at the holy place, (let him, that readeth, attend) then let those in Judea flee to the mountains: let not him that is at the top of the house come down into it, to take any thing out of his house; nor let him that is in the field return back to take his clothes. But wo to them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days. Pray that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the sabbath: for there shall be then great affliction, such as has not been from the beginning of the world unto this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days be shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened. Then if any shall say to you, Behold here is the Messiah, or there; believe it not: for there shall rise up false Christs, and false prophets, who shall shew great signs and prodigies, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Lo, I have told you before-hand: and therefore if they say to you,
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here among us? and they were prejudiced against Him.
and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor:)
The former treatise, O Theophilus, I made concerning all that Jesus undertook both to do and to teach;
And when they were come in to the city, 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 Alpheus, and Simon the zealot, and Jude the brother of James, usually abode.
But there was before in the city a man named Simon practising magic and bewitching the people of Samaria, giving out that he was some great person. Whom they all greatly regarded, from the lest to the greatest, saying, This man is as the great power of God. read more. And they were attentive to him, because he had for a considerable time astonished them by his magic arts. But as they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women; and Simon himself also believed, and was baptized, and kept constantly with Philip: and beholding the signs and miracles that were wrought, he was amazed. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John: who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the holy Spirit: (for He was not yet fallen upon any of them, only they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus:) and then they laid their hands on them, and they received the holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that the holy Spirit was given by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, 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, Let thy money perish with thee, since thou thoughtest to purchase the gift of God with money. Thou hast no 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 to God, if so be the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee: for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity. And Simon answered, and said, Do ye pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which ye have spoken may come upon me.
And going quite through the island even to Paphos, they found there a certain magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus. Who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an understanding man: who calling for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God. read more. But Elymas the magician (for so his name signifies) withstood them endeavouring to turn away the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, being filled with the holy Spirit, and looking earnestly at him, said, O thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, who art full of all deceit and craft, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing even the sun for a time. And immediately there fell upon him a mist and darkness; and groping about he sought for somebody to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, seeing what was done, believed, being struck with admiration at the doctrine of the Lord.
And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And as Paul laid his hands on them, the holy Spirit came upon them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And the men were in all about twelve. read more. And he went into the synagogue,
And many of them that believed came confessing and declaring their former practices. And a great number of those that had used inquisitive arts, brought the books, and burned them before them all: and they computed the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.
and experience hope, and this hope maketh us not ashamed; because the love of God is diffused in our hearts by the holy Spirit that is given to us.
And the Spirit likewise helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for, as we ought: but the Spirit itself intercedes for us with unutterable groans.
Now to Him that is able to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, (conformable to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret in former times, but is now manifested, and made known to all nations by the writings of the prophets, according to the appointment of the eternal God, read more. for the obedience of faith) to the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
but I did not mean not at all with the whoremongers of this world, or the covetous, or rapacious, or idolaters: since ye must then go out of the world.
But whilst I am declaring this, I do not commend you, that ye assemble together not for the better, but for the worse.
Fourteen years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus also with me.
and knowing the grace which was given to me; James, and Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars of the church, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go to the gentiles, and they to the circumcision.
For before certain men came from James, he did eat with the gentiles; but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision.
yet now hath He reconciled 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 established in the faith, as ye have been taught it, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
Let not any one deceive you by any means; for it shall not come till there come an apostasy first, and the man of sin be revealed,
As I exhorted thee to stay at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain persons not to teach other doctrine,
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The sins of some men are notorious, leading as it were to their condemnation; and some more artful they follow after.
and void of truth, accounting gain to be godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
For the time will come, when they will not bear sound doctrine; but having itching ears, will heap up to themselves teachers after their own hearts:
Endeavour to come to me soon: for Demas hath forsaken me,
Admonish them to be submissive to governors and magistrates, to obey their orders, and to be ready to every good work;
which He hath plentifully shed upon us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour:
This is a word which ought to believed and observed, and concerning these things I would have thee stedfastly affirm, that they who have believed in God be careful to excel in good works: for these things are good and profitable to men.
Forward Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos, on their journey carefully, that nothing may be wanting to them.
Jude a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified in God the Father, and who are preserved and called in Jesus Christ;
Jude a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified in God the Father, and who are preserved and called in Jesus Christ; mercy, and peace, and love be multiplied unto you. read more. Beloved, having an earnest desire to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was under a necessity of writing to exhort you that ye would strive earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. For there have crept in some men, who have been of old described as under this condemnation, impious people, that turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and deny God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ. But I would remind you of this, which ye know already, that though the Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt, yet He afterwards destroyed those that believed not:
But I would remind you of this, which ye know already, that though the Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt, yet He afterwards destroyed those that believed not:
But these men speak evil of what they know not: and what they know naturally, as brute animals, in these things they are corrupt.
These are they who separate themselves, sensualists, not having the Spirit. But ye, beloved, edifying yourselves in your most holy faith, and praying in the holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, read more. looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a difference; others save with fear,
And on some have compassion, making a difference; others save with fear, as snatching them out of the fire: hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
as snatching them out of the fire: hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you blameless 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, both now and for ever. Amen.
I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and that thou canst not bear those that are evil: and thou hast tried those who say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars; and hast borne trouble, and hast patience;
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
But I have a few things against thee; for thou hast there those that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. So thou hast also them that hold the like 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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and why did he slay 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 indeed false prophets among the people of old, as there will be also among you false teachers, who will privately introduce pernicious heresies, denying even the Lord that bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction, And many will follow their pernicious tenets, on whose account the way of truth will be reproached: read more. and by artful speeches they will make sale of you for gain. Whose judgement is long since hastening, and their destruction doth not slumber. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement; and if He spared not the old world, (but preserved Noah an eighth person, a preacher of righteousness,) bringing a deluge upon the world of the ungodly; and reducing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha to ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those that should afterwards be impious; and delivered righteous Lot grieved at the lewd conversation of the wicked: (for that good man by seeing and hearing their crimes, when he dwelt among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day with their iniquitous deeds) then the Lord knoweth how to deliver the pious from temptation, and to reserve the wicked to the day of judgement to be punished: especially those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise authority; who, being audacious and self-willed, are not afraid to speak evil of dignities: whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, bring not a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. But these men, like brute beasts naturally produced to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil of things which they do not understand, shall perish by their own corruption; receiving the reward of their unrighteousness: who account it a pleasure to riot even in the day; spots and disgraces; revelling in their frauds, while they partake of your feasts: having eyes full of adultery, and which cannot be restrained from sin: ensnaring unstable souls, and having a heart practised in rapine; cursed people: who have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of iniquity; but was reproved for his transgression: for a dumb beast speaking with the voice of a man checked the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom thick darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak swelling words of vanity, they ensnare in the lusts of the flesh, through their lasciviousness, those who had indeed withdrawn from such as deal in error; promising them liberty, while they themselves are the slaves of corruption: for by whom any one is vanquished, by him he is also enslaved.
Beloved, having an earnest desire to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was under a necessity of writing to exhort you that ye would strive earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. For there have crept in some men, who have been of old described as under this condemnation, impious people, that turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and deny God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ. read more. But I would remind you of this, which ye know already, that though the Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt, yet He afterwards destroyed those that believed not: and the angels that kept not their primitive state, but left their proper abode, hath He reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, to the judgement of the great day: as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner with them committing lewdness, and going after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of perpetual fire. So these vile dreamers also defile the flesh, despise authority, and speak evil of dignities. Whereas Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, did not presume to bring against him a railing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee."
Whereas Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, did not presume to bring against him a railing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee." But these men speak evil of what they know not: and what they know naturally, as brute animals, in these things they are corrupt. read more. Wo unto them; for they have gone in the way of Cain, and been carried away by Balaam's error, the love of lucre, and perished as in the contradiction of Korah. These are spots in your love-feasts, feeding themselves without fear, when they are feasting with you: clouds without water, carried about by the winds; trees withered and without fruit, twice dead and rooted up; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackness of darkness is reserved for ever. And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied against these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with his holy myriads,
And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied against these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with his holy myriads, to pass judgement upon all, and to convict all the ungodly among them of all their wicked works, which they have impiously committed, and of all the hard things which impious sinners have spoken against Him.
to pass judgement upon all, and to convict all the ungodly among them of all their wicked works, which they have impiously committed, and of all the hard things which impious sinners have spoken against Him. These are murmurers, complainers, who walk according to their own irregular desires; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, with admiration of certain persons for some advantage of their own. read more. But, beloved, remember the words which were formerly spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they told you, that in the latter days there will be scoffers, walking according to their own impious lusts. These are they who separate themselves, sensualists, not having the Spirit. But ye, beloved, edifying yourselves in your most holy faith, and praying in the holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a difference; others save with fear, as snatching them out of the fire: hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy: to the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.