Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Jude 1:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Jude 1:3. When I gave all diligence — This phrase, πασαν σπουδηνποιουμενος, is a Grecism for being exceedingly intent upon a subject; taking it up seriously with determination to bring it to good effect. The meaning of the apostle seems to be this: "Beloved brethren, when I saw it necessary to write to you concerning the common salvation, my mind being deeply affected with the dangers to which the Church is exposed from the false teachers that are gone out into the world, I found it extremely necessary to write and exhort you to hold fast the truth which you had received, and strenuously to contend for that only faith which, by our Lord and his apostles, has been delivered to the Christians."

Some think that St. Jude intimates that he had at first purposed to write to the Church at large, on the nature and design of the Gospel; but seeing the dangers to which the Churches were exposed, because of the false teachers, he changed his mind, and wrote pointedly against those false doctrines, exhorting them strenuously to contend for the faith.

The common salvation — The Christian religion, and the salvation which it brings. This is called common because it equally belongs to Jews and Gentiles; it is the saving grace of God which has appeared to every man, and equally offers to every human being that redemption which is provided for the whole world.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

CONTENTS OF THE LETTER

Condemnation of the false teachers (1-16)

Jude had intended to write about more general matters concerning the Christian faith, but when he heard of the activities of evil teachers he changed his mind. He now feels that it is more important to encourage the Christians to hold firmly to the truth they first heard and to fight against those who want to destroy it. Punishment is certain for those who distort the true teaching of the gospel in order to give themselves the freedom to practise immorality (1-4).

People may belong to a Christian community, or even be known as Christian teachers, but that is no guarantee of their salvation. If they do not truly believe, they will suffer God’s condemnation. Three examples are given to illustrate this fact. First, all the people of Israel were delivered from Egypt, but those who did not believe were destroyed (5; cf. Numbers 14:26-35). Second, angels have high status, but those who rebelled met a terrifying judgment (6; cf. Genesis 6:1-4). Third, Sodom and Gomorrah were great cities, but they were destroyed because of their immorality (7; cf. Genesis 19:12-25).

Controlling neither their passions nor their words, these false teachers commit immoral sexual acts and insult both God and his angels. Yet the chief angel himself refused to condemn the devil with insulting words (even though he may have had good cause to), for he would not claim for himself the authority of judgment that belongs to God alone (8-9). (This story is taken from the apocryphal ‘Assumption of Moses’. Apocryphal writings are certain recognized books written in the era of the Old Testament but not included in the Old Testament. They are grouped into two collections, the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha.)

The ungodly teachers have no understanding of spiritual things, but act according to their physical instincts, like animals. They have Cain’s jealousy, Balaam’s greed, and Korah’s spirit of rebellion against authority (10-11; cf. Genesis 4:3-8; Numbers 16:1-50; Numbers 22:1-40; Numbers 25:1-9; Numbers 31:16). Their behaviour at Christian fellowship meals is a disgrace. Like rainless clouds they bring no good; like fruitless trees they are useless and should be destroyed; like the restless sea they are without control; like falling stars they will be swallowed up in the darkness, the darkness of God’s eternal punishment (12-13).

Enoch’s prophecy confirms the certain punishment of people characterized by such ungodliness. Whether they criticize or flatter, whether they grumble or boast, their actions are always motivated solely by what is going to benefit them personally (14-16). (The prophecy of Enoch is taken from the apocryphal ‘Book of Enoch’.)

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.

While I was giving all diligence … means that Jude was actually engaged in writing a treatise on "our common salvation." For possible reasons why this might have been overruled by God, see in the introduction.

Common salvation … This has the meaning of the salvation which is offered to all people alike, upon the same conditions, from the same source, and entailing the same obligations. This salvation is not common in the sense of being ordinary, being on the other hand the most precious treasure ever made available to the sons of earth.

I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you … Not further instructions, but exhortation to heed the truth already received was the great requirement of the day; and Jude accepted the challenge. As to the incident that might have led to this change in his plans, we are not told; but it may be surmised that news from churches in which he was vitally interested might have been the decisive factor.

Beloved … The only other example of a New Testament book beginning with this particular word is 3 John 1:2. "As Jude's subject was a very unpleasant one, he hastens to assure his readers of his affection for them, to prevent his strong language from offending them."Alfred Plummer, op. cit., p. 508.

Exhorting you to contend earnestly … There are very important deductions which are mandatory in such a declaration, the first being the possibility of apostasy. As Mayor put it, "It is possible (as shown by the following examples) for spiritual blessings once given to be lost unless we use every effort to maintain them."J. B. Mayor, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 255. Another deduction is that hostility to the truth exists and will continue to exist throughout history. What is meant is that Christians shall vigorously fight for and defend the truth. Barclay pointed out that the Greek word used here "contains the root of our English word agony. The defense of the faith may well be a costly thing; but that defense is a duty which falls on every generation of the church."William Barclay, The Letters of John and Jude (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 179.

For the faith … What is this? We reject the notion of some, like that of Dummelow, to the effect that the faith as used here applies merely to the fact "that our common salvation is the work of Christ."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1063. While true enough as far as it goes, much more than that is meant here. "It means that alone which is contained in the Bible."James MacKnight, MacKnight on the Epistles, Vol. VI. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, reprint, 1969), p. 191. "It means the sum of that which Christians believe."Delbert R. Rose, op. cit., p. 428. "The faith here implies a recognized body of teaching such as we know emerged from Peter's early sermons."David H. Wheaton, op. cit., p. 1275. Therefore, Caton is correct in including in the meaning all of the basic New Testament requirements of faith, repentance, confession, and baptism into Christ of all who would be saved initially, and the ethical, moral and religious obligations of Christians, including their faithful observance of the Lord's Supper, along with the reception and cherishing of the earnest of the Holy Spirit, as necessarily manifested in their subsequent lives.N. T. Caton, Commentary on the Epistles of James, Peter, John and Jude (Delight, Arkansas: Gospel Light Publishing Company, 1897), p. 202.

Here again, in the New Testament usage of faith, it means, as so frequently in other New Testament passages, as Alford put it: "Faith means the faith which is believed, not the faith by which we believe."Delbert R. Rose, a quotation from Alford, op. cit., p. 432.

Once for all delivered … The use of the Greek word [hapax] carries the meaning of "once only and forever." The gospel delivered to mankind was not a piecemeal revelation, "here a little and there a little" as in the Old Testament, but the full message in its entirety and completeness as delivered through Christ to the apostles. The word ([Greek: hapax]) is the same as in such New Testament expressions as "appointed to man once to die," "Christ offered himself once," etc. See fuller comment on this word in my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 164. Russell's comment on this phrase was: "The gospel was delivered not in part, but as a complete whole."James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 612.

There is hardly any other message of the New Testament that has greater relevance for our own times than this. The revelation of Christ through the apostles is complete, inviolate, sufficient, eternal, immutable, and not subject to any change whatever. Jesus made his sayings to be the dogmatic foundation of Christianity as evident in the sermon on the mount (Matthew 7:24-25) and in the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20). People who desire to know God, walk in the light, have eternal life, etc., should heed such passages as 2 John 1:9, always remembering that the truth was "first spoken by the Lord" (Hebrews 2:3), and that all of those religious doings which cannot pass the test of having been "first" spoken by Jesus Christ should be rejected.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Beloved - An expression of strong affection used by the apostles when addressing their brethren, Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1Co 15:58; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Corinthians 12:19; Philippians 2:12; Philippians 4:1; and often elsewhere.

When I gave all diligence - When I applied my mind earnestly; implying that he had reflected on the subject, and thought particularly what it would be desirable to write to them. The state of mind referred to is that of one who was purposing to write a letter, and who thought over carefully what it would be proper to say. The mental process which led to writing the Epistle seems to have been this:

1. For some reasons - mainly from his strong affection for them - he purposed to write to them.
2. The general subject on which he designed to write was, of course, something pertaining to the common salvation - for he and they were Christians.
3. On reflecting what particular thing pertaining to this common salvation it was best for him to write on, he felt that, in view of their peculiar dangers, it ought to be an exhortation to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to them. Macknight renders this less correctly, “Making all haste to write to you,” etc. But the idea is rather that he set himself diligently and earnestly to write to them of the great matter in which they had a common interest.

To write unto you of the common salvation - The salvation common to Jews and Gentiles, and to all who bore the Christian name. The meaning is, that he did not think of writing on any subject pertaining to a particular class or party, but on some subject in which all who were Christians had a common interest. There are great matters of religion held in common by all Christians, and it is important for religious teachers to address their fellow Christians on those common topics. After all, they are more important than the things which we may hold as peculiar to our own party or sect, and should be more frequently dwelt upon.

It was needful for me to write to you - “I reflected on the general subject, prompted by my affectionate regard to write to you of things pertaining to religion in general, and, on looking at the matter, I found there was a particular topic or aspect of the subject on which it was necessary to address you. I saw the danger in which you were from false teachers, and felt it not only necessary that I should write to you, but that I should make this the particular subject of my counsels.”

And exhort you - “That I should make my letter in fact an exhortation on a particular topic.”

That ye should earnestly contend - Compare Galatians 2:5. The word here rendered “earnestly contend” - ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι epagōnizesthai - is one of those words used by the sacred writers which have allusion to the Grecian games. Compare the notes, 1 Corinthians 9:24, following. This word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means “to contend upon” - i. e., “for or about” anything; and would be applicable to the earnest effort put forth in those games to obtain the prize. The reference here, of course, is only to contention by argument, by reasoning, by holding fast the principles of religion, and maintaining them against all opposers. It would not justify “contention” by arms, by violence, or by persecution; because:

(a)That is contrary to the spirit of true religion, and to the requirements of the gospel elsewhere revealed;

(b)It is not demanded by the proper meaning of the word, all that that fairly implies being the effort to maintain truth by argument and by a steady life;

(c)It is not the most effectual way to keep up truth in the world to attempt to do it by force and arms.

For the faith - The system of religion revealed in the gospel. It is called “faith,” because that is the cardinal virtue in the system, and because all depends on that. The rule here will require that we should contend in this manner for all “truth.”

Once delivered unto the saints - The word here used (ἅπαξ hapax) may mean either “once for all,” in the sense that it was then complete, and would not be repeated; or “formerly,” to wit, by the author of the system. Doddridge, Estius, and Beza, understand it in the former way; Macknight and others in the latter; Benson improperly supposes that it means “fully or perfectly.” Perhaps the more usual sense of the word would be, that it was done once in the sense that it is not to be done again, and, therefore, in the sense that it was then complete, and that nothing was to be added to it. There is indeed the idea that it was formerly done, but with this additional thought, that it was then complete. Compare, for this use of the Greek word rendered “once,” Hebrews 9:26-28; Hebrews 10:2; 1 Peter 3:18. The “delivering” of this faith to the saints here referred to is evidently that made by revelation, or the system of truth which God has made known in his word. Everything which He has revealed, we are to defend as true. We are to surrender no part of it whatever, for every part of that system “is” of value to mankind. By a careful study of the Bible we are to ascertain what that system is, and then in all places, at all times, in all circumstances, and at every sacrifice, we are to maintain it.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

3.When I gave diligence. I have rendered the words σπουδὴν ποιούμενος, “Applying care:” literally they are, “Making diligence.” But many interpreters explain the sentence in this sense, that a strong desire constrained Jude to write, as we usually say of those under the influence of some strong feeling, that they cannot govern or restrain themselves. Then, according to these expounders, Jude was under a sort of necessity, because a desire to write suffered him not to rest. But I rather think that the two clauses are separate, that though he was inclined and solicitous to write, yet a necessity compelled him. He then intimates, that he was indeed glad and anxious to write to them, but yet necessity urged him to do so, even because they were assailed (according to what follows) by the ungodly, and stood in need of being prepared to fight with them. ⁽¹⁹⁰⁾

Then, in the first place, Jude testifies that he felt so much concern for their salvation, that he wished himself, and was indeed anxious to write to them; and, secondly, in order to rouse their attention, he says that the state of things required him to do so. For necessity adds strong stimulants. Had they not been forewarned how necessary his exhortation was, they might have been slothful and negligent; but when he makes this preface, that he wrote on account of the necessity of their case, it was the same as though he had blown a trumpet to awake them from their torpor.

Of the common salvation. Some copies add “your,” but without reason, as I think; for he makes salvation common to them and to himself. And it adds not a little weight to the doctrine that is announced, when any one speaks according to his own feelings and experience; for vain is what we say, if we speak of salvation to others, when we ourselves have no real knowledge of it. Then, Jude professed himself to be (so to speak) an experimental teacher, when he associated himself with the godly in the participation of the same salvation.

And exhort you. Literally, “exhorting you;” but as he points out the end of his counsel, the sentence ought to be thus expressed. What I have rendered, “to help the faith by contending,” means the same as to strive in retaining the faith, and courageously to sustain the contrary assaults of Satan. ⁽¹⁹¹⁾ For he reminds them that in order to persevere in the faith, various contests must be encountered and continual warfare maintained. He says that faith had been once delivered, that they might know that they had obtained it for this end, that they might never fail or fall away.

(190) Then the rendering would be, “Beloved, when I was applying all care to write to you of the common salvation, I deemed (or found) it necessary to write to you, in order to exhort you to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.” Macknight and some others give another meaning to the first clause, and one more literal: “Beloved, making all haste to write to you, concerning the common salvation, I have thought it necessary,” etc. For this haste the Apostle gives a reason in the following verse, “For some men have stealthily crept in,” etc. This is the most obvious meaning of the passage. — Ed.

(191) The meaning of the verb is, to combat for, to strive, fight or contend for. It is a word derived from the games, and expresses a strenuous effort. Our version conveys well its meaning, “earnestly contend for the faith;” or, the words may be rendered, “strenuously combat for the faith;” not with the sword, says Beza, but with sound doctrine and the example of a holy life. — Ed

Smith's Bible Commentary

Shall we go to the general epistle of Jude. Jude introduces himself as...

A servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James ( Jude 1:1 ),

The word servant in Greek is doulos, bondslave of Jesus Christ. But also adding this identification as brother of James, which leads to a very interesting speculation, which is in all probability correct. In Matthew's gospel, chapter thirteen, when Jesus was attracting great multitudes, there were those that were offended because of Him. They said, "Hey, we know who this is! This is the son of Joseph, the carpenter! Aren't his brothers still around here? James, and Simon, and Jude?" So he is named as the brother of James, but also would make him a stepbrother to Jesus. In Mark's gospel also, James and Jude are named as brothers of Jesus.

It is a fallacy and invention of the Catholic church that Mary remained a perpetual virgin. That's just one of the added benefits that they tacked on to Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary. Not scriptural. In fact, we are told that Jesus' brothers really didn't believe in Him, and that's why He said, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country among those in his own household" ( Matthew 13:57 ). Once when Jesus was ministering at Capernaum and the crowds were pressing and He really wasn't able to rest, almost twenty-four hours a day being compelled by the needs of the people, Mary and His brothers came down to rescue Him! They thought He'd flipped; the pressure of so many people had gotten to Him. So Mary and His brothers came to rescue Him from the crowd. Once Jesus was raised from the dead, His brothers became believers. James became one of the leaders of the church. James, the brother of John, exited from the church very early in its history. He was one of the church, after Stephen, he was the next martyr. Herod stretched forth his hand against the church, and he had James beheaded. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he had Peter put in prison, intending to bring him forth the next day and execute him. But that night, as Peter was asleep, the angel came and woke him up and let him out of the prison. You know the story. So James, the brother of John, was beheaded very early in church history.

This other James became one of the leaders of the early church, and one of the spokesmen. When, in the fifteenth chapter of the book of Acts, the question came up as far as the Gentiles' relationship to the law, the Gentile leaders in Christ, their relationship to the law. It was James who made the final proclamation that was accepted by the church and sent to the Gentile church in Antioch, encouraging them in their faith in Christ, and freeing them from the responsibility of obedience to the Mosaic Law.

So the identity, then, of Jude becomes very interesting: a servant, the bondslave of Jesus Christ, but a brother of James. He is writing to those who are first of all sanctified by God. The word sanctified means to be "set apart" for exclusive purposes.

Now, when in the Old Testament they built the tabernacle to worship God, they built the instruments that were to be used in the worship: the cup, the tables, and the plates and so forth, and they sanctified them. That is, they set them apart to be used exclusively in the worship of God, and therefore, were not to be used just in an ordinary sense. In other words, if you were thirsty, you weren't to grab one of these cups and get yourself a drink out of it. They were set aside for the worship of God. It was to be used exclusively in the worship of God. So they were said to be sanctified unto God.

So when we commit our life completely unto God, sanctified, what it means is that your life has been set apart for God's use and you're really not to use it for your own purposes. So...

those that have been sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, [or kept in Jesus Christ,] and called: [A typical greeting] Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. [So rather than grace, mercy and peace, and love. Now he said] Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints ( Jude 1:1-3 ).

Now, his original intention in writing to them was to just write to them concerning the common salvation that they had. But as he sat down to write to them about the common salvation, that which was upon his heart, the Holy Spirit changed the subject, and the Holy Spirit pressed upon him to write to them encouraging them to earnestly contend for the faith that was delivered to them. So here's an interesting thing where the Holy Spirit superceded that which Jude was intending to write, the subject upon which he was intending to write. The Holy Spirit superceded and he writes to them concerning the necessity of holding on to the faith and to the truth that they had received. For again, the deceivers and the false prophets were a problem to the church. So "it was needful" or "it was impressed upon me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

For there are certain men who have crept in unaware, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ ( Jude 1:4 ).

So into the church had come these men. Now the same thing is true today. There are men in the church, garbed in the robes of ministry, who deny our Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am appalled at what some so-called reverends have to say about the issues of the day, or about spiritual matters. I'm appalled when ministers sue President Reagan for declaring the Year of the Bible saying that, "That's unconstitutional. He has no right to do so!" Ministers sued him! Rather than rejoicing that a president is pointing the people to the right direction, for guidance for the nation. But they are the same kind that had crept into the early church. Hey, this has been the curse of the church from the beginning! Those who purport to speak for the Lord, or those who purport to be servants of Christ, planted really by Satan to undermine the faith of the simple people.

You see, Satan found that he could not destroy the church by a frontal, so he decided to destroy it from within, and he joined the church. The danger to the church today really doesn't lie from communism or outside forces. The danger in the church lies from within the corrupting leaven within the church. That's the real danger! That's the danger I fear. That corruption from within. Not the outside attacks of the enemy. That only makes the church stronger. But the church is weakened by these forces within. You think I'm bad, wait until we find out what he has to say about them! "They were ordained," he said, "to this condemnation, before ordained, before of old ordained to this condemnation. They are ungodly men who turned the grace of God into lasciviousness." "Well listen, God's grace will cover. It doesn't matter, God's grace, His undeserving favor is ours, and so we can do what we please. You know we can live like we want! It doesn't matter. God will forgive us. God's grace will cover it!" So they use it as a cloak to cover their own lascivious lives, and life's standards, and desires. "Well, the grace of God will cover." Peter warned about those also who had twisted the words of Paul. "Unstable, unlearned persons wresting the scriptures to their own destruction, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness." Paul spoke about them in Romans. He said, "Where grace" or "where sin abounds, grace does much more abound" or "grace overflows. What shall we say then? Shall we sin freely that grace may overflow? God forbid!" He talked about those who were in the church who were saying, "Hey, my rotten lifestyle is only proving God's grace and love. I'm just a good example to people to how God can love such rotten persons! So it's bringing glory to God; my evil vicious living brings glory to God because people say, 'Look God forgives, and God loves even a person like that!'" They were saying, "Now how can God condemn me when my life is really bringing glory to Him?" Paul said, "whose damnation is just." They denied the only Lord God, our Lord and our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, that though you once knew this ( Jude 1:5 ),

It's interesting how we need to be, needed to be reminded often of the things we already know. Peter said, "Now I know that you know these things, but I feel it is necessary to write them unto you and to bring you into constant remembrance of them. Knowing that I'm gonna be leaving this tent; I'm gonna be moving out of my body pretty soon. I'm now gonna write them to you so that even after I'm gone you might be reminded." Certain things of which we need constant reminding. So Jude said much the same, "I'm gonna put you in remembrance of these things that you already know."

how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not ( Jude 1:5 ).

So God brought the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. It was the intention of God, the desire of God, to bring them into the land that He had promised to their father Abraham. To bring them into a rich land that they could call their own, that they could possess as their own. No longer be slaves in a foreign country, but now to have your own land, and to possess your own land, build your own houses, plant your own vineyards, eat of the fruit of your own labor. God's intention to bring them into the land that was well-watered, flowing with milk and honey.

But they came into the wilderness, to the border of the new land, Kadesh-Barnea; and when the spies brought back a discouraging report, "Giants in the land! Huge cities with high walls, we can't go! We can't take it!" the people lost faith. They did not believe that God would keep His word and deliver the land to them. Their lack of faith, their lack of entering in, kept them from all that God had for them. They said to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to perish in the wilderness? If we try and go in there, they'll kill our kids and we'll be wiped out!" So God said, "Alright that's it. Moses, I will not allow them to go into the land now. But they will wander here in the wilderness for forty years until they all die off. And their children that they were worried about being slain, they will go in and take the land." Unbelief kept them from all that God had for them. God, in His love, was wanting to bless them, wanting to bring them into this land of promise.

God in His love wants to bring you into a glorious life of fellowship and relationship with Him. Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life, and that more abundantly!" The Lord wants to bring you into an abundant life! But unbelief will rob you of the things that God desires to do for you! It's amazing how unbelief can rob you of the work of God and of the blessings of God!

In the Old Testament we have the story of the king who, Jehoram, it was the king in Samaria. The city of Samaria was being besieged by Benhadad in the Syrian forces. They had cut off the food supplies. They had encircled the city and they were starving the people out. They almost succeeded. The donkey's skull was selling for sixty-five pieces of silver. People began to boil their own children and eat them. That's how desperate they were! When the king decided that Elijah was at fault for this whole problem, and he said, "I'll have the head of that fellow!" He ordered the guy to go down and behead him.

Now Elisha was sitting in his house with his friends, and he had an extremely strong gift of discernment. He just knew what was going on. In fact, when Benhadad was having his secret meetings of war with his generals, Elisha was reporting to the king everything that Benhadad had planned! So the king was there to ambush every sortie that was sent against him, until Benhadad came to one of his generals and said, "Okay, one of you guys is a fink! I intend to find out which one! You know it's impossible that that king could know all that we're planning to do unless one of you guys were telling!" So the General said, "That's not so. We're, all of us, loyal to you, but there's a guy over there in Israel and he knows what you tell your wife in the bedchamber. I mean, you can't even talk to your wife without that guy knowing what you're saying!" He had a very keen gift of discernment!

So he was sitting with his friends, and he said, "Look what that son of a murderer is planning to do now! He's sending a guy down here to get my head! Can you beat that?" He said, "When the guy knocks on the door, open the door hard and hold him fast. Pin him, for behold, his master is right behind him!" So the knock came on the door and the guy opened it and pinned the guy behind the door, and here came up king Jehoram and his head of state, and he said, "Ah, we've got you now. You've been troubling Israel!" Elisha said, "Come on, you're the one that's brought on the problems. You're the one that's introduced the worship of Baal and turned the people after these other gods, and it's because of you that the problems have come! But," he said, "tomorrow in the gate of the city of Samaria, they'll be selling a bushel of fine flour for sixty-five cents."

Now the man on whom the king leaned said, "Oh crazy! If God would open up windows in heaven such a thing couldn't be!" He didn't believe the promise of God. Elisha said to him, "Fellow, you will see it, but you won't eat it." That night God caused the Syrians to hear a noise that they interpreted as chariots of the king of Egypt, and they fled, leaving their camp and all of their supplies intact!

In the morning, they opened the gates so that the people of Samaria could go out, (who had been starving to death, remember) to go out and to get all of the booty and all of the loot that was out there. The king said to this guy who had said the night before, "God would open up the windows in heaven," and the prophet said, "You'll see it; you won't eat it." He said, "You go down there and stand in the gate and keep order." The people were so hungry they trampled this guy to death. He saw it, God provided it, but he didn't eat it. That's the price of unbelief.

Even when God keeps His word, you're not able to partake of it. Unbelief can hold you back from what God has given, what God desires to give, from the blessings of God. The children of Israel through unbelief, and we read in the Psalms, "They limited the Holy One of Israel through unbelief." It holds back.

Now you see our unbelief comes from looking at ourselves instead of looking at God. I look at the circumstances. I look at the situations and I say, "Oh, I don't see how that could be! Just can't be man! I've tried everything, there's no way!" I give my testimony of unbelief. I've looked at myself, I've looked at my resources, I've looked at my abilities, and I've concluded that there's no way. But you see, that's because I've looked at me instead of looking at God. Unbelief always comes from looking at myself and the situation in light of myself. Faith always comes from looking at God! Turns away from the situation. Abraham considered not his own age, about a hundred years old, or yet the deadness of Sara's womb, about ninety years old. He staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief. But being strong in the faith he gave glory to God, believing that what God had promised He was able to perform.

So the children of Israel, the first example of those who did not enter into God's full blessings because of unbelief.

Second example...

The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day ( Jude 1:6 ).

The Bible indicates that perhaps as many as a third of the angels rebelled with Satan against the authority and the government of God. In the book of Revelation, "John saw the dragon being cast out of heaven with his tail he drew a third part of the stars," and stars are often used in the scripture as a reference to the angels. We know that there are angels which did not keep their first estate. They are mentioned here. It was this co-mingling of angels with men before the flood that brought the flood upon the world. The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they went unto them, and their offspring were giants. Genetic manipulation before the flood.

So these no doubt are the angels kept not their first estate that God has now in chains of darkness awaiting the day of judgment. Angels dwelt in the very presence of God. They were servants of God, messengers of God, doing and bidding His work. These glorious creatures, higher in creation order than man, unredeemed man; they will be lower than us in our redeemed state. In our glorified state we will be judging them. But in the natural state, "God made Jesus a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death." You see, angels can't suffer death. But He made Jesus a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. We see Him now crowned with glory and honor according to Hebrews.

These creatures of God, dwelling there in the presence of God, the glory of God, kept not their first estate, their first principles, and now are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness until the judgment of the great day.

Third example...

Sodom and Gomorrah, cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire ( Jude 1:7 ).

God sent fire and brimstone and destroyed the cities of the plains, Sodom and Gomorrah, and those cities of the plains. Cities that existed in this beautiful fervent valley that was well-watered. Tropical climate, great soil, produced food without any effort. You see, as cultures develop, the first thing is in the primitive cultures a person is usually capable of producing enough food to keep himself alive. With primitive tools, primitive cultures, and this is what you find in areas where you really don't have any cultural, any culture kind of a development. The reason why is that people can only, they have to work all day just to provide food. I mean that's basic if you, you've got to have food.

Now, it is not until the means of supplying food develop to the extent that one person can produce more food than what he needs for his own use. The surplus of agriculture is the necessity for the development of any kind of society, or social structure within a community. So you have a fellow who's busily engaged in providing his own food; he has to make his own tools. He has to make his own hoes, he has to make his own plows, and he has to, you know his whole effort is into providing the food for himself, for his family.

Now as you begin to develop, here's a fellow who is especially skilled in making plows. So he starts making plows because others are able to produce more food than what they themselves need for their own personal use, and now they can trade their food for his plows. He's particularly adept at making plows, so he spends his time now making plows and he trades his plows for food, because they can now produce more than what they need for themselves. That's how your society develops is through an agricultural surplus.

Now they were able to develop the agricultural surplus in this Jordan valley because it was so rich and verdant, so productive. You didn't have to work so hard to create enough food for your needs. So we are told in Ezekiel that, "In Sodom they had an abundance of bread, and idleness of time." Because it was such a productive area. So that really, natural advantage. I mean, you live in an area like that where you don't have to work so hard to provide the food for what you need, you can develop now a beneficial social structure. But instead, they used their idleness of time and just following after the flesh. Homosexuality became a very prominent thing, "strange flesh" he calls it here. It's homosexuality that really developed there in Sodom. Kinky sex you might say, "strange flesh". Using their idleness of time, the abundance of bread, bringing about the idleness of time, using it then for these corrupt purposes. They serve as an example as they suffered the destruction of the fire and brimstone sent by God. The eternal fire, the vengeance of eternal fire.

And in the same way these filthy dreamers [That is the apostate teachers] they defile the flesh, they despise dominion [or authority] and they speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, and dared not to bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee ( Jude 1:8-9 ).

Now here is an interesting insight that the Bible doesn't give us anyplace but right here. And that is, we are told in the Old Testament that the Lord buried Moses. Moses went off from the camp and God buried him. They never found his grave; they never found his body. The Lord buried him. He died somewhere in the area of Moab, Mount Nebo, able to look over and see the land that God promised, not able to go over. "And the Lord buried Moses." Well, Michael was the instrument, no doubt, that God sent to bury him. God said, "Michael, go down and bury him." Satan met him there and began to dispute with him over the body of Moses!

Now, Michael didn't even make a railing accusation against the devil. He didn't say, "Oh you dirty scum! You can't have him!" or whatever. He didn't make any railing accusation against him, he just said, "The Lord rebuke thee."

I am a little wary about these people who are always railing on the devil. I'll personally tell you, I don't want any confrontation with the devil! In fact I always want the Lord between me and the devil. I don't want any personal confrontation with him; I want the Lord between us. In dealing with him, I want to deal with him only through the Lord, "The Lord rebuke thee." I wouldn't say, "I rebuke thee Satan!" Who am I to rebuke him? He'd say, "Who are you? Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" But, "The Lord rebuke thee." Yeah that's all right, I can handle that. Get the Lord between him and me! That I can handle.

So even Michael, hey, one of the greatest angels in heaven didn't make railing accusations against Satan, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee." But these filthy dreamers, these false teachers that were perverting the truth within the truth. They were speaking evil of the dignity; they were speaking evil of the church leadership, of the apostles. How many times they would come in and run Paul down! "Ah, he's not a real apostle! Paul's a renegade, Paul's a..." And here he was anointed of God and doing such a great work, and these false teachers, though, they always try to improve their stock by running down someone that God is using. You know, it makes them look better if they can find flaws in someone, so people take pot shots at Billy Graham, you see. If I can find fault in Billy Graham, hey, I'm able to judge him! If he would only do this, and that, and the other, then he can be a successful... You know it's, but people do that, they try to raise. Well, someone said, "You'll never gain ground by throwing mud." But yet that seems to be the philosophy of many people. They try to increase their stock by tearing down someone else.

They speak evil of things that they don't even know about ( Jude 1:10 ):

This is so true and it's crazy, but there are people who have spoken evil of the work that God is doing here, and they don't even know about it! They've never been here! I'm amazed at some of the articles I've read in some of the magazines and papers and so forth about things that are supposedly happening here at Calvary Chapel. In the days when the hippies were around, you know, someone with great authority said I was at one of those houses and the kids climbing up nude in the trees to read their Bible, smoking a joint. Crazy stuff! "They speak evil of things they don't even know about!" Have never bothered to examine!

but one thing they do know naturally, as brute beasts, [I mean, you have a certain innate natural knowledge.] they even corrupt that. Woe to them! for they've gone the way of Cain, [The way of hatred, the way of bitterness, the way of the works of the flesh, rather than relying upon the work of God.] they've run greedily after the error of Balaam, [Filled with greed they looked to better their own position using the things of God, or their knowledge of the things of God.] they perished in the gainsaying of Core ( Jude 1:10-11 ).

As Core came to Moses and said, "You've taken too much upon yourself. Put in Aaron, your brother, in the position of going in before the Lord. We're Levites, we have as much right as Aaron." He perished when the ground opened up and swallowed him.

Now here's what He has to say about these false teachers and apostles, apostate teachers:

They are spots in your feast of love, when they feast with you, they are feeding themselves without fear: they are clouds without water, carried about with the winds; they are trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots ( Jude 1:12 );

Now rain, of course, was always a welcome thing in that land. It's a desert area. The clouds form and you have the promise, "Oh, it's gonna be great we're gonna get some rain!" You know, they give great swelling words of promise, "We're gonna do this, we're gonna do that." But there's no substance, no rain, clouds without water. They're carried about with every wind. They are fruit that withers, it doesn't really come to maturity; it doesn't really develop fully. Again, it gives the promise, "Oh, there's a blossom." I've got an apricot tree, the rottenest tree. I swear I'm gonna cut it down! In the springtime, it blossoms out. It even sets some little apricots, but they always fall off, never develop. Every year, I think "Oh, this year!" I told the tree, I said, "Look, if you give me one apricot, I'll let you live." That tree's got to go! It gives the promise, but it never produces. Apostate teachers, they give all kinds of promises; they never produce. The fruit withers, it dries up.

They are like raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; [Just driven, no real purpose, just raging waves foaming.] wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever ( Jude 1:13 ).

Now Gehenna is described as the place of the eternal abode of Satan and his followers. Jesus described Gehenna as existing in outer darkness. Our scientists have discovered galaxies that they estimate to be some twelve billion light years from the earth. But they, at the present time, believe that that is the edge of the universe. They do believe that they have discovered the edge of the universe some twelve billion light years away. They just recently funded for a new microscope. I mean, not a new microscope, a new telescope that will probe the heavens: seventy million dollars. It'll be set up in Hawaii. They are hoping to maybe catch the light of galaxies that are so far away that it has not yet reached the earth.

Now, out beyond the furthest galaxy, say twelve billion light years away for the sake of argument, what if you continued out beyond that galaxy for another, say, a hundred billion light years distance? Because it would seem to me that space would be impudent, I mean, I can't imagine a sign out there, "This is the end of space." So imagine being able to travel beyond the furthest galaxy, say, another hundred billion light years. But they wouldn't really be light years, because light wouldn't get out that far yet. You'd be in total darkness. Have you ever been in total darkness? I mean totally darkness. Down in the Oregon caves, you're way down there in the caves and then they turn off the lights and they say, "You can now experience total darkness." It's so dark you can feel it. A total darkness you feel. It says that there was a darkness in Egypt that they could feel. You can actually feel total darkness. I mean it's an awesome sensation to be in total darkness. It's something that's very rare. But to get out that far into the universe, you would get out into total darkness. What a fitting place for God to put the people who hate the light! Jesus said, "They will not come to the light, because they hate the light." Outer darkness, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Now that would be awesome.

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints ( Jude 1:14 ),

Now this reference to Enoch prophesying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints," is found in the book of Enoch, which is known as an apocryphal book. An apocryphal book is a book whose authorship is questioned and has not been brought in and accepted as a part of the cannon of scripture. There are doubts as to its authenticity, or its inspiration. The book of Enoch, the apocryphal book of Enoch, is such.

Now Jude, no doubt, was aware of this statement of Enoch from somewhere. The book of Enoch does have the statement in it, but the book of Enoch that we have, the apocryphal book of Enoch, didn't show up until about the second century. So whoever wrote that book of Enoch could have known that Jude made reference to it, and so included it in the book of Enoch so that it looked like it was a very authentic book. But that book of Enoch, the apocryphal book, did not turn up until the second century. It was not, of course, one of the books that was copied by the Hebrew scholars that wanted to put the scriptures in the Greek language, the Septuagint, so that the Jews of Jesus they could understand the scriptures, or read them for themselves.

So he does make reference to this prophecy of Enoch. So Enoch was a prophet. He was a man that we know walked with God, was not, for God took him. But before God took him, he had this testimony that he pleased God. But "without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him" ( Hebrews 11:6 ). So, he was a man who was raptured before his time. He experienced the rapture several thousand years before Christ. Actually, he was raptured before the flood! He was the tenth from Adam, tenth generation from Adam. Or seventh was it? Seventh from Adam. Seventh generation from Adam. So Enoch testified that the Lord was going to come with ten thousand of His saints.

Now when Jesus comes, we're gonna be coming with Him. "When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory." In the nineteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, as Jesus mounts the white horse to come back to the earth, "and the armies that came with Him riding on white horses," the church returning with Christ in power and glory to establish the kingdom of God upon the earth. So Enoch prophesied of these things, "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all."

Now in the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter sixty-one, of the coming of Jesus Christ, the one that Jesus read in the synagogue in Nazareth, the prophecy of Isaiah said, "To execute judgment, to proclaim the day of the Lord." Jesus did not read this portion of the prophecy, but He closed the scroll of Isaiah before He got to this portion. Because His first coming was not to include the judgment; that's to be in the second coming and in Matthew's gospel, twenty-four, twenty-five, when he talks to them about His second coming, "then when He comes, He will gather together the nations for judgment and He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."

Behold, the Lord cometh 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 ungodly committed, and of all of their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him ( Jude 1:14-15 ).

The day of judgment is coming.

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouths speak great swelling words, having persons in admiration because of advantage ( Jude 1:16 ).

So these are the typical politicians! Having persons in admiration because of advantage. The politicking of man.

But beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you that there would be mockers in the last times, who would walk after their ungodly lusts ( Jude 1:17-18 ).

This is probably a reference to Peter. In Peter's epistle he said, "In the last days scoffers will come saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming?'"

These are they who separate themselves, they are sensual, they do not have the Spirit. But you, [in contrast], beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith ( Jude 1:19-20 ),

Our faith should be increasing. Our faith should be growing. The longer you walk with the Lord, the greater your faith should be. "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God" ( Romans 10:17 ). What advantage of coming out on Sunday night? Your faith is growing, because you're learning about God. Because we're doing nothing but just going through the Word of God. Even as we go through it and read it, what we read is gonna be an advantage and benefit to you, though what I may say may never make any impression at all. Just the reading and the hearing of the Word is gonna build your faith! Because you're gonna begin to understand more and more about God, and the more you understand Him, the more you'll trust Him and learn to trust Him. Building up yourself in a most holy faith. Praying in the Holy Spirit. Asking the Holy Spirit to direct your prayer, in cases, groaning in the Spirit because of situations, or in other cases, if you have the gift, praying in an unknown tongue.

Keep yourselves in the love of God ( Jude 1:21 ),

That's the important thing! You see, God loves you and because He loves you, He wants to bless you. He wants to bestow His goodness upon your life. But is able, it is possible for you to get out of the place of God's blessing. As the children of Israel, who through unbelief, did not enter into the full blessings that God had intended for them. So you can keep yourselves from the full blessings that God wants to bestow upon you because of His love. Even as the angels, which kept not their first estate, lifted up with pride, rebelled against God, so you, through pride and rebellion against God, can put yourself outside the place of God's blessings upon your life. God won't do for you those things He desires to do in His love for you.

So as though the Sodom and Gomorrah, who used their idleness of time in the pursuit of their own lusts, so you, giving yourself over in this day of idleness of time, an abundance of opportunities of going after your own lustful desires. If you use the idleness of time, and the pursuit of the lust of your flesh, you're gonna move yourself away from the place of God's love and God's blessing. That is, God can't do for you. It doesn't cause, God says, "Well, I don't love him anymore. Look at the way he's living!" No! No, God still loves you, but He weeps. He can't do for you what He wants to do, because your life is inconsistent with Him. Like Cain, if you allow hatred to fill your heart, God can't bless you. Like Balaam, if you allow greed to fill your heart, God can't bless you. Like Core, if you allow jealousy to master your life, God can't bless you, can't do for you what He wants to do. Keep yourself in the love of God, keep yourself in that place where God can do all He is wanting to do for you because of His infinite love.

As we look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Looking for the Lord to come again at any time. Looking for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, realizing that this could happen tonight! All of these things in the material realm that we've been working on, building up and so forth, poof, they're gonna burn! Then the only thing of value you're going to possess are the spiritual things. The whole material gain will all be gone.

Some of you who may be materially very rich could be spiritual poppers. So you're rich for a few years and you're a popper for eternity. Oh yeah, you'll be in the kingdom, but barely. The Bible says that we should pray that we might have an abundant interest in the kingdom of God. You say, "Oh, I thought salvation wasn't my works!" Of course it isn't. You can't work to receive a gift! Salvation is a gift, but we will be judged according to our works and our place in eternity will be determined by our works. Not salvation, that's a gift of God. But there will be positions within the kingdom, ranks within the kingdom, determined by our faithfulness and our stewardship now. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life!

Several years ago a fellow came up to me in the church, said, "Chuck, I want you to have a new car." I laughed! I said, "I never buy a new car! Too much depreciation of it, someone else take the loss." He said, "I own a dealership here in Orange County, and I want you to come over and pick out the car you want, and I'm gonna take the depreciation off the price." He said, "I'll give it to you at my cost, and you can pick all the options that you want; I'll put them on." So I went over to the dealership and I picked out my dream car! All the options that General Motors offered, the color I wanted. They sent the order into Detroit, and they manufactured the car and then he called me up and said, "Your car is here." So I went over to pick it up. Turned in my old used car, drove out of the dealership with this brand new car. First time I'd ever had a brand new car and the smell was all mine. Belonged to me, you know, that special new car smell!

As I drove out of the dealership I knew that everybody was watching me. Admiring that car! You know as I drove down the street I could see people's heads, at least I thought I did, turn and look at that fancy car. Oh man it was nice to drive! All the way home I was praising the Lord, worship the Lord, "You're so good. Wow! Lord! You're, ah this is outrageous Lord! I love it! So good to me, I love you Lord!"

My wife had said, "Honey, would you pick up some milk on your way home?" So I went to Alpha Beta. While I was in the store wheeling the cart around the store getting the few things my wife wanted, just praising the Lord. Cause I knew as I got out of that car in the parking lot everyone was just, you know, looking at that thing. Man was I enamored by it! "Oh Lord, you're so good. I love you so much! Oh my Lord, this is glorious!" Got to the check stand, checked out, came out to the car and there in the driver's side, my door some stupid, inconsiderate nincompoop had opened up their car door carelessly, recklessly, put a ding, a dent! I hadn't even gotten home yet! I was so mad! I quickly tried to see if there was any paint sample there, play detective, see if I can get the color of the car. Maybe it's still here in the parking lot and I can pound on somebody! Boy was I upset! All the way home from the store I was just miserable! "Rotten people, rotten world! I hate, hate, hate people!" Inconsiderate! Boy, you're glad, you can be glad I'm not God; I'd have sent half the world to hell in a moment!

Took the groceries into the house, my son Chuck Junior was there. Said, "Hey, Dad, you get your new car?" I said, "Yeah." "Oh I want to see it!" I said, "Sure." So I went out and it was a convertible, and he put the top up and down he, you know, did all the push button things, windows, seats, the whole ten yards. Then as he was standing back and looking at it, he said, "Oh, Dad, what's that?" I said, "Would you believe while I was in the market some stupid dirty, rotten..." I started to get into my little thing again. Chuck said to me, "Hey, Dad, it's all gonna burn." I said, "Thank you son, I needed that!" I had lost perspective! You know, the shininess of the new car, the luxury points and all; I'd lost the perspective. I forgot that this whole thing was gonna burn! Hey, the thing did burn I guess on the highway. I got a thing from the DMV the other day wanting to know if I knew anything about that car. I said, "Hey, I sold that car years ago." "Well it's been abandoned on the highway; the engine's blown up." It's all gonna burn! I could hear the Lord in a sense saying to me when I was on my way home from the market, "Where's all the joy and the glory and the blessing and the love that you were talking about a few moments ago?" All dissipated over one little ding. From "Oh Lord, you're so good! I love You so much," to "God, I hate people!" One little ding! "Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ," as we look for the return of the Lord, hey, it keeps your perspective. It's all the material world, it'll burn. Seeing then that all these things: pulpit, mike, stereos, television, buildings. Seeing that all these things are gonna be dissolved, what matter of persons are you to be? Spiritual!

Now on some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh ( Jude 1:22-23 ).

You can't witness to everybody alike. I mean this pattern witness, or this little can witness, it is not really good. People are different, people are different temperaments. Some you've got to scare the hell out of them. Others are drawn by love. Some with compassion making a difference, others, by fear, pulling them out of the fire. I mean, what's that mean? Now, it means that we have got to be led by the Spirit as we deal with people, hating even the garment that has been spotted by the flesh, pull them out of the fire. But hate the garment spotted by the flesh.

The close of the epistle is with a benediction, a beautiful benediction, one that is used quite often within the church.

Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy ( Jude 1:24 ),

Hey, that's exactly how the Lord's gonna present me, faultless before the presence of His glory! That's how He's gonna present you! "There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus" ( Romans 8:1 ). Jesus bore the sins of the world. Every sin you have ever or will ever commit, Jesus died for, all covered by the blood.

Now we don't take the grace of God and use it as a cloak for lasciviousness. He who does evil, doesn't really know God. But thank God for those who believe and are trusting in Jesus Christ and seeking to walk. We may stumble, we may fall, but He's gonna present us faultless when He presents us to the Father. "

Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling, and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, [Reference to Jesus Christ] be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen ( Jude 1:24-25 ).

When the Lamb takes the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits upon the throne there in glory, the angels will declare, "Worthy is the Lamb to receive dominion and glory and might and power!" "To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."

Next week we start the exciting book of Revelation, an overview of the book. Now, may you be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. May you go forth and practice the injunctions. Basically they are, walk in truth, and the truth is, we are to love one another. So may God's love just dwell in your hearts richly through faith. May you walk in love and increase in love, and increase in your knowledge and understanding of God's love for you. May you keep yourself in the love of God so that this week God can do all the wonderful things He wants to do for you, just because He loves you so much. May you experience the touch of God's love in a new and special way, in Jesus' name! "

Contending for the Faith

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 contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Beloved: "Beloved" are the divinely loved ones. God’s beloved ones.

when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation: "Diligence" is "haste, earnestness. To give all diligence, interest one’s self most earnestly" (Thayer 585-2-4710). Because of some false teachings, Jude felt the need to write sooner than he had intended. Salvation is called "common" because it is for all, whether they be Jew, Gentile, bond, free, male, or female. Christ, who died and shed his blood, is no respecter of persons.

it was needful for me to write unto you: In view of some possible present dangers to their faith, he found it necessary to write to them. Jude obviously thought the dangers were serious enough to write sooner than he had planned.

exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith: "Exhort" is to entreat, beseech, admonish, invoke. "Earnestly contend" is a vigorous, intense, determined struggle to uphold the truth and expose false teachers and false doctrines. Jude entreats them to contend earnestly for the faith, the pure gospel without innovations of man. Philippians 1:27 teaches that we are to strive together for the faith of the gospel. Regardless of the enemy’s tactics, we are to put forth extreme efforts to uphold truth. Of course, this striving does not include physical force.

The term "faith" here has reference to the gospel that man is to believe and obey. In Acts 6:7, a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. In Galatians 1:23, Paul is said to have preached the faith he once destroyed. In Ephesians 4:5, Paul firmly teaches there is one faith.

When we earnestly contend for the faith we will not be popular in this life. Jesus says in Matthew 10:22, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." In John 8:31-32, Jesus says, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The word teaches us how to be saved; how to keep ourselves saved; how to live the Christian life; how to worship God in Spirit and in truth, etc.

which was once delivered unto the saints: God "delivered" or gave to His people the gospel to be used, taken care of, and managed. It was delivered "once," and no other faith will be given.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Most Spirit-led preachers have felt exactly how Jude said he felt in this verse. It is enjoyable to talk about salvation and other positive subjects. Nevertheless occasionally a particular situation compels us to speak about a danger that God’s people need to appreciate. The presentation of this subject must sometimes be quite negative. Delivering such a message is not as pleasant a task.

The faith delivered to the saints is the special revelation of God that Scripture contains and the apostles preached (cf. Galatians 1:23; 1 Timothy 4:1). Jude’s readers needed to struggle to maintain this faith as a champion athlete labors to dominate and to subdue his or her challengers (cf. 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7-8).

"To ’contend earnestly for’ (epagonizesthai) is an expressive compound infinitive which appears only here in the New Testament. The simple form of the verb (agonizomai), which appears as ’agonize’ in its English form, was commonly used in connection with the Greek stadium to denote a strenuous struggle to overcome an opponent, as in a wrestling match. It was also used more generally of any conflict, contest, debate, or lawsuit. Involved is the thought of the expenditure of all one’s energy in order to prevail." [Note: D. Edmond Hiebert, "An Exposition of Judges 1:3-4," Bibliotheca Sacra 142:566 (April-June 1985):144.]

This unique compound verb pictures a person taking his or her stand on top of something an adversary desires to take away, and fighting to defend and retain it. [Note: G. F. C. Fronmüller, "The Epistle General of Jude," in Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, 12:5:13.]

"These efforts are, it is surely unnecessary to add, of a moral and persuasive nature only; all force of a physical nature being expressly forbidden the faithful. When Peter sought to defend the Lord with a sword he was rebuked for his pains; and in bidding him sheathe it, he forevermore made it clear that his followers are not to fight with carnal weapons in his behalf." [Note: Guy N. Woods, A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles of Peter, John, and Jude, p. 385.]

"Jude has two major concerns-that they [his readers] will not be led astray by false teachers. He prays that they will instead take the initiative and contend for the faith." [Note: Cedar, p. 250.]

"The final argument for faith in the world is not the argument of words, but the argument of life." [Note: G. Campbell Morgan, Living Messages of the Books of the Bible, 2:2:203.]

"Indifference to error is a sign of false liberalism and humiliating weakness." [Note: Nathaniel M. Williams, "Commentary on the Epistle of Jude," in An American Commentary on the New Testament, 7:8.]

The phrase "once for all delivered" stresses the unalterable and normative character of this faith.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

II. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EPISTLE VV. 3-4

Jude explained his reason for writing this letter to introduce what follows and to impress the urgency of his subject on his readers.

Barclay's Daily Study Bible

Chapter 1

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

1:1-2 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James, sends this letter to the called who are beloved in God and kept by Jesus Christ. May mercy and peace and love he multiplied to you.

Few things tell more about a man than the way in which he speaks of himself; few things are more revealing than the titles by which he wishes to be known. Jude calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James. At once this tells us two things about him.

(i) Jude was a man well content with the second place. He was not nearly so well known as James; and he is content to be known as the brother of James. In this he was the same as Andrew. Andrew is Simon Peter's brother ( John 6:8). He, too, was described by his relationship to a more famous brother. Jude and Andrew might well have been resentful of the brothers in whose shadow they had to live; but both had the great gift of gladly taking the second place.

(ii) The only title of honour which Jude would allow himself was the servant of Jesus Christ. The Greek is doulos ( G1401) , and it means more than servant, it means slave. That is to say, Jude regarded himself as having only one object and one distinction in life--to be for ever at the disposal of Jesus for service in his cause. The greatest glory which any Christian can attain is to be of use to Jesus Christ.

In this introduction Jude uses three words to describe Christians.

(i) Christians are those who are called by God. The Greek for to call is kalein ( G2564) ; and kalein ( G2564) has three great areas of use. (a) It is the word for summoning a man to office, to duty, and to responsibility. The Christian is summoned to a task, to duty, to responsibility in the service of Christ. (b) It is the word for summoning a man to a feast or a festival. It is the word for an invitation to a happy occasion. The Christian is the man who is summoned to the joy of being the guest of God. (c) It is the word for summoning a man to judgment. It is the word for calling a man to court that he may give account of himself The Christian is in the end summoned to appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

(ii) Christians are those who are beloved in God. It is this great fact which determines the nature of the call. The call to men is the call to be loved and to love. God calls men to a task, but that task is an honour, not a burden. God calls men to service, but it is the service of fellowship, not of tyranny. In the end God calls men to judgment, but it is the judgment of love as well as of justice.

(iii) Christians are those who are kept by Christ. The Christian is never left alone; Christ is always the sentinel of his life and the companion of his way.

THE CALL OF GOD ( Jude 1:1-2 continued)

Before we leave this opening passage, let us think a little more about this calling of God and try to see something of what it means.

(i) Paul speaks about being called to be an apostle ( Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1). In Greek the word is apostolos ( G652) ; it comes from the verb apostellein ( G649) , to send out, and an apostle is therefore, one who is sent out. That is to say, the Christian is the ambassador of Christ. He is sent out into the world to speak for Christ, to act for Christ, to live for Christ. By his life he commends, or fails to commend, Christ to others.

(ii) Paul speaks about being called to be saints ( Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2). The word for saint is hagios ( G40) , which is also very commonly translated holy. Its root idea is difference. The Sabbath is holy because it is different from other days; God is supremely holy because he's different from men. To be called to be a saint is to be called to be different. The world has its own standards and its own scale of values. The difference for the Christian is that Christ is the only standard and loyalty to Christ the only value.

(iii) The Christian is called according to the purpose of God ( Romans 8:28). God's call goes out to every man, although every man does not accept it; and this means that for every man God has a purpose. The Christian is the man who submits himself to the purpose God has for him.

Paul has much to say about this calling of God, and we can set it down only very summarily. It sets before a man a great hope ( Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 4:4). It should be a unifying influence binding men together by the conviction that they all have a part in the purpose of God ( Ephesians 4:4). It is an upward calling ( Php_3:14 ), setting a man's feet on the way to the stars. It is a heavenly calling ( Hebrews 3:1), making a man think of the things which are invisible and eternal. It is a holy calling, a call to consecration to God. It is a calling which covers a man's ordinary every-day task ( 1 Corinthians 7:20). It is a calling which does not alter because God does not change his mind ( Romans 11:29). It knows no human distinctions and cuts across the world's classifications and scale of importances ( 1 Corinthians 1:26). It is something of which the Christian must be worthy ( Ephesians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:11); and all life must be one long effort to make it secure ( 2 Peter 1:10).

The calling of God is the privilege, the challenge and the inspiration of the Christian life.

DEFENDING THE FAITH ( Jude 1:3 )

1:3 Beloved, when I was in the midst of devoting all my energy to writing to you about the faith which we all share, I felt that I was compelled to write a letter to you to urge you to engage upon the struggle to defend the faith which was once and for all delivered to God's consecrated people.

Here we have the occasion of the letter. Jude had been engaged on writing a treatise about the Christian faith; but there had come news that evil and misguided men had been spreading destructive teaching. The conviction had come to him that he must lay aside his treatise and write this letter.

Jude fully realized his duty to be the watchman of the flock of God. The purity of their faith was threatened and he rushed to defend both them and the faith. That involved setting aside the work on which he had been engaged; but often it is much better to write a tract for the times than a treatise for the future. It may be that Jude never again got the chance to write the treatise he had planned; but the fact is that he did more for the church by writing this urgent little letter than he could possibly have done by leaving a long treatise on the faith.

In this passage there are certain truths about the faith which we hold.

(i) The faith is something which is delivered to us. The facts of the Christian faith are not something which we have discovered for ourselves. In the true sense of the word they are tradition, something which has been handed down from generation to generation until it has come to us. They go back in an unbroken chain to Jesus Christ himself.

There is something to be added to that. The facts of the faith are indeed something which we have not discovered for ourselves. It is, therefore, true that the Christian tradition is not something handed down in the cold print of books; it is something which is passed on from person to person through the generations. The chain of Christian tradition is a living chain whose links are men and women who have experienced the wonder of the facts.

(ii) The Christian faith is something which is once and for all delivered to us. There is in it an unchangeable quality. That is not to say that each age has not to rediscover the Christian faith; but it does say that there is an unchanging nucleus in it--and the permanent centre of it is that Jesus Christ came into the world and lived and died to bring salvation to men.

(iii) The Christian faith is something which is entrusted to God's consecrated people. That is to say, the Christian faith is not the possession of any one person but of the church. It comes down within the church, it is preserved within the church, and it is understood within the church.

(iv) The Christian faith is something which must be defended. Every Christian must be its defender. If the Christian tradition comes down from generation to generation, each generation must hand it on uncorrupted and unperverted. There are times when that is difficult. The word Jude uses for to defend is epagonizesthai ( G1864) , which contains the root of our English word agony. The defence of the faith may well be a costly thing; but that defence is a duty which falls on every generation of the Church.

THE PERIL FROM WITHIN ( Jude 1:4 )

1:4 For certain men have wormed their way into the Church--long before this they were designated for judgment impious creatures they are--who twist the grace of God into a justification of blatant immorality and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Here is the peril which made Jude lay aside the treatise he was about to write and take up his pen to write this burning letter. The peril came from within the church.

Certain men, as the King James Version has it, had crept in unawares. The Greek (pareisduein, G3921) is a very expressive word. It is used of the spacious and seductive words of a clever pleader seeping gradually into the minds of a judge and jury; it is used of an outlaw slipping secretly back into the country from which he has been expelled; it is used of the slow and subtle entry of innovations into the life of state, which in the end undermine and break down the ancestral laws. It always indicates a stealthy insinuation of something evil into a society or situation.

Certain evil men had insinuated themselves into the church. They were the kind of men for whom judgment was waiting. They were impious creatures, godless in their thought and life. Jude picks out two characteristics about them.

(i) They perverted the grace of God into an excuse for blatant immorality. The Greek which we have translated blatant immorality is a grim and terrible word (aselgeia, G766) . The corresponding adjective is aselges ( G766) . Most men try to hide their sin; they have enough respect for common decency not to wish to be found out. But the aselges ( G766) is the man who is so lost to decency that he does not care who sees his sin. It is not that he arrogantly and proudly flaunts it; it is simply that he can publicly do the most shameless things, because he has ceased to care for decency at all.

These men were undoubtedly tinged with Gnosticism and its belief that, since the grace of God was wide enough to cover any sin, a man could sin as he liked. The more he sinned, the greater the grace, therefore, why worry about sin? Grace was being perverted into a justification for sin.

(ii) They denied our only Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. There is more than one way in which a man can deny Jesus Christ. (a) He can deny him in the day of persecution. (b) He can deny him for the sake of convenience. (c) He can deny him by his life and conduct. (d) He can deny him by developing false ideas about him.

If these men were Gnostics, they would have two mistaken ideas about Jesus. First, since the body, being matter, was evil, they would hold that Jesus only seemed to have a body and was a kind of spirit ghost in the apparent shape of a man. The Greek for "to seem" is dokein ( G1380) ; and these men were called Docetists. They would deny the real manhood of Jesus Christ. Second, they would deny his uniqueness. They believed that there were many stages between the evil matter of this world and the perfect spirit which is God; and they believed that Jesus was only one of the many stages on the way.

No wonder Jude was alarmed. He was faced with a situation in which there had wormed their way into the church men who were twisting the grace of God into a justification, and even a reason, for sinning in the most blatant way; and who denied both the manhood and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

THE DREADFUL EXAMPLES ( Jude 1:5-7 )

1:5-7 It is my purpose to remind you--although you already possess full and final knowledge of all that matters--that, after the Lord had brought the people out of Egypt in safety, he subsequently destroyed those who were unbelieving; and that he has placed under guard in eternal chains in the abyss of darkness, to await the judgment which shall take place on the great day, the angels who did not keep their own rank but left their own proper habitation. Just so Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, who in the same way as these took their fill of sexual sin and strayed after perverted sexual immorality, are a warning by the way in which they paid the penalty of eternal fire.

(1) The Fate Of Israel

Jude issues a warning to the evil men who were perverting the belief and conduct of the church. He tells them that he is, in fact, doing nothing other than remind them of things of which they are perfectly well aware. In a sense it is true to say that all preaching within the Christian church is not so much bringing to men new truth as confronting them with truth they already know, but have forgotten or are disregarding.

To understand the first two examples which Jude cites from history we must understand one thing. The evil men who were corrupting the church did not regard themselves as enemies of the church and of Christianity; they regarded themselves as the advanced thinkers, a cut above the ordinary Christian, the spiritual elite. Jude chooses his examples to make clear that, even if a man has received the greatest privileges, he may still fall away into disaster, and even those who have received the greatest privileges from God cannot consider themselves safe but must be on constant watch against the mistaken things.

The first example is from the history of Israel. He goes for his story to Numbers 13:1-33; Numbers 14:1-45. The mighty hand of God had delivered the people from slavery in Egypt. What greater act of deliverance could there be than that? The guidance of God had brought the people safely across the desert to the borders of the Promised Land. What greater demonstration of his Providence could there be than that? So, at the very borders of the Promised Land, at Kadesh-Barnea, spies were sent out to spy out the land before the final invasion took place. With the exception of Caleb and Joshua, the spies came back with the opinion that the dangers ahead were so terrible and the people so strong, that they could never win their way into the Promised Land. The people rejected the report of Caleb and Joshua, who were for going on, and accepted the report of those who insisted that the case was hopeless. This was a clear act of disobedience to God and of complete lack of faith in him. The consequence was that God gave sentence that of these people, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, all over twenty would never enter the Promised Land but would wander in the wilderness until they were dead ( Numbers 14:32-33; Numbers 32:10-13).

This was a picture which haunted the mind of both Paul and the writer to the Hebrews ( 1 Corinthians 10:5-11; Hebrews 3:18-19; Hebrews 4:2). It is the proof that even the man with the greatest privilege can meet with disaster before the end, if he falls away from obedience and lapses from faith. Johnstone Jeffrey tells of a great man who absolutely refused to have his life-story written before his death. "I have seen," he said, "too many men fall out on the last lap." John Wesley warned, "Let, therefore, none presume on past mercies, as if they were out of danger." In his dream John Bunyan saw that even from the gates of heaven there was a way to hell.

Jude warns these men that, great as their privileges have been, they must still have a care lest disaster come upon them. It is a warning which each of us would do well to heed.

(2) The Fate Of The Angels

The second dreadful example which Jude takes is the fallen angels.

The Jews had a very highly developed doctrine of angels, the servants of God. In particular the Jews believed that every nation had its presiding angel. In the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures, Deuteronomy 32:8 reads, "When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God." That is to say, to each nation there was an angel.

The Jews believed in a fall of the angels and much is said about this in the Book of Enoch which is so often behind the thought of Jude. In regard to this there were two lines of tradition.

(i) The first saw the fall of the angels as due to pride and rebelliousness. That legend gathered especially round the name of Lucifer, the light-bringer, the son of the morning. As the King James Version has it, Isaiah writes, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!" ( Isaiah 14:12). When the seventy returned from their mission and told Jesus of their successes, he warned them against pride, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" ( Luke 10:18). The idea was that there was civil war in heaven. The angels rose against God and were cast out; and Lucifer was the leader of the rebellion.

(ii) The second stream of tradition finds its scriptural echo in Genesis 6:1-4. In this line of thought the angels, attracted by the beauty of mortal women, left heaven to seduce them and so sinned.

In the first case the fall of the angels was due to pride; in the second case it was due to lust for forbidden things.

In effect Jude takes the two ideas and puts them together. He says that the angels left their own rank; that is to say, they aimed at an office which was not for them. He also says that they left their own proper habitation; that is to say, they came to earth to live with the daughters of men.

All this seems strange to us; it moves in a world of thought and traditions from which we have moved away.

But Jude's warning is clear. Two things brought ruin to the angels--pride and lust. Even although they were angels and heaven had been their dwelling-place, they none the less sinned and for their sin were reserved for judgment. To those reading Jude's words for the first time the whole line of thought was plain, for Enoch had much to say about the fate of these fallen angels. So Jude was speaking to his people in terms that they could well understand and telling them that, if pride and lust ruined the angels in spite of all their privileges, pride and lust could ruin them. The evil men within the church were proud enough to think that they knew better than the church's teaching and lustful enough to pervert the grace of God into a justification for blatant immorality. Whatever be the ancient background of his words, Jude's warning is still valid. The pride which knows better than God and the desire for forbidden things are the way to ruin in time and in eternity.

(3) Sodom And Gomorrah

The third example Jude chose is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Notorious for their sins, these cities were obliterated by the fire of God. Sir George Adam Smith in The Historical Geography of the Holy Land points out that no incident in history ever made such an impression on the Jewish people, and that Sodom and Gomorrah are time and time again used in Scripture as the examples par excellence of the sin of man and the judgment of God; they are so used even by Jesus himself ( Deuteronomy 29:23; Deuteronomy 32:32; Amos 4:11; Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 3:9; Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah 23:14; Jeremiah 49:18; Jeremiah 50:40; Zephaniah 2:9; Lamentations 4:6; Ezekiel 16:46; Ezekiel 16:49; Ezekiel 16:53; Ezekiel 16:55; Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:24; Luke 10:12; Luke 17:29; Romans 9:29; 2 Peter 2:6; Revelation 11:8). "The glare of Sodom and Gomorrah is flung down the whole length of Scripture history."

The story of the final wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah is told in Genesis 19:1-11, and the tragic tale of their destruction in the passage immediately following ( Genesis 19:12-28). The sin of Sodom is one of the most horrible stories in history. Ryle has called it a "repulsive incident." The real horror of the incident is cloaked a little in the King James and English Revised Versions by a Hebrew turn of speech. Two angelic visitors had come to Lot. At his pressing invitation they came into his house to be his guests. When they were there, the inhabitants of Sodom surrounded the house, demanding that Lot should bring out his visitors that they should know them. In Hebrew to know is the word for sexual intercourse. It is said, for instance, that Adam knew his wife, and she conceived, and bore Cain ( Genesis 4:1). What the men of Sodom were bent on was homosexual intercourse with Lot's two visitors--sodomy, the word in which their sin is commemorated.

It was after this that Sodom and Gomorrah were obliterated from the face of the earth. The neighbouring cities were Zoar, Admah and Zeboim ( Deuteronomy 29:23; Hosea 11:8). This disaster was localized in the dreadful desert in the region of the Dead Sea, a region which Sir George Adam Smith calls, "This awful hollow, this bit of the infernal regions come to the surface, this hell with the sun shining into it." It was there that the cities were said to have been; and it was said that under that scorched and barren earth there still smouldered an eternal fire of destruction. The soil is bituminous with oil below, and Sir George Adam Smith con-lectures that what happened was this: "In this bituminous soil took place one of these terrible explosions and conflagrations which have broken out in the similar geology of North America. In such soil reservoirs of oil and gas are formed, and suddenly discharged by their own pressure or by earthquake. The gas explodes, carrying high into the air masses of oil which fall back in fiery rain, and are so inextinguishable that they float afire on water." It was by such an eruption of fire that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. That awful desert was only a day's journey from Jerusalem and men never forgot this divine judgment on sin.

So, then, Jude reminds these evil men of the fate of those who in ancient times defied the moral law of God. It is reasonable to suppose that those whom Jude attacks had also descended to sodomy and that they were perverting the grace of God to cover even this.

Jude is insisting that they should remember that sin and judgment go hand in hand, and that they should repent in time.

CONTEMPT FOR THE ANGELS ( Jude 1:8-9 )

1:8-9 In the same way these, too, with their dreams, defile the flesh, and set at naught the celestial powers, and speak evil of the angelic glories. When the archangel Michael himself was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, he did not venture to launch against him an evil-speaking accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

Jude begins this passage by comparing the evil men with the false prophets whom Scripture condemns. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 sets down what is to be done with "the prophet or the dreamer of dreams" who corrupts the nations and seduces the people, from their loyalty to God. Such a prophet is to be mercilessly killed. These men whom Jude attacks are false prophets, dreamers of false dreams, seducers of the people, and must be treated as such. Their false teaching issued in two things.

(i) It made them defile the flesh. We have already seen the twofold direction of their teaching on the flesh. First, the flesh was entirely evil, and, therefore, of no importance; and so the instincts of the body could be given their way without control. Second, the grace of God was all-forgiving and all-sufficient and therefore, sin did not matter since grace would forgive every sin. Sin was only the means whereby grace was given its opportunity to operate.

(ii) They despised angels. Celestial powers and angelic glories are names for ranks of angels within the angelic hierarchy. This follows immediately after the citing of Sodom and Gomorrah as dreadful examples; and part of the sin of Sodom was the desire of its people to misuse its angelic visitors ( Genesis 19:1-11). The men Jude attacks spoke evil of the angels. To prove how terrible a thing that was Jude cites an instance from an apocryphal book, The Assumption of Moses. One of the strange things about Jude is that he so often makes his quotations from these apocryphal books. Such quotations seem strange to us; but these books were very widely used at the time when Jude was writing and the quotations would be very effective.

The story in The Assumption of Moses runs as follows. The strange story of the death of Moses is told in Deuteronomy 34:1-6. The Assumption of Moses goes on to add the further story that the task of burying the body of Moses was given to the archangel Michael. The devil disputed with Michael for possession of the body. He based his claim on two grounds. Moses' body was matter; matter was evil; and, therefore, the body belonged to him, for matter was his domain. Second, Moses was a murderer, for had not he slain the Egyptian whom he saw smiting the Hebrew ( Exodus 2:11-12). And, if he was a murderer, the devil had a claim on his body. The point Jude is making is this. Michael was engaged on a task given him by God; the devil was seeking to stop him and was making claims he had no right to make. But even in a collection of circumstances like that Michael spoke no evil of the devil but simply said, "The Lord rebuke you!" If the greatest of the good angels refused to speak evil of the greatest of the evil angels, even in circumstances like that, surely no human being may speak evil of any angel.

What the men Jude is attacking were saying about the angels we do not know. Perhaps they were saying that they did not exist; perhaps they were saying they were evil. This passage means very little to us, but no doubt it would be a weighty rebuke to those to whom Jude addressed it.

THE GOSPEL OF THE FLESH ( Jude 1:10 )

1:10 But these people speak evil of everything which they do not understand, whereas they allow themselves to be corrupted by the knowledge which their instincts give them, living at the mercy of their instincts, like beasts without reason.

Jude says two things about the evil men whom he is attacking.

(i) They criticize everything which they do not understand. Anything which is out of their orbit and their experience they disregard as worthless and irrelevant. "Spiritual things are spiritually discerned" ( 1 Corinthians 2:14). They have no spiritual discernment, and, therefore, they are blind to, and contemptuous of, all spiritual realities.

(ii) They allow themselves to be corrupted by the things they do understand. What they do understand are the fleshly instincts which they share with the brute beasts. Their way of life is to allow these instincts to have their way; their values are fleshly values. Jude describes men who have lost all awareness of spiritual things and for whom the things demanded by the animal instincts are the only standards.

The terrible thing is that the first condition is the direct result of the second. The tragedy is that no man is born without a sense of the spiritual things but can lose that sense until for him the spiritual things cease to exist. A man may lose any faculty, if he refuses to use it. We discover that with such simple things as games and skills. If we give up playing a game, we lose the ability to play it. If we give up practising a skill--such as playing the piano--we lose it. We discover that in such things as abilities. We may know something of a foreign language, but if we never speak or read it, we lose it. Every man can hear the voice of God; and every man has the animal instincts on which, indeed, the future existence of the race depends. But, if he consistently refuses to listen to God and makes his instincts the sole dynamic of his conduct, in the end he will be unable to hear the voice of God and will have nothing left to be his master but his brute desires. It is a terrible thing for a man to reach a stage where he is deaf to God and blind to goodness; and that is the stage which the men whom Jude attacks had reached.

LESSONS FROM HISTORY ( Jude 1:11 )

1:11 Woe to them because they walk in the way of Cain; they fling themselves into the error of Balaam; they perish in Korah's opposition to God.

Jude now goes to Hebrew history for parallels to the wicked men of his own day; and from it he draws the examples of three notorious sinners.

(i) First, there is Cain, the murderer of his brother Abel ( Genesis 4:1-15). In Hebrew tradition Cain stood for two things. (a) He was the first murderer in the world's history; and, as The Wisdom of Solomon has it, "he himself perished in the fury wherewith he murdered his brother" ( Wis_10:3 ). It may well be that Jude is implying that those who delude others are nothing other than murderers of the souls of men and, therefore, the spiritual descendants of Cain. (b) But in Hebrew tradition Cain came to stand for something more than that. In Philo he stands for selfishness. In the Rabbinic teaching he is the type of the cynical man. In the Jerusalem Targum he is depicted as saying: "There is neither judgment nor judge; there is no other world; no good reward will be given to the good and no vengeance taken on the wicked; nor is there any pity in the creation or the government of the world." To the Hebrew thinkers Cain was the cynical, materialistic unbeliever who believed neither in God nor in the moral order of the world and who, therefore, did exactly as he liked. So Jude is charging his opponents with defying God and denying the moral order of the world. It remains true that the man who chooses to sin has still to reckon with God and to learn, always with pain and sometimes with tragedy, that no man can defy the moral order of the world with impunity.

(ii) Second, there is Balaam. In Old Testament thought, in Jewish teaching and even in the New Testament ( Revelation 2:14) Balaam is the great example of those who taught Israel to sin. In the Old Testament there are two stories about him. One is quite clear, and very vivid and dramatic. The other is more shadowy, but much more terrible; and it is it which left its mark on Hebrew thought and teaching.

The first is in Numbers 22:1-41; Numbers 23:1-30; Numbers 24:1-25. There it is told how Balak attempted to persuade Balaam to curse the people of Israel, for he feared their power, five times offering him large rewards. Balaam refused to be persuaded by Balak, but his covetousness stands out and it is clear that only the fear of what God would do to him kept him from striking a dreadful bargain. Balaam already emerges as a detestable character.

In Numbers 25:1-18 there is the second story. Israel is seduced into the worship of Baal with dreadful and repulsive moral consequences. As we read later ( Numbers 31:8; Numbers 31:16), it was Balaam who was responsible for that seduction, and he perished miserably because he taught others to sin.

Out of this composite story Balaam stands for two things. (a) He stands for the covetous man who was prepared to sin in order to gain reward. (b) He stands for the evil man who was guilty of the greatest of all sins--that of teaching others to sin. So Jude is declaring of the wicked men of his own day that they are ready to leave the way of righteousness to make gain; and that they are teaching others to sin. To sin for the sake of gain is bad; but to teach another to sin is the worst of all.

(iii) Third, there was Korah. His story is in Numbers 16:1-35. The sin of Korah was that he rebelled against the guidance of Moses when the sons of Aaron and the tribe of Levi were made the priests of the nation. That was a decision which Korah was not willing to accept; he wished to exercise a function which he had no right to exercise; and when he did so he perished terribly and all his companions in wickedness with him. Korah stands for the man who refuses to accept authority and reaches out for things which he has no right to have. So Jude is charging his opponents with defying the legitimate authority of the church, and of, thereto re, preferring their own way to the way of God. We should remember that if we take certain things which pride incites us to take, the consequences can be disastrous.

THE PICTURE OF WICKED MEN ( Jude 1:12-16 )

1:12-16 These people are hidden rocks which threaten to wreck your Love Feasts. These are the people who at your feasts revel with their own cliques without a qualm. They have no feeling of responsibility to anyone except themselves. They are clouds which drop no water but are blown past by the wind. They are fruitless trees in autumn's harvest time, twice dead and torn up by the roots. They are wild sea waves, frothing out their own shameless deeds. They are wandering stars and the abyss of darkness has been prepared for them for ever. It was of these, too, that Enoch, who was the seventh from Adam, prophesied when he said:

This is one of the great passages of invective of the New Testament. It is blazing moral indignation at its hottest. As Moffatt puts it: "Sky, land and sea are ransacked for illustrations of the character of these men." Here is a series of vivid pictures, every one with significance. Let us take them one by one.

(i) They are like hidden rocks which threaten to wreck the Love Feasts of the Church. This is the one case in which there is doubt about what Jude is actually saying but of one thing there is no doubt--the evil men were a peril to the Love Feasts. The Love Feast, the Agape ( G26) , was one of the earliest features of the Church. It was a meal of fellowship held on the Lord's Day. To it everyone brought what he could, and all shared alike. It was a lovely idea that the Christians in each little house church should sit down on the Lord's Day to eat in fellowship together. No doubt there were some who could bring much and others who could bring only little. For many of the slaves it was perhaps the only decent meal they ever ate.

But very soon the Agape ( G26) began to go wrong. We can see it going wrong in the church at Corinth, when Paul declares that at the Corinthian Love Feasts there is nothing but division. They are divided into cliques and sections; some have too much, and others starve; and the meal for some has become a drunken revel ( 1 Corinthians 11:17-22). Unless the Agape ( G26) was a true fellowship, it was a travesty, and very soon it had begun to belie its name.

Jude's opponents were making a travesty of the Love Feasts. The Revised Standard Version says that he calls them "blemishes on your love feasts" ( Jude 1:12); and that agrees with the parallel passage in Second Peter--"blots and blemishes" ( 2 Peter 2:13). We have translated Jude's expression "hidden rocks."

The difficulty is that Peter and Jude do not use the same word, although they use words which are very similar. The word in Second Peter is spilos ( G4696) , which unquestionably means a blot or spot; but the word in Jude is spilas ( G4694) , which is very rare. Just possibly it may mean a blot, because in later Greek it could be used for the spots and markings on an opal stone. But in ordinary Greek by far its most common meaning was a submerged, or half-submerged, rock on which a ship could be easily ship-wrecked. We think that here the second meaning is much more likely.

In the Love Feast people were very close together in heart and there was the kiss of peace. These wicked men were using the Love Feasts as a cloak under which to gratify their lusts. It is a dreadful thing, if men enter into the church and use the opportunities which its fellowship gives for their own perverted ends. These men were like sunken rocks on which the fellowship of the Love Feasts was in danger of being wrecked.

THE SELFISHNESS OF WICKED MEN ( Jude 1:12-16 continued)

(ii) These wicked men revel in their own cliques and have no feeling of responsibility for anyone except themselves. These two things go together for they both stress their essential selfishness.

(a) They revel in their own cliques without a qualm. This is exactly the situation which Paul condemns in First Corinthians. The Love Feast was supposed to be an act of fellowship; and the fellowship was demonstrated by the sharing of all things. Instead of sharing, the wicked men kept to their own clique and kept to themselves all they had. In First Corinthians Paul actually goes the length of saying that the Love Feast could become a drunken revel in which every man grabbed at all that he could get ( 1 Corinthians 11:21). No man can ever claim to know what church membership means, if in the church he is out for what he can get and remains within his own little group.

(b) We have translated the next phrase: "They have no feeling of responsibility for anyone except themselves." The Greek literally means "shepherding themselves." The duty of a leader of the Church is to be a shepherd of the flock of God ( Acts 20:28). The false shepherd cared far more for himself than for the sheep which were supposed to be within his care. Ezekiel describes the false shepherds from whom their privileges were to be taken away: "As I live, says the Lord God, because my sheep have become a prey and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd; and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep.... Behold I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep" ( Ezekiel 34:8-10). The man who feels no responsibility for the welfare of anyone except himself stands condemned.

So, then, Jude condemns the selfishness which destroys fellowship and the lack of the sense of responsibility for others.

(iii) The wicked men are like clouds blown past by the wind, which drop no rain and like trees in harvest time which have no fruit. These two phrases go together, for they describe people who make great claims but are essentially useless. There were times in Palestine when people would pray for rain. At such a time a cloud might pass across the sky, bringing with it the promise of rain. But there were times when the promise was only an illusion, the cloud was blown on and the rain never came. In any harvest time there were trees which looked as if they were heavy with fruit but which, when men came to gather from them, gave no fruit at all.

At the heart of this lies a great truth. Promise without performance is useless and in the New Testament nothing is so unsparingly condemned as uselessness. No amount of outward show or fine words will take the place of usefulness to others. As it has been put: "If a man is not good for something, he is good for nothing."

THE FATE OF DISOBEDIENCE ( Jude 1:12-16 continued)

Jude goes on to use a vivid picture of these evil men. "They are like wild sea waves frothing out their own shameless deeds." The picture is this. After a storm, when the waves have been lashing the shore with their frothing spray and their spume, there is always left on the shore a fringe of seaweed and driftwood and all kinds of unsightly litter from the sea. That is always an unlovely scene. But in the case of one sea it is grimmer than in any other. The waters of the Dead Sea can be whipped up, into waves, and these waves, too, cast up driftwood on the shore; but in this instance there is a unique circumstance. The waters of the Dead Sea are so impregnated with salt that they strip the bark of any driftwood in them; and, when such wood is cast up on the shore, it gleams bleak and white, more like dried bones than wood. The deeds of the wicked men are like the useless and unsightly litter which the waves leave scattered on the beach after a storm and resemble the skeleton-like relics of Dead Sea storms. The picture vividly portrays the ugliness of the deeds of Jude's opponents.

Jude uses still another picture. The wicked men are like the wandering stars that are kept in the abyss of darkness for their disobedience. This is a picture directly taken from the Book of Enoch. In that book the stars and the angels are sometimes identified; and there is a picture of the fate of the stars who, disobedient to God, left their appointed orbit and were destroyed. In his journey through the, earth Enoch came to a place where he saw, "neither a heaven above nor a firmly founded earth, but a place chaotic and horrible." He goes on: "And there I saw seven stars of the heaven bound together in it, like great mountains and burning with fire. Then I said, 'For what sin are they bound, and on account of what have they been cast in hither?' Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels, who was with me and who was chief over them, 'Enoch, why dost thou ask and why art thou eager for the truth? These are the numbers of the stars of heaven which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here till ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins, are consummated'" (Enoch 21: 1-6). The fate of the wandering stars is typical of the fate of the man who disobeys God's commandments and, as it were, takes his own way.

Jude then confirms all this with a prophecy; but the prophecy is again taken from Enoch. The actual passage runs: "And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly; and to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Enoch 1: 9).

This quotation has raised many questions in regard to Jude and Enoch. There is no doubt that in the days of Jude, and in the days of Jesus, Enoch was a very popular book which every pious Jew would know and read. Ordinarily, when the New Testament writers wish to confirm their words, they do so with a quotation from the Old Testament, using it as the word of God. Are we then to regard Enoch as sacred Scripture, since Jude uses it exactly as he would have used one of the prophets? Or, are we to take the view of which Jerome speaks, and say that Jude cannot be Scripture, because it makes the mistake of using as Scripture a book which is, in fact, not Scripture?

We need waste no time upon this debate. The fact is that Jude, a pious Jew, knew and loved the Book of Enoch and had grown up in a circle where it was regarded with respect and even reverence; and he takes his quotation from it perfectly naturally, knowing that his readers would recognize it, and respect it. He is simply doing what all the New Testament writers do, as every writer must in every age, and speaking to men in language which they will recognize and understand.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EVIL MEN ( Jude 1:12-16 continued)

In Jude 1:16 Jude sets down three last characteristics of the evil men.

(i) They are grumblers, for ever discontented with the life which God has allotted to them. In this picture he uses two words, one which was very familiar to his Jewish readers and one which was very familiar to his Greek readers.

(a) The first is goggustes ( G1113) . (gg in Greek is pronounced ng). The word describes the discontented voices of the murmurers and is the same as is so often used in the Greek Old Testament for the murmurings of the children of Israel against Moses as he led them through the wilderness ( Exodus 15:24; Exodus 17:3; Numbers 14:29). Its very sound describes the low mutter of resentful discontent which rose from the rebellious people. These wicked men in the time of Jude are the modern counterparts of the murmuring children of Israel in the desert, people full of sullen complaints against the guiding hand of God.

(b) The second is mempsimoiros ( G3202) . It is made up of two Greek words, memphesthai, which means to blame and moira, which means one's allotted fate or life. A mempsimoiros ( G3202) was a man who was for ever grumbling about life in general. Theophrastus was the great master of the Greek character sketch, and he has a mocking study of the mempsimoiros ( G3202) , which is worth quoting in full:

Querulousness is an undue complaining about one's lot; the

querulous man will say to him that brings him a portion from his

friend's table: "You begrudged me your soup or your collops, or

you would have asked me to dine with you in person." When

his mistress is kissing him he says, "I wonder whether you kiss me

so warmly from your heart." He is displeased with Zeus, not

because he sends no rain, but because he has been so tong about

sending it. When he finds a purse in the street, it is: "Ah! but I

never found a treasure." When he has bought a slave cheap with

much importuning the seller, he cries: "I wonder if my bargain's

too cheap to be good." When they bring him the good news

that he has a son born to him, then it is: "If you add that I

have lost half my fortune, you'll speak the truth." Should this

man win a suit-at-law by a unanimous verdict, he is sure to find

fault with his speech-writer for omitting so many of the pleas.

And if a subscription has been got up for him among his friends,

and one of them says to him: "You can cheer up now," he will say:

"What? when I must repay each man his share, and be beholden

to him into the bargain?"

Here, vividly drawn by Theophrastus' subtle pen, is the picture of a man who can find something to grumble about in any situation. He can find some fault with the best of bargains, the kindest of deeds, the most complete of successes, the richest of good fortune. "There is great gain in godliness with contentment" ( 1 Timothy 6:6); but the evil men are chronically discontented with life and with the place in life that God has given to them. There are few people more unpopular than chronic grumblers and all such might do well to remember that such grumbling is in its own way an insult to God.

(ii) Jude reiterates a point about these wicked men, which he has made again and again--their conduct is governed by their desires. To them self-discipline and self-control are nothing; to them the moral law is only a burden and a nuisance; honour and duty have no claim upon them; they have no desire to serve and no sense of responsibility. Their one value is pleasure and their one dynamic is desire. If all men were like that, the world would be in complete chaos.

(iii) They speak with pride and arrogance, yet at the same time they are ready to pander to the great, if they think that they can get anything out of it. It is perfectly possible for a man at one and the same time to be a bombastic creature towards the people he wishes to impress and a flattering lick-spittle to the people whom he thinks important. Jude's opponents are glorifiers of themselves and flatterers of others, as they think the occasion demands; and their descendants are sometimes still among us.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ERROR (1) ( Jude 1:17-19 )

1:17-19 But you, beloved, you must remember the words which were once spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; you must remember that they said to us: "In the last time there will be mockers, whose conduct is governed by their own impious desires." These are the people who set up divisions--fleshly creatures, without the Spirit.

Jude points out to his own people that nothing has happened which they might not have expected. The apostles had given warning that in the last times just such evil men as are now among them would come. The actual words of Jude's quotation are not in any New Testament book. He may be doing any one of three things. He may be quoting some apostolic book which we no longer possess. He may be quoting, not a book, but some oral tradition of the apostolic preaching; or some sermon which he himself had heard from the apostles. He may be giving the general sense of a passage like 1 Timothy 4:1-3. In any event he is telling his people that error was only to be expected in the church. From this passage we can see certain of the characteristics of these evil men.

(i) They mock at goodness and their conduct is governed by their own evil desires. The two things go together. These opponents of Jude had two characteristics, as we have already seen. They believed the body, being matter, was evil; and that, therefore, it made no difference if a man sated its desires. Further, they argued that, since grace could forgive any sin, sin did not matter. These heretics had a third characteristic. They believed that they were the advanced thinkers; and they regarded those who observed the old moral standards as old-fashioned and out of date.

That point of view is by no means dead. There are still those who believe that the once--accepted standards of morality and fidelity, especially in matters of sex, are quite out of date. There is a terrible text in the Old Testament: "The fool says in his heart, There is no God" ( Psalms 53:1). In that text fool does not mean the brainless man; it means the man who is playing the fool. And the fact that he says there is no God is entirely due to wishful thinking. He knows that, if there is a God, he is wrong and can look for judgment; therefore, he eliminates him. In the last analysis those who eliminate the moral law and give free rein to their passions and desires, do so because they want to do as they like. They listen to themselves instead of listening to God--and they forget that there will come a day when they will be compelled to listen to him.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ERROR (2) ( Jude 1:17-19 continued)

(ii) These evil men have a second characteristic. They set up divisions--they are fleshly creatures, without the Spirit. Here is a most significant thought--to set up divisions within the church is always sin. These men set up divisions in two ways.

(a) As we have already seen, even at the Love Feasts they had their own little cliques. By their conduct they were steadily destroying fellowship within the church. They were drawing a circle to shut men out instead of drawing a circle to take them in.

(b) But they went further. There were certain thinkers in the early church who had a way of looking at human nature which essentially split men into two classes. To understand this we must know something of Greek psychology. To the Greek man was body (soma, G4983) , soul (psuche, G5590) and spirit (pneuma, G4151) . Soma ( G4983) was simply man's physical construction. Psuche ( G5590) is more difficult to understand. To the Greeks soul, psuche ( G5590) , was simply physical life; everything that lived and breathed had psuche ( G5590) . Pneuma ( G4151) , spirit, was quite different, it belonged to man alone, and was that which made him a thinking creature, kin to God, able to speak to God and to hear him.

These thinkers went on to argue that all men possessed psuche ( G5590) , but very few really possessed pneuma ( G4151) . Only the really intellectual, the elite, possessed pneuma ( G4151) ; and, therefore, only the very few could rise to real religion. The rest must be content to walk on the lower levels of religious experience.

They, therefore, divided men into two classes. There were the psuchikoi ( G5591) , who were physically alive but intellectually and spiritually dead. We might call them the fleshly creatures. All they possessed was flesh and blood life; intellectual progress and spiritual experience were beyond them. There were the pneumatikoi ( G4152) , who were capable of real intellectual knowledge, real knowledge of God and real spiritual experience. Here was the creation of an intellectual and spiritual aristocracy over against the common herd of men.

Further, these people who believed themselves to be the pneumatikoi ( G4152) , believed that they were exempt from all the ordinary laws governing a man's conduct. Ordinary people might have to observe the accepted standards but they were above that. For them sin did not exist; they were so advanced that they could do anything and be none the worse. We may well remember that there are still people who believe that they are above the laws, who say in their hearts that it could never happen to them and believe that they can get away with anything.

We can now see how cleverly Jude deals with these people who say that the rest of the world are the psuchikoi ( G5591) , while they are the pneumatikoi ( G4152) . Jude takes their words and reverses them. "It is you," he thunders at them, "who are the psuchikoi ( G5591) , the flesh-dominated; it is you who possess no pneuma ( G4151) , no real knowledge and no experience of God." Jude is saying to these people that, although they think themselves the only truly religious people, they have no real religion at all. Those whom they despise are, in fact, much better than they are themselves.

The truth about these so-called intellectual and spiritual people was that they desired to sin and twisted religion into a justification for sin.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOODNESS ( Jude 1:20-21 )

1:20-21 But you, beloved, must build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith; you must pray in the Holy Spirit; you must keep yourselves in the love of God; while you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to life eternal.

In the previous passage Jude described the characteristics of error, here he describes the characteristics of goodness.

(i) The good man builds up his life on the foundation of the most holy faith. That is to say, the life of the Christian is founded, not on something which he manufactured himself, but on something which he received. There is a chain in the transmission of the faith. The faith came from Jesus to the apostles; it came from the apostles to the church; and it comes from the church to us. There is something tremendous here. It means that the faith which we hold is not merely someone's personal opinion; it is a revelation which came from Jesus Christ and was preserved and transmitted within his church, always under the care and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, from generation to generation.

That faith is a most holy faith. Again and again we have seen the meaning of this word holy. Its root meaning is different. That which is holy is different from other things, as the priest is different from other worshippers, the Temple different from other buildings, the Sabbath different from other days and God supremely different from men.

Our faith is different in two ways. (a) It is different from other faiths and from philosophies in that it is not man-made but God-given, not opinion but revelation, not guessing but certainty. (b) It is different in that it has the power to make those who believe it different. It is not only a mind-changer but also a life-changer; not only an intellectual belief but also a moral dynamic.

(ii) The good man is a man of prayer. It has been put this way: "Real religion means dependence." The essence of religion is the admission of our total dependence on God; and prayer is the acknowledging of that dependence, and the going to God for the help we need. As Moffatt has it in a magnificent definition: "Prayer is love in need appealing to love in power." The Christian must be a man of prayer for at least two reasons. (a) He knows that he must test everything by the will of God and, therefore, he must take everything to God for his approval. (b) He knows that of himself he can do nothing but that with God all things are possible and, therefore, he must ever be taking his insufficiency to God's sufficiency.

Prayer, says Jude, is to be in the Holy Spirit. What he means is this. Our human prayers are at least sometimes bound to be selfish and blind. It is only when the Holy Spirit takes full possession of us that our desires are so purified that our prayers are right. The truth is that as Christians we are bound to pray to God, but he alone can teach us how to pray and what to pray for.

(iii) The good man keeps himself in the love of God. What Jude is thinking of here is the old covenant relationship between God and his people as described in Exodus 24:1-8. God came to his people promising that he would be their God and they would be his people; but that relationship depended on their accepting and obeying the law which he gave them. "God's love," Moffatt comments, "has its own terms of communion." It is true in one sense that we can never drift beyond God's love and care; but it is also true that, if we desire to remain in close communion with God, we must give him the perfect love and the perfect obedience which must ever go hand in hand.

(iv) The good man waits with expectation. He waits for the coming of Jesus Christ in mercy, love and power; for he knows that Christ's purpose for him is to bring him to life eternal, which is nothing other than the life of God himself.

RECLAIMING THE LOST ( Jude 1:22-23 )

1:22-23 Some of them you must argue out of their error, while they are still wavering. Others you must rescue by snatching them out of the fire. Others you must pity and fear at the same time, hating the garment stained by the flesh.

Different translators give differing translations of this passage. The reason is that there is much doubt as to what the true Greek text is. We have given the translation which we believe to be nearest to the sense of the passage.

Even to the worst heretics, even to those most far gone in error and to those whose beliefs are most dangerous, the Christian has a binding duty not to destroy but to save. His aim must be, not to banish them from the Christian church, but to win them back into the Christian fellowship. James Denney said that, to put the matter at its simplest, Jesus came to make bad men good. Sir John Seeley said: "When the power of reclaiming the lost dies out of the church, it ceases to be the church." As we have taken this passage, Jude divides the troublers of the church into three classes, to each of whom a different approach is necessary.

(i) There are those who are flirting with falsehood. They are obviously attracted by the wrong way and are on the brink of committing themselves to error, but are still hesitating before taking the final step. They must be argued out of their error while there is time. From this two things emerge as a duty.

(a) We must study to be able to defend the faith and to give a reason for the hope that is in us. We must know what we believe so that we can meet error with truth; and we must make ourselves able to defend the faith in such a way that our graciousness and sincerity may win others to it. To do this we must banish all uncertainty from our minds and all arrogance and intolerance from our approach to others.

(b) We must be ready to speak in time. Many a person would have been saved from error of thought and of action, if someone else had only spoken in time. Sometimes we hesitate to speak, but there are many times when silence is cowardly and can cause more harm than speech could ever cause. One of the greatest tragedies in life is when someone comes to us and says, "I would never have been in the mess I am now in, if someone--you, perhaps--had only spoken to me."

(ii) There are those who have to be snatched from the fire. They have actually started out on the wrong way and have to be stopped, as it were, forcibly, and even against their will. It is all very well to say that we must leave a man his freedom and that he has a right to do what he likes. All these things are in one sense true, but there are times when a man must be even forcibly saved from himself.

(iii) There are those whom we must pity and fear at one and the same time. Here Jude is thinking of something which is always true. There is danger to the sinner; but there is also danger to the rescuer. He who would cure an infectious disease runs the risk of infection. Jude says that we must hate the garment stained by the flesh. Almost certainly he is thinking here of the regulations in Leviticus 13:47-52, where it is laid down that the garment worn by a person discovered to be suffering from leprosy must be burned. The old saying remains true--we must love the sinner but hate the sin. Before a man can rescue others, he must himself be strong in the faith. His own feet must be firm on the dry land before he can throw a lifebelt to the man who is likely to be swept away. The simple fact is that the rescue of those in error is not for everyone to attempt. Those who would win others for Christ must themselves be very sure of him; and those who would fight the disease of sin must themselves have the strong antiseptic of a healthy faith. Ignorance can never be met with ignorance, nor even with partial knowledge; it can be met only by the affirmation, "I know whom I have believed."

THE FINAL ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE ( Jude 1:24-25 )

1:24-25 Unto him who is able to keep you from slipping and to make you stand blameless and exultant in the presence of his glory, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, at this present time, and for all time. Amen.

Jude comes to an end with a tremendous ascription of praise.

Three times in the New Testament praise is given to the God who is able. In Romans 16:25 Paul gives praise to the God who is able to strengthen us. God is the one person who can give us a foundation for life which nothing and no one can ever shake. In Ephesians 3:20 Paul gives praise to the God who is able to do far more than we can ever ask or even dream of. He is the God whose grace no man has every exhausted and on whom no claim can ever be too much.

Here Jude offers his praise to the God who is able.

(i) God is able to keep us from slipping. The word is aptaistos ( G679) . It is used both of a sure-footed horse which does not stumble and of a man who does not fall into error. "He will not let your foot be moved," or as the Scottish metrical version has it, "Thy foot he'll not let slide" ( Psalms 121:3). To walk with God is to walk in safety even on the most dangerous and the most slippery path. In mountaineering climbers are roped together so that even if the inexperienced climber should slip, the skilled mountaineer can take his weight and save him. Even so, when we bind ourselves to God, he keeps us safe.

(ii) He can make us stand blameless in the presence of his glory. The word for blameless is amomos ( G299) . This is characteristically a sacrificial word; and it is commonly and technically used of an animal which is without spot or blemish and is therefore fit to be offered to God. The amazing thing is that when we submit ourselves to God, his grace can make our lives nothing less than a sacrifice fit to offer to him.

(iii) He can bring us into his presence exultant. Surely the natural way to think of entry into the presence of God is in fear and in shame. But by the work of Jesus Christ and in the grace of God, we know that we can go to God with joy and with all fear banished. Through Jesus Christ, God the stern Judge has become known to us as God the loving Father.

We note one last thing. Usually we associate the word Saviour with Jesus Christ, but here Jude attaches it to God. He is not alone in this, for God is often called Saviour in the New Testament ( Luke 1:47; 1 Timothy 1:1; 1 Timothy 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:10; Titus 1:3; Titus 2:10; Titus 3:4). So we end with the great and comforting certainty that at the back of everything there is a God whose name is Saviour. The Christian has the joyous certainty that in this world he lives in the love of God and that in the next world he goes to that love. The love of God is at once the atmosphere and the goal of all his living.

-Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)

FURTHER READING

Jude

C. Bigg, St. Peter and St. Jude (ICC; G)

C. E. B. Cranfield, 1 and 2 Peter and Jude (Tch; E)

J. B. Mayor, The Second Epistle of St. Peter and the Epistle of St. Jude (MmC; G)

J. Moffatt, The General Epistles: James, Peter and Jude (MC; E)

Abbreviations

ICC: International Critical Commentary

MC: Moffatt Commentary

MmC: Macmillan Commentary

Tch: Torch Commentary

E: English Text

G: Greek Text

-Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)

Gann's Commentary on the Bible

Judges 1:3

Jude concerned for their welfare.

His Purpose in writing.

Dear friends -- The Greek word used here, agapētos, meaning “beloved” or “dear friend,” serves as a tender and affectionate form of address. - FSB

I found it necessary. Cf. 1 Corinthians 9:16. This verse implies that Jude had intended to write a letter on salvation as the common blessing enjoyed by all believers, perhaps to emphasize unity and fellowship among believers, and remind them that God is no respecter of persons. But he was compelled, instead, to write a call to battle for the truth in light of the arrival of apostate teachers. - MSB

I felt the necessity to write -- This shows the Spirit’s leadership in writing (cf. 2 Peter 1:21). Notice that the INFINITIVE “to write” appears twice in v. 3. - Utley

our common salvation -- Jude is referring to the salvation that both he and his audience have experienced. - FSB

contend -- from the word "agonize", an athletic word, to strive for, fight for, "wage war against error." 1 Thessalonians 2:4.

    The reason to contend: the entrance of wicked false teachers, Judges 1:4.

the faith -- In the NT, “faith” usually refers to the act of believing [or trusting], while the faith refers to the content of Christian belief. - NLTSB

the faith -- is the body of truths taught by the apostles. The term “the faith,” used also in Galatians 1:23 and 1 Timothy 4:1, refers to things believed. The false teachings of the apostates called for the believers to contend (epagōnizesthai, “agonize earnestly”) with all diligence in defense of those truths, which ungodly men were trying to destroy. In effect Jude said, “Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess” (Hebrews 4:14). - BKC

once for all delivered … saints. God’s revelation was delivered once as a unit, at the completion of the Scripture, and is not to be edited by either deletion or addition (cf. Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19).

    Scripture is complete, sufficient, and finished; therefore it is fixed for all time. Nothing is to be added to the body of the inspired Word (see notes on 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21) because nothing else is needed. It is the responsibility of believers now to study the Word (2 Timothy 2:15), preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2), and fight for its preservation. - MSB

once for all delivered to the saints -- (i.e., to Christians). In other words, by the time that Jude wrote his letter, “the faith” had already been fixed and established in the apostolic teaching of the early church, and therefore could not be changed, but was under attack and in need of defense. - ESVSB

    Although the NT documents had not yet been collected into a complete canon of Scripture, by this time the foundational NT teachings were circulating in oral form through the apostolic circles. In addition, some NT documents had already begun to circulate among the churches (cf. Colossians 4:16; also The Canon of the New Testament).

    A further implication of this verse is that, after the writings authorized by the apostles were included in the NT canon, nothing more could ever be added to Scripture, since the content of the faith had been delivered “once for all.”

    This is at odds with the teachings of other religions such as Mormonism and Islam, which hold that the NT writings existing today contain corrupted teachings, and that additional authoritative teachings came from God later (e.g., the Book of Mormon or the Qur’an, both of which contradict the NT at many points).

    This conclusion also differs from the Roman Catholic view that official church tradition (in addition to Scripture) also has absolute divine authority. Since the letter of Jude was included in the NT canon, his letter must also have received early apostolic endorsement for inclusion, and everything in Jude’s letter is in complete accord with apostolic teaching and writings of the early church and with “the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” - ESVSB

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you,.... The apostle calls the persons he writes unto "beloved"; as they were of God, and by him and other saints; and he signifies his diligence in writing to them: and the subject of his writing was,

of the common salvation; which designs either the Gospel, sometimes called salvation, in opposition to the law, which is a ministration of condemnation; and because it is a declaration of salvation, and a means of it; and may be said to be "common", because preached to all, Jews and Gentiles: or Jesus Christ the Saviour himself, who is also sometimes called "salvation", because he was called and appointed to it, and undertook it, and is become the author of it; and may be said to be a "common" Saviour, not of all men, but of all his people; of his whole body, the church, and every member of it, and of all sorts of men, in all nations: or else that spiritual and eternal salvation wrought out by him, which is common, not to all men, for all are not saved with it, but to all the elect of God, and true believers in Christ; the love of God is common to them all alike; the choice of them to eternal salvation is the same; the covenant of grace, the blessings and promises of it, are equally shared by them; and they are bought with the same price of Christ's blood, and are justified by the same righteousness, and are regenerated, sanctified, and called by the same grace, and shall possess the same glory: there is but one way of salvation, and that is not confined to any nation, family, community, or sect among men. The Alexandrian copy and two of Beza's, and the Syriac version, read, "our common salvation"; and two other of Beza's copies and the Vulgate Latin version read, "your common salvation"; the sense is the same: it was

needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you], that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints; by the "faith" is meant the doctrine of faith, in which sense it is used whenever faith is said to be preached, obeyed, departed, or erred from, or denied, or made shipwreck of, or when exhortations are made to stand fast, and continue in it, or to strive and contend for it, as here; and which is sometimes called the word of faith, the faith of the Gospel, the mystery of faith, or most holy faith, the common faith, and, as here, faith only; and designs the whole scheme of evangelical truths to be believed; such as the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity and sonship of Christ, the divinity and personality of the Spirit; what regards the state and condition of man by nature, as the doctrines of the imputation of Adam's sin to his posterity, the corruption of nature, and the impotence of men to that which is good; what concerns the acts of grace in the Father, Son, and Spirit, towards, and upon the sons of men; as the doctrines of everlasting love, eternal election, the covenant of grace, particular redemption, justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ, pardon and reconciliation by his blood, regeneration and sanctification by the grace of the Spirit, final perseverance, the resurrection of the dead, and the future glory of the saints with Christ. This is said to be "delivered to the saints": it was delivered by God the Father to Christ as Mediator, and by him to his apostles, who may more especially be meant by "the saints", or holy men; who were chosen to be holy, and to whom Christ was made sanctification, and who were sanctified by the Spirit of God; and this faith, being a most holy faith, is fit for holy men, and only proper to be delivered to them, and preached by them; and by them it was delivered to the churches, both by word and writing; and this delivery of it supposes that it is not an invention of men, that it is of God, and a gift of his, and given in trust in order to be kept, held forth, and held fast; and it was but "once" delivered, in opposition to the sundry times and divers manners in which the mind of God was formerly made known; and designs the uniformity, perfection, and continuance of the doctrine of faith; there is no alteration to be made in it, or addition to it; no new revelations are to be expected, it has been delivered all at once: and therefore should be "earnestly contended for"; for could it be lost, another could not be had; and the whole of it is to be contended for; not only the fundamentals, but the lesser matters of faith; and not things essential only, but also what are circumstantial to faith and religion; every truth, ordinance, and duty, and particularly the purity of faith, and its consistency: and this contention includes a care and solicitude for it, to have it, own it, and hold it fast, and adorn it; and for the preservation of it, and for the spread of it, and that it might be transmitted to posterity: and it denotes a conflict, a combat, or a fighting for it, a striving even to an agony: the persons to be contended with on account of it, are such who deny, or depreciate any of the Persons in the Godhead, the assertors of the purity and power of human nature, and the deniers of sovereign, efficacious, and persevering grace: the persons who are to contend with them are all the saints in general, to whom it is delivered; which they may do by bearing an experimental testimony to it, by praying for the continuance and success of it, by standing fast in one spirit in it, and by dying for it; and particularly the ministers of the Gospel, by preaching it boldly, openly, fully, and faithfully, by disputing for it, and writing in the defence of it, and by laying down their lives, when called for: the manner in which this is to be done, is "earnestly", heartily, in good earnest, and without deceit, zealously, and constantly.

Light of Israel Bible Commentary

DEFENDING OUR SHARED SALVATION FROM THE GODLESS

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. Jude 1:3

In the Greek, Jude speaks not to "dear friends" but to the "beloved" of God (Gk. agapetoi). It appears that Jude had planned to write the beloved a treatise on the message of salvation, but that some urgent problem had prompted him to change his plans and deal with the matter at hand. The well-known Scottish commentator, William Barclay says of this turn of events, "… often it is much better to write a tract for the times than a treatise for the future."<footnote>William Barclay, Commentary on Jude, William Barclay's Daily Study Bible, 1956-1959. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/jude-1.html.</footnote>

Jude here gives us some excellent encouragement for our age. He tells us that we simply must guard the faith that has been entrusted once for all to us. We need to hear this message in our compromising, hypocritical, and lackadaisical age. The Barna Group tells us that since 1990, the unchurched in America has increased from 30 to 43 percent.<footnote>Barna Research Group, Ltd., October, 2014.</footnote>

According to a survey done far back in the 1980s, 70 percent of Americans already felt they could get along quite well without attending church.<footnote>Guzik, Commentary on Jude, David Guzik Commentaries on the Bible, v. 3.</footnote> Even for those who attend church today there are many who do not really understand what Christianity is all about. A later Barna report in 2003 astounded us by noting that only 9 percent of born-again Christians held a biblical worldview.<footnote>Barna Research Group, Ltd., December 3, 2003.</footnote> Obviously, if our worldview is faulty, our walk may also become faulty in time.

In this passage we see that our faith; our spiritual heritage; our central beliefs are of critical importance. These are handed down (Gk. paradotheise) "once for all" (Gk. hapax).<footnote>Schreiner, The New American Commentary, Vol. 37, pp. 435, 436.</footnote> This is not something that will be repeated, so if we lose it or allow it to be corrupted, it is gone forever. For this reason we should earnestly vie for our faith and defend it in this present evil age. Jude challenges us to "contend" or "strive" (Gk. agonisai) for the faith. This conveys the picture of "agony" or striving even to death.<footnote>Ibid., p. 435.</footnote>

The word for faith here includes the essential gospel truths that are held in common. Delbert Rose says, "It means the sum of that which Christians believe."<footnote>Quoted in, James Burton Coffman, Commentary on Jude, Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament (Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 1983-1999, v. 3. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/jude-1.html.</footnote> The "shared" salvation is the oft-repeated Greek word koinos, which means having things in common or becoming a sharer or partner.<footnote>Wuest, In These Last Days, II Peter, I, II, III John, and Jude in the Greek New Testament, p. 234.</footnote>

"For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord" (1:4). Perhaps Jude is here referring to the very words of Jesus as we see in Mark 13:6, "Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many." Also, the Apostle Paul had sensed that many savage wolves would come into the flock of God (Acts 20:29; cf. Matthew 7:15).

We have seen in other instances how a proto-Gnosticism had threatened those of the early churches. Apparently this is what we have here. This doctrine was based upon Greek ideas that demeaned the natural and exalted the spiritual. Bible scholars Kenneth Barker & John Kohlenberger describe this heresy saying, "Gnosticism…branched into ascetic and libertine divisions…Only the spirit would transcend this universe to reach the unknown God…The heretics were antinomian…Their rejection of Jesus (v. 4), their blaspheming of angels (vs. 8, 10), and their complaining and cynicism (v. 16) all fit libertine Gnosticism."<footnote>Barker & Kohlenberger, Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, NT., p. 1119. Schreiner adds here, "We now know that the developed Gnosticism of the second century AD was not present when the New Testament was written, though some antecedents to what was later called Gnosticism certainly existed." (Schreiner, p. 440).</footnote>

These heretics had secretly slipped into the congregations (cf. Galatians 2:4). They had literally snuck in by the back door. No doubt there were many itinerant teachers and preachers who were attempting to get some gain from the new gospel message. Schreiner sees them as outsiders, wandering prophets and teachers.<footnote>Schreiner, The New American Commentary, Vol. 37, p. 436.</footnote> We should note however that it was perfectly possible for some to rise up within the church as wolves in sheep's clothing and pervert the gospel as Paul mentioned in Acts 20:29.

These teachers were godless (Gk. asebes). Twentieth century Greek scholar, Kenneth Wuest, describes this word as being destitute of any reverential awe toward God, or being impious…they were also wanton or lascivious (Gk. aselgeia).<footnote>Wuest, In These Last Days, II Peter, I, II, III John, and Jude in the Greek New Testament, p. 237.</footnote> Sexual debauchery was a mainstay of most pagan religions. We can understand how new converts from paganism could easily be drawn back into this lifestyle by these false teachers.

It should be noted here that Jesus is mentioned as "our only Sovereign and Lord." The word for "Sovereign" is the Greek despotēs. The early nineteenth century British Methodist, Adam Clarke, sees it as here being applied to the Lord Jesus Christ.<footnote>Adam Clarke, Commentary on Jude, The Adam Clarke Commentary, 1832, v. 3. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/acc/jude-1.html.</footnote>

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      3 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 contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.   4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.   5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.   6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.   7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

      We have here, I. The design of the apostle in writing this epistle to the lately converted Jews and Gentiles; namely, to establish them in the Christian faith, and a practice and conversation truly consonant and conformable thereunto, and in an open and bold profession thereof, especially in times of notorious opposition, whether by artful seduction or violent and inhuman persecution. But then we must see to it very carefully that it be really the Christian faith that we believe, profess, propagate, and contend for; not the discriminating badges of this or the other party, not any thing of later date than the inspired writings of the holy evangelists and apostles. Here observe, 1. The gospel salvation is a common salvation, that is, in a most sincere offer and tender of it to all mankind to whom the notice of it reaches: for so the commission runs (Mark 16:15; Mark 16:16), Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, c. Surely God means as he speaks he does not delude us with vain words, whatever men do; and therefore none are excluded from the benefit of these gracious offers and invitations, but those who obstinately, impenitently, finally exclude themselves. Whoever will may come and drink of the water of life freely,Revelation 22:17. The application of it is made to all believers, and only to such; it is made to the weak as well as to the strong. Let none discourage themselves on the account of hidden decrees which they can know little of, and with which they have nothing to do. God's decrees are dark, his covenants are plain. "All good Christians meet in Christ the common head, are actuated by one and the same Spirit, are guided by one rule, meet here at one throne of grace, and hope shortly to meet in one common inheritance," a glorious one to be sure, but what or how glorious we cannot, nor at present need to know; but such it will be as vastly to exceed all our present hopes and expectations. 2. This common salvation is the subject-matter of the faith of all the saints. The doctrine of it is what they all most heartily consent to; they esteem it as a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,1 Timothy 1:15. It is the faith once, or at once, once for all, delivered to the saints, to which nothing can be added, from which nothing may be detracted, in which nothing more nor less should be altered. Here let us abide; here we are safe; if we stir a step further, we are in danger of being either entangled or seduced. 3. The apostles and evangelists all wrote to us of this common salvation. This cannot be doubted by those who have carefully read their writings. It is strange that any should think they wrote chiefly to maintain particular schemes and opinions, especially such as they never did nor could think of. It is enough that they have fully declared to us, by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, all that is necessary for every one to believe and do, in order to obtain a personal interest in the common salvation. 4. Those who preach or write of the common salvation should give all diligence to do it well: they should not allow themselves to offer to God or his people that which costs them nothing, or next to nothing, little or no pains or thought, 2 Samuel 24:24. This were to treat God irreverently, and man unjustly. The apostle (though inspired) gave all diligence to write of the common salvation. What then will become of those who (though uninspired) give no diligence, or next to none, but say to the people (even in the name of God) quicquid in buccam venerit--whatever comes next, who, so that they use scripture-words, care not how they interpret or apply them? Those who speak of sacred things ought always to speak of them with the greatest reverence, care, and diligence. 5. Those who have received the doctrine of this common salvation must contend earnestly for it. Earnestly, not furiously. Those who strive for the Christian faith, or in the Christian course, must strive lawfully, or they lose their labour, and run great hazard of losing their crown, 2 Timothy 2:5. The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God,James 1:20. Lying for the truth is bad, and scolding for it is not much better. Observe, Those who have received the truth must contend for it. But how? As the apostles did; by suffering patiently and courageously for it, not by making others suffer if they will not presently embrace every notion that we are pleased (proved or unproved) to call faith, or fundamental. We must not suffer ourselves to be robbed of any essential article of Christian faith, by the cunning craftiness or specious plausible pretences of any who lie in wait to deceive,Ephesians 4:14. The apostle Paul tells us he preached the gospel (mind it was the gospel) with much contention (1 Thessalonians 2:2), that is (as I understand it), with earnestness, with a hearty zeal, and a great concern for the success of what he preached. But, if we will understand contention in the common acceptation of the word, we must impartially consider with whom the apostle contended, and how, the enlarging on which would not be proper for this place.

      II. The occasion the apostle had to write to this purport. As evil manners give rise to good laws, so dangerous errors often give just occasion to the proper defence of important truths. Here observe, 1. Ungodly men are the great enemies of the faith of Christ and the peace of the church. Those who deny or corrupt the one, and disturb the other, are here expressly styled ungodly men. We might have truth with peace (a most desirable thing) were there none (ministers or private Christians) in our particular churches and congregations but truly godly men--a blessing scarcely to be looked or hoped for on this side heaven. Ungodly men raise scruples, merely to advance and promote their own selfish, ambitious, and covetous ends. This has been the plague of the church in all past ages, and I am afraid no age is, or will be, wholly free from such men and such practices as long as time shall last. Observe, Nothing cuts us off from the church but that which cuts us off from Christ; namely, reigning infidelity and ungodliness. We must abhor the thought of branding particular parties or persons with this character, especially of doing it without the least proof, or, as it too often happens, the least shadow of it. Those are ungodly men who live without God in the world, who have no regard to God and conscience. Those are to be dreaded and consequently to be avoided, not only who are wicked by sins of commission, but also who are ungodly by sins of omission, who, for example, restrain prayer before God, who dare not reprove a rich man, when it is the duty of their place so to do, for fear of losing his favour and the advantage they promise themselves therefrom, who do the work of the Lord negligently, c. 2. Those are the worst of ungodly men who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, who take encouragement to sin more boldly because the grace of God has abounded, and still abounds, so wonderfully, who are hardened in their impieties by the extent and fulness of gospel grace, the design of which is to reduce men from sin, and bring them unto God. Thus therefore to wax wanton under so great grace, and turn it into an occasion of working all uncleanness with greediness, and hardening ourselves in such a course by that very grace which is the last and most forcible means to reclaim us from it, is to render ourselves the vilest, the worst, and most hopeless of sinners. 3. Those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness do in effect deny the Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ that is, they deny both natural and revealed religion. They strike at the foundation of natural religion, for they deny the only Lord God; and they overturn all the frame of revealed religion, for they deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Now his great design in establishing revealed religion in the world was to bring us unto God. To deny revealed religion is virtually to overturn natural religion, for they stand or fall together, and they mutually yield light and force to each other. Would to God our modern deists, who live in the midst of gospel light, would seriously consider this, and cautiously, diligently, and impartially examine what it is that hinders their receiving the gospel, while they profess themselves fully persuaded of all the principles and duties of natural religion! Never to tallies answered more exactly to each other than these do, so that it seems absurd to receive the one and reject the other. One would think it were the fairer way to receive both or reject both; though perhaps the more plausible method, especially in this age, is to act the part they do. 4. Those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness are ordained unto condemnation. They sin against the last, the greatest, and most perfect remedy; and so are without excuse. Those who thus sin must needs die of their wounds, of their disease, are of old ordained to this condemnation, whatever that expression means. But what if our translators had thought fit to have rendered the words palai progegrammenoi--of old fore-written of, as persons who would through their own sin and folly become the proper subjects of this condemnation, where had the harm been? Plain Christians had not been troubled with dark, doubtful, and perplexing thoughts about reprobation, which the strongest heads cannot enter far into, can indeed bear but little of, without much loss and damage. Is it not enough that early notice was given by inspired writers that such seducers and wicked men should arise in later times, and that every one, being fore-warned of, should be fore-armed against them? 5. We ought to contend earnestly for the faith, in opposition to those who would corrupt or deprave it, such as have crept in unawares: a wretched character, to be sure, but often very ill applied by weak and ignorant people, and even by those who themselves creep in unawares, who think their ipse dixit should stand for a law to all their followers and admirers. Surely faithful humble ministers are helpers of their people's joy, peace, and comfort; not lords of their faith! Whoever may attempt to corrupt the faith, we ought to contend earnestly against them. The more busy and crafty the instruments and agents of Satan are, to rob us of the truth, the more solicitous should we be to hold it fast, always provided we be very sure that we fasten no wrong or injurious characters on persons, parties, or sentiments.

      III. The fair warning which the apostle, in Christ's name, gives to those who, having professed his holy religion, do afterwards desert and prove false to it, Jude 1:5-7; Jude 1:5-7. We have here a recital of the former judgments of God upon sinners, with design to awaken and terrify those to whom warning is given in this epistle. Observe, The judgments of God are often denounced and executed in terrorem--for warning to others, rather than from immediate or particular displeasure against the offenders themselves; not that God is not displeased with them, but perhaps not more with them than with others who, at least for the present, escape. I will put you in remembrance. What we already know we still need to be put in remembrance of. Therefore there will always be need and use of a standing stated ministry in the Christian church, though all the doctrines of faith, the essentials, are so plainly revealed in express words, or by the most near, plain, and immediate consequence, that he who runs may read and understand them. There wants no infallible interpreter, really or conceitedly such, for any such end or purpose. Some people (weakly enough) suggest, "If the scriptures do so plainly contain all that is necessary to salvation, what need or use can there be of a standing ministry? Why may we not content ourselves with staying at home, and reading our Bibles?" The inspired apostle has here fully, though not wholly, answered this objection. Preaching is not designed to teach us something new in every sermon, somewhat that we knew nothing of before; but to put us in remembrance, to call to mind things forgotten, to affect our passions, and engage and fix our resolutions, that our lives may be answerable to our faith. Though you know these things, yet you still need to know them better. There are many things which we have known which yet we have unhappily forgotten. Is it of no use or service to be put afresh in remembrance of them?

      Now what are these things which we Christians need to be put in remembrance of?

      1. The destruction of the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness, Jude 1:5; Jude 1:5. Paul puts the Corinthians in mind of this, 1 Corinthians 10:1-33. The 1 Corinthians 10:1-10 of that chapter (as the scripture is always the best commentary upon itself) are the best explication of the Jude 1:5 of this epistle of Jude. None therefore ought to presume upon their privileges, since many who were brought out of Egypt by a series of amazing miracles, yet perished in the wilderness by reason of their unbelief. Let us not therefore be high-minded, but fear,Romans 11:20. Let us fear lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it,Hebrews 4:1. They had miracles in abundance: they were their daily bread; yet even they perished in unbelief. We have greater (much greater) advantages than they had; let their error (their so fatal error) be our awful warning.

      2. We are here put in remembrance of the fall of the angels, Jude 1:6; Jude 1:6. There were a great number of the angels who left their own habitation; that is, who were not pleased with the posts and stations the supreme Monarch of the universe had assigned and allotted to them, but thought (like discontented ministers in our age, I might say in every age) they deserved better; they would, with the title of ministers, be sovereigns, and in effect their Sovereign should be their minister--do all, and only, what they would have him; thus was pride the main and immediate cause or occasion of their fall. Thus they quitted their post, and rebelled against God, their Creator and sovereign Lord. But God did not spare them (high and great as they were); he would not truckle to them; he threw them off, as a wise and good prince will a selfish and deceitful minister; and the great, the all-wise God, could not be ignorant, as the wisest and best of earthly princes often are, what designs they were hatching. After all, what became of them? They thought to have dared and outfaced Omnipotence itself; but God was too hard for them, he cast them down to hell. Those who would not be servants to their Maker and his will in their first state were made captives to his justice, and are reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness. Here see what the condition of fallen angels is: they are in chains, bound under the divine power and justice, bound over to the judgment of the great day; they are under darkness, though once angels of light; so horribly in the dark are they that they continue to fight against God, as if there were yet some small hope at least left them of prevailing and overcoming in the conflict. Dire infatuation! Light and liberty concur, chains and darkness how well do they agree and suit each other! The devils, once angels in the best sense, are reserved, c. Observe, There is, undoubtedly there is, a judgment to come the fallen angels are reserved to the judgment of the great day; and shall fallen men escape it? Surely not. Let every reader consider this in due time. Their chains are called everlasting, because it is impossible they should ever break loose from them, or make an escape; they are held fast and sure under them. The decree, the justice, the wrath of God, are the very chains under which fallen angels are held so fast. Hear and fear, O sinful mortals of mankind!

      3. The apostle here calls to our remembrance the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jude 1:7; Jude 1:7. Even as, c. It is in allusion to the destruction of Pentapolis, or the five cities, that the miseries of the damned are set forth by a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone they were guilty of abominable wickedness, not to be named or thought of but with the utmost abhorrence and detestation; their ruin is a particular warning to all people to take heed of, and fly from, fleshly lusts that war against the soul,1 Peter 2:11. "These lusts consumed the Sodomites with fire from heaven, and they are now suffering the vengeance of eternal fire; therefore take heed, imitate not their sins, lest the same plagues overtake you as did them. God is the same holy, just, pure Being now as then; and can the beastly pleasures of a moment make amends for your suffering the vengeance of eternal fire? Stand in awe, therefore, and sin not," Psalms 4:4.