Description
Jude warns of heretics and scoffers to come in the end times. He talks about Christ's second coming appearance and the judgments that follow. And he tells us how to live in anticipation of his coming.
Commentary
In verse 1, Jude identifies himself as a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James. This implies he was the Judas of Matthew 13:55. So he was a half-brother of Jesus and a full-brother of James. James was considered an apostle (Galatians 1:19) and a pillar of the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:9 and Acts 15:13). Although Jude is not identified as an apostle, he was highly connected and his epistle is treated as canonical by all major Christian traditions. However, it is unusual in that Jude alludes to and quotes from non-canonical works from Jewish tradition, including The Assumption of Moses (v9) and the Book of Enoch (v6, 14-15).
In verses 3 to 4 and 8 to 14, Jude warns his readers against false teachers who were teaching heresies (v4). Several New Testament epistles deal with the problem of heretics. Whereas John speaks of heretics breaking away from the Church (1 John 2:19), Jude speaks of them secretly infiltrating the Church (v4). John described heretics as 'antichrists' and saw them as an end-time sign in accordance with Matthew 24:4-5. Paul also warned of heretical teachers in the latter times (1 Timothy 4:1-3). According to Jude, these heretics:
-turn the grace of God into a licence for evil (v4)
-deny Jesus as Master and Lord (v4)
-as a result of their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and insult celestial beings (v8)
-participate in an irreverent manner in the Church's love feasts, i.e. the Lord's supper (v12)
-grumble and find fault (v16)
-follow their own desires (v16)
-give bombastic speeches (v16)
-awe people for their own gain (v16).
In verse 5, Jude makes the curious statement that it was Jesus who led the Israelites out of Egypt. This is a recognition of Jesus as Jehovah. Philippians 2:9-11 and Isaiah 45:22-24 give us a lens for reading Old Testament prophecies such that it is often appropriate to substitute Jesus for Jehovah and understand them as descriptions of what Jesus will do. Combining that with Micah 5:2, which prophesied the birth of Jesus 'whose origins are in the distant past', it is also appropriate to read Old Testament history through the same lens, as Jude does here. In Old Testament times, God often appeared to people as the Angel of the Lord, and it is reasonable to understand this as Jesus in a pre-incarnate guise. In the New Testament, Jesus appears to John in this guise in Revelation 1:12-18. However, analysis of ancient manuscripts of Jude indicates that some scribes have struggled with this verse. In some manuscripts, 'Jesus' has been replaced with 'Lord'.
In verse 6, Jude says, "You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day". He is referring to the angels who sinned before the flood by engaging in sexual intercourse with human women and by corrupting humanity (Genesis 6:1-4). Jude pictures them locked up in utter darkness. This is a description of what was known as Sheol in Hebrew, or as Tartarus in Greek. In Greek mythology, Tartarus was the deepest part of Hades, the realm of the dead, and the place where dangerous gods could be locked up (see my commentary on Luke 16). These fallen angels are a key topic in the book of Enoch. The book of Enoch's influence upon Jude is evident in verses 14 to 15 (see below). Jude says these angels are locked up for judgment on the great Day. This great Day coincides with the great white throne judgment that takes place at the end of the Millennium, when death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).
In verse 7, Jude says that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) stands as an example of the punishment of eternal fire, not just for angels, but also for people who sin.
In verses 14 to 15, Jude quotes from the book of Enoch, "Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict every person of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds that they have committed, and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him". The themes presented in this quote agree with various other prophecies of the second coming and the judgments that follow (e.g. Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 12:36, 16:27, 25:31, Revelation 19:14, 20:12). This may be why Jude felt it was appropriate to quote from the Book of Enoch, even though the Book of Enoch was never considered to be part of the Old Testament canon of scripture. However, it is curious that he introduces the quote as though the book was genuinely authored by Enoch, the seventh from Adam (v14). Most scholars assume it to be an apocryphal work from about 400 to 200 BC that is falsely attributed to Enoch. If Enoch really did write it, then the Book of Enoch is older than the bible. Only the Ethiopian Orthodox Church accepts it as canonical.
In verses 17 to 19, Jude tells his readers to recall the apostles' predictions that in the end times, scoffers will come. Jude says these scoffers will be:
-propelled by their own ungodly desires
-divisive
-worldly
-devoid of the Spirit
In verses 20 to 21, Jude tells us how to maintain ourselves in the love of God while anticipating Christ's mercy. This is a way of saying that we are to live in anticipation of Christ's second coming, when we will receive mercy.
In verse 24, Jude addresses his doxology 'to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence'. In light of his references to the second coming just a few verses earlier, he is clearly saying that we will stand rejoicing without blemish before Christ's glorious appearing.
In verses 3 to 4 and 8 to 14, Jude warns his readers against false teachers who were teaching heresies (v4). Several New Testament epistles deal with the problem of heretics. Whereas John speaks of heretics breaking away from the Church (1 John 2:19), Jude speaks of them secretly infiltrating the Church (v4). John described heretics as 'antichrists' and saw them as an end-time sign in accordance with Matthew 24:4-5. Paul also warned of heretical teachers in the latter times (1 Timothy 4:1-3). According to Jude, these heretics:
-turn the grace of God into a licence for evil (v4)
-deny Jesus as Master and Lord (v4)
-as a result of their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and insult celestial beings (v8)
-participate in an irreverent manner in the Church's love feasts, i.e. the Lord's supper (v12)
-grumble and find fault (v16)
-follow their own desires (v16)
-give bombastic speeches (v16)
-awe people for their own gain (v16).
In verse 5, Jude makes the curious statement that it was Jesus who led the Israelites out of Egypt. This is a recognition of Jesus as Jehovah. Philippians 2:9-11 and Isaiah 45:22-24 give us a lens for reading Old Testament prophecies such that it is often appropriate to substitute Jesus for Jehovah and understand them as descriptions of what Jesus will do. Combining that with Micah 5:2, which prophesied the birth of Jesus 'whose origins are in the distant past', it is also appropriate to read Old Testament history through the same lens, as Jude does here. In Old Testament times, God often appeared to people as the Angel of the Lord, and it is reasonable to understand this as Jesus in a pre-incarnate guise. In the New Testament, Jesus appears to John in this guise in Revelation 1:12-18. However, analysis of ancient manuscripts of Jude indicates that some scribes have struggled with this verse. In some manuscripts, 'Jesus' has been replaced with 'Lord'.
In verse 6, Jude says, "You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day". He is referring to the angels who sinned before the flood by engaging in sexual intercourse with human women and by corrupting humanity (Genesis 6:1-4). Jude pictures them locked up in utter darkness. This is a description of what was known as Sheol in Hebrew, or as Tartarus in Greek. In Greek mythology, Tartarus was the deepest part of Hades, the realm of the dead, and the place where dangerous gods could be locked up (see my commentary on Luke 16). These fallen angels are a key topic in the book of Enoch. The book of Enoch's influence upon Jude is evident in verses 14 to 15 (see below). Jude says these angels are locked up for judgment on the great Day. This great Day coincides with the great white throne judgment that takes place at the end of the Millennium, when death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).
In verse 7, Jude says that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) stands as an example of the punishment of eternal fire, not just for angels, but also for people who sin.
In verses 14 to 15, Jude quotes from the book of Enoch, "Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict every person of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds that they have committed, and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him". The themes presented in this quote agree with various other prophecies of the second coming and the judgments that follow (e.g. Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 12:36, 16:27, 25:31, Revelation 19:14, 20:12). This may be why Jude felt it was appropriate to quote from the Book of Enoch, even though the Book of Enoch was never considered to be part of the Old Testament canon of scripture. However, it is curious that he introduces the quote as though the book was genuinely authored by Enoch, the seventh from Adam (v14). Most scholars assume it to be an apocryphal work from about 400 to 200 BC that is falsely attributed to Enoch. If Enoch really did write it, then the Book of Enoch is older than the bible. Only the Ethiopian Orthodox Church accepts it as canonical.
In verses 17 to 19, Jude tells his readers to recall the apostles' predictions that in the end times, scoffers will come. Jude says these scoffers will be:
-propelled by their own ungodly desires
-divisive
-worldly
-devoid of the Spirit
In verses 20 to 21, Jude tells us how to maintain ourselves in the love of God while anticipating Christ's mercy. This is a way of saying that we are to live in anticipation of Christ's second coming, when we will receive mercy.
In verse 24, Jude addresses his doxology 'to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence'. In light of his references to the second coming just a few verses earlier, he is clearly saying that we will stand rejoicing without blemish before Christ's glorious appearing.
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Tags: Jesus as Jehovah, Heretics, End-time heresies, Scoffers, Second coming appearance, End-time signs
Symbols:
Tags: Jesus as Jehovah, Heretics, End-time heresies, Scoffers, Second coming appearance, End-time signs
1 From Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, wrapped in the love of God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.
2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you!
Condemnation of the False Teachers
3 Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
4 For certain men have secretly slipped in among you – men who long ago were marked out for the condemnation I am about to describe – ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Now I desire to remind you (even though you have been fully informed of these facts once for all ) that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, later destroyed those who did not believe.
6 You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day.
7 So also Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns, since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire in a way similar to these angels, are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet these men, as a result of their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and insult the glorious ones.
9 But even when Michael the archangel was arguing with the devil and debating with him concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”
10 But these men do not understand the things they slander, and they are being destroyed by the very things that, like irrational animals, they instinctively comprehend.
11 Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path, and because of greed have abandoned themselves to Balaam’s error; hence, they will certainly perish in Korah’s rebellion.
12 These men are dangerous reefs at your love feasts, feasting without reverence, feeding only themselves. They are waterless clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit – twice dead, uprooted;
13 wild sea waves, spewing out the foam of their shame; wayward stars for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness have been reserved.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, even prophesied of them, saying, “Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones,
15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict every person of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds that they have committed, and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
16 These people are grumblers and fault-finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain.
Exhortation to the Faithful
17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.”
19 These people are divisive, worldly, devoid of the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 maintain yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life.
22 And have mercy on those who waver;
23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh.
Final Blessing
24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence,
25 to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.
2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you!
Condemnation of the False Teachers
3 Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
4 For certain men have secretly slipped in among you – men who long ago were marked out for the condemnation I am about to describe – ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Now I desire to remind you (even though you have been fully informed of these facts once for all ) that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, later destroyed those who did not believe.
6 You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day.
7 So also Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns, since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire in a way similar to these angels, are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet these men, as a result of their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and insult the glorious ones.
9 But even when Michael the archangel was arguing with the devil and debating with him concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”
10 But these men do not understand the things they slander, and they are being destroyed by the very things that, like irrational animals, they instinctively comprehend.
11 Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path, and because of greed have abandoned themselves to Balaam’s error; hence, they will certainly perish in Korah’s rebellion.
12 These men are dangerous reefs at your love feasts, feasting without reverence, feeding only themselves. They are waterless clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit – twice dead, uprooted;
13 wild sea waves, spewing out the foam of their shame; wayward stars for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness have been reserved.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, even prophesied of them, saying, “Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones,
15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict every person of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds that they have committed, and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
16 These people are grumblers and fault-finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain.
Exhortation to the Faithful
17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.”
19 These people are divisive, worldly, devoid of the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 maintain yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life.
22 And have mercy on those who waver;
23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh.
Final Blessing
24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence,
25 to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.
(NET)
