Jude Chapter 1

From The Open Bible Project

The Letter from Jude

1:1 [1] Jude, [See Jude Footnotes 1] a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

• (a) This is to distinguish between him and Judas Iscariot.
• (b) By God the Father.

1:2 Mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied.

1:3 Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

• (1) The goal of this epistle, is to affirm the godly as opposed to certain wicked men both in true doctrine and good conduct.
• (d) Of those things that pertain to the salvation of all of us.
• (e) That you should defend the faith with all the strength you can muster, both by true doctrine and good example of life.
• (f) Which was once given, that it may never be changed.

1:4 For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.

• (2) It is by God’s providence and not by chance, that many wicked men creep into the Church.
• (3) He condemns this first in them, that they take opportunity or occasion to wax wanton, by the grace of God: which cannot be, but the chief empire of Christ must be cancelled, in that such men give themselves up to Satan, whom they call Libertines.

1:5 Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn't believe.

• (4) He presents the horrible punishment of those who have abused the grace of God to follow their own lusts.

1:6 Angels who didn't keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

• (5) The fall of the angels was most severely punished, how much more then will the Lord punish wicked and faithless men?

1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, having, in the same way as these, given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

• (g) Following the steps of Sodom and Gomorrah.
• (h) Thus he sets forth their horrible and wicked perversions.

1:8 Yet in like manner these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings.

• (i) Who are so stupid and void of reason as if all their fears and wits were asleep. (6) Another most destructive doctrine of theirs, in that they take away the authority of the government and slander them.
• (k) It is a greater matter to despise government than the governors, that is to say, the matter itself than the persons.

1:9 But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"

• (7) An argument of comparison: Michael one of the chiefest angels, was content to deliver Satan, although a most accursed enemy, to the judgment of God to be punished: and these perverse men are not ashamed to speak evil of the powers who are ordained of God.

1:10 But these speak evil of whatever things they don't know. What they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, they are destroyed in these things.

• (8) The conclusion: These men are doubly at fault, that is, both for their rash folly in condemning some, and for their impudent and shameless contempt of that knowledge, which when they had gotten, yet nonetheless they lived as brute beasts, serving their bellies.

1:11 Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah's rebellion.

• (9) He foretells their destruction, because they resemble or proclaim Cain’s shameless malice, Balaam’s filthy covetousness, and to be short, Core’s seditious and ambitious head.

1:12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

• (10) He rebukes most sharply with many other notes and marks, both their dishonesty or filthiness, and their sauciness, but especially, their vain bravery of words and vain pride, joining with it a grave and heavy threatening from an ancient prophecy of Enoch concerning the judgment to come.
• (l) The feasts of charity were certain banquets, which the brethren who were members of the Church kept altogether, as Tertullian sets them forth in his apology, chap. 39.
• (m) Impudently, without all reverence either to God or man.

1:13 wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.

• (n) Most gross darkness.

1:14 About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,

• (o) The present time, for the time to come.

1:15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

1:16 These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaks proud things), showing respect of persons to gain advantage.

1:17 But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• (11) The rising up of such monsters was spoken of before, that we should not be troubled at the newness of the matter.

1:18 They said to you that "In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts."

1:19 These are they who cause divisions, and are sensual, not having the Spirit.

• (12) It is the habit of antichrists to separate themselves from the godly, because they are not governed by the Spirit of God: and contrariwise it is the habit of Christians to edify one another through godly prayers, both in faith and also in love, until the mercy of Christ appears to their full salvation.

1:20 But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

1:22 On some have compassion, making a distinction,

• (13) Among those who wander and go astray, the godly have to use this choice, that they handle some of them gently, and that others being even in the very flame, they endeavour to save with severe and sharp instruction of the present danger: yet so, that they do in such sort abhor the wicked and dishonest, that they avoid even the least thought of them.

1:23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

• (p) By fearing them and holding them back with godly severity.
• (q) An amplification, taken from the forbidden things of the law which did defile.

1:24 Now to him who is able to keep [2] them [See Jude Footnotes 2] from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,

• (14) He commends them to the grace of God, declaring sufficiently that it is God only that can give us that constancy which he requires of us.

1:25 to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.