Introductory remarks:
Jude wanted to write this epistle concerning their salvation but was diverted by the Holy Spirit to sound forth this warning against the coming apostasy in the church. "Jude, brother of James, writes to believers as a servant of Christ. He is writing to urge defense of the truth against people sneaking in and denying God and Christ and teaching we have a license to sin. He reminds them of God's treatment of the unbelieving in the wilderness, fallen angels, and Sodom and Gomorrha, and these false teachers are acting similarly. Michael didn't fight the Devil in his own power but in God's name, but these men teach from their own wisdom. The false teachers repeat the errors of Cain, Balaam, and Korah. They are polluting the church and stirring up trouble as they join in with their false belief. Jude says the prophets and then the apostles warned about these false teachers, and urges them to build up their faith, pray, live in God's love and hope in eternal life from Christ. They should take care of each other, with compassion and fear, pulling some out of the fire, though you hate their fleshly deeds. He ends by praising our protector and God" (A Survey of Jude - By Brenda). This epistle may be outlined as follows: Salutation vv. 1-2: Judgment in false teachers vv. 3-16: Warnings and exhortations vv. 17-23: Benediction vv. 24-25.
Salutation
Verse 1, "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called."
LGT "Jude, a bond-slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the called ones, beloved in God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ."
Jude, a bond-slave of Jesus Christ: Jude does not claim family rights with the Lord, but calls himself a bond-slave of Jesus Christ. "That Jude does not allude to his relationship to the Lord may be explained by the fact that the natural relationship in his mind would be subordinate to the spiritual (see Luke 11:27, 28), and that such a designation would, as Dean Alford remarks, 'have been in harmony with those later and superstitious feelings with which the next and following ages regard the Lord's earthly relatives.' He would shrink from emphasizing a distinction to which none of the other disciples or apostles could have a claim, the more so because of his former unbelief in Christ's authority and mission. It is noticeable that James likewise avoids such a designation" (Vincent). And brother of James: as we just said, James did not claim family rights either. To the called ones: this is the designation for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Beloved in God the Father: the better manuscripts have the word beloved rather than sanctified as has the Authorized Version. I believe beloved is more personal in that we are encouraged by knowing that we are loved by God with the same love He has for His only-begotten Son. And kept in Jesus Christ: if Christ our Lord keeps us, we are kept. This is an outstanding verse on the security of the believer, that is, it is impossible to ever loose our salvation, no matter how hard the holiness people try and twist the Scriptures.
Verse 2, "Mercy unto you, and peace and love, be multiplied."
LGT "Mercy to you and peace, and love, be multiplied."
This is not quite the same as the other apostles' salutation, but it is just as expressive of Jude's concern for the welfare of all believers.
Judgment on False Teachers
Verse 3, "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to 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."
LGT "Beloved, making all diligence to write to you concerning our common salvation I had necessity to write to you, exhorting [you] to earnestly contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints."
Beloved: all believers are beloved, that is, God loves them with His divine, unconditional love. Making all diligence to write to you: diligence here means dedicated and committed for their welfare and spiritual growth. Concerning our common salvation: Jude uses the inclusive our including himself in the beloved of God who are saved for eternity. He also uses the Greek word koine, which means common, and in this context it means universal, in that it was not just offered to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. Salvation is for the entire world to accept or reject according ones own free will (John 3:16). I had necessity to write to you: Jude was constrained in his soul, for he was under the control and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Exhorting you: Jude says that he was exhorting them, meaning he was constrained to encourage them to a mission for their spiritual growth and fellowship with the Father. To earnestly contend earnestly for the faith: I believe Jude is saying they need to put their faith forward as the most important thing in their lives regarding their spiritual growth and fellowship. As they grow in grace they also grow in faith and assurance of their salvation is the result of spiritual growth. Daily Bible study is the only way we have to contend for the faith, for without it we are starving ourselves spiritually, and the result is lack of assurance and we become skinny Christians. I would add that contend does not mean 'defend' the faith because the Word of God does not need defending, it only needs to be believed. Once delivered for all to the saints: from the beginning of time the Word of God has been given regarding faith alone in Christ alone, and it has never been changed for God's Word is immutable. This is the meaning of once for all, that is, it was and now is and ever shall be.
Verse 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."
LGT "For certain men crept in steadfastly, they who of old have been written of beforehand to this sentence, ungodly [persons], exchanging the grace of our God into lasciviousness denying the only Master-God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
For certain men crept in steadfastly: these of course are the false teachers, denying the deity of Christ, and His wonderful grace. How they crept in is that they assured the people that they believed the same as they, and they began slowly introducing a social gospel that appealed to the flesh. They who of old have been written of beforehand: these believers had read in the Scriptures, some by Paul, of the warning against these apostates. To this sentence: these apostates have been condemned from the beginning. Ungodly persons, exchanging the grace of our God into lasciviousness: these false teachers teach grace contrary to Paul and Peter; they teach it as a license to sin, instead of grace being the reason not to sin. Denying the only Master-God and our Lord Jesus Christ: they deny the deity of Christ, and by exchanging the gospel of grace into a liberal feel good about yourself philosophy, making self worth the entire reason Christ came to earth, ignoring completely the doctrine of free grace.
Verse 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."
LGT "But I would put you in remembrance, [you] knowing all things once for all, that the Lord once having saved a people out of [the] land of Egypt, in the second place those who believed not He destroyed."
But I would put you in remembrance, you knowing all things ones for all: In the section from verse 5-13 Peter will give illustrations of three groups and three individuals that apostatized. Remember, a believer cannot commit apostasy, which is a final denial of Christ and God the Father who made them. Apostasy means those who hear the truth and go along in name only until they get enough, they decide for the world. Jude says here that these Christians knew the O.T. Scriptures very well. That the Lord having saved a people out of the land of Egypt: after the Jews were led out of Egypt by Moses, and their forty years wandering in the wilderness, they reached the promised land, they would not cross the Jordan for fear and unbelief; in the second place those who believed not He destroyed: God then destroyed them all except Caleb and Joshua, the only two that truly believed God.
Verse 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."
LGT "And angels who kept not their own first estate, but left their own dwelling, unto [the] judgment of [the] great day He keeps in eternal bonds:"
I believe Jude is referring to the third of the angels that fell from heaven with Satan recorded in Isaiah 14:12-15:
"How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who laid the nations low!
You said in your heart,
I will ascend to heaven;
Above the stars of God,
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of the assembly,
In the far reaches of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the
Clouds;
I will make myself like the most high.
But you are brought down to Sheol,
To the far reaches of the pit."
(TESV)
Isaiah spoke these words of prophecy against the king of Babylon, but I believe they are the recorded words of Satan in his rebellion against God, and then given to Isaiah to speak against this terrible king.
Verse 7, "Even 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."
LGT "As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities around them in like manner with them, having given themselves to fornication and having gone after other flesh, are set forth as an example, undergoing [the] penalty of eternal fire."
Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed because of sodomy or homosexuality, which is vile no matter what the name. Today it is politically correct to label homosexuality, 'an alternative lifestyle', and fornication free love. God calls it what it is, sin of the vilest sort. Couples who engage in this horrific homosexual behavior are labeled 'gay.' I'm sorry, but they are anything but gay; they are in fact, miserable pieces of trash, and will end up in the eternal scrap heap of eternal hell fire.
Verse 8, "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities."
LGT "Yet in like manner these dreamers defile [the] flesh, and set aside lordship, and speak evil of glories.
Yet in like manner these dreamers defile the flesh: these false teachers were in the habit of practicing gross immoralities just as the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha. And set aside lordships: they were lawless and had no respect for authority. And speak evil of glories: they have no respect for the God or anyone related to Him, and this includes all true believers.
Verse 9, "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring him railing accusations, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."
LGT "But Michael the archangel, when disputing with the devil he reasoned about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a charge of blasphemy against him, but said, [The] Lord rebuke thee."
But Michael the archangel: The highest angel in heaven after Satan fell and lost his first estate. When disputing with the devil he reasoned about the body of Moses: there are no Scriptures that give any details regarding this dispute, but it happened. To attempt at describing it would be simple supposition, and I will not go there. However, Calvin has the best take on the matter that I have read: "It is beyond controversy that Moses was buried by the Lord, that is, that his grave was concealed according to the known purpose of God. And the reason for concealing his grave is evident to all, that is, that the Jews might not bring forth his body to promote superstition. What wonder then is it, when the body of the prophet was hidden by God, Satan should attempt to make it known; and that angels, who are ever ready to serve God, should on the other hand resist him? And doubtless we see that Satan almost in all ages has been endeavoring to make the bodies of God's saints, idols to foolish men. Therefore this epistle ought not to be suspected on account of this testimony, though it is not found in Scripture." Did not dare bring a charge of blasphemy against him, but said, The Lord rebuke thee: Michael remembers the estate Satan had before he exalted himself against God and fell to earth with a third of the angels that went with him. Michael gives him this respect and leaves it up to the Father for his judgment; he would not even make a railing accusation of blasphemy against him.
Verse 10, "But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt them selves."
LGT "But these, whatever things they know not they speak evil of, but whatever things naturally, as the irrational animals, they understand, in these things they corrupt themselves."
Jude gives a good picture of the apostate that only knows things from the human viewpoint. But these, whatever things they know not: these things in which they know not are the divine viewpoint given to us in the Word of God. The most important for the unbeliever is the gospel of grace; however, the apostate has no knowledge of these grace teachings at all, because they see through a prism of human viewpoint that distorts all that God has said in His Word, and they will not allow the Holy Spirit to open up their understanding. But what they know naturally: this is human viewpoint. As the irrational animals, they understand: their comprehension is comparable to the animals that know things instinctively, that is, by action, reaction. In these things they corrupt themselves: they live for gratification of the flesh, that is, they live in the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life to their own destruction.
Verse 11, "Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core."
LGT "Woe to them! Because in the way of Cain they went, and to the error of Balaam rushed for reward, and in the gainsaying of Korah perished."
Woe to them: this is the same pronouncement of woe that our Savior pronounced upon the Pharisees in the gospel accounts. Because in the way of Cain they went: Cain believed in God but he did not accept God's way of salvation. Cain believed he could offer a better sacrifice than God had prescribed, and he perished. He did not go to hell because he killed Abel; he went to hell because he rejected Jesus Christ as his Savior. Adam and Eve accepted the 'coats of skin' representing the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the earth. Abel also accepted Christ in bringing the sacrificial lamb instructed by God, and he went to heaven. And to the error of Balaam rushed for reward: the apostate went the way of Balaam who sought great prominence and monetary reward for his preaching, he was, as McGee said, 'he was a hired preacher.' Today we are inundated with hired preachers; these preachers are in it for fame and fortune. And in the gainsaying of Korah: Korah rebelled against the authority of Moses (Num. 16), and he led the people in a rebellion against Moses and he died.
Verse 12, "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots."
LGT "These are sunken rocks in your love feasts, feasting together [with you] fearlessly, pasturing themselves; clouds without water, being carried along by winds, autumnal trees without fruit, twice dead, rooted up:"
These are sunken rocks in your love feasts: Jude here describes these apostate false teachers are hidden rocks in the sea that destroy ships. In the early church they would feast together bringing in their food to share in common; these false teachers would come in and feast with the believers. Feasting together with you fearlessly: they had no respect or reverence for the love feast. They only thought of their tremendous appetites like those in Corinth that would come to the love feast for the food only, and would purge themselves and come back and eat more. These false teachers were not interested in the fellowship, only their stomachs. Pasturing themselves, Clouds without water, being carried along by winds: they were attractive to look at, but they carried nothing for the earth. These false teachers were very impotent giving out the Word, for it was a social gospel that benefited only them. Autumnal trees without fruit, twice dead, rooted up: fruitless, and they die twice; as D.L. Moody used to say, "They were born once, and they die twice; but the believer is born twice to die once."
Verse 13, "Raging waves of the sea, foaming out of their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."
LGT "Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shames; wandering stars, to whom the gloom of the darkness for ever has been kept."
Wild waves of the sea: these false teachers claim to be libertines, but their liberty is merely a cloak of their lawlessness. Foaming out their own shames: they sound off loudly proclaiming their liberty, but their message is like the foam, that is, it is baseless rhetoric, and all it does is to reveal their own baseness and immorality. Wandering stars: like shooting stars, you see them bright and shining, and the next moment they are gone. These false teachers come on sounding off their liberal theology, which is no theology at all, and they disappear as fast as they appeared. They have no foundation, and are words of self-aggrandizement. To whom the gloom of the darkness for ever has been kept: the eternal end of these false teachers is the lake of fire, where they will spend eternity in outer darkness.
Verses 14-15, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
LGT "And Enoch, [the] seventh from Adam prophesied also, saying, Behold, [the] Lord came amidst His holy myriads, to execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly of them concerning all their works of ungodliness which they did ungodly, and concerning all the hard [things] which ungodly sinners spoke against Him."
The book of Enoch was not added to the cannon of Scripture, although this one prophecy Jude quotes making this prophecy inspired. "Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him" (Gen. 5:24). This is all we know of Enoch, that he was translated to heaven before the flood. Enoch lived in the generation before the flood, and we know that he was a godly man and that he made this wonderful prophecy of the second coming of Christ to the earth to judge the ungodly. The rapture of the church will happen before this judgment, for Christ will come back with His saints to rule one thousand years.
Verse 16, "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."
LGT "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts; and their mouths speak great swelling [words], admiring persons for the sake of profit."
These are murmurers, complainers: these two go hand in hand; first they murmur about their station in life, and complain because their lusts are never satisfied. "We may render the words 'Grumblers and fault-finders,' that is, as the word means, with their own lot; they grumbled or murmured against others, and were discontented with their own condition; and yet walked in such a way (that is, in indulging their lusts,) as made their lot worse and occasioned still more grumbling" (John Owen - editor of Calvin's commentary). Walking after their lusts: living in the insatiable appetites of their own evil lusts. And their mouths speak great swelling words: like Obama, they speak endlessly and say nothing of substance. They believe they are capturing the attention of their listeners, but they fall on deaf ears of any man with substance. Admiring person for the sake of profit: they were respecters of persons, and would cater to them for financial or lust for power gain. Glenda and I attended a church when we were young that had such a preacher; he was not a false teacher, but he did respect persons, especially the wealthy. He catered to a particular builder who built him a home among the affluent class, and he was able to rub elbows with the rich and famous. We left the church, and soon after learned that he had also moved away from that congregation, thank God. James describes such respecters of persons in his epistle (James 2:1-4).
Warnings and Exhortations
Verse 17, "But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ."
LGT "But ye, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Jude here is referring to the other apostles that had the same things to say about these false teachers, see 2 Peter 3:1-3 for an example of what he is speaking here against the scoffers.
Verses 18-19, "How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit."
LGT "That they said to you, that at the end of the time there will come mockers, walking after their own vain desires of ungodliness. These are they who set [themselves] apart, natural [men], having not the Spirit."
That they said to you: the other apostles that have contacted them through other letters and personal teaching. That at the end of the time there will come mockers: these mockers are the same as Peter called scoffers. Walking after their own vain desires of ungodliness: these false teachers teach everything contrary to God's wonderful grace; they teach self-worth and that man is independent and does not need assistance from a divine being. They walk in the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. These are they who set themselves apart: they set them selves apart from true regenerated believers who depend on the Word of God, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as their guide and protector in all things. Natural men: These are unregenerate ungodly men. The natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God, so they naturally teach a humanistic psychological philosophy that is completely contrary to the Word of God, because without the Holy Spirit no man can understand spiritual phenomena. Having not the Spirit: they are unregenerate because they have not the Holy Spirit; every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and then they are able to understand God's Word. Men cannot be reformed, but they can be regenerated.
Verse 20, "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."
LGT "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit."
But you, beloved: Jude is writing to believers only, for they are the only ones beloved of God. Building up yourselves on your most holy faith: Jude is speaking of assurance; the only way a believer is able to grow in grace is through the knowledge of His Word. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Praying in the Holy Spirit: Jude is not writing about talking in tongues, or any special manifestation of some spooky praying in tongues; he is referring to our union with Christ by our being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and recognizing that we are in the Spirit's control, and that He does interpret our prayers, for we really don't even know what to pray for. The only other place we have this phrase, 'praying in the Spirit' is in Ephesians 6:18.
Verse 21, "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."
LGT "Keep yourselves in [the] love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto life eternal."
Keep yourselves in the love of God: this can only mean recognize that it is not your love for God that counts; it is the fact that God loves you. This can only mean to remain in fellowship where the Holy Spirit is able to control your life, and in this you will be assured of your faith. We cannot keep ourselves, but God can keep us, and there is nothing that we can do to remove ourselves from His love. Awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ: the Greek word for "looking" is prosdechomenoi and it means looking for, and that is why I used the word 'awaiting' in the LGT. In the days of apostasy, these will be the times when our expectancy becomes very accelerated to the point when we will actually pray John's prayer, 'even so come quickly Lord Jesus.' Unto life eternal: I believe a great many of believers today are anxiously awaiting the rapture of the church unto eternal life; many of us have loved ones we are anxious to see once more.
Verse 22, "And of some have compassion, making a difference."
LGT "And on some have mercy who are in doubt, making a difference:"
Jude is telling them that they should be patient with those who do not have the assurance of their salvation, and may ask questions that may be disruptive, but not being able to see their hearts, he exhorts them to be gentle, for it may make a difference in how they will be able to grow. The mature ones were to watch over the novice and encourage them in order that they do not fall into the hands of the false teachers.
Verse 23, "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."
LGT "But others save from [the] fire snatching [them], and others have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."
But others save from the fire snatching them: no one is beyond redemption, and Jude is telling them they should not give up on a person they may think is out of God's grasp. And others have mercy with fear: approach them with caution, but do not neglect them. Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh: they were not to go to the extreme of going into the way of the sinner, for no good thing was ever produced from the flesh; they were to have mercy on the sinner, but not to indulge in the sin itself. Almost all the modern organized denominations today have adopted the way of the sinner, especially in the field of so-called music, to entice the sinner in, but the result has been, the sinners have corrupted the church, and the churches have become social sin-pits.
Benediction
Verse 24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,"
LGT "Now to Him who is able you without stumbling, and to set [you] before His glory blameless with exultation,"
This has been one of the verses I have used a great deal when discussing assurance with other believers, especially those who do not have assurance, because they either are not studying the Word, or they have recently become believers. As long as we remain in the Word and in fellowship with the Lord, we will have this blessed assurance. There is no other way to have assurance in salvation apart from the Word of God. It is so wonderful that He keeps us we do not keep Him. We are hid in Christ in God Col. 3:3.
Verse 25, "To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."
LGT "To [the] only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, [be] glory [and] greatness, might and authority before all age, both now and unto all the ages."
Jude ends this epistle with a wonderful benediction giving God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ all the glory and honor both now and for eternity. We will spend all eternity praising our heavenly Father, His Son, our Savior, and the Holy Spirit who made it possible for all of us to believe, and become part of God's glorious family.
I have a great reason to rejoice this morning, for with this epistle I have finished my exposition of the entire New Testament, and I praise and thank God He made it possible for me to last long enough to finish what I started some eleven or twelve years ago. I hope and pray that they have been and will be a help to my loved ones; God bless you and keep you in His Word.
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