THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. (1,) After a general salutation, Jude exhorts the Christians to whom he wrote, to contend earnestly for, and steadily to adhere to, the common Christian faith, against those false teachers who attempted to undermine it; reminding them of the destruction which came on God's professing people, yea, on the apostate angels, for their sins; as well as on the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, 1–7. (2,) He gives an awful representation of the character of the seducers to whom he refers, and of their miserable end foretold by Enoch, 8-16. (3,) Cautions them against being surprised at the rise of impostors, and admonishes to fortify themselves against their seductions by firmness in the faith, ardency of love to God and each other, fervent prayer, and prudent care one of another, 17-23. (4,) Concludes with a solemn ascription of praise to God, 24, 25. || Verses 1, 2. Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ- || faith and profession of Christ, and union with him, The highest glory which any, either man or angel, and by his power. In other words, brought into the can aspire to. The word servant, under the old fellowship of his religion, and guarded by his grace covenant, was adapted to the spirit of fear and bond- in the midst of a thousand snares, which might have age, which cleaved to that dispensation. But when tempted them to have made shipwreck of their faith. the time appointed of the Father was come for the And called-By the preaching of the word, by the sending of his Son, to redeem them that were under dispensations of divine providence, and by the drawthe law, the word servant (used by the apostlesings of divine grace; called to receive the whole concerning themselves and all the children of God) || gospel blessing in time and in eternity. These things signified one that, having the Spirit of adoption, was are premised, lest any of them should be discouraged made free by the Son of God. His being a servant by the terrible things which are afterward mentioned. is the fruit and perfection of his being a Son. And Mercy and peace, &c.-A holy and truly apostolical whenever the throne of God and of the Lamb shall blessing, says Estius; observing, that from this, and be in the New Jerusalem, then it will be indeed that the benedictions in the two epistles of Peter, we his servants shall serve him, Rev. xxii. 3. And bro- || learn that the benedictions in Paul's epistles are to ther of James-So well known by his distinguished be completed by adding the word multiplied. services in the cause of Christ and of his gospel. St. James was the more eminent, namely, James the Less, usually styled the brother of the Lord; and Jude, being his brother, might also have been called the brother of Christ, rather than the brother of James. || But he avoided that designation in the inscription of a letter, which he wrote in the character of an apostle, to show, that whatever respect as a man he might deserve on account of his relation to Christ, he derived no authority from it as an apostle, nor indeed claimed any. To them that are sancti- || fied by God the Father-Devoted to his service, set apart for him and made holy, through the influence of his grace; and preserved in Jesus Christ-In the || Verse 3. When I gave all diligence-Or made all haste, as ñaσav oñëdηv πо8μεvos literally signifies, Jude being informed of the assiduity, and perhaps the success, with which the false teachers were spreading their pernicious errors, found it necessary to write this letter to the faithful without delay. To write to you of the common salvation—The salvation from the guilt and power of sin, into the favour and image of God here, and from all the consequences of sin into eternal felicity and glory hereafter; a salvation called common, because it belongs equally to all who believe; to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews; to men of all nations and conditions; designed for all, and enjoyed in part by all believers. For the Exhortation to contend for the faith, A. D. 66. JUDE. h k and to avoid seducing teachers. A. D. 66. A. M. 4070. ful for me to write unto you, and ex- wares, who were before of old or- A. M. 4070. hort you, that fye should earnestly dained to this condemnation, ungodly || contend for the faith which was once delivered men, turning the grace of our God into lascivunto the saints. iousness, and 'denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For there are certain men crept in una Phil. i. 27; 1 Tim. i. 18; ii. 4; 2 Pet. ii. 1. vi. 12; 2 Tim. i. 13; iv. 7.———— Gal. 12 Pet. ii. 10. Titus ii. 11; Heb. xii. 15.—1 Titus i. 16; 2 Pet. ii. 1; 1 John ii. 22. that form of words in which they have expressed these things, lest by contending for forms invented and established by human authority, as better fitted to express the truth than the words of inspiration, we fall into error. See 2 Tim. i. 13. Jude's exhorta to by the ministers of the gospel, whose duty more especially it is to preserve the people from error, both in opinion and practice.”—Macknight. same reason Paul terms the faith of the gospel, the common faith, (Tit. i, 4,) because an opportunity of believing is afforded to all. Here the design of the epistle is expressed, the end of which exactly answers the beginning. It was needful for me to exhort you that ye should earnestly contend-Yettion ought in a particular manner to be attended humbly, meekly, and lovingly, otherwise your contending will only hurt your cause, if not destroy your souls; for the faith-All the fundamental truths of the gospel. "In the circumstances in Verse 4. For there are certain men (see the which the faithful were when Jude wrote this letter, || margin) crept in unawares-Insinuating themselves an exhortation to hold fast and maintain the true into people's affections by their plausible predoctrine of the gospel against the false teachers, was tences, and leavening them by degrees with their more necessary and profitable for the disciples, than errors. The ungodly teachers here described seem explications of the particular doctrines of the gospel. to have been the Nicolaitans, mentioned Rev. ii. 6, By strenuously contending for the faith, the apostle whose doctrine Christ himself declared to be hateful did not mean contending for it with fire and sword, to him. Perhaps the Gnostics and Carpocratians, but their endeavouring, in the spirit of meekness the successors of the Nicolaitans, were also meant. and love, to establish the true doctrines of the gos- The Nicolaitans are said to have maintained that pel, by arguments drawn, not only from the Jewish || marriage was a human invention, not binding on Scriptures, but especially from the writings of the Christians; on which account they had women in evangelists and apostles, which were all, or most of common, and practised unnatural lusts, as is plain them, published when Jude wrote this letter. In the from Jude's account of them. And they hardened same manner they were strongly to oppose and con- themselves against the fear of punishment in a future fute the errors of the false teachers. The word state for these crimes, by extolling the goodness and enaywvičeo dai properly signifies, to strive as in the || mercy of God, which they thus perverted to lasOlympic games, that is, with their whole force." civiousness. Who were of old ordained-Or rather, Once delivered to the saints-Вy aras, once, Mac- || as the original expression, πроуɛɣраμμεvoɩ ELS TÚTO TO προγεγραμμένοι εις τέτο knight understands formerly, the word being used in кpua, literally signifies, written, or described, before that sense, verse 5. But Estius and Beza adopt the to this condemnation-Even as early as Enoch, by common translation, supposing the meaning of the whom it was foretold, that by their wilful sins they clause to be, that the faith spoken of was delivered would incur this condemnation. "Jude means, that to the saints once for all, and is never to be changed; nothing is to be added to it, and nothing taken from || it. By the saints Jude first means the holy apostles and prophets of Christ, (in which sense the word saints is used, Col. iii. 26, compared with Eph. iii. 5,) to whom the Lord Jesus delivered the doctrine of the gospel in all its parts, including the truths which men were to believe, and the precepts they were to|| perform, together with the promises of present and eternal salvation made to the believing and obedient, || and the threatenings denounced against the unbelieving and disobedient. This doctrine the apostles and evangelists delivered to their hearers in their various discourses, and consigned it to writing for the instruction of future ages. (( Hence it is evident that the faith for which Christians are to contend strenuously, is that alone which is contained in the writings of the evangelists, apostles, and Jewish prophets. Now as they have expressed the things which were revealed to them in words dictated by the Spirit, (1 Cor. ii. 13,) we are to contend, not only for the things contained in their writings, but also for || these wicked teachers had their punishment before written, that is, foretold, in what is written concerning the wicked Sodomites and rebellious Israelites, whose crimes were the same with theirs; and whose punishment was not only a proof of God's resolution to punish sinners, but an example of the punishment which he would inflict on them Others think that in the word πрoɣɛɣpaμμɛvol, written before, there is an allusion to the ancient custom of writing laws on tables, which were hung up in public places, that the people might know the punishment annexed to the breaking of the laws. If this is the allusion, the apostle's meaning will be, that the wicked teachers, of whom he is speaking, were, by the divine law, condemned to severe punishment from the beginning. Turning the grace of our God-Revealed in the gospel; into lasciviousness-Into an occasion of more abandoned wickedness, even to countenance their lewd and filthy practices. It seems these ungodly men interpreted the doctrine of justification by faith, in such a manner as to free believers from all obligation to obey the Punishment of apostate angels. A. D. 66. n A. D. 66. A. M. 4070. 5 I will therefore put you in remem- || in everlasting chains under darkness A. M. 4070 brance, though ye once knew this, unto the judgment of the great day. how that m the Lord, having saved the people 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed cities about them in like manner, giving themthem that believed not. selves over to fornication, and going after 2 strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suf fering the vengeance of eternal fire. 6 And the angels which kept not their 'first estate, but left their own habitation, Phe hath reserved m 1 Cor. x. 9.- Num. xiv. 29, 37; xxvi. 64; Psa. cvi. 26; Heb. iii. 17, 19.- John viii. 44.- 1 Or, principality. p 2 Pet. ii. 4.——————¶ Rev. xx. 10.—" Gen. xix. 24; Deut. xxix 23; 2 Pet. ii. 6.——2 Gr. other stroyed them that believed not-That is, destroyed the far greater part of that very people, whom he had once saved in a very extraordinary manner. Let no one, therefore, presume upon past mercies, as if he were now out of danger. Jude does not mention the various sins committed by the Israelites in the wilderness, such as their worshipping the golden calf, refusing to go into Canaan, when commanded of God, their fornication with the Midianitish women, their frequent murmurings, &c., but he sums up the whole in their unbelief, because it was the source of all their sins. law of God, and taught that they might commit the|| worst actions without being liable to punishment, if they possessed faith; by which they meant the mere speculative belief and outward profession of the gospel. Denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ-See on 2 Pet. ii. 1. The original words, και τον μονον δεσποτην Θεον και κυριον ημων Ιησεν Χριςον αρνομενοι, may be translated various ways, all equally literal: 1st, And denying the only Lord God, even our Lord Jesus Christ. According to this translation, one person only is spoken of here, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is called the only Lord God. 2d, Denying both the only Lord Verse 6. And the angels which kept not their God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. According to this first estate-Or, as the clause may be rendered, translation, two persons are distinctly spoken of,|| their first dignity, or principality, (see on 2 Pet. namely, the one Lord God, or God the Father, ii. 4,) namely, the dignity or principality assigned. and our Lord Jesus Christ his Son. 3d, And deny- || them; but left their own habitation-Properly their ing the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. || own by the free gift of God. The apostle's manner This, which is the translation in our English Bible, of speaking insinuates that they attempted to raise and which, in sense, is not different from the second themselves to a higher station than that which God rendering, I have adopted," says Macknight, "not had allotted to them; consequently, that the sin for only because, according to it, two persons are spoken || which they were and are to be punished, was pride of as denied, namely, the only Lord God, and our and rebellion. He hath reserved-Delivered to be Lord Jesus Christ, but because it represents Jude's || kept; in everlasting chains under darkness—0 sentiment as precisely the same with John's 1st epist. how unlike their own habitation! Everlasting ii. 22, He is the antichrist who denieth the Father || chains is a metaphorical expression, which denotes and the Son. By declaring that those ungodly a perpetual confinement, from which it is no more teachers denied both the Father and the Son, the in their power to escape, than a man, who is strongly apostle showed to what a pitch of impiety they had bound with iron chains, can break them. Unto the proceeded. judgment of the great day-Elsewhere called the Verse 5. I will therefore put you in remem- || day of the Lord, and emphatically that day. In brance, &c.-I will remind you of some examples || our Lord's description of the general judgment, he of God's judgments against such persons. Ecu- tells us that the wicked are to depart into everlastmenius observes, that "by proposing the following||ing fire prepared for the devil and his angels; examples of the destruction of sinners from the Old || which implies that these wicked spirits are to be Testament history, the apostle designed to show, punished with the wicked of mankind. Observe, that the God of the Old Testament is the same with reader, when these fallen angels came out of the the God of the New, in opposition to the Manicheans, hands of God, they were holy, (else God made that who denied this; also to prove that the goodness of which was evil,) and being holy they were beloved God will not hinder him from punishing the wicked of God, (else he hated the image of his own spotunder the new dispensation, any more than it hin- less purity.) But now he loves them no more, they dered him from punishing them under the old." In are doomed to endless destruction; (for if he loved this passage Jude has mentioned two of the in- them still, he would love what is sinful;) and both stances of the divine vengeance against atrocious his former love, and his present righteous and sinners, which Peter took notice of, 2 epist. ii. 4, 5, eternal displeasure, toward the same work of his (where see the notes,) and in place of the third in- own hands, are because he changeth not; because stance, the destruction of the old world, he hath he invariably loveth righteousness, and hateth introduced the destruction of the rebellious Israelites || iniquity. in the wilderness. Though ye once knew this- Verses 7, 8. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha— Were informed of it, and received it as a truth; that|| See on 2 Pet. ii. 6-9; and the cities about them— the Lord, having saved the people out of Egypt-These were Admah and Zeboim. The four are By a train of wonderful miracles; afterward de- mentioned Deut. xxix. 23; Zoar, the fifth city in the Character of A. M. 4070. S JUDE. seducers and apostates. A. D. 66. 8 Likewise also these filthy dream-ing with the devil, he disputed about A. M. 4070 ers defile the flesh, despise dominion, the body of Moses, durst not bring and speak evil of dignities. against him a railing accusation, but said, 'The t u 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contend-Lord rebuke thee. $ 2 Pet. ii. 10.—t Exod. xxii. 23.——" Dan. x. 13; || xii. 1 Rev. xii. 7.- 2 Pet. ii. 11.- -y Zech. iii. 2. || one knew of his sepulchre. plain of Sodom, was spared, at the request of Lot, notes.) And, because it is said, (Rev. xii. 7,) that for a place of refuge to him and his family. In like || Michael and his angels fought against the dragon manner-Tov oμolov тзтоis тропñоv, in a manner like and his angels, Estius conjectures that Michael is the to these; that is, either like to these wicked teachers, || chief or prince of all the angels. But this argument or like to the inhabitants of these wicked cities, is not conclusive. When contending with the devil, Sodom and Gomorrah; giving themselves over to he disputed (at what time we know not) concernfornication-The word is applicable to any sort of ing the body of Moses--Beza, Estius, Tillotson, and uncleanness; and going after strange flesh-Giving || other good writers, think this passage is illustrated themselves up to unnatural lusts; are set forth for by Deut xxxiv. 6, where it is said the Lord buried an example-To other presumptuous sinners; suffer-Moses in a valley, in the land of Moab, and that no ing the vengeance of eternal fire-Having their || lovely and fruitful country turned into a kind of hell upon earth. The meaning is, The vengeance which they suffered is an example, or type, of eternal fire. || Likewise-Opoɩws μɛv roi, in like manner, indeed; these filthy dreamers--So our translators render the word εvuñviašoμɛvot, an epithet which the persons described undoubtedly deserved. The word, how-life. To prevent this, he thinks, Michael buried ever, only signifies dreamers; or rather, persons cast his body secretly. This proves, by the way, that good into a deep sleep, namely, into a state of ignorance angels are sometimes concerned in limiting the and insensibility, of negligence and sloth, with respect power of the devils, which must, no doubt, be a to spiritual and eternal things; sleeping and dream- || great vexation to those malignant spirits. But Mr. ing all their lives. Defile the flesh-Their own Baxter suggests it as a doubt, whether it were about bodies, which ought to be sacred, together with their the dead body of Moses, or Moses exposed on the waspirits, to the service of God. Despise dominion--||ter, when an infant, that there was this contention. Those that are invested with it by Christ, and made Baxter suggests also another interpretation, in his by him the overseers of his flock; or, he may mean note on this verse. Because the apostle here seems that they despised their civil rulers; and speak evil to allude to Zech. iii. 1, where we read of Joshua the of dignities--Of persons in the most honourable || high-priest, (representing the Jewish people,) standstations. The Jews, fancying it sinful to obey the ing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing heathen magistrates, despised both them and their at his right hand to resist him; and the Lord, nameoffice. The ungodly teachers, of whom Jude speaks, ly, by his angel, saying unto Satan, The Lord recarried the matter still further; they reviled all ma- || buke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen gistrates whatever, as enemies to the natural liberty Jerusalem, rebuke thee: and inasmuch as the subof mankind. ject of that contention, between the angel and Satan, was the restoration of the Jewish Church and state, Baxter thinks that by the body of Moses here may be meant the Jewish constitution, civil and religious, which Moses had established. An interpretation which Macknight seems to countenance; "Michael is spoken of as one of the chief angels, who took care of the Israelites as a nation. He may therefore have been the angel of the Lord, before whom Joshua, the high-priest, is said, (Zech. iii. 1) to have stood, Satan being at his right hand to resist him, namely, in his design of restoring the Jewish Church and state, called by Jude, the body of Moses, just as the Christian Church is called by Paul, the body of Christ." And this interpretation, however apparently improbable, receives some countenance from the consideration, that, among the Hebrews, the body of a thing is often used for the thing itself. Thus, Rom. vii. 24, the body of sin signifies sin itself. Sc the body of Moses may signify Moses himself, whc is sometimes put in the New Testament for his law, as 2 Cor. iii. 15, When Moses is read, &c.; Acts xv. Verse 9. Yet Michael, &c.-It does not appear whether St. Jude learned this by any revelation, or from an ancient tradition. It suffices that these things were not only true, but acknowledged to be so by them to whom he wrote. Michael is mentioned Dan. x. 13, 21; xii. 1, as standing up in defence of Daniel's people. "Because the book of Daniel is the first sacred writing in which proper names are given to particular angels, some have fancied that, during the Babylonish captivity, the Jews invented these names, or learned them from the Chaldeans. But this seems an unfounded conjecture. For the angel who appeared to Zacharias, (Luke i. 19,) called himself Gabriel, which shows that that name was not of Chaldean invention." The archangel--This word occurs but once more in the sacred writings, namely, 1 Thess. iv. 16. So that, whether there be one archangel only, or more, it is not possible for us to determine. Michael Michael is called one of the chief princes, Dan. x. 13, and the great prince, xii. 1; (on which passages see the || Character and miserable end A. M. 4070. JUDE. с of seducers and apostates. A. D. 66. 10 But these speak evil of those || perished in the gainsaying of Core. A. M. 4070. things which they know not: but 12 d These are spots in your e feasts what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in of charity, when they feast with you, feeding those things they corrupt themselves. themselves without fear: f clouds they are without water, & carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots ; 11 Wo unto them! for they have gone in the way a of Cain, and bran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and g e 1 Cor. xi. 21.— f Prov. xxv. 14.—s Eph. iv. 14.———h Matt. xv. 13. 21, Moses hath in every city them that preach || which they vindicated their common whoredoms. him. Wo unto them-Of all the apostles, Jude alone, and Durst not bring against him a railing accusa- that in this single passage, denounces a wo. St. Petion-But so revered the divine presence as to speak || ter, to the same effect, pronounces them cursed chilwith moderation and gentleness, even to that great dren. Macknight, who renders the clause, wo is to enemy of God and men. Michael's duty, says Arch- || them, considers it as only a declaration of the misebishop Tillotson, "restrained him, and probably his ry which was to come on them: in which sense only discretion too. As he durst not offend God in doing || the phrase is used by our Lord, Matt. xxiv. 19; Wo a thing so much beneath the dignity and perfection || unto them that are with child, &c., for certainly this of his nature, so he could not but think that the devil was no wish of punishment, since to be with child, would have been too hard for him at railing; a and to give suck in those days, was no crime. But thing to which, as the angels have no disposition, so it was a declaration of the misery which was coming I believe they have no talent, no faculty at it; the on persons in that helpless condition. For they have cool consideration whereof should make all men,|| gone in the way of Cain—The murderer; and ran particularly those who call themselves divines, and greedily-Greek, eğɛxvʊnoav, have been poured out, especially in controversies about religion, ashamed || like a torrent without banks; after the error of Baand afraid of this manner of disputing." But sim-|| laam-The covetous false prophet, being strongly ply said-So great was his modesty! The Lord actuated, like him, by a passion for riches, and thererebuke thee—I leave thee to the Judge of all. The fore drawing money from their disciples by allow. argument of the apostle certainly does not lie in any ing them to indulge their lusts without restraint. regard shown by the angel to the devil, as a digni- || See on 2 Pet. ii. 15. And perished in the gainsaytary, and one who exercises dominion over subordi- || ing of Core-Having opposed God's messengers, as nate evil spirits; for to be the leader of a band|| Korah did, like him and his company, vengeance of such inexcusable rebels could entitle him to will overtake them, as it did him. Here, as in many no respect; but it arises from the detestable cha- passages of Scripture, a thing is said to have hapracter of the devil; as if the apostle had said, If the pened which was only to happen. This manner of angel did not rail even against the devil, how much speaking was used to show the absolute certainty of less ought we against men in authority, even suppos- the thing spoken of. The gainsaying, here mentioning them in some things to behave amiss? To do it, ed, implies rebellion; for when princes and magistrates therefore, when they behave well, must be a wick- are contradicted, it is rebellion. By declaring that the edness yet much more aggravated.—Doddridge. ungodly teachers would perish in the rebellion of Korah, Jude insinuated that these men, by opposing the apostles of Christ, were guilty of a rebellion simi|| lar to that of Korah and his companions, who opposed Moses and Aaron, on pretence that they were no more commissioned by God, the one to be a prince, the other a priest, than the rest of the congregation, who, they said, were all holy, Num. xvi. 3, 13. By comparing these false and wicked teachers to Cain, Balaam, and Korah, Jude has represented them as guilty of murder, covetousness, and ambition. || Verses 10, 11. But these-Without any shame;|| speak evil of those things which they know notNamely, the things of God; of whose nature and excellence, truth and importance, they are entirely ignorant. See on 1 Cor. ii. 14. But what they know naturally as brute beasts—By instinct, as animals void of reason; in those things they corrupt them- || selves-They make them occasions of sin: or, they are corrupted by the gross and scandalous abuse of them, to the dishonour of God, and their own infamy || and destruction. Thus the apostle signifies that, notwithstanding. their high pretensions to knowledge, they had no knowledge even concerning the use of their own bodies, but what they derived from natural instinct as brute animals; and that, instead of using that knowledge rightly, they thereby destroyed both their souls and bodies. Thus, in this passage, he condemned the lascivious practices of the Nicolaitans, and of all the ungodly teachers, who defended the promiscuous use of women, and confuted the argument taken from natural appetite, by VOL. II. ( 44 ) αγαπαις Verse 12. These-Ungodly teachers; are spotsBlemishes; in your feasts of charity-Or love-feasts, as ayaπaiç is rendered by many interpreters. Commentators, however, are not agreed what sort of feasts they were. Some think they were those suppers which the first Christians ate previous to their eating the Lord's supper, of which St. Paul is supposed to have spoken 1 Cor. xi. 21; but which, in consequence of the abuse of them by persons of a character like those here described, were soon laid 689 b |