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Commentary on Epistle of Jude from BLB

Verses 1-2

Jude initiates his letter with a self-identification, highlighting his relationship to Jesus Christ as a bond-servant. The Greek word “doulos” translated as bond-servant indicates that Jude’s self-identity is as a person whose purpose is to serve Jesus as his master. 

Jude also identifies as a brother of James. This reflects his familial lineage, aligning him with another prominent figure in the early church. James here is traditionally considered to be James the Just, the half-brother of Jesus. 

At the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15, James spoke on behalf of the elders of the Jerusalem church, which was made up of Jews who had believed that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 15:6, 15). James is also inferred to be the head elder of the Jerusalem church when Paul visits Jerusalem toward the end of the book of Acts (Acts 21:17-18). This makes James a highly prominent figure in the believing world, which might add to the authority of Jude’s letter. 

James was also called the brother of Jesus sharing a mother, but not a father (Matthew 13:55). That made James a half-brother, given that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Since Jude is a brother of James, this also means that Jude is a half-brother of Jesus as well. It is likely that he is referenced in Matthew 13:55 as Judas.

That Jude names himself as a brother of James, but not as a brother of Jesus, reinforces his status as a bond-servant to Jesus. This is significant since Jesus’s brothers did not initially believe in Him (John 7:5). This is a substantial proof of the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, that His own family members who did not initially believe came to faith and made themselves bond-servants to Jesus. 

Jude’s address then pivots to the recipients-those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ (v 1). This asserts that Jude’s letter is written to believers in Jesus Christ. This letter then is intended to disciple and grow these believers, and is not intended primarily as an instrument of evangelism.

The phrase beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ aptly describes those who have believed on Jesus. Each person who believes on Jesus is born again into God’s family (John 3:3). The faith required for this new birth is the faith required to look upon Jesus, hoping to be healed of the poisonous venom of sin (John 3:14-15).

The called recipients of this letter are beloved in God the Father. This indicates that the recipients are fellow believers in Jesus. Through believing in Jesus, they have been placed into His body as new creations in Christ, and are therefore beloved by God, being in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Each person who believes in Jesus is kept for Jesus Christ because they are in Christ, having been baptized into His death (Romans 6:3). As a result, each believer in Jesus is placed into God’s forever family; God will never deny His children, because to do so would be to deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). 

Jude’s salutation in verse 2, May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you, is full of words common to blessings given in church letters. Mercy translates the Greek word “eleos.” Jesus stated that “eleos” (mercy) is one of the “weightier provisions of the law” (Matthew 23:23). It is an attribute of God (Matthew 9:13) that Jude wishes would fall upon the letter’s recipients. 

Since Jude is Jewish, the term peace likely refers to the Hebrew idea of “shalom” which refers to all things working in harmony with God’s (good) design. The word love translates the Greek word “agape” which refers to the love of choice. God does not love humans because they are lovable-He loves us because He chooses to (John 3:16). 

The phrase be multiplied to you referring to mercy, peace, and love can also be translated “be increased in you” or “be yours in abundance.” The idea is that Jude desires that these divine attributes be displayed in and through the lives of these people he is addressing. In this they will be both blessed as well as a blessing.

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Commentary on Epistle of Jude from BLB (continued)

Verses 3-4

Jude transitions from his initial greetings to a more urgent tone, shedding light on the matters at hand concerning the preservation and defense of the faith. 

He states, Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith (v 3).

It seems from this statement that Jude was originally working on a letter to explain and teach concerning our common salvation, and then something transpired that caused him to make a shift. Rather than writing about their common salvation, Jude felt the necessity to write and exhort his fellow believers to contend earnestly for the faith. 

When we see the word salvation it is important to ask “what is being delivered from what?” The Greek word “soteria” is translated here as salvation. Its verb form “sozo” is usually translated “save.” However, “sozo” is also translated “get well” when someone is delivered from a disease (Mark 8:35). In that instance, a person is being delivered from a sickness. 

This can also be illustrated by a passage from Romans:

“Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.”
(Romans 13:11)

From this verse in Romans, the salvation being spoken of cannot be the justification salvation we receive when we first believe. As time goes by, we are getting further away from the day and time we first believed. In this verse, we are getting nearer to a salvation. 

The salvation that believers are getting closer to every day in Romans 13:11 is the salvation from living in our sin-filled earthly bodies. In the future, we look forward to living in a resurrected body that has no sin. 

In this passage, our salvation (“soteria”) is getting “nearer” in time than when we first believed. When we first believe, we are saved from the penalty of sin, as we receive the free gift of eternal life in Christ, being born again as a child in God’s forever family. Then on a daily basis, we can be saved from the power of sin by walking in faith, following the Spirit. Then, ultimately, we will be delivered from this sinful body and given a resurrected one. It is this last salvation we are getting nearer to in Romans 13:11. 

The common salvation Jude shares with the recipients of this letter likely includes all three applications of the salvation we receive as believers. 

Salvation of our lives or souls has three tenses-past, present, and future:

• In the past we were saved from the penalty of sin when we first believed. That is a salvation that is a gift of God received by faith (John 3:14-15). It is a gift that can neither be earned or lost.
• In the future, we will be saved from the presence of sin, when we are resurrected and receive a new body (Romans 13:11). This is the future tense.
• In the present, we are always being saved from the adverse consequences of the power of sin when we walk by faith in the power of the Spirit (Galatians 6:8).

Jude might have intended to write about our common salvation, to express a common fellowship of the shared redemption all believers have through Christ. It seems more likely that Jude is referencing their common salvation from the power of sin in their daily lives, seeing that he is writing to believers. 

To learn more about the Gift of Eternal Life, see: “What is Eternal Life? How to Gain the Gift of Eternal Life.”

To learn more about the rewards a believer may win or lose, see: “Eternal Life: Receiving the Gift vs. Inheriting the Prize.”

However, an apparent urgency compelled him to shift his message from writing about our common salvation, instead urging the recipients to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints (v 3). 

The phrase once for all translates a single Greek word “apax” which is usually translated “once.” This emphasizes that the object of our faith is Jesus Christ. Jesus was the perfect Passover Lamb sacrificed one time for all the sins of the world (Romans 6:10; Hebrews 9:12, 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18). It is through His death that we gain forgiveness of sins (Colossians 2:14). It is through the resurrection power of His life that we can walk in freedom from the power of sin (Romans 6:9-14). And it is through Jesus’s conquering of death that believers can look forward to being delivered from the presence of sin, when we receive a new body (1 Corinthians 15:53-54). 

This gift of grace through faith was handed to the saints. The Greek word “agios” translated here as saints means “set apart for special service.” Context determines what is being set apart, for what reason. For example, “agios” is used in Matthew 4:5 to refer to Jerusalem (the “holy [agios] city”). Here in Jude, “agios” simply refers to those who are set apart as children of God through faith in Christ, and simply refers to those who have believed in Jesus. It is Jesus Christ that has been handed down. He is the Living Word (John 1:14) and each believer is brought forth by the word of truth (James 1:18). 

The appeal to contend earnestly underscores a proactive stance in safeguarding the gospel message that relates to the reality of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as our participation in His death, burial, and resurrection. The phrase that you contend earnestly translates one Greek word “epagonizomai.” This word has two root words, “epi” and “agonizomai.” 

The word “agonizomai” appears seven times in scripture and is variously translated as “strive,” “fight,” “compete,” and “labor.” It is a word that was used to apply to Greek athletic endeavors, such as wrestling, which were stringent and difficult. The English word “agony” is derived from “agonizomai.” The root “epi” adds the idea of earnestly-with all they have to give. 

Jude exhorts the believers receiving his letter to fight for the faith. To contend for the truth. He urges them not to give up one bit of ground. There are conflicts to be had, confrontations to be made, and Jude desires to stir up his friends to engage in what would likely be a difficult and distasteful disagreement. The goal is to not to be contentious for self-seeking reasons. The object of the striving is to defend the faith. 

This might evoke the image raised by the Apostle Paul of believers dawning each day their spiritual centurion uniform (Ephesians 6:11-17). The offensive weapon in this spiritual arsenal is the “sword of the Spirit” which is the truth of God (Ephesians 6:17). Jude desires that his recipients wield the sword of truth to defend the faith, and resist those who would twist or pervert the truth of the faith for their own gain. 

The primary interest of the ungodly people in their midst is in feeding their own lust (Jude 1:16). Jude does not name the perpetrators of this falsehood, only referring to them as certain persons: 

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those where were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (v 4). 

That Jude uses certain persons might allow future readers to apply his warning to their own circumstances. These people are marked out for this condemnation. Jude cannot be more clear that these people are to be confronted.

The subject persons were previously unnoticed–certain persons have crept in unnoticed. The term crept in indicates that these people were deliberate in their undercover infiltration. 

The secretive infiltration by ungodly persons points to the fact that there have arisen from among their number people who can now be identified as ungodly persons who were previously not identifiable as such. They were previously unnoticed. But now that they have been identified, Jude makes clear that they must be confronted and defeated. To defend the faith requires defeating these agents of ungodliness.

These infiltrators are accused of two grievous errors: 

1. they turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and
2. they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

These accusations are severe, and rise to the need for the saints to “epiagonizomai”-vigorously contend against this false teaching. 

The first accusation is that these false teachers turn the grace of our God into licentiousness. Paul’s epistle to the Romans addresses the accusation that Paul’s teaching of God’s grace was false because it led to licentiousness. In Paul’s case, his accusers taught that the antidote against licentiousness was to follow Jewish religious laws. Paul adamantly resisted this thought, asserting that following religious laws was not a path that leads to righteousness (Romans 9:31-32). 

Paul’s opponents argued that Paul’s teaching of grace would lead people to conclude that since more sinning makes God’s grace abound, therefore they had the excuse to say “once you are forgiven you should go sin as much as you like.” Paul called this allegation slanderous (Romans 3:8). Jude sides with Paul here, making clear that those who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness are in fact out of step with the gospel of grace. 

Paul did in fact teach that God’s grace covers all sin-past, present, and future (Romans 5:20; Colossians 2:14). That does mean that if we sin, Jesus’s blood covers that sin and preserves our relationship with God as His child. God will never reject His people from being His children (2 Timothy 2:13). 

However, Paul vigorously argues that every believer should strive to avoid sin because of its negative consequences. God’s world has moral laws with consequences that are just as certain as physical laws. And all sin leads to death/separation from living in God’s (good) design (Romans 6:23). All sin leads to God’s wrath, which in Romans is presented as natural consequences stemming from sinful decisions (Romans 1:18, 24, 26, 28). And God will judge the deeds of all believers and hold us accountable for our stewardship of the gifts He entrusted to us (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). 

When we choose to sin, we incur the adverse consequences of our actions. Believers have been given the power of the Spirit to walk apart from sin, and avoid such negative consequences. That is why Paul argues that the goal of each believer should be to walk in the Spirit and avoid the deeds (and adverse consequences) of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17). That is why these bad examples need to be confronted, because they are leading people into death, loss, and slavery (Romans 6:15-16). 

The phrase long beforehand marked out for this condemnation conveys a divine foreknowledge and judgment upon the ungodly interlopers. This reveals a providential aspect, suggesting that such adversaries, despite their ill intentions, fall within the purview of divine justice and cannot thwart God’s ultimate purpose. The Greek word translated beforehand marked out is elsewhere rendered as “was written.” There is a sovereignty that evil will come into the midst of believers. These people were identified for this condemnation. But it behooves each person to avoid being that person:

“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!”
(Matthew 18:7)

The word condemnation in the phrase long beforehand marked out for this condemnation translates the Greek word “krima” which can also be rendered “judgement” as in John 9:39 where Jesus says He came into the world “For judgment.” “Krima” also occurs in an interesting verse in the Sermon on the Mount that creates a prospective dilemma:

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way [“krima”] you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”
(Matthew 7:1-2)

If “krima” was rendered “judgement” in Matthew 7:2, it would read “For in the judgment [“krima”] you judge, you will be judged.” 

The general rule proposed here in the Sermon on the Mount-to avoid judging others, and only judge in a manner you apply to yourself-appears not to apply in the case of false teachers. When there are those who are leading others astray, they must be identified and confronted. Jesus told His followers to recognize false teachers by examining their “fruit” (Matthew 7:15-20). So while we are to give grace to one another, there is a higher standard for those who are teachers (James 3:1). 

Jude’s application to the people marked out for this condemnation could apply to those who are leading the flock astray. This would fit the passage since these interlopers are compared to “Korah” and “Balaam” (Jude 1:11). Korah was a religious leader in Israel, being a Levite (Numbers 16:1-2) and Balaam was a prophet (Numbers 22:5). 

There also appears to be an exception for judging the behavior of others when their example can pollute other believers and lead them astray (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). In such an instance, the overt adverse example of the sinful person is apt to lead people astray, which has the same basic affect as the false teacher. In each case the “leaven” is to be removed (1 Corinthians 5:7), and the godly people in the midst bear the responsibility to contend earnestly for the faith. 

These verses demonstrate that the early believing community struggled against false teachings and influences, as has been the case throughout church history. Their struggles are our struggles. But we have the great benefit of learning from God’s direction to them in those struggles, as all scripture is inspired by God and profitable to train us to walk according to God’s (good) ways (2 Timothy 3:16). 

Jude’s fervent plea for these believers to defend the truth and his concern for the spiritual wellbeing of his brethren is an example for each of us. Jude exhorts the recipients of this letter to engage and confront these ills, and to strive, contest, and fight for the truth of God’s word. This earnest contention for the faith forms a timeless call for believers in all eras to uphold the integrity of the Gospel amidst contrary winds of shifting beliefs.

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Commentary on Epistle of Jude from BLB (continued)

Verses 5-7

As Paul did in Romans, Jude now embarks on exhorting his recipients to recognize that sin has consequences. There are those in their midst claiming that God’s free gift of grace that saves us from our sins and makes us righteous in God’s sight through Jesus Christ means that we can now sin with impunity. Jude calls those teaching this “ungodly persons” (Jude 1:4). 

To counter this false teaching Jude appeals to the example of God’s people Israel. God’s election of Israel was by His grace (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). Nothing Israel did or can do will cause God to reject them as His people (Romans 11:26-29): Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe (v 5). 

Even though Israel was and is God’s people, when they disobeyed they suffered adverse consequences due to their disobedience. Jude desires that his disciples know the truth, and not mistake God’s grace for a license to sin without consequence. God granted to Israel the Promised Land through a promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:18). But the inheritance of the land went only to those who walked in obedience to His command to enter and take the land (Hebrews 3:7-11). 

The first generation who came out of Egypt refused to believe God and act upon His word. As a result, they wandered in the wilderness and died without possessing their inheritance (Numbers 14:28-29). The phrase God destroyed those who did not believe refers to the first generation of those who came out of Egypt dying in the wilderness without getting to possess their inheritance, the Promised Land. 

God still cared for His people while they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. He miraculously provided for them by giving them manna, and causing their clothes not to wear out (Deuteronomy 8:3-4). So it does not seem that their lives were prematurely destroyed. Rather it was that the mission and destiny to which they were called was taken away. They did not possess the inheritance to which they were called. Therefore, a great purpose for their life was missed, and Jude phrases this as them having been destroyed in order to emphasize the terrible destruction of sin. 

The Apostle Paul says something similar in his letter to the believers in Corinth:

“If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
(1 Corinthians 3:15)

In this passage Paul tells the believers in Corinth that each believer’s deeds will be judged by God by fire, and rewards given for our stewardship. Those who do not walk in faith will still be saved from being separated from God, “yet so as through fire.”

Paul then speaks of each believer’s body as a “temple” saying, 

“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.”
(1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

In this passage from 1 Corinthians, Paul uses the same basic language as Jude, saying that any believer who loses their inheritance is being destroyed. This is not because they perish; they are “saved though as through fire.” It is because they do not possess the full abundance of God’s promises, having squandered their inheritance, like Esau (Hebrews 12:16). 

Jude desires to remind his audience of these things they should already know relating to these Old Testament scriptures. At the time Jude wrote this letter it is likely that the Old Testament scriptures were the primary scriptures being relied upon by the church. That Jude expects his readers to already know these things could indicate either that these believers are already well-taught Gentiles, or that they are Jewish believers who were brought up knowing the scripture. 

However, Jude seems to go past just knowledge of scripture, saying you know all things once for all. The Greek word translated all things appears in this passage from Mark as “everything”:

“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.”
(Mark 13:23)

In this Mark passage, context shows that “everything” refers to “everything relevant to understand the topic at hand.” This is likely the intent of Jude as well. He is saying “You all know enough about this that I don’t need to teach you, but only to remind.” 

The topic they already know enough about is that although all our sins are forgiven, having been nailed to the cross with Jesus (Colossians 2:14), willful sin still leads to adverse consequences. Sin leads to death (Romans 6:23). Sin leads to slavery to our appetites and destruction from our flesh (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). Sin leads to a bad judgment before God for deeds done while living, and a loss of rewards (2 Corinthians 5:10). Therefore Jude only needs remind them of things they already know.

They would certainly know of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt. The phrase the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt serves as an analogy for each believer’s deliverance from slavery to sin. Each human is lost in sin, and needs deliverance. God delivers from the penalty of sin all who are willing to look upon Jesus on the cross, hoping to be delivered from the poisonous venom of sin (John 3:14-15). This is done by God, and only needs to be received. 

But those who came out of Egypt who did not believe God’s promise to deliver the land into their hands lost their inheritance. They were still God’s people, but lost their reward. 

Jude then pivots to another illustration to demonstrate that rebellion against God has consequences. He shifts from speaking of the consequence of sin upon humans, and speaks of the cause-effect of sin relating to angels. Jude recounts the rebellion of angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day (v 6). 

This illustrates that God’s creation has embedded within it a moral cause-effect that extends to all of creation, including spiritual beings, such as the angels. The great day of God’s judgement could refer to the end times, when many of the spiritual beings locked in an abyss are released for a time, prior to being thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 9:1-5; Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41). 

The angels who are kept in eternal bonds are also referred to by the Apostle Peter:

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.”
(2 Peter 2:4)

The Greek word translated “hell” in this passage is “tartaroo” and is the only occurrence in scripture. “Tartaroo” refers to the compartment of Hades in Greek mythology where the wicked were kept. It appears the application was sufficiently accurate to make the point, that there is a domain in which evil angels were committed because they violated the moral boundaries set by God. The point is that God’s moral laws are real. Just as there is a certain physical effect from ignoring gravity (a physical law) and stepping off a ledge, there is a moral effect from breaking God’s moral laws. And this applies not only to the physical world, but also to the spiritual. 

The episode referred to here could relate to the events described in Genesis 6:2-4, where “sons of God” took human wives for themselves and bore offspring that were the “men of renown.” It could be that the fallen angels disobeyed God and crossed over to comingle and relate to human women, and due to that violation were barred from further interaction, being placed in a spiritual dungeon. 

Jude then returns to the earthly realm and relates another illustration from Genesis: just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. (v 7). 

Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them were destroyed with fire from heaven because of their wickedness (Genesis 19:24-25). The specific evils cited by Jude include gross immorality and going after strange flesh. This could refer to the episode in Genesis 19 where a gang of men from Sodom insisted on sexually abusing Lot’s visitor (Genesis 19:1-11). This demonstrates that they were bent on exploitation of others and enslaved to their own appetites. Jude’s point is that such behavior has consequences and will be judged. 

The phrase undergoing the punishment of eternal fire is interesting in that the Greek word translated punishment is “dike” which can also be translated “just” or “judgment.” “Dike” is a root of the Greek word “dikaiosyne” which is usually translated “righteousness.” The idea here seems to be that the illustration of the judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah stands as a timeless illustration that God’s righteousness is like fire, and will consume all that is unrighteous. 

God’s judgment consumes His adversaries (Hebrews 10:27) which is not surprising, given that our God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29). And although God’s judgment does not and will never consume His own people, His judgement fire does refine them. As the Apostle Paul states regarding the judgment of believers:

“…each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
(1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Jude refers to eternal fire, and uses the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah as an example. The Greek word translated eternal in the phrase eternal fire is “aonios” which refers to the span of an age. For example, “aonios” is translated “for long” in the phrase “for long ages past” in Romans 16:25. The idea appears to be that the judgment fire that God rained upon Sodom is the same judgment as will apply to any person in this age who participates in willful sin; it is consistent across the span of the age.

This completely counters the idea that God’s grace (in forgiving believers of all sins in His sight) is a cause to turn to “licentiousness” (Jude 1:4). Although God’s grace does cover all our sins, and places us into God’s family as His forever child, there are still consequences to our actions, and sin brings forth death, loss, and slavery. The reward (wages) of sin leads to death (separation from God’s good design, Romans 6:23). Sin has consequence, and that consequence brings judgment fire. The fire will not consume believers, but it can cause the loss of rewards both now as well as in eternity (1 Corinthians 3:15). 

God delivered Lot from the fire, but only because he listened and left Sodom as instructed (Genesis 19:15-17). If Lot had not escaped, he would have been consumed as well. In the same manner, believers can escape the world by living apart from the world and its lusts. In doing so, believers can avoid the negative consequences of sin. We are exhorted to choose not to love the world or the things in the world (1 John 2:15-16). This is because to the extent we follow the world’s ways, we will reap the world’s corruption as a consequence. As Paul asserts to those he brought to faith and discipled in Galatia:

“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
(Galatians 6:8)

In this verse from Galatians, “eternal life” is a reward or consequence of walking in the Spirit. The consequence (or fruit) of listening to and following our own flesh is corruption. In Galatians, the corruption of the flesh is detailed as a list of destructive and exploitative behaviors that bring destruction upon ourselves as well as the communities in which we gather (Galatians 5:19-21). 

Jude’s overarching point is this: God’s grace in forgiving our sins and washing them away from His sight does not mean there are no longer consequences for sins. There is no consequence that sin will ever tarnish our relationship with God as our Father, because we are in Christ; if God denied any believer He would be denying Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). 

But although our relationship as a child of God is secure because of Christ’s work on the cross, our fellowship with God and with others can be damaged, and we can suffer the negative consequences from walking in sin if we choose to do so. Jude desires that this false teaching of licentiousness be confronted and defeated. He desires his disciples to have life and benefit, and avoid the corruption and loss that comes from walking in sin.

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Commentary on Epistle of Jude from BLB (continued)

Verses 8-13

To this point Jude has made clear that sin has consequences for believers, even though each person who has believed has been fully accepted into God’s family by His grace. Jude is fighting the false teaching that because God has fully accepted each person who has believed by His grace (John 3:14-16) they therefore have a license to sin without consequence (Jude 1:4). Jude does not counter God’s grace; it is true that God is faithful to those who are His, regardless of their behavior (2 Timothy 2:13). 

But it is not true that sin has no effect; the wages (or consequences) of sin are death (Romans 6:23). Death is separation, and a believer walking in willful sin separates them from fellowship with God, themselves, and others. Instead of exhibiting fruits of the Spirit, we exhibit deeds of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-24).

In the previous section Jude highlighted several biblical instances that illustrate that God’s judgment applies to all sin, wherever it occurs. It applies to His people, Israel (Jude 1:5). It applies to angelic beings (Jude 1:6). And it applies to the ungodly (Jude 1:7). Now Jude equates the attitude and actions of the ungodly interlopers who have crept into the fellowship of believers with those of the biblical examples in the prior verses:

Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties (v 8). 

The Greek word translated dreaming is in the middle voice, which indicates something acting upon itself. The idea seems to be that the ungodly interlopers are dreaming up their own stories rather than seeking and following the truth. In this manner they are behaving in the same way as the sinful people in the biblical examples of what-not-to-do, from verses 5-7. Those who follow paths of unrighteousness are those who follow false imaginations, rather than seeing and seeking what is true. Scripture indicates that truth is all around us, if we are willing to see, and those who refuse end up with darkened hearts (Romans 1:20-21). 

Because these ungodly men follow these false speculations, they exhibit three negative behaviors:

• defile the flesh
• reject authority
• revile angelic majesties

In verses 9-13 it appears that Jude illustrates these three fleshly and ungodly characteristics in reverse order. First he addresses the arrogance of the ungodly interlopers in reviling angelic majesties, noting as follows: 

But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (v 9). 

We can infer from this statement and the context of Jude countering people who advocated for licentiousness that these ungodly folks were sinning openly and asserting that Satan and his realm had no affect upon them. Jude counters, noting that even Michael the archangel did not rely upon his own strength when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses. 

The archangel Michael did not assert his own authority, but relied upon the strength and power of God, saying “The Lord rebuke you.” The reason Satan has no power over believers is because they are protected by God. The inference here is that if believers move out from under that protection and seek to stand on their own, then they are opening themselves to being attacked and harmed by the evil one. This idea is supported elsewhere in scripture, such as this passage from 1 Peter:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.”
(1 Peter 5:8-9a)

The inference of this verse from 1 Peter is that if believers walk in faith, when they resist Satan he will flee, but those who succumb can be devoured by him, meaning he can lead them into adverse and harmful consequences. 

The “arch” in archangel derives from the Greek word “archo” which means to be chief or to reign. The angel Michael is noted in Daniel 10:13 as “one of the chief princes” which indicates that the angels are organized into a ruling hierarchy. In the story of Daniel 10, Michael is contending with a demonic ruler over Persia. The fact that holy angels contend with evil ones fits Jude’s exhortation for his followers to “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 1:3). 

This episode of Michael disputing with Satan over the body of Moses is not from the biblical account, but likely comes from Jewish oral tradition. Some early Christian writers cite an extrabiblical writing called The Assumption of Moses as a source for the episode. Thus Jude appeals both to biblical as well as historical examples to make his point that to revile angelic majesties is foolish and ungodly. 

Jude now appears to move to the middle point in the three allegations of ungodliness: these ungodly people who need to be resisted reject authority. Jude writes:

But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. (v 10).

The arrogance of these men who advocate that God’s grace leads to licentiousness is leading them to destruction. Therefore they should be resisted, lest they lead others to follow. They have three attributes/consequences that seem to fall under the banner of resisting authority:

• they revile the things which they do not understand
• they ignore their conscience, resisting following the things they know by instinct, and
• they are by these things thusly destroyed

Rather than admit what they do and do not know, they revile the things which they do not understand. In context this would seem to apply to the spiritual realm. It would seem since they are practicing and advocating for licentiousness, these ungodly men are flaunting that Satan’s realm of evil will have no effect upon them. In doing this they are placing themselves squarely into a place of being destroyed. 

That they might be able to appeal to ignorance is swatted away; these are things that humans know by instinct. To know by instinct is to know like unreasoning animals. Any human senses that there are spiritual forces that are not to be trifled with. They know this even without knowledge, so they are without excuse. They are simply being arrogant and rejecting authority. Jude gives three examples of leaders who should have known better, but rejected spiritual authority: Cain, Balaam, and Korah:

Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah (v 11). 

Cain was the oldest son of Adam and Eve, and therefore ought to have been the heir to the family leadership. But he forsook his leadership when he succumbed to sin, falling into jealousy and murdering his brother rather than taking responsibility to bring a pleasing sacrifice to God on His terms (Genesis 4:5-12). God judged Cain for his disobedience and lack of leadership, causing him to wander in the land (Genesis 4:13-14). 

Balaam was a prophet of God that desired to be in God’s good graces by speaking only what was prophetically true, while also collecting payment from the king of Moab for bringing destruction on the people of Israel. Balaam gave advice to the king of Moab to tempt the men of Israel with Moabite women, knowing God would judge them for their sin (Revelation 2:14). Because of his duplicity and refusal to properly exercise his authority, God judged Balaam through Joshua (Joshua 13:22). No one can serve two masters; we serve either God or the things of the world (Matthew 6:24). 

Korah was a leading Levite who led a rebellion against the authority of Moses. As a result of his rebellion, God caused the earth to open up and swallow he and his followers, along with their households (Numbers 16:27-32). God had designated Moses as Israel’s leader, so when Korah defied Moses he was defying God. Clearly this was greatly displeasing to God.

These examples of abuse and reviling of authority make the point that disrespecting spiritual authority is a very bad idea, and something that ought to be resisted. Jude finishes by elaborating on the first in the list of immoral behavior, that they defile the flesh. 

These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever (vv 12-13). 

The phrase love feasts translates a single Greek word, “agapais.” It refers to a practice of early Christians gathering for a communal meal. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul refers to such a gathering, encouraging the believers in Corinth to conduct it in an orderly manner, and not allow factions to occur (1 Corinthians 11:17-22). The ungodly people Jude addresses who advocate licentiousness are like hidden reefs at these love feasts. A hidden reef is a danger to a ship. If the crew fails to see it, the ship can hit the reef and sink. In like manner, if these licentious interlopers are not identified and corrected, they can cause the entire group to fall into sin. 

The particular behavior of the licentious participants is that they feast without fear, caring for themselves. The fear here would likely refer to fear of God, fear of the negative consequence of sin, leading to behavior that helps us avoid sin. The proper view of sin is shown in Exodus 20, when Israel was receiving the Ten Commandments. They asked Moses to please ask God to stop speaking to them, lest they die (Exodus 20:19). They were afraid to die, as is normal for humans. God was pleased with their request, but then told them they should not fear dying so much as they should fear falling into sin (Exodus 19:20). 

The phrase caring for themselves indicates that the ungodly participants are pursuing their own pleasures, without regard to their adverse impact on others. Paul was adamant to say that all things were lawful for him, but not all things were profitable and not all things edified others (1 Corinthians 6:12, 10:23). Paul further asserted that whatever liberty we have, it is important not to use that liberty in a manner that causes others to sin (1 Corinthians 8:9). Jude is displaying that these ungodly people whom his readers ought to resist do not care for others. Even if their behavior is not sin to them, they are not taking into account the potential adverse impact on others. 

Jude now sets forth a list of examples that show that the ungodly hidden reefs that pose a threat to the believing community are of no positive use to them. They are like:

• clouds without water, carried along by winds; 
• autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 
• wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; 
• wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever

The characteristic of clouds without water, carried along by winds is the first illustration of uselessness. In an agricultural society, a cloud without rain only serves to block the sunlight, which is of no use in producing fruit. Such a cloud has no self-determination, it simply blows wherever the wind takes it. In like manner, these ungodly people bring no usefulness to the group, and are simply driven along by their appetites. 

The characteristic of autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted brings to mind a tree in harvest time that instead of bearing fruit is bare. Not only is it bare, without fruit, it is also doubly dead. The Greek word translated doubly is usually rendered “twice.” This would indicate that these ungodly people are likely those who have been given new life in Christ through His grace, and now are living as though they are dead in sin. 

Paul warns of this throughout his writings, asking believers who have escaped the death and slavery of sin through God’s grace why we would want to go back into it (Romans 6:12-16). That these people are uprooted might indicate that they have been hardened past the point of repentance. Scripture warns that if we resist the Holy Spirit, our conscience can be seared (1 Timothy 4:2). A believer’s window of repentance can close (Hebrews 6:4-6). 

The characteristic of wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam brings to mind an image of an undisciplined force that is of no use to anyone, but which might create chaos and wreak havoc. They are like the backsliding believers described by Paul:

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.”
(Philippians 3:18-19)

The sinful, licentious behavior of the ungodly among those to whom Jude writes demonstrate their shame at living in sin. Their flaunting of God’s grace and indulging in sin will inevitably lead where sin always leads-to destruction. Their shame is as evident as the foam from the splash of the waves.

The last illustration is that the ungodly are like wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. The Greek word translated as black appears as a description of the environment upon Mount Sinai, and is there rendered as “gloom” (Hebrews 12:18). The Greek word translated wandering is “planetes” from which we get the English word “planet.” The planets wander through the night sky, while the stars are predictable and dependable in their positioning. 

This illustration of the ungodly among Jude’s recipients might refer to wandering planets that appear aimless and without order. Scripture also uses the term star to refer to angelic beings, as in Revelation 9:1, 12:14. Jesus refers to Himself as “the bright morning star.” So it is possible that this phrase wandering stars hearkens back to the illustration of verse 6, of angelic beings that did not keep their proper abode and therefore suffered judgement. 

The phrase black darkness has been reserved forever applies to the wandering stars. Believers cannot be separated from God or from His love (Romans 8:16, 31-37). However, believers can experience “outer darkness” in the sense of losing honor, as in Jesus’s parable in Matthew 8, where the “sons of the kingdom” are in “outer darkness.” In that parable, Jesus contrasts “sons of the kingdom” (believing Jews, as explained in Matthew 13:38) who are in “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12) with Gentiles who are seated at the place of honor along with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Jesus’s kingdom that is to come. 

The picture is of an honor banquet, where the seat of honor is populated with Gentiles while the sons of the kingdom (faithful Jews) are in “outer darkness.” Jesus uses this hyperbolic description to illustrate that it will be those who exhibit faith who will be honored in the kingdom that is to come. The “outer darkness” in this parable refers to people not even invited to the banquet. The point Jesus is making is that the faith of the Roman centurion (Matthew 8:10) will bring greater honor in His kingdom than any amount of religious observance. The illustration could apply that those who sink into the ways of the world will only gain the rewards of the world, and will be excluded from the benefits and honors from faithful living.

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Commentary on Epistle of Jude from BLB (continued)

Verses 14-16

This section draws on ancient Jewish traditions, specifically referencing a prophecy by Enoch, a figure known for his righteousness and closeness to God, who is said to be the seventh generation from Adam. Enoch was a righteous man that so pleased God that He took Him, apparently in a rapture event, since Enoch did “not see death” (Hebrews 11:5):

It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (vv 14-15). 

This part of Jude serves to underscore the impending judgment upon the ungodly and the prideful behaviors demonstrated by them. The quote from the non-biblical Book of Enoch in verse 14 comes from Enoch 1:9:

“And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute
judgement 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) 

The first chapter of Enoch contains “The words of the blessing of Enoch.” It begins with “The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, who will be living in the days of tribulation, when all the wicked and godless are to be removed” (Enoch 1:1). The chapter goes on to describe the time of God’s judgement of the earth. In verse 7, Enoch says:

“And the earth shall be wholly rent in sunder
And all that is upon the earth shall perish,
And there shall be a judgement upon all.”
(Enoch 1:7)

This is followed by the next verse, which says that “with the righteous He will make peace. And will protect the elect” (Enoch 1:8a). 

Then verse 9 expands on God’s judgment of the ungodly. 

This follows a biblical consistency with respect to God’s judgment; God judges all sin. When God judges the sin of His elect, they are refined (Psalm 66:10). When He judges His adversaries they are consumed (Hebrews 10:27). But in each case, unrighteousness is judged (Hebrews 10:31). 

The mentioning of Enoch’s descent, in the seventh generation from Adam, highlights his prophetic authority, and the fact that this has been God’s approach since the beginning of time. He promises in the past tense that the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones. This is the prophetic past tense, which speaks of things which are to come as if they are already accomplished in order to emphasize the certainty of their fulfillment. 

Verse 15 unfolds the purpose of this divine arrival: to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. The repetitive use of the term ungodly accentuates the gravity of the sins committed and amplifies the impending doom awaiting those who flaunt God’s grace and continue in sin. 

God’s judgment isn’t merely about wrongful actions, but extends to the malicious words spoken against God, including all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. Jesus asserts that we will give account in the day of judgment for every “careless word” that we speak (Matthew 12:35). How much more will anyone give account for speaking harsh things against God?

The next verse lists things that might be in view that constitute the harsh things spoken against God by the ungodly sinners:

These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage (v 16). 

The term grumblers brings to mind the Israelites who complained in the wilderness, at Massah, asking “Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Exodus 17:7). In saying this, the Israelites were essentially saying, “If God does not do our bidding, then He is not doing us any good, so we will find another god and choose a path independent of God” (Exodus 32:4; Numbers 14:4). 

Jesus quoted a verse from Deuteronomy that refers to this incident at Massah when resisting Satan’s temptation to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple to see if God would preserve Him:

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” (Deuteronomy 6:16)

The faithful approach to God is to seek His ways, and trust they are for our best. The ungodly way of testing God is to insist that He perform for us, and give us what we demand. Then when God does not properly perform, the ungodly can be seen finding fault with Him, as Israel did in the wilderness. 

Just as Israel allowed their thirst to overwhelm their faith, the ungodly find themselves following after their own lusts. They trusted in their own desires rather than trusting in God. As a result of believing they knew better than God what was in their best interest-they speak arrogantly. Since they believe they know better than God, they elevate themselves above Him. Further, they manipulate others in order to exploit them, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. 

Thus, rather than believing God’s word that our own best interest is served by loving and serving others, these ungodly people follow their own lusts, and arrogantly pursue their own ways. They believe they know better than God. In their arrogance, they flatter and manipulate others to extract benefit from them, to serve their own appetites. Their interest in others is not genuine, but rather they seek to gain advantage to satisfy their own lust (James 1:14-15).

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Commentary on Epistle of Jude from BLB (continued)

Verses 17-23

In verse 17, the believers are referred to as beloved:

But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ (v 17). 

This indicates the deep love Jude has for all these believers to whom he is writing. He has their best interest at heart. The reason for his biting words toward the ungodly people in their midst is that he desires to protect them. We protect those whom we love. 

After pointing out the destructive path being taken by those who would lead them astray, Jude urges those whom he loves to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude has authority as a teacher. But he does not rely only upon his own authority in this matter. He appeals to two sources of authority 1) the apostles and 2) our Lord Jesus Christ. 

It is remarkable to reflect that Jude grew up in a household with Jesus, and did not believe He was the Christ during the time of His earthly ministry (John 7:5). Now Jude refers to his half-brother as our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a testimony to the resurrection of Jesus. 

The specific thing Jude brings to their mind from the teachings of Jesus and His apostles follows in verse 18:

that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts” (v 18). 

It is notable that in using this quote Jude shows he considered himself and his readers to be in the last time. This is consistent with the biblical narrative regarding human eras. In Daniel 2, the last age of men prior to the advent of the kingdom of God is the Roman era (Daniel 2:40-43). The end of this era is referred to by Paul as “the fullness of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:25). Both are consistent reflections of the influence of Roman civilization upon the earth from that point until now. 

It might have surprised the first century Christians that the last time is approaching two thousand years. But to God a thousand years is as a day (2 Peter 3:8). 

Jude describes the fleshly culture that will be consistently present during this era. There will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. This is almost identical wording to the warning of Peter in his second letter (2 Peter 3:3). This confirms Jude’s assertion that this statement regarding mockers in the last time was spoken of by the apostles, given that Peter was a leading apostle. 

The spirit of this last time will be self-seeking and exploitative. This is the opposite of how God calls humanity to live. In order to gain the greatest blessing and fulfillment, God calls humans to mutual love, harmony, and collaboration in mutual service. This is the practical outworking of the two greatest commandments, to love God and love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). That is why Jude insists that the believers eradicate the spirit of ungodliness from their midst, to cleanse it from the influence of exploitation and self-seeking. 

This spirit of exploitation and self-seeking is in the world. They are to keep this influence from their midst in part so they will be equipped to affect the world for good (1 Corinthians 5:10). Since the purpose of the church is to stir one another up to love and good works, polluting influences need to be removed (Hebrews 10:24-25). 

Given that the apostles apparently considered themselves to live in the last time, the message is all the more relevant to us, who are also living in the last time. The Apostle Paul gives the same basic warning, that in the “last days difficult times will come”:

“For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…”
(2 Timothy 3:2-4) 

In the face of this deteriorating moral environment, Paul urges Timothy to “continue in the things you have learned” (2 Timothy 3:14) exhorting him to soldier on in living a life that is set apart unto the Lord. The admonitions of Jude, Peter, and Paul emphasize a biblical theme that exhorts believers to resist a deteriorating moral and cultural environment by living the truth. 

Their detrimental influence within the community of believers can be observed by their negative effect on unity:

These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit (v 19). 

This statement that causing divisions is devoid of the Spirit is consistent with the Apostle Paul’s listing of the deeds of the flesh in his letter to the Galatians, where “disputes, dissentions, factions” are all listed as products of our fleshly nature (Galatians 5:20). 

Since Jude is advocating in this letter that the believing community “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 1:3), there must be an important distinction between the fight Jude urges and the divisions by these ungodly persons who are behaving in a manner devoid of the Spirit. The key is the purpose for the fight. 

Jude advocates that the disciples fight for “the faith.” The focus is the truth. Contending for the faith is a constructive conflict that moves each person toward doing and living what is true. The ungodly persons create divisions to an end that is worldly-minded. A common application of creating divisions is to pit people against one another in order to bring attention to ourselves, or to create the illusion of having power over others. 

A common theme in Paul’s list of deeds of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 is that they are behaviors that focus on self. Some listed behaviors are pleasure-seeking (immorality, sensuality, drunkenness). Some seek the illusion of control of circumstances (idolatry, sorcery). Others seek to control others (outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions). As Paul states in Romans 2:8, “those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth” will get a negative reward in the judgement of God (Romans 2:2). 

Jude desires those to whom he minsters to be spared from such a negative judgment, and urges that they contend against this self-seeking behavior, that they might seek a good and lasting reward from life:

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit (v 20).

A necessary task for contending for the faith is building yourselves up. Just as an athlete trains to build up physical strength and stamina, we need to build up spiritual capability. This is done through building yourselves up on your most holy faith. In order to adequately contend for the faith, one must be built up in the faith.

The Greek word translated holy is “agios” and means “set apart for special service.” “Agios” appears four times in the book of Jude:

• Jude 1:3, where each believer is set apart for special service; there “agios” is translated “saints.” 
• Jude 1:14 where the Jude quoted from Enoch, that the Lord would return with many of His set apart ones; there translated “holy ones.”
• Jude 1:20 where “agios” is translated “holy” two times, once to apply to faith (holy faith) and once to the Spirit (Holy Spirit). 

In each instance, context determines who or what is being set apart for special service. In verse 20, Jude asserts that the faith for which each believer should contend is not just any faith, but holy faith. This is faith in God’s word, and His ways. It is faith that seeing as God sees is what is true and best for us. An integral part of building yourselves up on your most holy faith is to be continually praying in the Holy Spirit. 

The verb translated praying is plural in Greek grammar. It indicates that the prayer should be ongoing, continual and shared. Although a participle (manifested with the ending “ing” in English) it is present tense, meaning it is something that is ongoing and present. The contending for the faith is to be a spiritual exercise done with the guidance and perspective given by the Holy Spirit. This is the opposite of the description of the ungodly persons whose behavior is devoid of the Spirit (v 19). 

Walking in the Spirit, building up faith, this is how to keep yourselves in the love of God. 

The goal of contending for the faith is to build up others in love. That implies that although ungodly persons must be identified and confronted, the goal is their restoration. The goal is to build up the unity of faith within the body, and protect it from false influence. 

The full admonition in verse 21 is to keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life (v 21). 

The phrase eternal life is used in the Bible to describe two different but related things.

• First, it is used to describe a gift that is given upon a person’s spiritual rebirth. Being born again spiritually gives us a permanent position as a child of God (Romans 6:23).
• Second, it is used to describe the quality or result of life lived by a person who has been spiritually reborn. 

The degree to which believers gain the experience of eternal life determines our condition as a child of God. In this verse, Jude refers to eternal life in the sense of the rewards that believers will receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Paul states that “eternal life” is a reward that God will give to “those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality” (from God rather than man) (Romans 2:7). 

The gift of eternal life is given by God freely to all who have enough faith to look on Jesus, hoping to be delivered from the adverse consequences of sin (John 3:14-15). Eternal life as a gift has no connection with works or deeds, but is given apart from any actions on our part (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, the reason God births us as a new creation is so that we might participate in “good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10b).

The end result of walking in the works of faith that God prepared for us is that we can look forward to Christ’s return, as we will expect a great reward of eternal life from Him (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Any reward believers receive from Christ at His judgment seat will be based on His mercy. The Apostle Paul underscores this reality in his second letter to his disciple Timothy:

“The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.”
(2 Timothy 1:16)

Here Paul prays that the Lord will reward Onesiphorus for his faithful ministry to him. But Paul calls such a reward “mercy.” This is because God is the ultimate standard. No one can demand anything from God, for there is no standard to which He must answer. Therefore, any reward He gives to any believer is a matter of His mercy.

Fortunately for us, God is merciful, and desires to reward His people for their faithfulness (Hebrews 11:6).  

Eternal life as a gift secures our position in Christ, which is determined by Christ and His death on the cross. Eternal life as a reward depends on our condition, our fellowship with God and the extent to which we live in the faith. That of course depends on our choices, and determines our experience of eternal life.

Jude desires that these believers not only seek to live in such a manner as to anxiously await the return of Jesus, but also to seek to minister to others who need help in their walk of faith. There are some who doubt. While false teachers are to be confronted and pushed away, those who doubt are in need of mercy: And have mercy on some, who are doubting (v 22). 

The word translated mercy can also be translated “compassion.” It is compassionate to help someone move from a position of doubtfulness to a position of steadfastness in their faith. This is because walking in faith, living a life in obedience to Christ, is the way to experience and gain the reward of eternal life. 

Jude adds the admonition to save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh (v 23). 

The Greek word translated save is “sozo.” Anytime we see the word “save” we need to recognize that the context determines what or who is being delivered from what. In this case, Jude exhorts believers in the body who have a strong faith to save others. So in this case this is one person acting to deliver another, like a lifeguard delivering someone from drowning. In this case, there are people that need to be saved from fire. The fire being addressed likely refers back to the image of Jude 1:7 that describes God’s judgment fire. 

This could not apply to the judgment of being eternally separated from God, as Jesus Christ is the only one who can deliver anyone from that fate. To be born again into His family requires faith on Him, and His death on the cross (John 3:14-15). This saving is one human to another. The inference is that a part of contending for the faith (Jude 1:3) is to contend to help other believers walk in faith. 

In particular, in this context there are false teachers leading people to believe that God’s grace makes it acceptable to live in licentiousness (Jude 1:4). To live in intentional sin leads to many adverse consequences. To lead someone away from this false belief is snatching them out of the fire of judgment. 

The fire of judgment on sin takes place both in this life as well as in the next. In this life, living in sin leads us into slavery, loss and death (separation from God’s good design) (Romans 6:15-17). It also causes us to heap up deeds that will be like “wood, hay, straw” in the fire of Christ’s judgment of believers (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). That means we will waste our lives on earth and lose out on the “gold, silver, precious stones” when our works are “revealed with fire.” 

Jude also says on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. The fear here would seem to admonish each person engaging with a believer who has fallen into sin or false teaching to be very wary to avoid falling into sin themselves. The flesh refers to our old nature, which is not redeemed when we become a new creation in Christ (1 Corinthians 5:17). As Paul states regarding his own flesh:

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”
(Romans 1:18)

The phrase hating even the garment polluted by the flesh would appear to be a form or hyperbole, saying “don’t even touch clothing that has touched flesh”-meaning “stay far away from fleshly behavior, not even touching that which has touched such a thing.” 

This warning is consistent with Jude’s insistence that spiritual authorities should be respected. As Peter says:

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
(1 Peter 5:8)

We need to constantly “be on the alert” and resist sin and the devil by walking in faith, following the Spirit. The way to overcome satanic forces is not to ignore them, but rather to resist in faith:

“But resist him [the devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”
(1 Peter 5:9)

Thus, in this section Jude creates an expectation that contending for the faith against ungodliness will be an ongoing reality. Faithful believers need to come to expect resisting false teaching and helping those whose faith is wavering as a normal part of their faith walk.

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Commentary on Epistle of Jude from BLB (continued)

Verses 24-25

Jude 1:24-25 furnishes a doxology, a formulation of praise towards God who is the object of the faith for which Jude exhorts the letter’s recipients to contend. 

Verse 24 extols God’s ability to preserve the believers: Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy (v 24). 

Jude just warned believers who try to shore up the faith of those who stumbled to do so “with fear” (Jude 1:23) lest they themselves stumble. But the thing they can lean on is not their own strength. Rather it is God, who is able to keep them from stumbling. This is a great comfort, that 

this great endeavor of contending for the faith is not something we do alone. Rather it is something we do in the power of God. 

When we walk in His power, we can look forward to a glorious result: stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy. Every believer will be judged for the deeds they do while living on earth (2 Corinthians 5:10). There will be great joy associated with hearing “well done” (Matthew 25:21) and seeing that our deeds were “gold, silver, precious stones” that are refined and preserved in the fire of God’s judgment (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). We do not want to be of those who miss out on this great joy. 

Jude ends with a dedication: to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen (v 25). 

This benediction elevates God as our Savior. It is God who has redeemed us from the penalty of sin, sin which separates us from relationship with God. God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ our Lord. Every sin was nailed to the cross with Jesus (Colossians 2:14). Jesus bore the sins of the world for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

Jude ends in recognition that it is God and Jesus Christ that deserve all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. The bedrock of our faith is the belief that God is over all, commands all, and has our best interest in mind. It is not that this is something new. Rather it has been this way before all time. The eternally existent “I AM” is outside of time, and existed before time. 

Not only that, God is over all things now and will be forever. Satan’s temptation of both Eve and Jesus was for them to rely on their own strength and knowledge apart from dependence on their Creator. Jude desires the opposite, and asserts that in relying upon God’s sovereign care over creation, we as humans are actually seeking our greatest joy (Jude 1:24). 

For further insight on this topic, the commentaries on Hebrews 2 and Psalm 8 explore how God has appointed humans to share with Jesus in having dominion over the earth, which restores humanity to its original design, to reign over the earth in harmony with God, creation, and one another. 

Jude ends with a simple Amen. In our modern era, we tend to think of “amen” as “the prayer is ended.” Amen translates the Greek word “amen,” so “amen” is a transliteration. It means “so be it” or “it is surely true.” By adding “amen” to his comment about going to Jesus’s heavenly kingdom, Jude is likely saying “It is true, and I look forward to it.” Interestingly, the Hebrew word for “amen” comes from the Hebrew root “aman” which means “believe,” “faith,” or “trust.” So in ancient Hebrew society when Amen was said at the end, it seems to have meant “I have faith/trust in what was spoken.”

So this ending transcends Jewish and Gentile culture, and is a fitting end to Jude’s admonition for believers to contend for the faith, trusting in God to provide the strength, and trusting that His ways are for our best.

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