Α' THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. INTRODUCTION. UTHOR-He calls himself in the address "the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James. See Introduction t the epistle of James, in proof of James the aposte, and James the Lord's brother, the bishop of Jerusalem, being on and the same person. Galatians, 1. 19, alone seems to me to prove this. Similarly Jude the brother of our Lord, and Jul the apostle, seem to be one and the same. Jerome, contra Hdvidium, rightly maintains that by the Lord's brethren ar meant his cousins, children of Mary and Cleophas (the same as Alphaus). From 1 Corinthians, 9. 5 as brethren of the Lord" stands between "other apostles" and "Cephas"), it seems natural to think that the brethren of the Lord are de tinguished from the apostles only because all his brethren were not apostles, but only James and Jude. Jude's reaso for calling himself "brother of James," was that James, as bishop of Jerusalem, was better known than himself s he been, in the strict sense, brother of our Lord, he probably would have so entitled himse f. His omission of mention of his apostleship is no proof that he was not an apostle for so also James omits it in his heading; and Paul, in th epistles to the Philippians, Thessalonians, and Philemon, omits it. Had the writer been a counterfeiter of the apostle Jude he would doubtless have called himself an "apostle." He was also called Lebbæus and Thaddeus, probably to distingu si him from Judas Iscariot, the traitor. Lebbæus, from Hebrew leeb, "heart," means courageous. Thaddaeus is the same a Theudas, from Hebrew thad, the breast." Luke and John writing later than Matthew, when there would be no confused between him and Judas Iscariot, give his name Judas. The only circumstance relating to him recorded in the gospels occurs John, 14, 22, "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not und the world?" &c. Jerome, Annotationes in Matthæum, says, that he was sent to Edessa, to Abgarus, king of Osroene, o Edessa, and that he preached in Syria, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Persia, in which last country he suffered maryrd_a The story is told on Eusebius' authority, that Abgarus, on his sick-bed, having heard of Jesus' power to heal, sent to 'e Him to come and cure him, to which the Lord replied. praising his faith, that though he had not seen the Saviour, he ye believed; adding, "As for what thou hast written, that I should come to thee, it is necessary that all those thus fa which I was sent, should be fulfilled by me in this place, and that having fulfilled them 1 should be received up to that sent me. When, therefore, I shall be received into heaven, I will send unto thee some one of my dise ples who shall both heal thy distemper and give life to thee and those with thee." Thomas is accordingly said to have been inspired to send Thaddaeus for the cure and baptism of Abgarus. The letters are said to have been shown Thaddaeus among the archives of Edessa. It is possible such a message was verbally sent, and the substance of it registered in writing afterwards it 2 Kings, 5.; and Matthew, 15. 22). Hegesippus, in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3, 10, states, that when Domitian enquired after David's posterity, some grandsons of Jude, called the Lord's brother, were brought into his presence Being asked at to their possessions, they said that they had thirty-nine acres of the value of 900) denarii, out of which they paid bu taxes, and lived by the labour of their hands, a proof of which they gave by showing the hardness of their hands. Bei interrogated as to Christ and His kingdom, they replied, that it was not of this word, but heavenly; and that it wetid va manifested at the end of the world, when He would come in glory to judge the living and the dead. AUTHENTICITY.-Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3. 25, reckons it among the Antulegomena or controverted Scrip tures, "though recognised by the majority." The reference to the contest of Michael, the archangel, with the devil, fr the body of Moses, not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament, but found in the apocryphal "Book of Enoch," prebably raised doubts as to its authenticity, as Jerome, Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum, 4., says. Moreover, its not being addressed to one particular church, or individual, caused it not to be so immediately recognised as canonical A counterfeiter would have avoided using what did not occur in the Old Testament, and which might be regarded as apocryphal. As to the book of Enoch, if quoted by Jude, his quotation of a passage from it gives an inspired sanction only to the truth of that passage, not to the whole book; just as Paul, by inspiration, sanctions particular sentiments from Aratu Epimenides, and Menander, but not all their writings. I think, rather, as there is some slight variation between Jul statement and that of the book of Enoch, that Jude, though probably not ignorant of the book of Enoch, stamps withy inspired sanction the current tradition of the Jews as to Enoch's prophecies; just as Paul mentions the names of th Egyptian magicians, "Jannes and Jambres," not mentioned in the Old Testament. At all events, the prophecy ascrisă to Enoch by Jude was really his, being sauctioned as such by this inspired writer. So also the narration as to the archan Michael's dispute with Satan concerning the body of Moses, is by Jude's inspired authority (v. 9) declared true. The bak of Euoch is quoted by Justin Martyr, Irenaus, Clement of Alexandria, &c. Bruce, the Abyssinian traveller, brought i three copies of it in Ethiopic, from Alexandria, of which archbishop Lawrence, in 1821, gave an English translation b Ethiopic was a version from the Greek, and the Greek doubtless a version from the Hebrew, as the names of the angels it show. The Apostolic Constitutions. Origen contra Celsum, Jerome, and Augustine, pronounce it not canonical Faz is in the main edifying, vindicating God's government of the world, natural and spiritual, and contradicting none of Scripture statements. The name Jesus never occurs, though "Son of man," so often given to Messiah in the gogeli frequent, and terms are used expressive of His dignity, character, and acts, exceeding the views of Messiah in any vill Jewish book. The writer seems to have been a Jew who had become thoroughly imbued with the sacred writings of Dark And, though many coincidences occur between its sentiments and the New Testament, the Messianic portions are m distinct enough to prove that the writer knew the New Testament. Rather, he seems to have immediately preceded Chr coming, about the time of Herod the Great, and so gives us a most interesting view of believing Jews' opinions before the advent of our Lord. The Trinity is recognised, 60. 13, 14. Messiah is "the Elect One" existing from eteruity, 48 £1,3 "All kings shall fall down before Him, and worship and fix their hopes on, this Son of man," 61, 10-13. He is the c of worship, 48. 3, 4; He is the supreme Judge, 60. 10, 11; €8 38, 39. There shall be a future state of retribution, $5.8 94. 2,4; chs. 95., 96, 99, 103. The eternity of future punishment, 103. 5. Volkmar, in A ford, thinks the book was writt at the time of the sedition of Barchochebas (A.D. 132), by a follower of Rabbi Akiba, the upholder of that imposter. That would make the book anti-Christian in its origin. If this date be correct, doubtless it copied some things from Jude, givant them the Jewish, not the Christian, colouring. Eusebius, Demonstratio Evangelica 3. 5, remarks, it accords with John's humility that in 2 and 3 John he calls hime!! Introduction. JUDE. Introduction. "the elder." For the same reason James and Jude call themselves "servants of Jesus Christ." Clemens Alexandrinus, Alumbrations, in Ep. Jud., p. 1007, says, "Jude, through reverential awe, did not call himself brother, but servant, of Jesus Christ, and brother of James." Tertullian, de Cultu Fœminarum, c. 3, cites the epistle as that of the apostle James. Clemens Alexandrinus quotes it (v. 8, 17) as Scripture. Stromata 3., 2. 11; and (v. 5) in Palagogus 3, 8. 44. The Muratori fragment asserts its canonicity. (Routh, Reliquiæ Sacræ, 1, 306] Origen, Commentary on Matthew 13 55, says, "Jude wrote an epistle of few lines, but one filled full of the strong words of heavenly grace." Also, in Commentary on Matthew, 22, 23, he quotes v. 6; and on Matthew. 18. 10, he quotes v. 1. He calls the writer "Jude the apostle," in the Latin remains of his works (cf. Davidson, Introduction III. 498. Jerome, Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum, 4, reckons it among the Scriptures. Though the oldest MSS. of the Peschito omit it, Ephrem Syrus recognises it. Wordsworth reasons for its genuineness thus: St. Jude, we know, died before St. John, ie, before the beginning of the secon i century. Now Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3, 2, tells us that St. James was succeeded in the bishopric of Jerusalem by Symeon his brother: and also that Symeon sat in that see till A.D. 107, when as a martyr he was crucified in his 120th year. We find that the epistle to Jude was known in the East and West in the second century; it was therefore circulated in Symeon's lifetime. It never would have received currency such as it had, nor would Symeon have permitted a letter bearing the naine of an apostle, his own brother Jude, brother of his own apostolical predecessor, St. James, to have been circulated, if it were not really St. Jude's. TO WHOM ADDRESSED.-The references to Old Testament history, v. 5, 7, and to Jewish tradition, v. 14, &» make it likely that Jewish Christians are the readers to whom Jude mainly (though including also all Christians, v. 1) writes, just as the kindred epistle, 2 Peter, is addressed primarily to the same class; ef. Introductions to 1 and 2 Peter. The persons stigmatized in it were not merely libertines (as Alford thinks), though no doubt that was one of their prominent characteristics, but heretics in doctrine, "denying the only Lord God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Hence he urges believers "earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints." Insubordination, self-seeking, and licentiousness, the fruit of Antinomian teachings, were the evils against which Jude warns his readers; reminding them that, to build themselves in their most holy faith, and to pray in the Holy Ghost, are the only effectual safeguards. The same evils, along with mocking scepticism, shall characterize the last days before the final judgment, even as in the days when Enoch warned the ungodly of the coming flood. As Peter was in Babylon in writing 1 Peter, 5. 13, and probably also in writing 2 l'eter (cf. Introductions to 1 and 2 Peter), it seems not unlikely that Jude addressed his epistle primarily to the Jewish Christians in and about Mesopotamian Babylon (a place of great resort to the Jews in that day), or else to the Christian Jews dispersed in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, the persons addressed by Peter. For Jude is expre-s y said to have preached in Mesopotamia (Jerome, Annotationes in Matthaum), and his epistle, consisting of only twenty-five verses, contains in them no less than eleven passages from 2 Peter (see the list in my Introduction to 2 Peter). Probably in v. 4 he witnesses to the fulfilment of Peter's prophecy, "There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained (rather as Greek, forewritten,' Le., announced beforehand by the apostle Peter's written prophecy) to this condemnation, ungodly men denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Cf. 2 Peter, 2 1," There shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, aud bring upon themselves swift destruction." Also, v. 17, 18, plainly refers to the very words of 2 Peter, 3. 3, "Remember the words which were spoken before of the aposties of our Lord Jesus; How they told you there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts." This proves, in opposition to Alford, that Jude's epistle is later than Peter's (whose inspiration be thus confirms, just as Peter confirins Paul's, 2 Peter, 3, 15, 16), not vice versa. TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING.-Alford thinks, that, considering St. Jude was writing to Jews and eiting signal instances of divine vengeance, it is very unlikely he would have omitted to allude to the destruction of Jerusalem, if he had written after that event which uprooted the Jewish polity and people. He conjectures from the tone and references, that the writer lived in Palestine. But as to the former, negative evidence is doubtful; for neither does John allude in his epistles, written after the destruction of Jerusalem, to that event. Mill fixes on A. D. 90, after the death of all the apostles, save John. I incline to think from v. 17, 18, that some time had elapsed since the second epistle of Peter (written probably about A. D. 68 or 69) when Jude wrote, and, therefore, that the epistle of Jude was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. Ver. 1-25. ADDRESS: GREETING: HIS OBJECT IN WRITING: WARNING AGAINST SEDUCERS IN Doc. TRINE AND PRACTICE FROM GOD'S VENGEANCE ON APOSTATES, ISRAEL, THE FALLEN ANGELS, SODOM AND GOMORRAH. DESCRIPTION OF THESE BAD MEN, IN CONTRAST TO MICHAEL: LIKE CAIN, BALAAM, AND CORE: ENOCH'S PROPHECY AS TO THEM: THE APOSTLES FOREWARNING: CONCLUDING EXHORTATION AS TO PRESERVING THEIR OWN FAITH, AND TRYING TO SAVE OTHERS: DOXOLOGY. 1. servant of Jesus Christ-as His minister and apostle. brother of James-who was more widely known as bishop of Jerusalem and brother of the Lord" .e., either cousin, or stepbrother, being son of Joseph by a former marriage; for ancient traditions universally agree that Mary, Jesus' mother, continued perpetually a virgin. Jude therefore calls himself modestly brother of James." See my Introduction. to them .. sanctified by God the Father-The oldest MSS, and versions, ORIGEN, LUCIFER, &c., read "beloved" for sanctified. If English Version be read. cf. Colossians, 12; 1 Peter, 1. 2. The Greek is not "by," but "in." God, the Father's love, is the element IN which they beloved." Thus the conclusion, v. 21, corresponds, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." Cf. are Beloved of the Lord" 2 Thessalonians, 2. 13. preseived in Jesus Christ-"kept." Translate not "in." but as Greek. "FOR Jesus Christ." "Kept continually (so the Greek perfect participle means by God the Father for Jesus Christ." against the day of His coming. Jude, beforeband, mentions the source and guarantee for the final accomplishment of believers' salvation, lest they should be disheartened by the dreadful evils which he proceeds to announce. IBANGEL) and called-Predicated of "them that are beloved in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: who are called." God's effectual cal ing in the exercise of His Divine prerogative, guarantees their eternal safety. 2. Mercy-in a time of wretchedness. Therefore mercy stands first: the mercy of Christ (v. 21). peace-in the Holy Ghost (v. 20). love-of God (v. 21). The three answer to the Divine Trinity. be multiplied in you and towards you. 3. Design of the epistle (cf. v. 20, 21.) all diligence-(2 Peter, 1. 5.) As the minister is to give all diligence to admonish, so the people should, in accordance with his admonition, give all diligence to have all Christian graces, and to make their calling sure. the common saivation-wrought by Christ. Cf. Note, "obtained LIKE precious faith" 2 Peter, 1. 1. This community of jaith, and of the Israel and the Fallen Angels JUDE. a Warning against Apostasy. fectly is Jesus one with the God of the Israelita theocracy. saved-brought safely, and into a state of safety and salvation. afterward-Greek, "secondly:" in the next instance "destroyed them that believed not." as contrasted with His in the first instance having saved them. 6. (2 Peter, 2 4.) kept not their first estate - Vulgate translates, "their own principality,” which the fact of angels being elsewhere called "prin cipalities," favours: "their own" implies that, instead of being content with the dignity once for all assigned to them under the Son of God, they aspired higher. ALFORD thinks the narrative in Genesis. 6. 2 is alluded to, not the fall of the devil and his angels, as he thinks "giving themselves over to fornication” (e. 7) proves: cf. Greek, "in like manner to these," viz., to the angels (v. 6). It seems to me more natural to take "sons of God" (Genesis, 6. 2) of the Sethites, than of angels who, as "spirits," do not seem capable of carnal connexion. The parallel. 2 Peter, 2. 4, plainly refers to the fall of the apostate angels. And in like manner to these," v. 7, refers to the inhabitants of Sodoma and Gomorrah, "the cities about them" sinuing "in like manner" as they did. [ESTIUS & CALVIN.] Even if Greek "these," v. 7. refer to the angels, the sense of "in like manner as these" will be, not that the ses carnally fornicated with the daughters of men, but that their ambition whereby their affections went away from God and they fell, is in God's view a sin of like kind spiritually as Sodom's going away from God's object of faith, salvation, forms the ground of mutual exhortation by appeals to common hopes and fears. it was needful for me-rather, "I felt it necessary to write (now at once: so the Greek aorist means; the present infinitive "to write," which precedes, expresses merely the general fact of writing) exhorting you." The reason why he felt it necessary "to write with exhortation," he states v. 4, "For there are certain men crept in," &c. Having intended to write generally of the common salvation, he found it necessary from the existing evils in the church, to write specially that they should contend for the faith against those evils. earnestly contend-Cf. Philippians, 1. 27, "striving to gether for the faith of the gospel." once-Greek."once for all delivered," &c. No other faith or revelation is to supersede it. A strong argument for resisting heretical innovators (v.4). Believers, like Nehemiah's workmen, with one hand build themselves up in their most holy faith," with the other they "contend earnestly for the faith" against its foes. the saints all Christians, holy (ie., consecrated to God) by their calling, and in God's design. 4. crept in unawares stealthily and unlawfully. Note, 2 Peter, 2. 1," privily shall bring in damnable heresies." certain men-Implying disparagement. before...ordained-Greek, "forewritten," e, in Peter's prophecy, v. 17, 18; and in Faul's before that, 1 Timothy, 4. 1; 2 Timothy, 3. 1; and by implication in the judgments which overtook the apostate angels. The disobedient Israelites, Sodom and Gomorrah, Balaam, and Core, and which are writ-order of nature after strange flesh; the sin of the ten "for an example" (v. 7, and 5, 6, 11). God's eternal character as the Punisher of sin, as set forth in Scripture of old," is the ground in which such apostate characters are ordained to condemnation. Scripture is the reflexion of God's book of life in which believers are "written among the living." Fore-written" is applied also in Romans, 15. 4, to the things written in Scripture. Scripture itself reflects God's character from everlasting, which is the ground of His decrees from everlasting. BENGEL explains it as an abbreviated phrase for, "They were of old foretold by Enoch (v. 14, who did not write his prophecies), and afterwards marked out by the written word." to this condemnation-Jude graphically puts their judgment as it were present before the eyes, "THIS." Enoch's prophecy comprises the "ungodly men" of the last days before Christ's coming to judgment, as well as their forerunners, the ungodly men" before the flood, the type of the last judgment (Matthew, 24, 37-39; 2 Peter, 3, 3-7). The disposition and the doom of both correspond. the grace of our God-A phrase for the gospel especially sweet to believers who appropriate God in Christ as "our God," and so rendering the more odious the vile perversity of those who turn the gospel state of grace and liberty into a ground of licentiousness, as if their exemption from the law gave them a licence to sin. denying the only Lord-The oldest MSS., versions, and fathers omit "Ged," which follows in English Version. Translate as the Greek, "the only Master:" here used of Jesus Christ, who is at once Master and "Lord" (a different Greek word). So 2 Peter, 2. 1. Note. By virtue of Christ's perfect oneness with the Father. He, as well as the Father, is termed "the ONLY" God and "MASTER." Greck" Master," implies God's absolute ownership to dispose of His creatures as He likes. 5. (Hebrews, 3. 16.-4. 13.) therefore Other oldest MSS. and Vulgate read, "But:" in contrast to the ungodly, v. 4. though ye once-rather, "once for all." Translate, "I wish to remind you, as knowing ALL (viz., that I am referring to. So the oldest MSS., versions, and fathers) once for all." As already they know all the facts once for all, he needs only to remind" them. the Lord-The oldest MSS. and versions read, "Jesus." So "Christ" is said to have accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness: so per apostate angels after their kind is analogous to that 05 ต Reverence towards Dignities. -The lasting marks of the fire that consumed the presented by Joshua the High Priest); and Michael, cities irreparably, is a type of the eternal fire to which whose connexion seems to be so close with Jehovahthe inhabitants have been consigned. BENGEL trans- Messiah on the one hand, and with Israel on the other, tates as the Greek will admit," Suffering (the) punish- naturally uses the same language as his Lord. As ment (which they endure) as an example or sample of Satan (adversary in court) or the Devil (accuser) accuses eternal fire (viz., that which shall consume the alike the church collectively, and "the brethren" inwicked)." Ezekiel, 16. 53-55, shows that Sodom's pun- dividually, so Christ pleads for us as our Advocate. ishment, as a nation, is not eternal. Cf. also 2 Peter, Israel's, and all believers' full justification, and the 2. 6. 8. also rather. "In like manner nevertheless" | accuser's being rebuked finally, is yet future. Jose(notwithstanding these warning examples). [ALFORD.] PHUS, Antiquities, 4. 8, states that God hid Moses' these...dreamers-The Greek has not "filthy" of English body, lest, if it had been exposed to view, it would have Version. The clause, "these men dreaming" .e.. in been made an idol of. Jude, in this account, either their dreams, belongs to all the verbs, "defile," &c.; adopts it from the apocryphal "assumption of Moses' "despise." &c.; "speak evil," &c. All sinners are (as ORIGEN, concerning Principalities, 3. 2, thinks,, or spiritually asleep, and their carnal activity is as it else from the ancient tradition on which that work was were a dream (1 Thessalonians, 5. 6, 7). Their speak founded. Jude, as inspired, could distinguish how ing evil of dignities is because they are dreaming, much of the tradition was true, how much false. and know not what they are speaking evil of (v. 10. We have no such means of distinguishing, and there"As a man dreaming seems to himself to be seeing fore can be sure of no tradition, save that which is in and hearing many things, so the natural man's lusts the written word. 10. (2 Peter, 2. 12.) those things are agitated by joy, distress, fear, and the other pas-which-Greek, "all things whatsoever they understand sions. But he is a stranger to self-command. Hence, not," viz, the things of the spiritual world. but what though he bring into play all the powers of reason, he...naturally-Connect thus, "Whatever so the Greek) cannot conceive the true liberty which the sons of light, who are awake and in the daylight, enjoy" (BENGEL). defile the flesh-(v. 7.) dominion-"lordship." diguities -lit., "glories." Earthly and heavenly dignities. 9. Michael the archangel-Nowhere in Scripture is the plural used," archangels;" but only ONE, "archangel." The only other passage in the New Testament where it occurs, is 1 Thessalonians, 4. 16, where Christ is distinguished from the archangel, with whose voice He shali descend to raise the dead: they therefore err who confound Carist with Michael. The name means, Who is like God. In Daniel, 10. 13, he is called "One (Mar gin, the first of the chief princes." He is the champion angel of Israel. In Revelation, 12. 7, the conflict between Michael and Satan is again alluded to. durst not-from reverence for Satan's former dignity (v. 8). railing accusation-Greek, "judgment of blasphemy," or eril speaking. Peter said, angels do not, in order to avenge themselves, rail at dignities, though ungodly, when they have to contend with them: Jude says, that the archangel Michael hin self did not rail even at the time when he fought with the Devil, the prince of evil spirits-not from tear of him, but from reverence of God, whose delegated power in this world Satan once had, and even in some degree still has. From the word "disputed," or debated in controversy, it is plain it was a judicial contest. about the body of Moses-his literal body. Satan, as having the power of death, opposed the raising of it again, on the ground of Moses' sin at Meribah, and his murder of the Egyptian. That Moses' body was raised, appears from his presence with Elijah and Jesus (who were in the body) at the transfiguration: the sample and earnest of the coming resurrection-kingdom, to be ushered in by Michael's standing up for God's people. Thus in each dispensation a sample and pledge of the future resurrection was given; Enoch in the patriarchal dispensa tion, Moses in the Levitical, Elijah in the prophetical. It is note-worthy that the same rebuke is recorded here, as was used by the Angel of the Lord, or Je hovah the Second Person, in pleading for Joshua, the representative of the Jewish church, against Satan, in Zechariah, 3. 2; whence some have thought that also here the body of Moses" means the Jewish church accused by Satan, before God, for its filthiness, on which ground he demands that Divine justice should take its course against Israel, but is rebuked by the Lord who has "chosen Jerusalem?" thus, as "the body of Christ" is the Christian church, so "the body of Moses" is the Jewish church. But the literal body is evidently here meant (though, secondarily, the Jewish church is typified by Moses' body, as it was there re " things naturally (by natural, blind instinct), as the unreasoning (so the Greek) animals, they know," &c. The Greek for the former "know" implies deeper knowledge; the latter know," the mere perception of the "animal senses and faculties." 11. Woe-Note, 2 Peter, 2. 14, "cursed children." Cain-the murderer: the root of whose sin was hatred and envy of the godly, as it is the sin of these seducers. ran greedily-lit., "have been poured forth" like a torrent that has burst its banks. Reckless of what it costs, the loss of God's favour and heaven, on they rush after gain like Balaam. perished in the gainsaying of Core Cf. Note, v. 12). When we read of Korah perishing by gainsaying, we read virtually also of these perishing in like mauner through the same: for the same seed bears the same harvest. 12. spots-So 2 Peter, 2. 13, Greek, spiloi; but here the Greek is spilades, which elsewhere, in secular writers, means rocks, viz., on which the Christian lore. feasts were in danger of being shipwrecked. The oldest MS. prefixes the article emphatically." THE rocks." The reference to "clouds...winds...waves of the sea," accords with this image of rocks. Vulgate seems to have been misled by the similar sounding word to translate, as English Versim, "spots; cf. however, v. 23, which favours English Version, if the Greek will bear it. Two oldest MSS., by the transcriber's effort to make Jude say the same as Peter, read here "deceivings" for "love-feasts," but the weightiest MS. and authorities support English Version reading. The love-feast accompanied the Lord's supper (1 Corinthians, 11, end). Korah the Levite. not satisfied with his ministry, aspired to the sacrificing priesthood also: so ministers in the Lord's supper have sought to make it a sacrifice, and themselves the sacrificing priests. usurping the function of our only Christian sacerdotal Priest, Christ Jesus. Let them beware of Korah's doom! without fear-Join these words not as English Version, but with "feast." Sacred feasts especially ought to be celebrated with fear. Feasting is not faulty in itself [BENGEL], but it needs to be accompanied with fear of forgetting God, as Job in the case of his sons' feasts. feeding themselves-Greek, "pasturing (tending) themselves." What they look to is the pampering of themselves, not the feeding of the flock. clouds-from which one would expect refreshing rains. 2 Peter, 2. 17,"wells without water." Professors without practice. carried about-The oldest MSS have "carried aside," i.e., out of the right course (cf. Ephesians, 4. 14). trees whose fruit withereth-rather, "trees of the late (or vaning) autumn," viz., when there are no longer leaves or fruits on the trees (BENGEL), &c. without fruithaving no good fruit of knowledge and practice: Enoch's Prophecy as to False Teachers. JUDE The Apostles' Forewarning. sometimes used of what is positively bad. twice dead them. Whilst they talk great swelling words, they are -First when they cast their leaves in autumn and really mean and fawning towards those of wealth and seem during winter dead, but revive again in spring; rank. 17. But ye. beloved-in contrast to those reprosecondly, when they are "plucked up by the roots." bates, v. 20, again. remember Implying that his So these apostates, once dead in unbelief, and then readers had been contemporaries of the apostles. For by profession and haptism raised from the death of Peter uses the very same formula in reminding the sin to the life of righteousness, but now having be- contemporaries of himself and the other apostles. come dead again by apostasy, and so hopelessly dead. spoken before-spoken already before now, the apostles There is a climax. Not only without leaves, like trees-Peter Notes, 2 Peter, 3. 2, 3, and Paul before Feter in late autumn, but without fruit: not only so, but dead twice and to crown all. "plucked up by the roots." 13. R ging-Wild. Jude has in mind Isaiah 57. 20. shame-plural in Greek. "shames" (cf. Philippians, 3. 19). wandering stars-instead of moving on in a regular orbit, as lights to the world. bursting forth on the world like erratic comets, or rather meteors of fire, with a strange glare, and then doomed to fall back again into the blackness of gloom. 14. See Introduction on the source whence Jude derived this pro phecy of Enoch. The Holy Spirit, by Jude has sealed the truth of this much of the matter contained in the book of Enoch, though probably that book as well as Jude, derived it from tradition (cf. Note, v. 9). There are reasons given by some for thinking the book of Enoch copied from Jude rather than vice versa. It is striking how, from the first, prophecy hastened towards its consummation The earliest prophecies of the Redeemer dwell on His second coming in glory, rather than His first coming in lowliness (cf. Genesis, 3. 15, with Romans, 16. 20. Enoch in his translation without death, illustrated that truth which he all his life preached to the unbelieving world, the certainty of the Lord's coming, and the resurrection of the dead, as the only effectual antidote to their scepticism and self-wise confidence in nature's permanence. And-Greek, Moreover, also Enoch," &c. of these-in relation to these. The reference of his prophecies was not to the antediluvians alone, but to all the ungodly (v. 15). His prophecy applied primarily indeed to the flood, but ultimately to the final judgment. seventh from Adam-Seven is the sacred number. In Enoch, freedom from death and the sacred number are combined: for every seventh object is most highly valued. Jude thus shows the antiquity of the prophecy. Cf. "of old" Note, v. 4. There were only fire fathers between Enoch and Adam. The seventh from Adam prophesied the things which shall close the seventh age of the world. BENGEL.] cometh-lit., "came." phecy regards the future as certain as if it were past. saints Holy angels (cf Deuteronomy, 33. 2; Daniel, 7. 10, Zechariah, 14. 5; Matthew, 25, 31; Hebrews, 12. 22) 15. This verse and the beginning of Enoch's prophecy, is composed in Hebrew poetic parallelism, the oldest specimen extant. Some think Lame h's speech, which is also in poetic parallelism, was composed in mockery of Enoch's prophecy: as Enoch foretold Jehovah's coming to judgment, so Lamech presumes on impunity in polygamy and murder just as Cain the murderer seemed to escape with impunity). convince-convict, hard speeches-such as are noticed in v. 8, 10, 16; Malachi, 3. 13, 14; contrast 16, 17. uugodly sinners-not merely sinners, but proud despisers of God: impious, against him-They who speak against God's children are regarded by God as speaking against Himself. 16. murmurers-in secret: muttering (Romans, 8, 26; Ephesians, 6. 18. The Holy Spens murmurs against God's ordinances and ministers in teaches what we are to pray for, and how, Nore ca church and state. Cl. v. 8, "speak evil of dignities" pray aright save by being in the Spirit, Le, in the 15, "hard speeches" against the Lord. complain-rs-element of His influence. CHRYSOSTOM States tisk never satisfied with their lot (Numbers, 11. 1; cf. the penalty, Deuteronomy, 28. 47, 48). walking after their own lusts (c. 18.) The secret of their murmuring and complaining is the restless insatiability of their desires. great swelling words-(2 Peter, 2. 18 meu's personstheir mere outward appearances and rank. bec use of advantage for the sake of what they may gain from Acts, 20. 29; 1 Timothy, 4. 1; 2 Timothy, 3. 1). Jude does not exclude himself from the number of the apostles here, for in v. 18, immediately after, he says, they told you," not us (rather as Greck, "used to tell you:" implying that Jude's readers were contem poraries of the apostles who used to tell them). 18. mockers-- In the parallel, 2 Peter. 3, 3, the same Greek is translated "scoffers." The word is found nowhere else in the New Testament. How ALFORD can deny that 2 Peter, 3, 2, 3, is referred to (at least in part, I cannot imagine, seeing that Jude quotes the very words of Peter as the words which the apostles used to speak to his (Jude's) readers. walk after their own ungodly iusts-lit., "after according to their own lusts of ungodliness." 19. These be they-Showing that their characters are such as Peter and Paul had foretold. separate themselves-from church communion in its vital, spiritual reality: for outwardly they took part in church ordinances (v. 12. Some oldest MSS. omit "themselves:" then understand it, "separate," cast out men.bers of the church by excommunication (Isaiah, 65 5; 66. 5; Luke, 6. 22; John, 9. 31; cf. "casteth them out of the church." 3 John, 10). Many, however, understand themselves," which indeed is read in some of the oldest MSS, as English Version Las it. Arrogant setting up of themselves, as having greater sanctity and a wisdom and peculiar doctrine, distinct from others, is implied. sensual-det, “animal soulled:' as opposed to the spiritual, or "having the Spirit." It is translated "the natural man." 1 Cern thians, 2. 14. In the three-fold division of man's bes body, soul, and spirit, the due state in God's design 18, that the spirit," which is the recipient of the Hly Spirit uniting man to God, should be first, and should rule the soul, which stands intermediate between the body and spirit; but in the animal, or natural man, the spirit is sunk into subserviency to the animal-soul, which is earthly in its motives and aims. The Pro-"carnal" sink somewhat lower, for in these the fest the lowest element and corrupt side of man's bodily nature, reigns paramount. not having the Spirit-in the animal and natural man the spirit, his higher part, which ought to be the receiver of the Ho'y Spirit, is not so; and therefore, his spirit not being in its normal state, he is said not to have the spird d. John. 3. 5. 6). In the completion of redemption the parts of redeemed nan shall be placed in their due relatiu: whereas in the ungodly, the soul severed from th spirit, shall have for ever animal life without union to God and heaven-a living death. 20. Resuming t.. building up yourselves-the opposite to the separate themselves" (v. 19; as "in the Holy Ghost" is on posed to Having not the Spirit." on-as on a foundation. Building on THE FAITH is equivalent to building en Christ, the object of faith. praying in the Hy Gb st among the charisms bestowed at the beginning of the New Testament dispensation, was the gift of grant, bestowed on some one who prayed in the nan e st rest, and taught others to pray. Moreover, ther prayers so conceived and often used, were received and preserved among Christians, and out of them forms of prayer were framed. Such is the ori |