Jude 1:20

ὑμεῖς δὲ, ἀγαπητοί. Contrasted with the libertines, as in Jude 1:17.

ἐποικοδομοῦντες ἐαυτοὺς τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει. For the spiritual temple, cf. 1 Peter 2:3-5; Colossians 1:23; Ephesians 2:20-22, ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καἰ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ κ. τ. λ., 1 Corinthians 3:9-17, a passage which the writer may have had in his mind here and in Jude 1:23. Dr. Bigg compares Polyc. Philippians 3. “If ye study the epistles of the blessed apostle Paul, δυνηθήσεσθε οἰκοδομεῖσθαι εἰς τὴν δοθεῖσαν ὑμῖν πίστιν. Add Clem. Strom, v. p. 644, ἡ κοινὴ πίστις καθάπερ θεμέλιον ὑπόκειται. Usually Christ is spoken as the foundation or corner-stone of the Church, and we should probably assign an objective sense to τῇ πίστει here, as in Jude 1:3 above (ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι τῇ πίστει). Otherwise it might be explained of that faculty by which we are brought into relation with the spiritual realities (Hebrews 11:1, πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων), that which is the introduction to all the other Christian graces, see note on 2 Peter 1:5, and which leads to eternal life (1 Peter 1:5; 1 Peter 1:9, κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν, σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν). The faith is here called “most holy,” because it comes to us from God, and reveals God to us, and because it is by its means that man is made righteous, and enabled to overcome the world (1 John 5:4-5). Cf. 1 Peter 5:9, ᾧ ἀντίστητε στερεοὶ τῇ πίστει.

ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ προσευχόμενοι. These words, contrasted with πνεῦμα μὴ ἔχοντες in Jude 1:19, show how they are to build themselves up upon their faith. I understand them as equivalent to James 5:16, δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη, where see note. Compare also Ephesians 6:18, διὰ πάσης προσευχῆς προσευχόμενοι ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἐν πνεύματι, Romans 8:26-27.