Jude 1:19

Jude 1:19. Again the deceivers reappear; described not now by historical parallels (Jude 1:11), not by figures of speech (Jude 1:12-13), not by prophetic announcements (Jude 1:14-15), not even as their own offensive talk has done (Jude 1:16), but as they are in their inner nature, and in the influence of that nature on Church life and on themselves.

These are they that are ever causing divisions (separations), and will end sooner or later in separating themselves or in ruining the Church. The verb is intensive and continuous. The word ‘themselves' goes out, but the idea is still in the verb, though not so prominent as before. Separation is caused in Christian communities by three things: by heretical doctrine, by an unloving, selfish, exacting spirit, and by proud words and an ungodly life; and all three are characteristic of these teachers. So far, therefore, as they are tolerated, they tend to divide and break up the communities to which they belong. Everything they are and everything they have tends to disintegration, and the sooner the Church is rid of them the better. The specific illustrations of this truth in the history of the early sects, and even in the later, are very striking.

sensual: we have no English word that expresses the thought of the Greek. The word describes the man in whom the earthly natural life of the soul is supreme, the spiritual, with all its faculties, being subject; and the man himself is ever doing the ‘desires of the flesh and of the mind' (Ephesians 2:3). ‘Sensual' is too strong, and ‘natural' and ‘animal' too narrow. ‘Soul (ψυχη), the underlying root of the adjective here used, is the man himself in his natural state. With the soul is connected man's higher nature, the spirit, including the conscience and whatever remains there may be of diviner faculties. The body is the lower nature. He who gives himself up to the body is fleshly; he who by communion with God's Spirit gives himself up to the nobler life, is spiritual. He who thinks only of his own interests, emotions, tastes, is the man whom this verse describes. It is the form of life that finds in itself and in its earthly likings and preferences its law; is sensual even when not fleshly, as were these teachers.

not having the Spirit. Their natural religious life, such as it is, is under the unbroken influence either of their flesh or of their lower earthly conceptions. They have neither the law nor the power of the really regenerate man. (Compare 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; Romans 8:9; 1 John 3:24; James 3:14-15.) Without the Spirit, therefore, means, conscience and affections and reason all subject and defiled, even when the flesh is not absolutely supreme.