AND BROTHER OF JAMES,— He might also have called himself _the brother_ of our Lord, for he was nearly related to the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the flesh; but though the evangelists have given them that title, yet neither Jude, nor his brother James, have ever taken it to themselves: perhaps th... [ Continue Reading ]
BELOVED, WHEN I GAVE ALL DILIGENCE, &C.— This verse, about the sense of which commentators have strangely disagreed, maybe thus paraphrased: "Beloved, when I was studiously thoughtful about, and earnestly applied to the work of sending an epistle to you, concerning that spiritual salvation, which is... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THERE ARE CERTAIN MEN CREPT IN, &C.— _The creeping in unawares,_ in St. Jude, has a plain resemblance and reference to the _privily bringing in_ mentioned by St. Peter, 2 Peter 2:1. Both the words in the original are formed upon the same sentiment, and are meant to describe the craft and subtle... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH YE ONCE KNEW THIS,— _Though ye fully, or perfectly._ See Jude 1:3. The Christians to whom St. Jude writes, had formerly been of the Jewish religion, and were therefore well acquainted with the Old Testament, from their hearing it read in the synagogue every Sabbath-day. It is intimated in the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ANGELS WHICH KEPT NOT, &C.— St. Peter, 2nd Epistle, 2 Peter 2:4 speaks of the _angels that sinned;_ St. Jude gives it as an account of their sin, that _they kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation._ This account of the angels' sin is recorded only in this passage of sacred... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CITIES ABOUT THEM IN LIKE MANNER, &C.— That is, "In like manner with their neighbours in Sodom and Gomorrha." Dr. Heylin gives the passage a very just turn: _and the adjacent cities who were guilty of the same prostitution, in following unnatural lusts._ The whole verse may be thus paraphras... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE ALSO— _Nevertheless these dreamers also,_ &c.] The connection is, "Though there are so many examples upon record of God's just displeasure against the wicked; nevertheless, these dreamers also, in like manner with the ancient inhabitants of Sodom, defile the flesh with their lewd practices,... [ Continue Reading ]
MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,— St. Peter, 2 Ephesians 2:11 in reproof of the presumptuous and self-willed, who _speak evil of dignities,_ says, that _angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord;_ but here St. Jude has given us the history to which... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THESE SPEAK EVIL, &C.— _Whereas these men rail against things which they do not indeed understand; but what things they understand naturally, like animals destitute of reason, in these things they are corrupted._ See 2 Peter 2:11; 2 Peter 2:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND RAN GREEDILY AFTER THE ERROR— _And have been poured out in the error;_ εξεχυθησαν : which seems to have much the same sense as the Latin word _palari,_ to _ramble,_ or keep no certain path; as liquor when poured out of a vessel, spreads itself, and keeps no direct course. And the proper sense of... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE SPOTS IN YOUR FEASTS OF CHARITY,— The first writer who describes these _love-feasts_ is Tertullian, in his Apologies, ch. 39. Having given an account of the public worship and discipline of the _Christians,_ their great charity and holy lives, and having taken notice of some luxurious supp... [ Continue Reading ]
RAGING WAVES OF THE SEA,— The word Αγρια, _raging or wild,_ is applied to such herbs or trees as grow up of themselves in the desarts or mountains, by way of opposition to those which are in gardens, or cultivated by the care and industry of man. So several animals are called αγρια, _wild,_ to disti... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ENOCH—THE SEVENTH FROM ADAM, &C.— Enoch is called _the seventh from Adam,_ to distinguish him from another of the same name, who was the son of Cain, Genesis 4:17. A remarkable fragment of antediluvian history is here preserved to us. Our translation has it, _Enoch_—prophesied of these. In the o... [ Continue Reading ]
TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT, &C.— _God will come to execute judgment upon all men,_ but he _will punish none but the ungodly;_ and then every mouth shall be stopped, not by might, but by evidence and conviction. Enoch prophesied that God would come, and, with a flood, punish that impious race among whom he... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE MURMURERS, COMPLAINERS, &C.— Having in the former verse finished the prophesy of Enoch, St. Jude now goes on in other phrases to describe those corrupt _Christians._ Some think that the two words, _murmurers_ and _complainers_ are synonymous terms, to express the same thought with more str... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORDS WHICH WERE SPOKEN BEFORE OF THE APOSTLES, &C.— Many eminent writers believe that the apostles hada meeting upon the great case of the new false teachers, and that they gave jointly, by common consent and deliberation, precepts proper to the occasion, to be communicated to all churches. No... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THEIR OWN UNGODLY LUSTS.— _Ungodly lusts_ may denote such a life of sensuality, as argues that a man has not the fear of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE BE THEY WHO SEPARATE THEMSELVES, &C.— "These are the very men, of whom our blessed Lord and his apostles warned you; men that make factions and divisions in the church, alienating themselves from the true apostles, servants, disciples, and doctrines of Christ, and forming separate parties of t... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE, BELOVED, &C.— The false teachers corrupted the faith, _turned the grace of God into lasciviousness,_ and would have made parties, tearing in pieces the church of God. The Christians, therefore, both here and Jude 1:3; Jude 1:17 are exhorted to preserve one another through divine grace in tha... [ Continue Reading ]
KEEP YOURSELVES IN THE LOVE OF GOD,— The word 'Εαυτους is put for αλληλου, _one another,_ both here and in Jude 1:20. See 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:13. The meaningand connection is, that bybuilding up one another upon their most holy faith, and praying by the aid or inspiration of the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OF SOME HAVE COMPASSION, &C.— "Moreover, you are not to deal alike with all who are seduced by the false teachers; for some are weak, and easily imposed upon. Towards them you are to shew great lenity and tenderness; making a difference between them and others." There were two sorts of Christian... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OTHERS SAVE WITH FEAR,— Those who were more deeply immersed in the errors of the false teachers, and more corrupted with their vices, were to be _saved,_ or _reformed by fear;_ especially if they were also stubborn and intractable. The Christians were to set before them the terrors of the Lord:... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW UNTO HIM, &C.— "Now, to conclude with a solemn doxology, which belongs, as to all the Persons in the adorable Godhead, so particularly to our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we have been speaking of under such characters as are peculiarly suitable to your encouragement and relief under all your present... [ Continue Reading ]