I. Judges 1:1; Judges 1:2. Greeting. II. Judges 1:3. The ungodly men. (_a_) 3, 4, 'I was writing a pastoral letter to you when the news that certain ungodly men have crept in obliged me to address you with a special admonition.' (_b_) 5-7. 'I would remind you—though as Christians you already know a... [ Continue Reading ]
As St. Paul in his two Epistles to Timothy, so St. Jude adds mercy to the 'grace and peace' of the ordinary apostolic salutation.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I GAVE.. IT WAS NEEDFUL] RV 'while I was giving.. I was constrained': see Intro. Our (RV) common salvation is the result of Christ's work, which is a fact that nothing can alter, on which all alike, Apostle and disciple, strong and weak, may base their life: the faith WHICH WAS ONCE FOR ALL (RV... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH YE ONCE KNEW THIS] RV 'though ye know all things once for all,' i.e. because they are Christians, and have learnt the whole Christian creed (cp. Hebrews 6:2); or perhaps (a deeper thought) because they have as Christians 'the Spirit in their mind'(cp. Ephesians 4:17; Ephesians 4:23), and 'nee... [ Continue Reading ]
FIRST ESTATE] RV 'principality.'... [ Continue Reading ]
VENGEANCE] RV 'punishment.' The fire may be called eternal, because the destruction wrought by it remains. The Gk., however, would allow us to take EXAMPLE with of eternal fire—' as an example of eternal fire, suffering punishment' (RM).... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE] RV 'Yet,' i.e. in spite of such a warning. ALSO THESE _filthy_ DREAMERS] RV 'these also in their dreamings,' i.e. their perverted faith and life is like a dream, sentimental and unpractical.... [ Continue Reading ]
With this v. cp. 2 Peter 2:11. St. Jude, however, does not say at all the same thing, and refers to a certain apocryphal Jewish book called 'The Assumption of Moses'; cp. Judges 1:11; Judges 1:14, and 2 Timothy 3:8. Though he refers to such books, he does not necessarily imply that the stories he re... [ Continue Reading ]
AS BRUTE BEASTS] RV 'like the creatures without reason.'... [ Continue Reading ]
CAIN] The Jews spoke of Cain as the first 'freethinker,' and these unbelievers would be his followers in that respect. Holy Scripture, however, tells us that Cain destroyed his brother, and these men were doing the same. The mention of Balaam brings in a new fault—their treacherous, hypocritical gre... [ Continue Reading ]
FEASTS OF CHARITY] RV 'love feasts': cp. 2 Peter 2:13. FEEDING THEMSELVES] RV 'shepherds that feed themselves': cp. Ezekiel 34:8, TREES WHOSE FRUIT WITHERETH] RV 'autumn trees'; they are TWICE DEAD, for the dying year is a symbol of death, and being plucked up by the roots is a symbol of the second... [ Continue Reading ]
RAGING WAVES] RV 'wild waves.' WANDERING STARS] i.e. comets, whose return no man sees.... [ Continue Reading ]
ENOCH ALSO.. PROPHESIED OF THESE] RV 'To these also Enoch.. prophesied,' i.e. to these as well as to the men to whom the prophecy is addressed in the apocryphal book of Enoch. COMETH] RV 'came.' TEN THOUSANDS OF HIS SAINTS] RM 'his holy myriads': cp. Deuteronomy 33:2; Zechariah 14:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
CONVINCE] RV 'convict.'... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING MEN'S PERSONS IN ADMIRATION BECAUSE OF ADVANTAGE] RV 'shewing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.'... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE APOSTLES] RV 'by the apostles': cp. 2 Peter 3:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEPARATE THEMSELVES] RV 'make separations,' i.e. they break up the Church into parties and sects: cp. 1 Corinthians 1:12. SENSUAL] RM 'natural or animal': cp. v. 10. SPIRIT] RV 'Spirit,' i.e. the Holy Spirit. 22, 23. AND OF SOME, ETC.] RV 'and on some have mercy, who are in doubt; and some save, s... [ Continue Reading ]
FALLING] RV 'stumbling': cp. Romans 11:11; 1 Peter 2:8. FAULTLESS] RV 'without blemish': cp. Ephesians 1:4 (RV); Colossians 1:22; (RV) Hebrews 9:14; (RV) 1 Peter 1:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ONLY WISE GOD OUR SAVIOUR] (cp. Romans 16:27 RV). RV 'the only God our Saviour.' God is called Saviour elsewhere in NT. only in 1 Timothy 1:1; 1 Timothy 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:10; Titus 1:3; Titus 2:10; Titus 3:4, and Luke 1:47; (from OT.). NOW AND EVER] RV 'before all time, and now, and for evermore.... [ Continue Reading ]