Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Jude 1:25
Verse Jude 1:25. To the only wise God] Who alone can teach, who alone has declared the truth; that truth in which ye now stand. Romans 16:27.
Our Saviour] Who has by his blood washed us from our sins, and made us kings and priests unto God the Father.
Be glory] Be ascribed all light, excellence, and splendour.
Majesty] All power, authority, and pre-eminence.
Dominion] All rule and government in the world and in the Church, in earth and in heaven.
And power] All energy and operation to every thing that is wise, great, good, holy, and excellent.
Both now] In the present state of life and things.
And ever.] Εις παντας τους αιωνας· To the end of all states, places, dispensations, and worlds; and to a state which knows no termination, being that ETERNITY in which this glory, majesty, dominion, and power ineffably and incomprehensibly dwell.
Amen.] So let it be, so ought it to be, and so it shall be.
After to the only wise God our Saviour, many excellent MSS. versions, c., add δια Ιησου Χριστου του Κυριου ἡμων, by Jesus Christ our Lord and after dominion and power they add προ παντος του αιωνος, before all time; and both these readings Griesbach has received into the text. The text, therefore, may be read thus: To the only wise God our Saviour, by Christ Jesus our Lord, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, before all time; and now, and through all futurity. Amen. Let the whole creation join in one chorus, issuing in one eternal Amen!
Subscriptions to this epistle in the VERSIONS: -
The Epistle of Jude the apostle, whose intercession be ever with us, Amen. The end. - SYRIAC.
The Epistle of Jude, the brother of James is finished: and glory be to God for ever and ever, Amen. - AETHIOPIC.
Nothing in the VULGATE.
Nothing in the ARABIC.
"This epistle was written A. D. 64, by the Apostle Jude, the brother of James; who is also called Lebbeus and Thaddeus; and who preached (the Gospel) to the Armenians and to the Persians." - This is found at the end of the ARMENIAN Bible, printed in 1698.
The Epistle of Jude the son of Joseph, and brother of James, is ended - A MS. copy of the SYRIAC.
The end of the catholic Epistle of St. Jude. - COMPLUTENSIAN.
The Epistle of Jude the apostle is ended. - IBID. Latin text.
In the MANUSCRIPTS: -
Jude. - Codex Vaticanus, B.
The Epistle of Jude. - Codex Alexandrinus.
The catholic Epistle of Jude. - Codex Ephrem.
The Epistle of the holy Apostle Jude. - Codex G, in Griesbach.
Of how little authority such subscriptions are, we have already had occasion to observe in various cases. Very few of them are ancient; and none of them coeval with the works to which they are appended. They are, in general, the opinions of the scribes who wrote the copies; or of the Churches for whose use they were written. No stress therefore should be laid on them, as if proceeding from Divine authority.
With the Epistle of Jude end all the apostolical epistles, and with it the canon of the New Testament, as to gospels and epistles; for the Apocalypse is a work sui generis, and can rank with neither. It is in general a collection of symbolic prophecies, which do not appear to be yet fully understood by the Christian world, and which can only be known when they are fulfilled.
Finished for a new impression, January 4th, 1832. - A. C.