This commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
They came in trying to deceive people and us God’s grace as a license to sin. They weren’t saved “ungodly men” and lost it as the were “before of old”. This was already in the making a long time ago.
“denying the only Lord God”These men are not Christians and were never Christians, they have made their choice and denied Jesus:
Matthew 10:32-33“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
1 John 4:15 “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
5I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
These people that crept in are not believers just like the Israelite's “that believed not”in the wilderness. A church consists of a group of people and in one way guarantees all our saved or there for the Lord, we are warned of tares, false teachers, false prophets and wolves in sheep's clothing.
6And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
The first metaphoric description of these men are that they are “clouds they are without water, carried about of winds”
Some have said this is a progressive list of them getting worse and worse but we can see from the beginning of the list they have no Holy spirit. They were without God from the beginning of this list. “without water”Jesus said out of a believers belly will flow Living Water, which in John 7:39 He states is the Holy Spirit. These individuals do not have Living Water. John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
He then goes on to describe them as trees and lists their characteristics clearing showing they are not Christians nor ever were as verse 4 above explains“trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;”
John 15:5 says if we abide or dwell in Him we “bringeth forth much fruit”. How do we abide? Jesus says it is simply believing on Him John 6:56 “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” John also corroborates this in 1 John 4:15“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”Therefore, fruitless men like these never believed and as verse 4 above states they have denied the free gift, rejected it “denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”
“trees whose fruit withereth”Strong’s G5352 - phthinopōrinos outlines the Biblical usage as follows:
I. autumn trees
trees such as they are at the close of autumn, dry, leafless and without fruit
metaph. of unfruitful, worthless men
These trees don’t have fruit just like an autumn tree. They never had fruit just like an autumn tree they are unfruitful, withered or not they have no value.
“without fruit”This is Strong’s G175 - akarpos and the NKJV combines this with G5352 and simply says Autumn trees without fruit. Again, simple meaning these people have no fruit, equating to no Holy Spirit and thus unconverted men.
“Twice dead”, they were born spiritually dead like us all but then denied the free gift thus ultimately they will die a second time. Revelation 21:8 speaks of the second death “which is the second death.”Perhaps these people have gone so far in the hardened, seared state they have sealed their fate before even dying and God has given them over to a reprobate mind. See Jude 1:4, Romans 1:28 and teachings on divine hardening.
As noted in verse 4 above these are “ungodly” and unsaved men. There is not question these men never knew Jesus and as verse 4 also says are guilty of ”denying the only Lord God”.
13Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
As verse 12 mentions above they are without water which Jesus said was the Holy Spirit in John 7:39 “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God Romans 8:38-39
He will never leave us“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
So what does“keep yourselves in the love of God”here?
22And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
1
Jude 1 — Forever Word commentary
King James VersionThis commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
They came in trying to deceive people and us God’s grace as a license to sin. They weren’t saved “ungodly men” and lost it as the were “before of old”. This was already in the making a long time ago.
“denying the only Lord God” These men are not Christians and were never Christians, they have made their choice and denied Jesus:
Matthew 10:32-33 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
1 John 4:15 “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
5I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
These people that crept in are not believers just like the Israelite's “that believed not” in the wilderness. A church consists of a group of people and in one way guarantees all our saved or there for the Lord, we are warned of tares, false teachers, false prophets and wolves in sheep's clothing.
6And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
The first metaphoric description of these men are that they are “clouds they are without water, carried about of winds”
Some have said this is a progressive list of them getting worse and worse but we can see from the beginning of the list they have no Holy spirit. They were without God from the beginning of this list. “without water” Jesus said out of a believers belly will flow Living Water, which in John 7:39 He states is the Holy Spirit. These individuals do not have Living Water. John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
He then goes on to describe them as trees and lists their characteristics clearing showing they are not Christians nor ever were as verse 4 above explains “trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;”
John 15:5 says if we abide or dwell in Him we “bringeth forth much fruit”. How do we abide? Jesus says it is simply believing on Him John 6:56 “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” John also corroborates this in 1 John 4:15 “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” Therefore, fruitless men like these never believed and as verse 4 above states they have denied the free gift, rejected it “denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”
“trees whose fruit withereth” Strong’s G5352 - phthinopōrinos outlines the Biblical usage as follows:
I. autumn trees
trees such as they are at the close of autumn, dry, leafless and without fruit
metaph. of unfruitful, worthless men
These trees don’t have fruit just like an autumn tree. They never had fruit just like an autumn tree they are unfruitful, withered or not they have no value.
“without fruit” This is Strong’s G175 - akarpos and the NKJV combines this with G5352 and simply says Autumn trees without fruit. Again, simple meaning these people have no fruit, equating to no Holy Spirit and thus unconverted men.
“Twice dead”, they were born spiritually dead like us all but then denied the free gift thus ultimately they will die a second time. Revelation 21:8 speaks of the second death “which is the second death.” Perhaps these people have gone so far in the hardened, seared state they have sealed their fate before even dying and God has given them over to a reprobate mind. See Jude 1:4, Romans 1:28 and teachings on divine hardening.
As noted in verse 4 above these are “ungodly” and unsaved men. There is not question these men never knew Jesus and as verse 4 also says are guilty of ”denying the only Lord God”.
13Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
As verse 12 mentions above they are without water which Jesus said was the Holy Spirit in John 7:39 “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God Romans 8:38-39
He will never leave us “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
So what does “keep yourselves in the love of God” here?
22And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.