1 JUDE, 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:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

WARNINGS FROM HISTORY TO THE UNGODLY

3 Beloved, 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.

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

4 For 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.
5 I 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.
6 And 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.
7 Even 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.
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9 Yet 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.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe 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.
12 These 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;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To 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.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

KEEP YOURSELVES IN THE LOVE OF GOD

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

1Iude the seruant of Iesus Christ, and brother of Iames, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserued in Iesus Christ, & called:

2Mercie vnto you, and peace, and loue be multiplied.

3Beloued, when I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common saluation: it was needfull for mee to write vnto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once deliuered vnto the Saints.

4For there are certaine men crept in vnawares, who were before of olde ordained to this condemnation, vngodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciuiousnesse, and denying the onely Lord God, & our Lord Iesus Christ.

5I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord hauing saued the people out of the land of Egypt afterward destroied them that beleeued not.

6And the Angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse, vnto the iudgement of the great day.

7Euen as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like maner giuing themselues ouer to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffring the vengeance of eternall fire.

8Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speake euill of dignities.

9Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with the deuill, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10But these speake euill of those things, which they know not: but what they knowe naturally, as brute beastes, in those things they corrupt themselues.

11Wo vnto them, for they haue gone in the way of Kain, and ranne greedily after the errour of Balaam, for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

12These are spottes in your feasts of charitie, when they feast with you, feeding themselues without feare: cloudes they are without water, caried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twise dead, plucked vp by the rootes.

13Raging waues of the sea, foming out their owne shame, wandring stars, to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darkenesse for euer.

14And Enoch also, the seuenth from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints,

15To execute iudgement vpon all, and to conuince all that are vngodly among them, of all their vngodly deeds which they haue vngodly committed, and of all their heard speaches, which vngodly sinners haue spoken against him.

16These are murmurers complainers, walking after their owne lustes, and their mouth speaketh great swelling wordes, hauing mens persons in admiration because of aduantage.

17But beloued, remember yee the words, which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ:

18How that they tolde you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walke after their own vngodly lustes.

19These be they who separate themselues, sensual, hauing not the spirit.

20But yee beloued, building vp your selues on your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost,

21Keepe your selues in the loue of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life.

22And of some haue compassion, making a difference:

23And others saue with feare, pulling them out of the fire: hating euen the garment spotted by the flesh.

24Now vnto him that is able to keepe you from falling, and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding ioy,

25To the onely wise God our Sauiour, be glory and maiestie, dominion and power, now and euer. Amen.

 

I == Luke 6:16 ; John 17:11-12 , 15 ; Acts 1:13

 

 

III == Phil 1:27 ; 1st Tim 1:18 ; 6:12 ; 2nd Tim 1:13 ; 4:7 ; Titus 1:4

 

 

 

IV == Rom 9:21 -22 ; Gal 2:4 ; Titus 1:16 ; 2:11

 

 

 

V == Num 14:29 , 37 ; 26:64

 

 

VI == John 8:44 ; Rev 20:10

 

VII == Gen 19:24

 

 

 

 

VIII == 2nd Peter 2:10

 

IX == Dan 10:13 ; 12:1 ; Rev 12:7 ; 2nd Peter 2:11 ; Zech 3:2

X == 2nd Per 2:12

 

 

XI ==Gen 4:5 ; Num 16:1 ; 22:7 , 21

XII == Prov 25:14

 

 

 

 

XIII == Isa 57:20

 

 

 

 

XIV == Gen 5:18 ; Deut 33:2 ; Dan 7:10 ; Zech 14:5 ; Matt 25:31 ; 2nd Thess 1:7 ; Rev 1:7

 

XV == 1st Sam 2:3 ; Ps 31:18 ; 94:4 ; Matt 3:13

 

XVI == Prov 28:21

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVIII == 2nd Peter 2:1 ; 3:3

 

XIX == Prov 18:1 ; 1st Cor 2:14

XX == Rom 8:26 ; Eph 6:18

 

 

 

 

XXIII ==Amos 4:11 ; Zech 3:2 , 4-5 ; Rom 11:14

XXIV == Rom 16:25

XXV == Rom 16:27 ; 1st Tim 1:17 ; 2:3

 

1 Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ: 2 may mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance. 3 Beloved, although I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel a need to write to encourage you to contend for the faith that was once for all handed down to the holy ones. 4 For there have been some intruders, who long ago were designated for this condemnation, godless persons, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 I wish to remind you, although you know all things, that (the) Lord who once saved a people from the land of Egypt later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 The angels too, who did not keep to their own domain but deserted their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains, in gloom, for the judgment of the great day. 7 Likewise, Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding towns, which, in the same manner as they, indulged in sexual promiscuity and practiced unnatural vice, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. 8 Similarly, these dreamers nevertheless also defile the flesh, scorn lordship, and revile glorious beings. 9 Yet the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil in a dispute over the body of Moses, did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him but said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"10 But these people revile what they do not understand and are destroyed by what they know by nature like irrational animals. 11 Woe to them! They followed the way of Cain, abandoned themselves to Balaam's error for the sake of gain, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they carouse fearlessly and look after themselves. They are waterless clouds blown about by winds, fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead and uprooted. 13 They are like wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameless deeds, wandering stars for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. 14 Enoch, of the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied also about them when he said, "Behold, the Lord has come with his countless holy ones 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict everyone for all the godless deeds that they committed and for all the harsh words godless sinners have uttered against him."16 These people are complainers, disgruntled ones who live by their desires; their mouths utter bombast as they fawn over people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 for they told you, "In (the) last time there will be scoffers who will live according to their own godless desires."19 These are the ones who cause divisions; they live on the natural plane, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 On those who waver, have mercy; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh. 24 To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished and exultant, in the presence of his glory, 25 to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, power, and authority from ages past, now, and for ages to come. Amen.

Jude did not believe until after the resurrection. He also humbled himself as “a servant (bond slave) of Jesus Christ”. He probably wrote before the destruction of Jerusalem because he does not mention it when he warns of apostasy and the wrath of God against wickedness. The Holy Spirit through Jude is sending a strong message to Christians today, as well as in Jude’s day, of the infiltration of false or apostate teachers into the churches. Over a third of ministers today do not believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible and reject many other of our vital doctrines.

v 1. Jude uses many triads. Here he is writing to believers who were called, or invited by the Holy Spirit, loved by the Father and kept in Jesus Christ. (See ASV)

v 2. The only time this triad is used in the Bible. Mercy received at salvation, Peace the result of forgiveness and Love from which we cannot be separated.

v 3. Jude’s intent was to write in regard to their common salvation, but the threat by false teachers to undermine the faith of many, caused him, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to change his mind and urge believers to defend the faith. We need to contend (painfully) in love without being contentious. Despise the error, not the man.

v 4. Movements which have crept in during our days and deny the deity of Christ include Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Unitarians and others. The Pope has also begun decrees apart from the Word such as “Assumption”, the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven at her death. This was begun in 1954, celebrated on Aug.

v 5. This is a reminder that only Joshua and Caleb believed and entered the land. Unbelief in wilderness. If this had been written after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 he would probably have mentioned that as a current example of unbelief.

v 6. Though many disagree, I believe this particularly wicked group of angels may include those who came down from heaven and cohabited with women, Gen. 6:1,2. This is borne out further by the comparison with immorality in the following verse.

v 7. Using grossly immoral Sodom and Gomorrah as an example may indicate the false teachers of Jude’s day were homosexual. To America’s shame and perhaps eventual doom, we have religious leaders and denominations today that defend the homosexuals. God’s judgment may be delayed, but it is sure. Long ago on the Island of Martinique a pig was nailed to a cross and carried through the city bearing the title “Holy Jesus”. People laughed and made not  one word of protest. A few days later Mt. Pelee suddenly erupted, destroying the entire city. A triad regarding judgment might be v 5, unbelievers destroyed; v 6 angels reserved; and v 7 immoral cities example. Also v 5, Jews, v 6 Angels v 7 Gentiles.

v 8. Here to verse 19 is a description of false teachers. The triad, these unrealistic thinkers, in common with warnings in v 5-7,  defile or pollute their bodies, despise or reject authority, and deride or scoff at heavenly beings.

v 9. This was a judicial contest between Michael and Satan regarding the body of Moses. We can not be sure concerning Jewish tradition, which I will not state here, or in a secondary meaning that the body of Moses might be Israel . However, we can assume Satan was accusing Moses as being unworthy of heaven because he murdered the Egyptian and struck the rock, just as he accuses us day and night, Rev. 12:10. In contrast to the men of v 8, Michael would not slander Satan but left rebuking to the Lord as in Zech. 3:2. We must not be flippant about Satan either.

v 10. This refutes the Gnostics claims of superior knowledge of angels. They did not understand better than animals, and their morals became like animals.

v 11. Triad-heroes of Gnostics: Way of Cain, rejection of redemption by blood for his own religion and will. Error of Balaam  was that he thought God must curse Israel for their sin, not realizing God had a plan for justifying a believing sinner. The reward might be money, power fame etc. (It should be pointed out, “the way of Balaam”, 2 Pet. 2:15, was that of a hireling prophet seeking to make a market of his gift, and the “Doctrine of Balaam”, Rev. 2:14, was to corrupt the people who could not be cursed by tempting them to marry women of Moab, see Num. 31:15,16.) The Gain saying of Korah was denial of the authority of Moses & intrusion into the priests office, Num. 16.

v 12. Spots. Better, rock in the sea, reef . Evil men were reefs on which the Christian love feasts might shipwreck. They were carousing in the midst of others and providing only for themselves, 1 Cor. 11:7-22. They are apostate professors whose doom is certain. The comparison of clouds reminds me of the drouth of the 1930s when an ominous black cloud would come up in the west and blow over without leaving a drop of water. They are as disappointing as a mature tree that bears no fruit. It is as good as dead, uprooted it is doubly or twice dead. 

v 13. Apostates are like wild waves of the sea that crash powerfully, relentlessly in foam upon the shore, only to slide back into oblivion. Also like shooting stars which have a moment of brilliance, and disappear forever.

v 14, 15. This prophecy is attributed to Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam. Jude quotes from the book of Enoch, which is not one of the 66 books of the Bible, but nevertheless, the Holy Spirit used a portion for a specific purpose. It showed the certainty of the doom of false teachers. (Some say Enoch was written after Jude.)

15. The plural marriages by one of these groups is immoral, and forbidding marriage in another leads to immorality. Many preachers on Easter preach on the resurrection of Jesus, not meaning they believe Christ’s body came out of the tomb. They only mean that His influence lives on. Jude calls them “ungodly”, & their doom already predicted.

v 16. This is a comprehensive description of these apostates. They are grumblers, sensual, boastful over some people but flattering others, etc.

v 17-19. Jude reminds readers that they had been warned about false leaders and scoffers in the last days, causing division in the church and living in immorality. They would be unsaved, not having the Holy Spirit to guide them.

v 20,21. “Beloved”, believers, are given three ways to keep in the love of God. Building on the foundation of our faith and forming our character. Praying with the Holy Spirit energizing and interceding for us, which does not mean talking in tongues. Looking for the glorious appearing of Christ.

v 22. Some unbelievers are meek and teachable and should be handled gently.

v 23. Some have gone into such apostasy that we may loath their sensual deeds, and while it may be repulsive, we are to love the sinner but hate the sin, and some will be rescued just as a stick pulled from the fire.

v 24,25. This is one of the most popular and moving doxologies used in many churches. We face temptations and dangers from the corruption and apostasy about us, but the Lord can keep us from falling, 1 Cor. 10:13 and Rom. 5:20. He can enable us to enter heaven with joy, and not with trepidation. All honor and glory to the Lord. 
Seven commands in Jude to believers:
1. Earnestly contend for the faith, v 3.
2. Remember the teaching and warning of the apostles, v 17.
3. Build yourselves up in the most holy faith, v 20.
4. Pray in the Holy Spirit, v 21.
5. Keep yourself in the love of God, v 21.
6. Look for the mercy of the Lord to bring you to eternal life, v 21.
7 . Show mercy to Christians who are doubting, snatch unbelievers from the fire, and cautiously show mercy to the corrupt, v, 22,23.