On quotations from apocryphal books in Jude

A couple of days ago I received this email from a friend:

Dear Jeff 

Trust this finds you well. I wondered whether in your NT studies you have come across good resources about whether Jude is quoting from the apocryphal book of Enoch and Moses in his letter? One is Jude 14-15 is a quotation of an apocryphal writing called The Book of Enoch. Calvin thought it was just oral tradition. Lenski makes it a quotation though.

My 9 year old son is perplexed by this one!

Best regards

Yesterday I sent this response (and thought others might profit from reading it too):

I don't have any special expertise on Jude, but the typical line of thought, as I understand it, is that the citation in Jude 9 about the dispute with Michael the archangel over the body of Moses is from an apocryphal book known either as The Testament of Moses or The Assumption of Moses (and these may be two distinct works) that now only exist in fragments or from patristic quotations. In the margin of the Nestle-Aland 28th ed. Greek NT the note reads "AssMosis?"

Calvin says it might have come from "an apocryphal book" or "from the tradition of the [Jewish] fathers." He goes on to speak of how likely it is that Moses's body was indeed buried in obscurity, but that after this Satan would have wanted to make it known as an object of "superstition."

As for Jude 14-15 this seems to be directly taken from 1 Enoch. The margin of the Nestle-Aland 28th ed. cites 1 Enoch 1:9; 60:3; and 93:3, as well as another Jewish apocryphal work, Jubilees 7:39. I have an English translation copy of 1 Enoch and 1:9 reads: "And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to destroy the ungodly: And to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

Calvin indeed says that this prophecy was more likely "unwritten" than taken "from an apocrphyphal book." At the time he wrote the 1 Enoch was probably unknown in the West, but it was known in the East, especially in Ethiopia.

You said your son is perplexed by this. I speak more to him with this:

Is it because these quotations come from non-Biblical books? There are other examples of quotations from non-Biblical books and even ones that are completely lost to us now in the Bible. Last Sunday in our services we were reading Numbers 21 in which reference is made to "the book of the wars of the LORD" (v. 14), a book we no longer have. Paul cites Greek philosophers/poets (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12). These quotations and ones like them in Jude 9,14-15 do not mean that these quoted works themselves were inspired. It only means that those portions when quoted within the Biblical books are inspired, whether in Numbers, Acts, Titus, or Jude, etc.

Hope this helps, Jeff

JTR

WM # 77: Jude 5

I recorded and uploaded this afternoon, Word Magazine # 77: Jude 5.

Here are my notes:

The NA28 incorporated for the first time use of the CBGM from the ECM, but only in the catholic epistles. The NA28 lists 33 changes from the NA27 (pp. 50-51). Most of these are minor, but there at least two major changes: 2 Peter 3:10 and Jude 5.

Note: The CBGM/ECM method will continue to be incorporated in future edition of the modern critical text. Recent posts on the ETC blog indicate two recent key developments coming out of Germany: (1) In June 2017 the Text und Textwert edition of Revelation was published (determining the witnesses cited in the ECM and eventually bound in reduced form for the NA) (see here); and (2) In August 2017 the two-volume ECM edition of Acts will be released (see here).

I.                The issue: Jude 5:

The major change is the use of “Jesus” rather than “Lord.”

Compare (emphasis added):

Jude 5 KJV: I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Jude 5 ESV: Now I want to remind you , although you once fully knew it, that Jesus who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

II.              The external evidence: Jude 5:

There are some minor variations. A few mss. include the conjunction oun (C, Psi, etc.) and one ms. inserts “brethren [adelphoi]” (p78).

The major variation is at the phrase “though ye once knew this, how that the Lord” (KJV):

TR: eidotes humas hapax touto hoti ho kurios

NA27: eidotes [humas] panta hoti [ho] kurios hapax

NA 28: eidotes humas hapax panta hoti Iesous

The apparatus of the NA 28 lists no less than 13 variations:

1.    humas panta hoti kurios hapax (Sinaiticus)

2.    humas hapax touto hoti ho kurios (1175, 1448, Byz)

3.    hapax panta (touto: 5) hoti ho theos (C2, 5, vg mss)

4.    hapax touto hoti ho kurios (307, 436, 642)

5.    panta hoti ho theos hapax (442, 1243, 2492, vg mss, Syriac ph)

6.    panta hoti ho (-Psi) kurios hapax (Psi, 1611, Syriac h)

7.    hapax panta (pantas p72*) hoti theos christos (p72)

8.    hapax panta hoti (plus ho 33*) Iesous (A, 33, 81, 2344, vg)

9.    panta hoti ho Iesous hapax (88, sa mss?, bo?)

10. panta hoti Iesous hapax (1739 txt, sa ms? bo? Origen 1739 mg)

11. hapax touto hoti kurios Iesous (1735)

12. panta hapax gar Iesous (1739 varia lectio)

13. humas hapax panta hoti Iesous (B)

Note:

(1)  The NA28 reading is found is exactly found in only one ms: B [and there is no evidence that this reading was ever copied];

(2)  The main issue is the one acting (the Lord or Jesus), but there are other variants. See this table:

[ho] kurios	Sinaiticus, 1175, 1448, Byz; 307, 436, 642; Psi, 1611, Syriac h
Iesous	A, B, 33, 81, 88, 1739 txt, 2344; vg, sa ms?, bo?, Origen 1739 mg, 1739 varia lectio
Kurios Iesous	1735
theos	C 2, 5, vg ms.; 442, 1243, 2492, vg mss., Syriac ph
theos christos	p72

Observations: There are only 8 papyri mss. of the catholic epistles. Of those only 2 are of Jude; p72 (all of Jude); p78 (Jude 4-5, 7-8). Of the uncials, the evidence is divided. Sinaiticus has kurios, while A and B have Iesous.

III.            The Internal Evidence: Jude 5

See Bruce Meztger’s Textual Commentary, Second Edition, prepared for the UBS 4 (pp. 657-658). It gives [ho] kurios a “D” reading but retains it nonetheless.

He notes that the committee believed the reading of Iesous “was difficult to the point of impossibility,and explained its origin in terms of transcriptional oversight” (mistaking the nomina sacra for kurios [kappa sigma] as that for Jesus [iota sigma]).

He adds that nowhere else in Jude does the name Jesus appear alone but as Jesus Christ.

He also notes that though the Iesous reading is well attested it would be “strange and unparalleled” to ascribe to Jesus this OT action.

Here is a place where text criticism of the twentieth century (Metzger) is set against that of the twenty-first century (NA28)!

IV.            Conclusion:

Though the variation here is slight, it introduces the peculiar challenge of an unstable text for those who embrace the ever-changing modern critical text. One might argue that the modern text offers a high Christology by attributing to Jesus divine action in the exodus. But this would actually argue against it, since “the Lord’ is a reading of equal antiquity that apparently resists this pious tendency. Metzger’s explanation of confusion over the nomina sacra seems more than plausible.

The “new reading” was adapted by the ESV and the NET Bible even before NA28 was published. It has now been adopted by the NLT (2015) and the Christian Standard Bible (2017).

These are the first vernacular translations to offer this reading since the Protestant Reformation. But is this change warranted? I do not think it is. We should stick with the traditional reading.

JTR

Exposition of Jude: Part 25 of 25

Note: This is the last in an occasional verse by verse commentary through the book of Jude. Past commentaries may be read under the “Jude Exposition” label below.

Jude 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Now in this final verse Jude makes explicit the name “God” but he quickly adds in apposition “our Saviour.” This essentially affirms the deity of Christ as God. The all-wise Father is praised alongside the Saving Son.

Four things are attributed to the Lord:

1. Glory (doxa). In OT Hebrew word is chabod, weightiness. God is heavy. He is not to be handled lightly. His name is not to be thrown about on the wind. We are not to take his person or his nature casually.

2. Majesty (megalosune). He is a king. How would you enter the presence of a king? Would you come in open collar and torn jeans? Would you sit on a stool or bow on your knees?

3. Dominion (kratos). Do you acknowledge his lordship? Is he ruling and reigning over your life? Is there evidence of his dominion over your life? Ships bear the colors of the nations whose dominion they are under. Does the banner of Christ hang over your life?

4. Power (exousia). This word might also be rendered as authority. When you’ve a decision to make who is your authority? Your nation? Culture? Your parents alone? What of God’s authority over you?

Jude ascribes all these things in this benediction to our Lord. But each has implication for his subjects. They are praise to him and lessons for us.

Finally, there is the duration signature: “both now and forever. Amen.” This praise goes on and on and on….

Reflections:

• How does Jude 25 affirm the deity of Christ?

• Meditate on each of the four qualities attributed to God: glory, majesty, dominion, and power.

• Consider that praise to God will never end. Will you praise him both now and forever?

Exposition of Jude: Part 24 of 25

Note:  This is part of an occassional verse by verse exposition through the book of Jude.  For an archive of past commentaries, see the label "Jude Exposition" below.

Jude 1:24 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,

And so it all ends with praise. After all the polemics of Jude, after the call for earnest contending for the faith (v. 3), after the almost clinical analysis of the errors of the false teacher, and the encouragement to believers, Jude ends with a stirring benediction or doxology of praise to God.

And so this book reflects what will be the end for every saint and the end of this age. After a season of warfare and struggle and defending the faith, there comes praise.

Jude ends, “Now unto him that is able….” Praise is only properly directed to the right object. Jude’s praise begins with addressing God as the one who is able. Indeed, the God of the Bible is the only one who is able.

When Jesus told his disciples that is was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into heaven, his disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” (Matt 19:25), Jesus replied, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (v. 26).

Paul addresses this prayer to God:  Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Think of what God is able to do:

He is able to create this world and all that is in it in the space of six days and all very good.

He is able to continue the work of creation by sustaining all that is by the word of his power.

He is able to heal the sick and open blinded eyes.

He is able to still storms.

He is able to melt hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh.

He is able to raise the dead to life.

So, Jude ends his letter with this God-centered prayer addressed, “unto him that is able…”

Next, Jude focuses on two things in particular that God is able to do related to the needs of the recipients of this letter:

1. He is able to keep you from falling.

This is a particularly reassuring prayer given the subject matter, the dangers of false teaching and apostasy. Will the recipients of this letter be ensnared in these false teachings?

The verb for “to keep” is phylasso. It means to guard, to keep under guard, to protect, to defend, to keep safe.

The phrase for “from falling” here is simply one word, an adjective aptaistos, “free from stumbling” (the first of two alpha privatives in this verse).

This is a prayer to God thanking him for his persevering grace. God not only saves sinners by grace but he keeps them saved by grace.

This benediction also illustrates the very nature of a public prayer which is both vertical (God-directed) but also horizontal (man-encouraging).

2. And to present you faultless.

Here Jude moves from praising God for perseverance to praising from for glorification.

He is able to present his saints “faultless” (amomos; without blemish; note the second alpha privative). Are they faultless? Can they live a perfect and sinless life? No. But—and this is the miracle—God is able to present them as faultless, because of Christ. Sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stain.

Where are they presented? “Before the presence of his glory.” Who can stand in his presence? Certainly not sinful man without the shield of Christ. A welder has to wear a mask to protect his eyes from the blinding light of the welding torch. So if we were to look upon God in his glory without a mediating filter we would be blinded and undone. We are unable. But God is able to this for us because of Christ.

Thus, rightly we do so “with exceeding joy.” Would a man be filled with joy if seconds before he was to be condemned to death he discovered the sentence had been lifted, the prison door was open, and he had been set free? Would a sick man suffering with cancer be filled with joy if the sickness left his body and he was fully healed? This then too is the spirit of those guilty and sin-sick sinners upon whom Christ has poured out his forgiving and healing mercy.

Exposition of Jude: Part 23 of 25

Note: This is another in the occasional verse by verse series through the book of Jude. For past expositions, see the “Jude Exposition” label below.

Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

In v. 23 we have another imperative. The main verb is “save” (sozete).

As an aside, we see here another significant textual issue in this verse. Modern translations do not have one main verb ("save") but two, adding again “have mercy.” So:

NIV Jude 1:23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-- hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

NASB Jude 1:23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

The choice of translation is by no means insignificant! Again, we will prefer the traditional rendering where the main (and only) finite verb is “save.”

We acknowledge from the start that Jude did not think it was in man’s power to save, in the sense of ultimate spiritual salvation. “Salvations is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). Jude either is encouraging the saints to be the instrument through which God saves others. Or, he is speaking temporally, encouraging believers to be involved in rescuing or salvaging those who are in dire spiritual and physical danger. The end, of course, would also be for the spiritual good of that person.

The call is modified by the prepositional phrase “with fear” [en phobo; with reverence, with awe].

Then there are two supporting participles.

First, “pulling them out of the fire.” This accentuate the danger of their predicament and the urgency that is called for. This is not something that can wait for a few months, weeks, days , or even hours. It cannot wait minutes or seconds. Sinners are like men who are camping and who have rolled over in their sleep into the fire. They must be awakened before they are consumed and it is too late.

There is likely an allusion here to the prophet Zechariah:

Zechariah 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

We are to see unconverted sinners as like men caught in a burning house and they must be pulled out to safety.

When John Wesley, the founder of Methodism was five years old, his family’s home burned down and he was rescued from the burning building. Looking back on that event Wesley often called himself “a brand plucked from the burning” when he reflected on God’s providential sparing of his physical life. No doubt, he also understood how God had plucked him out of a danger in a spiritual sense.

Second, “hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” A person might be pulled from the fire but his clothing might still be blackened and reeking of smoke from that fire. The point: We are to have compassion on the lost without in any way approving of their ungodly lifestyle. Jude would have been wary of those who claim that we need to accommodate the Christian message to the culture by taking up worldly ways. No, we are to hate the garment spotted by the flesh.

We need to be very careful as well of a simplistic “God hates the sin and loves the sinner” mentality. For one thing, the Bible teaches that God not only hates sin but he also hates sinners (see, for example, Psalm 5:5: “thou hatest all workers of iniquity”). Jude exhorts believers to minister to and to rescue those sinking down in the sin.

Jude closes this little epistle with a call for discerning compassion. It is a call for believers to see themselves as instruments of God’s peace, as means of his deliverance. We are to be God’s fire-fighters, entering burning buildings and pulling out victims.

Reflections:

• How can a believer be used as a means of saving sinners?

• How is evangelism like pulling victims from a fire?

• How can we do evangelism with those most trapped by sin without approving of their wicked lifestyles?

Exposition of Jude: Part 22 of 25

Note: This is an occasional, verse by verse series of expositions through the book of Jude that started in May 2007! You can read previous commentaries under the label “Jude Exposition” below. You can also listen to my sermon series through Jude here.

Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

Jude had the last to say about the false teachers in v. 19. With v. 20 he turned with final exhortations to address believers. Those exhortations continue in v. 22.

The heart of this verse is a command: “have compassion” or “have mercy.”

One thing we might point out in this verse is the fact that modern translations tend to render it a little differently than do translation based on the traditional text. Compare:

NIV Jude 1:22 Be merciful to those who doubt;

NASB Jude 1:22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting;

The issue is both the translation and the case of the participle. The verb from which the participle (diakrino) comes can mean “to discern,” “to make a difference,” or “to doubt.” Is it nominative (as in the traditional text): have compassion/mercy making a difference? Or is it accusative (modern text): have compassion/mercy on those who doubt?

It might not surprise the reader to find out that I prefer the traditional rendering. Jude is calling for the believers to be compassionate. As Christians, we are to be merciful. We are to be moved by the plight of sinners. We are not to be cold and indifferent to the plight of our fellow human beings.

Nevertheless—and I think this is very consistent with what we have read throughout Jude—we are also to be discerning. Some will take compassion and mercy as a license for taking advantage of our good will. They will take the offer of divine mercy from Christ’s ambassadors as license to presume upon the grace of God.

A few years ago the evangelical blogger Tim Challies Challies defined discernment (making a difference) as “the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong.”

He then added:

“When we practice discernment, we are applying the truths of the Bible to our lives. We are attempting to understand the words of the Bible and trusting God’s Word to give clarity so we might see things as God sees them. Our goal in discernment is to do just this: to see things through God’s eyes through the Bible and thus to see things as they really are. Like wiping the steam from a mirror, we seek to remove what is opaque so we might see with God-given clarity.”

Jude exhorts his hearers to be large-hearted in extending compassion, but also to exercise discernment.

Reflections:

• How does a believer extend mercy or compassion?

• How has mercy been extended to us in Christ?

• What areas of the Christian life particularly call for discernment?

• How would one exercise discernment in considering marriage, in choosing a career, in choosing a church, in establishing doctrinal convictions?

Exposition of Jude: Part 21 of 25

Image:  Stephanus 1551 Greek NT

Note: This is a series of occasional verse-by-verse expositions of Jude (begun in March 2007). I recently finished preaching a series of expositional messages through Jude, so maybe I can use my notes to finish out this series. For the final verses I will use the KJV (vv. 1-20 were from the NKJV). You can read previous parts under the label “Jude Exposition” below.

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

In Greek, Jude 20-21 are really one sentence. The sentence consists of one main verb and three supporting participles (building, praying, looking). The main and governing verb is the command “keep” (from tereo). It is a call for perseverance. We know, of course, that our perseverance in the faith depends upon God. David praises the Lord for ordering the steps of the good man in Psalm 37:

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

In Jude 21 the stress is on human responsibility. God is ultimately the one who keeps his saints, but he works through means. The saints show they belong to Christ by virtue of the fact that they abide in Christ. Again, we can look to Psalm 37 as David urges:

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

Jude commands in particular that the saints remain in the sphere of the love of Christ. We might take this as a call for the believers not to flag in their love for Christ. Jesus upbraided the church at Ephesus for leaving their first love (Rev 2:4). Note that this is a corporate word (2nd person plural).

The final participle is “looking for.” The verb here often has a “last things” connotation. It refers to living with eager expectation of that great day. For believers it is not a day of terror but of joy. What child dreads the coming of his birthday or Christmas? So, no believer dreads the day of Christ’s coming. For the reprobate it will be a terrible day of judgement but for the saints it will be a day of receiving “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Reflections:

• What means might the Lord use to keep his saints in the faith?

• How can you keep yourself in the love of God?

• Are you looking for (i.e., living in eager expectation of) the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life?

• Read Psalm 37 and meditate on the passages that provide assurance of perseverance to the saints in light of Jude 21.

John Gill's Exposition of Jude

Image:  John Gill (1697-1771)

I listened yesterday to an audio recording of high Calvinist and old school Baptist John Gill's (1697-1771) Exposition of Jude (it's 110 minutes long but goes pretty quickly on high speed playback).  A few observation on Gill's exposition:

• Gill, like Calvin, takes the author of the book to be Jude the Apostle and not Jude, the brother of the Lord.

• Gill is fully aware of the major textual issues in Jude (e.g., whether theos should be included in v. 4).  He notes differences between the "Alexandrian" and traditonal text and makes reference to divergent readings in the Syriac.  This again affirms the fact that the Reformation, Puritan, and post-Reformation Protestant exegetes were fully aware of the textual challenges to the traditional text, and yet they affirmed it.  The rise of the modern critical text and translations based upon it, leading to the overthrow of the received text, did not primarily come about as the result of "new manuscript discoveries" in the modern era.

• Gill takes the mention of Michael the archangel in v. 9 as a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ.  He also argues that "the body of Moses" is a metaphorical refence to the OT Scripture (the law).

JTR  

Who wrote Jude?

Who wrote the book of Jude? The little book begins, “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James….” (1:1).

I. We know three things about the author:

1. He was a Jewish man.

His name Ioudas is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah. Judah was the son of Jacob and father of the one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

2. He was a Jewish Christian man.

He calls himself “a servant of Jesus Christ.”

3. He was a Jewish Christian man directly related to a leading figure in early Christianity named James, and, thereby, to Jesus himself.

He calls himself the brother (adelphos) of James (Iakobos). The reference to James is apparently to James, the elder of Jerusalem, and prominent leader in the early church (cf. Acts 15:13; 21:18; 1 Cor 15:7; Gal 1:19; 2:9, 12). Paul refers to him as “James the Lord’s brother” (adelphos; Gal 1:19).

II. There are at least seven persons identified with the name “Jude” in the NT:

1-2. In Luke 3:26 and 3:30 there are two figures listed in the genealogy of Jesus named “Juda” (from Ioudas. Note that the text of 3:26 is disputed with some reading Ioda. This reading is adopted by the modern critical text, so that modern translations render the name in 3:26 as "Joda" [so RSV/ESV, NIV, NASB]). Obviously, neither of these is the author of Jude but there appearance shows the prevalence of the name and its appearance in the family line of Jesus’ household.

3. This is the name of Judas Iscariot the disciple who betrayed Jesus. He may be excluded for consideration of the authorship of this book for obvious reasons. The typical English rendering of his name (“Jude” rather than “Judas,” though it is exactly the same in Greek, indicates a desire to distance the author from the notorious betrayer of Jesus).

4. Another of the twelve apostles has the name of Judas (or Jude). John 14:22 specifically refers to him as Judas “not Iscariot.” In the listing of the apostles in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 he is described as Judas “of James (Iakobou).” The AV translates this as “Judas the brother of James”; the NKJV, however, as “Jude the son of James” (note the italic).

5. In Acts 9:11 there is mention of a man named Judas in Damascus who welcomed the blinded Saul into his home. There is no other known reference to this man in the NT.

6. In Acts 15:22 there is mentioned “Judas surnamed Barsabbas.” He and Silas are recognized by Luke as “chief men among the brethren” (v. 22) and “prophets” (15:32; cf. also v. 27).

7. Finally, there is a Judas (or Jude) who is listed among the brothers of Jesus in Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3 (translated “Judas” in the AV of Matthew and “Juda” in Mark). These would have been the half-brothers of Jesus, the children of Joseph and Mary. The order varies between Matthew and Mark. In Matthew the brothers are listed as “James, Joses, Simon, and Judas” and in Mark as “James, Joses, Juda, and Simon.” Note that James is listed first in each list either owing to his being the eldest (after Jesus) or to his later prominence among Jesus’ followers or a combination of both factors.

Now, who wrote the book of Jude? We can look to the men of this name mentioned in the NT. As noted above, we can rule out both the historical Judes of Luke 3:26, 30 and Judas Iscariot. It also seems less likely that Jude (not Iscariot) the apostle is the author. Surely, if the author were an apostle he would have noted his apostolic authority or his eyewitness testimony to Christ’s public ministry as Paul, Peter, and John do (cf. Gal 1:1; 1 Peter 1;1; 1 John 1:1-3). He speaks of the apostles as if he were not among them (cf. v. 17). Finally, it seems more likely that the apostle was the son of a man named James, rather than the brother of James. There is no compelling reason to believe that the author of this book was the obscure Judas of Damascus or Judas Barsabbas. Neither of these are associated with James. This leaves us with Jude the brother of Jesus and James as the most likely author.

The Gospels indicate that the family of Jesus did not at first acknowledge him as the Christ (cf. Mark 3:21, 31-35). John starkly records that early in his public ministry, “neither did his brethren (hoi adelphoi) believe in him” (John 7:5). After the cross and resurrection, however, things change. Luke records that when the early church gathered in Jerusalem, May and his “brethren” were among them (Acts 1:14). Paul alludes to “the brethren of the Lord” engaging in public ministry (1 Cor 9:5).

We can conclude then that Jude, the author of this letter, was a Jewish Christian minister who was the half-brother of Jesus and the brother of James of Jerusalem.

JTR

Exposition of Jude: Part 20 of 25

Note: This is a series of occasional verse by verse expositions of Jude (begun in March 2007--hard to believe!). An archive of this and past commentaries may be found under the lable "Jude Exposition" below.

Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

The church is threatened on two sides. There are enemies without, but there are also enemies within. The church must face persecution from the world and heresy that breaks out among its own ranks. The book of Jude is a work directed toward the enemies within.

Having completed his description of the false teachers at v. 19, Jude turns to contrast the character and life of the believers. The false teachers are sensual, worldly, and without the Spirit (v. 19), “but” (the Greek conjunction de) believers are altogether different. Jude writes to the company of the saints. They are the “beloved” (agapetoi). They are loved by each other (John 13:34-35). They are loved by the apostles (cf. 1 Peter 2:11; 4:12). Most importantly, they are loved by God Himself (1 John 5:19). They are loved by God, because they have been found to be in Christ. The Father loves the Son and those who are in the Son thus share in the status of being “beloved.” So Paul says that God has “made us accepted in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6). As Jesus taught, “if anyone will love Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him” (John 14:23).

Having established the identity of the believers to whom he writes as the beloved of God, Jude then describes two specific activities of the saints. They are involved in edification and in prayer.

First, they edify one another: “building yourselves up on your most holy faith.” This defines their attitude toward one another (the horizontal). They have come together as a temple made up of living stones, built on Jesus as the cornerstone (cf. 1 Peter 2:4-8). Now they must use their words and deeds to further strengthen their brothers and sisters. As Paul said, “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification” (Rom 15:2). Jude stresses here the central importance of doctrine. Edification is on the “most holy faith.” At the outset, Jude exhorted his hearers “to contend earnestly for the faith” (v. 3). Each believer should constructively confirm in the hearts of his fellow believers the doctrinal and confessional truths on which they stand. They share in a “like precious faith” (2 Peter 1:1) that must be defended from distortion and compromise. The church’s doctrinal foundation is in the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16-18). They build one another up when they uphold this truth one to another.

Second, they pray in the Holy Spirit: “praying in the Holy Spirit.” This defines their attitude toward God (the vertical). Prayer is foundational to the Christian life. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray (see Matthew 6:9-13). He also provided them a living model of how to be a man of prayer (cf. Mark 6:46). Luke says that the early church was devoted to prayer (Acts 2:42) and that when they prayed the place was sometimes shaken (Acts 4:31). Paul encouraged the believers to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Matthew Henry said that prayer is like a letter sent from earth to heaven. Charles Spurgeon said that prayer was like a thermometer for the church to measure its health. He also called the church’s prayer meeting its most important gathering of the week. Believers edify each other in a “holy” faith and they pray in the “Holy” Spirit. Both faith and prayer set them apart for God’s purposes. To pray in the Spirit is not to have some wild, ecstatic experience. It is, rather, to be led by the Spirit of God to understand how to pray and what to pray, knowing that “whatever we ask we receive from him” (1 John 3:22) as long as it is “according to His will” (1 John 5:14).

The sum: Jude tells the believers they have an identity and a status. They are beloved. He also tells them that they have two defining traits. They edify and they pray.

Reflections:

1. Which do you think is most a threat to the church today, forces outside or inside?

2. How does Jude contrast the saints and the false teachers?

3. How does the believer’s union with Christ make him “beloved” by the Father?

4. How might a believer edify his fellow believers in “the most holy faith”?

5. What does it mean to “pray in the Holy Spirit”?

JTR

Exposition of Jude: Part 19 of 25

Note: This is a series of occasional verse by verse expositions of Jude. An archive of this and past commentaries may be found under the Jude Exposition label below.

Jude 1:19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

This is the final description that Jude offers of the false teachers he has been combating throughout this little epistle. The word order in the original Greek is reflected better in the Authorized Version: “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” Jude offers three descriptions:

First, these men separated themselves from others. They caused divisions. They created cliques. Such men organize whisper campaigns. They sow discord in the body. They undermine the peace and tranquility of the family. They are schismatics who rend the robe of the church. They follow in the tradition of Korah, who led an uprising against Moses and Aaron in Numbers 15.

Second, they are “sensual.” The word in Greek is psychikoi. A literal translation might be “soulish,” but in fact the word means “unspiritual,” “physical,” or “material.” Some, therefore, would render the word as “worldly.” Such men use worldly thinking and worldly tactics rather than godly thinking and godly actions. They want to run the church the way one might run a business or a secular social organization.

Third, they do not have the Spirit. This means, of course, the Holy Spirit of God. Here we see the doctrine of the trinity in Jude. These men were unconverted. The Spirit which blows where it will had not blown down upon them. They were not born from above. Such men cannot authentically profess that Jesus is Lord (cf. 1 Cor 12:3). They are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He is not their teacher, comforter, counselor, advocate, and encourager. They are natural men, and “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The unspoken warning to believers is that we are to be the opposite of these men in our character, word, and deeds. First, we are not to cause unnecessary divisions in the body of Christ. We are to seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11; Psalm 34:14). As much as depends on us, we are to “live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Second, we are to be “other-worldly.” We are not to act like secular men or attempt to solve problems according to worldly solutions. Third, we are to be Spirit-filled men. If not already converted, we must pray for God to reveal himself to us. We must listen to the preaching of the gospel, and if the Spirit should wipe the scales from our eyes, unclog our ears, and clear the haze from our minds, then we must repent and believe in the one who is “able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (Hebrews 7:25).

Reflections:

• Have you been prone to cause divisions within the body of Christ? Have you suffered others to sow discord?

• Why is the church not to be run like a worldly business?

• What does the Holy Spirit provide the believer? How do we know that we have the Spirit?

Exposition of Jude: Part 18 of 25

Note: This is a series of occasional verse by verse expositions of Jude. An archive of this and past commentaries may be found under the label "Jude Exposition" below.

Jude 1:18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

In v. 17 Jude urged his readers to listen to "the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." It was this select group of men who had warned the believers to beware of "mockers" who would appear in the "last time" (v. 18). The apostles likely warned believers about such things in their preaching and teaching ministry. They also shared such things in their inspired writing ministry. Matthew recorded the warning from Jesus himself in the first Gospel: "for false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (Matt 24:24). Paul warned against the deceit of "the man of sin" and "the son of perdition" (2 Thess 2:3). John, likewise, notes that "many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18).

In v. 18 Jude refers to such men as "mockers." Mockery involves the expression of insult or contempt through impertinent imitation. These false teachers would deride or make fun of the Christian proclamation. The clearest example of this apostolic warning is found in 2 Peter 3:3-4. Peter warned of "scoffers" who would come "in the last days, walking according to their own lusts" (v. 3) and who would make sport of the Christian teaching of Christ’s second coming. These men would ask, "‘Where is the promise of His coming?’ For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." The delay, Peter says, is not the result of God’s "slackness," but because God is "longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

Jude acknowledges that this is the "last time." By this he means this present gospel age, the intermediate time between Christ’s first coming and his second. The false teachers mock God by walking "according to their own ungodly lusts." They do not believe that the Lord will one day come to judge the living and the dead. Thus, at the time of his coming they will be like the foolish virgins who were shut out of the wedding feat and who heard the Master say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you" (Matthew 25:12).

Again, Jude is urging the faithful to resist the inroads of false teachers and to cling to the teaching of the legitimate apostles. We should especially beware those who mock cardinal Christian doctrines like the second coming of Christ. This little book of Jude is part of the very means God has provided for our perseverance in the faith!

Reflection:

• What warnings did the apostles give about false teachers?
• Do you see the fulfillment of the apostles’ prophecy in men who mock the Christian faith today?
• How would you answer a skeptic who asks why Christians still believe that Christ will return one day even when so many years have now passed by?

JTR

Exposition of Jude: Part 17 of 25

Note: This is a series of occasional verse by verse expositions of Jude.

Jude 1:17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:

After exposing the errors and dangers of false teachers who deceive the undiscerning, Jude encourages his hearers to cling to the sound and healthy teaching of the apostles. The contrast is made clear by the conjunction "but" (Greek: de). Jude addresses the "beloved" of God, authentic disciples of Christ, upon whom God’s affections have been freely and lavishly bestowed. In Paul’s great epistle to the Romans he likewise refers to the believers there as "beloved of God, called to be saints" (Romans 1:7).

Jude urges the beloved to remember the words that were "spoken before" (proeipon) by the apostles. One might well render this verb as "prophetically spoken." In fact, Jude will go on to highlight the apostolic prediction that false teachers would trouble the flock of God (see Jude 1:18; cf. Acts 20:29-30; 2 Peter 3:3). Like the inspired prophets of old, the apostles accurately predict what will transpire.

Jude 1:17 is also an important passage for understanding the doctrine of Scripture. Jude encourages the believers to look to the teaching of the apostles as a reliable standard of authority for determining truth. In Acts 2:42 Luke says that the early believers continued steadfastly in "the apostles’ doctrine." These same apostles and their inspired associates would also be moved by the Holy Spirit to write down the truth revealed to them for the benefit of the church (cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:15-16). Thus, by the Master Builder’s appointment, the household of God is constructed "on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20).

The apostles were not self-appointed. They were "the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus gave the twelve disciples the name "apostles" (Luke 6:13). They were his hand-picked men for this task. Jesus said to these men in John 15:16: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you…." They were eye and ear witnesses to his ministry and majesty (2 Peter 1:16; 1 John 1:1).

We who live in this age can no longer listen to the apostles, but we can hear their voice when we read the inspired, canonical writings that they left behind. Jude anticipates the writing of the New Testament and the completion of the Biblical canon. In essence, he urges believers of all ages to look to the Scriptures alone as final authority for direction and counsel.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Exposition of Jude: Part 16 of 25

Note: This is a series of occasional verse by verse expositions of Jude. An archive of this and past commentaries may be found at the "Jude Exposition" label below.

Jude 1:16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.

Jude continues to dismantle the façade that the false teachers have constructed. He exposes their true identity in a rapid series of five vivid descriptions:

First, they were "grumblers." This word might also be translated "murmurers" (so it is in the AV). One lexicon defined this word as a "habitual grumbler." It calls to mind the grumbling and complaining of the Israelites in the wilderness. Numbers 11:1 says, "Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused." Like the grumblers of old, these men are actually lodging their complaints against God Himself.

Second, Jude says they were "complainers." This appears to repeat the same sentiment expressed in the first description above. Jude’s double mention of this fault certainly adds emphasis to the flaw. One lexicon defined this word as meaning one "dissatisfied with life." We all know the kind of person who enjoys bursting the bubble of enthusiasm. He is never satisfied with others. For this person the church is always half empty rather than half full. As Joel Beeke has noted, pessimism is really a subtle form of pride. The one who complains wants to appear above the fray. He takes no positive action but revels in dismantling the efforts of others. In the back of his mind, he thinks, "I could have done much better, if only I had tried."

Third, these men "walk according to their own lusts." "Walk" is a picturesque way of describing how they choose to conduct or live their lives. They are self-centered. They are driven by their inordinate desires. They do not have Christ or his body at the center of their lives. Instead, they are like the ones Paul describes in Philippians 3:19 "whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is their shame—who set their minds on earthly things."

Fourth, "they mouth great swelling words." This phrase in Greek literally reads: "Their mouth speaks boastful things." Note that these false teachers have a perverse unity in evil. They speak with one mouth. They do this, however, not to praise God but to toot their own horn. These men were apparently impressive public speakers, effective communicators, and skilled rhetoricians. All this is rubbish, however, because it is not used to the glory of God but to the glory of men. There is a warning here to the true church. Do not be fooled by style. Look at the substance. A man may speak well, but does he speak about the gospel? Remember that Paul’s opponents said his letters were "weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible" (2 Corinthians 10:10). The power of the message is often wrapped in the weakness of the messenger.

Fifth, they were "flattering people to gain advantage." A literal rendering of this phrase might be "marveling at [men’s] faces on account of gain." In other words, they are sycophants. They are out to win friends and influence people. They tell people to their faces what they want to hear in order to win their favor and take advantage of them. Beware the teacher who never offers you any sting or correction, but who only feeds you self-indulging compliments.

Reflections:

• Are you a "habitual grumbler"?
• What is the spiritual danger of constant complaining?
• Are you pursuing Christ or your own lusts?
• Contrast Jude’s descriptions of false teachers with what should characterize the life and ministry of a true teacher or of any genuine believer?

JTR