New Testament Commentary - Jude 1

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 1 Contend for the faith—Some angels kept not their first estate—Michael disputed about the body of Moses—Enoch prophesied of Second Coming—Mockers shall come in the last days.	Jude, the Lord's brother, speaks out against those who are in apostasy against the Chruch—It points out how men have continually failed before God by pursuing their own contrived courses seeking the things of the natural man—He establishes that in the last days there will be those found in apostasy and who will mock the true believers of Christ—He also sets out the way of Christ being that Doctrine of Christ which is the only way to eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
1 ^aJude, the ^bservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James^a, 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.	1^a Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James In the LDS Bible Dictionary, Jude is merely stated to be the brother of James. There were three apostles named James who eventually served in the Apostleship. There was James of the first presidency, the brother of John. There was James the son of Alphaeus. And there was James the brother of the Lord, who like Barnabas and Saul or Paul, was appointed to the twelve as vacancies came open. Under the persecutions of the Apostles which led to the apostasy, all of the apostles of the original twelve as well as the newly appointed apostles suffered death (excepting John), commonly one of a martyr's death. As to Jude, under the entry of James the Lord's brother is found names of other brothers and sisters of the Lord. Amoung those names are James, Joses, Simon, and Jude. Thus in the same humility of which the book of James was written, which was written by the brother of Jesus Christ, so is the short one chapter book of Jude so written. Though being half brothers of the Lord, in the setting of the Church, both James and Jude proclaim themselves 'servants of the Lord Jesus Christ', placing Him in the high position of Savior and King rather than even alluding to the fact of their kinship through Mary.
Apostasy Exposed for What It Is
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to ^awrite unto you of the common ^bsalvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should ^cearnestly ^dcontend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain ^amen crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ^bungodly men, turning the grace of our God into ^clasciviousness, and ^cdenying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Apostasy From Within Some critics pick at the fact that quite a number of the early and even later saints of the restored gospel turned all together therefrom, proclaiming Joseph Smith a fraud and the work to be that of the Devil. Jude here in verse four sets out that the same was true of the early Chirstian Church established by the Lord and his Aposltes. Jude states, 'there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained'. This was the case of the likes of Sydney Rigdon, David Whitmer and others who fell away from the Church. And there were still others who became number among the greatest persecuters of the saints. As Jude writes of those of his day, so it was in Joseph Smith's day, 'turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.' Just as many of the early Chruch of Jesus Christ did turn from it and deny even the Lord God, Jesus Christ; so did many turn from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, denying the Lord's prophet Jospeh Smith, as is sure to be the case concerning those who denied Jesus Christ in the time of Jude, they would have also turned against the Apostles and Prophets of that early Church as well. Thus apostasy is nothing new to the Church of Jesus Christ even amoung those who had been ordained. They turned away and denied the faith then and many have also done so today. This fact does not make the Church of Jesus Christ a false church. It is Satan's tool used against God's Church during all periods of times and is to be an expected accompaniment to the true Chruch of Christ.
Apostasy and Its Consequences Through the Ages Jude sites the instances of the wicked Israelites who having been delivered out of Egypt did turn from the Lord and were destoryed. He sites the preexistance as it was commonly understood among those of the day of Christ and how those who kept not their first estate with Lucifer fell from grace and will suffer final judgement against them. He sites the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a type of the fate to befall such who do rebel against God. He could have also sited those of the days of Noah, of Babel and of the scattering of the tribes of Israel and the destruction of Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon is no exception as it sites the destructin of the Jaredites and the Nephites. God will destroy the wicked. It mattereth not what the 'popular status quo' of the day may be. The wickedness will be destoryed and the righteous preserved in the Lord. All who rebel against God and His Kingdom will fail and fall and only His true faithful saints will remain. Man does not, man cannot and man will not dictate to God what is and what is not acceptable before the throne of God. Legislative or even judicually contrived common consent of the people does not make evil good and good evil. And though the course of natural man has and well follow this course into rebellion and apostasy against God, there is no safety from the wrath of God merely due to the popular opinions of the day of man.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having ^asaved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward ^bdestroyed them that ^cbelieved not. 6 And the ^aangels which kept not their ^bfirst ^cestate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the ^djudgment of the great day. 7 Even as ^aSodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to ^bfornication, and going after ^cstrange flesh, are set forth for an ^dexample, suffering the ^evengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these ^afilthy dreamers ^bdefile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9 Yet ^aMichael the ^barchangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of ^cMoses, 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^a. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of ^aCain, and ran greedily after the error of ^bBalaam for reward, ^cand perished in the gainsaying of Core.	10^a these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts,in those things they corrupt themselves Those who speak against God, speak of things which they do not know nor understand. They know only that which their fallen natural mortal selves have contrived of themselves. They are of the 'brute beast' not the 'highness of God' in their ways and thought. Thus they are and become but a corruption unto themselves buried in the lies of self deception and in the egotistical foolishness of man compared to that things and ways of God. Just because man contrives it to be so and defines it to be so, does not make it so. God's ultimate truth wills out over all else.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: ^aclouds 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 ^astars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And ^aEnoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord ^bcometh with ten thousands of his ^csaints, 15 To ^aexecute ^bjudgment 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 ^cspeeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are ^amurmurers, complainers, walking after their own ^blusts; and their mouth ^cspeaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of ^dadvantage.
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 ^amockers in the ^blast time, who should ^cwalk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who ^aseparate themselves, sensual, having not the ^bSpirit.
The Way of the Doctrine of Christ
20 But ye, beloved, ^abuilding 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 ^acompassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the ^afire; hating even the ^agarment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you ^afaultless 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.