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Jude Part IV
September 18th 2016
Meat
Okay, we left off with Jude describing – in great detail – the end of these who are – as he “twice dead – a phrase I interpret to mean they were once believers, having come to life from being dead in sin to dying again to the faith – forever.
At verse 14 he continues and says:
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.
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 Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Okay, let’s wrap up this epistle and launch ourselves into our verse by verse of Revelation . . . next week.
So back to verse 14 where Jude says:
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
According to the genealogy of the Old Testament Enoch is the seventh from Adam or the seventh in the direct line from Adam. That line of descent is Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahaleel, Jared, and then Enoch.
Now, according to scripture there are a couple of Enoch’s to consider.
His name means “initiated” and the first Enoch was the son of Cain (according to Genesis 4:17. Cain apparently built a city “east of Eden in the land of Nod,” and called it “after the name of his son Enoch.” This is the first “city” mentioned in Scripture.
This Enoch was also the one who introduced multiple wives to the world.
The second Enoch was the son of Jared, and father of Methuselah. His father was one hundred and sixty-two years old when he was born. Genesis 5 tells us that after the birth of Methuselah, Enoch “walked with God three hundred years” when he was translated without tasting death.
His whole life on earth was three hundred and sixty-five years. As we learn here in Jude he was the “seventh from Adam” and is considered one of the worthies in the faith according to Hebrews 11.
When he was translated, only Adam, so far as recorded, had died a natural death, and Noah was not yet born.
Now here in Jude a mention is made of Enoch’s prophesying. We read of this nowhere else. And apparently, his prophesies, spoken so many years before, related to corrupt men directly.
I’m not sure we can say that Enoch had these specific men in mind when he wrote but all that is implied is that his predictions were descriptions of them.
There is no mention made in the writings of Moses of the fact that Enoch was a prophet; but seeing he was translated and did not experience death that idea is not far fetched.
Additionally, because these saying of Enoch are not readily available in writing does not mean they couldn’t be handed down verbally – as the Jews were often accustomed to doing.
We see evidence of this in 2nd Timothy 3:8 where Paul refers to a story about “Jannes and Jambres withstanding Moses,” but we find nothing about them in recorded history.
Now, as we’ve said before, the source from which Jude derived this passage respecting the prophecy of Enoch is not known.
Amidst a vast array of oral traditions handed down by the Jews from antiquity it seems apparent Jude took this one from them.
And while many of those traditions and stories were false or mythic we could choose to think the best or worst about this particular tale and it really wouldn’t matter – Jude used it – so why not accept it, irrespective of its validity.
Anyway, what does Jude say the passage says?
“Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Why would Jude, who says that Enoch spoke of these men, cite a passage about “the Lord coming with His ten thousand of saints?”
Because that was what was about to happen! He’s warning them and explaining to them that Jesus is coming and in the process would deal with these wicked men.
For didn’t Enoch, speaking of these types,
say, “the Lord coming with His ten thousand of saints?”
To do what? (verse 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.”
In other words recompense is on the way for these who have crept in unawares into the Church and Jude is giving details on what is about (that’s right, is about to happen to them).
When Jude says that he would come with his ten thousand of saints this can mean angels or living saints on earth or both.
The doctrine is that upon coming he would bring judgement (and reward) upon the inhabitants of the earth.
When the apostles asked Jesus when he would come and what would be the signs that would accompany the end of that age, one thing He plainly explained is in Matthew 25:31, where he says:
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him,” so it is clear that Jude is referring to this event when he quotes Enoch.
So, “to execute judgment upon all,” and . . .
(this is an interesting “and” . . . ready?)
. . . and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed . . .
Now the Greek translated convince here in the King James is EX-EL-ENG-KHO and it means to convict and or to punish and or to give rebuke.
Almost all the translations appeal to convict instead of convince – there is a difference with one appealing to a type of persuasion and the other a type of punishment.
In the end it seems that punishment is intended here and this is the message Jude wants to present.
The message he seems to want to convey is that at this time a sentence is going to be pronounced upon these types which will be in direct relationship to their sordid crimes.
They are guilty and God is coming to pronounce their guilt – the terms does not occur anywhere else in the New Testament.
This passage is interesting as it uses the Greek term “az-ebbi-ah” (translated ungodly) four times in one verse –
It means, “ungodly” or absent of any of the things of God. Wicked acts and words. Now the interesting thing is Jude claims to be citing the actual words of Enoch and while he says that Enoch spoke of their day this, as I said, may only mean that in his words there are references to the time of the end of the end of that world or age.
In other words I think that Jude is quoting directly from Enoch – either by tradition or the writings himself – and when Enoch wrote this he was not talking about the end of Jude’s day but the coming judgment that would fall on his own day. And what day was this? The day of deluge when the wicked were going to perish by water and the righteous would survive by ark.
Enoch was telling them – if this is a direct quote from him and his writings – that judgment was going to fall on the wicked of that age, that world, that time (while simultaneously reminding them that the righteous would be saved – that is eight souls).
Jude uses his words to remind and warn of the same thing coming upon that world at that age and in that time. And I think we can agree, taking the words of Jesus, that , “strait is the gate and narrow would be the way and few would be there that find it,” so it is quite possible that only a handful of people (respectively) were rescued – perhaps it was on the same scale as the days of Noah.
So at the end of this age, an age that would be fulfilled and wrapped up with the second coming of Christ (with His angels) there would be judgment of all, Jude says, and a conviction of the wicked.
It occurred at the end of the Age of Noah. It was about to occur at the end of the age of the Nation of Israel and the Law – wiping out temple rites and rituals, priesthood, genealogy, and the physical nation once culled out by God to be His.
It has been 1900 plus years and we have been looking and waiting for the end of the World – at least of this world and this age.
We’ve taken the passages that described the end of that age and applied them to ourselves – for over one thousand nine-hundred years.
Of course you know that I am of the opinion that this has been an error in judgment. But what HAS been happening since the destruction Jude is promising here occurred?
Are we waiting for yet another end – of this age – of this world?
I suggest we are all individually awaiting the end of our respective personal age. That we are all going to experience our own burial under the deluge (but this time of dirt) and our own passing through the fire (but this time of God rather than Roman soldiers bringing it to us on torches).
I suggest that at the end of our worlds we will be judged (if we are wicked) rewarded (and saved) if we are righteous by Him, and will at that time be supplied with bodies changed in the twinkling of an eye and “fitted” to abide eternally according to the will of God and His eternal justice.
I cannot help but wonder that since Jesus has had the victory over all things, and has stepped from the right hand of God only to abide in His bosom forever and ever, that we, echoing the words of Paul, will reap what we have sown, and in a moments notice receive the spirit bodies that will remain with us forever.
That those spirit bodies will all have the ability to abide in the light of God (to some extent or another) and that possibly we will think (or assume) that we are fully experiencing Him where we land – not knowing that others experience more (and less of Him) than ourselves.
I can’t help but wonder if every human being that has ever lived experiences something that looks like this:
(Go to Board)
John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
Those who push in Those who are further away furthest know know them as well as they
them best believe they do (but might
not really know them well
at all.
Jesus is in “the Bosom
of the Father” (Joint-Heirs will be too)
Those on the outer perimeter relate to God and Christ according to the knowledge they have of them upon exiting this world. Maybe in that place their relationship seems like heaven, like it is the ultimate, like it they are in real relationship with them. But those who, over the course of their lives, have come to know them even better are able, by virtue of their resurrected bodies, to push in deeper into them, and deeper, and deeper. And maybe those who truly know them, and as a result truly trusted them and had faith in them, and loved as a result, abide in them – as Christ is in the Bosom of the Father.
Jude wraps his speech up and says that they will also be convicted:
“of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
So not just their actions but also their words. At this point he goes back to describing them and their ways and says:
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.
Now notice in verse 15 he talks about the “hard speeches,” which the “ungodly sinners” have spoken against Him (which I interpret to mean again God.
Then in verse sixteen his description of them seems to focus on their mouths. In verse 15 he says that they will be convicted for their words and in verse 16 he seems to describe how they used their words in an evil way, saying:
“These are murmurers” (GONG-GOOSE-TACE)
They are grumblers – and it’s the only time this Greek term is used. It’s translated murmur here but does not mean the same thing but instead seems to mean they are constantly complaining against God and His ways and plans and methods – especially in relation to their lot in life, their trials, their journey.
Bottom line – they are not contented nor grateful for what they have been blessed with, just negative for what they believe they ought to have.
So they are . . .
“complainers,” (against God for their lot in life)
“walking after their own lusts;” (we’ve talked about this – they do as they will with their appetites and passions – then back to their mouths and words and speech he adds)
“and their mouth speaketh”
“great swelling words,”
“having men’s persons in admiration” “because of advantage.”
And their mouth speaketh great swelling words . . .
Now the way the King James says this is difficult so let me read the passage from some other sources:
Young’s Literal Translation puts it this way:
“These are murmurers, repiners; according to their desires walking, and their mouth doth speak great swellings, giving admiration to persons for the sake of profit.”
In other words they see people who can benefit them and with great swelling words of flattery and compliments they bathe them hoping to get a reward or to benefit from their position.
We have a word for this today – sycophant.
Excessive adoration and honor bestowed by one person on another in hopes of gaining a reward.
Take into account that they are always complaining about their lot in life and then add in their sycophantic ways and we have some people who really have no reliance on God but appear to believe that they have to make their way in this world or they’ll just die, or starve to death, or be without.
The basis of their ways are faithlessness, godlessness, carnality and self-centeredness extraordinaire.
And at this point Jude begins to again encourage the believers of his day and says:
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
There is a striking similarity between these two verses and 2nd Peter 3:1-3. They occur in the same connection and follow the description of the false and dangerous teachers against whom the apostle would guard them. I mean they are basically the same words – “remember the words which were spoken of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Depending on how you want to see it one might be inclined to think that Jude was not including himself in the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ – by the way he writes this.
I tend to think he is speaking of them and doesn’t feel it necessary to include himself or maybe he is only talking about the apostles who have written epistles – and if he hadn’t doesn’t include himself.
Whatever it is he says,
Remember the apostles words . . . (verse 18)
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
What apostles said such things?
1st Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
2nd Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2nd Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Titus 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
And of course Peter
2nd Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts . . .
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
They move out and away from the flock, in all probability because they are sensually minded and lack the Spirit of God.
I find this passage interesting because the way it’s written they had to once be united with the brethren (in order to now be separated from them) and to me there is an inference that they once had he Holy Spirit otherwise I think Jude would have said, “never having had the Holy Spirit” which he doesn’t do. Instead he says, “sensual, lacking the Holy Spirit.”
They have fallen by way of their own will from God. Like the prodigal Son they have abandoned Him – and loving freedom He has allowed them to go.
And like the Prodigal Son the only way back is for them to make the move – He has always been there, and angels rejoice when someone returns from the slop of the faithless world to God.
But like the prodigal son, these must “come to their senses.” Speaking now to those who have clung to the faith Jude now says (at verse 20)
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
At this point Jude begins to sign off and in so doing leaves them with some directives and insights on how to continue to abide while avoiding the pitfalls of these enemies to faith.
As we will see he also gives some great insights on how to reach those who have walked from the faith – which we will get to in a minute.
However, this passage presents us with two very important principles (or tools) to remaining strong in the faith.
Building up the faith we have AND praying in the Holy Spirit. Let’s talk about these for a minute.
Building – “apoid-kom-ohm-eh-o” it means to build upon what has already been established.
We touched on this in our coverage of Hebrews six where the writer says:
Hebrews 6:1 “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”
In other words, we have the faith in Christ etc., let’s build on it and come to KNOW the true and living God and His Son whom He has sent.
Build on it. Why? Because to demolish such a structure takes a lot more effort and work than to demolish a simple framework.
Build a bulwark of faith – draw in and discover Him – know God – and this happens by being in the Word.
“So build upon the faith you have” and he adds, “praying in the Holy Spirit.”
I had a friend ask me the other day how often I pray. I said, “do you mean get on my knees and open officially with “Dear God,” prayer?”
He said yes. I said, “rarely.”
There was a pause and he asked, “well how about other kinds of prayers?” and I said, “constantly.”
Paul says in 1st Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
Talk to God always. Keep Him involved in all your comings and goings. One of my favorite characters in Gibson’s Braveheart is that little Irish dude – Stephan – the Mad Irishman – who ardently believes that Ireland “is my island,” and joins in on the fight with William Wallace.
Anyway he is always talking with God and relaying the info to Wallace’s and his men.
“The almighty tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he’s pretty sure your fooked.”
I like the Mad Irishman because he has an open constant talking relationship with God. He prays constantly.
But Jude suggests another approach to prayer, perhaps another approach, by saying:
“Praying in the Holy Spirit.”
Other translations say:
(TCNT) pray under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
(YLT) . . in the Holy Spirit praying,
(BBE), and making prayers in the Holy Spirit,
(MNT) . . . and ever praying in the Holy Spirit . .
What does it mean to pray in the Holy Spirit, or with the Holy Spirit, or by the Holy Spirit?
We know it is a thing recommended in scripture as Paul says in Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . .” and again in
1st Corinthians 2:13
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
But perhaps the best description of praying with or by the Holy Spirit is in
Romans 8:26-28 which says:
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
So what is this describing? We’ve mentioned it before but I think it is an important part of the gifts of being a Christian and has merit in our communion with God.
Some call it praying in tongues. I’ll be quick but in our lives we use language to convey the thoughts of our hearts.
Language takes images and ideas and notions and emotions and compartmentalizes them into letters, then words, then sentences, then paragraphs.
All of that serves as a “boxing in and a limiting of.”
For instance, I am worried about my children. My daughters. I can kneel down and pray over each one by name (boxed in concept) their particular plight, or struggle, and the specifics of their life – and I can decide that I need to do this so I can appeal to God with what I want . . .
OR . . .
I can turn it all over to the Holy Spirit and free the confines of the conversation up so the Spirit can take over and bring forth the things that need to be uttered or mentioned.
This is what I think Jude is suggesting – praying by the Holy Spirit – and letting those utterances carry vast amounts of information forward from our minds to God’s ear.
(verse 22)
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Notice the appeal to personal agency here in these verses. Here’s another one – “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”
Move yourselves into His light, know of His love, stay in the place where He and His ways are manifested.
“Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude knew the time was at hand where he would come to receive his people to himself.
Look. Keep watch. “The end of all things is at hand,” said Peter. In hope and faith trust that He will arrive and show you mercy.
At this point he shows that there are different ways (according to the Spirit) to skin a cat (or bring people around to the truth of God and Christ) and so he says in verses 22-23
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.
On some, “express compassion,” he says, “making a difference.”
In other words, “Don’t treat everyone the same. You are praying in the Spirit let the Spirit guide.
With some exercise compassion and/or pity, and the line, “making a difference” seems to mean “divide rightly with them between their error and the truths they maintain.”
But with others he says,
“save with fear.”
There are different personality types out there. Some are meek and tender and respond to love and mercy and there are others who are bold and proud and these may need to be knocked down – maybe even knocked out – a bit.
These Jude says, “save with fear.”
In other word, “use the right tool for the right job.”
A pane of glass cannot typically be fixed with a hammer and a fire hydrant is not going to be budged by a feather.
In counseling with people this advice is really important and it is not always received well as some consider the hammer to be unloving.
In all that we do motives tell us everything – in other words why are we saying and doing what we are saying and doing?
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
What exactly Jude refers to when he speaks of the garment spotted by the flesh is unknown but it is likely connected to the Old Testament and disease or leprosy.
But the meaning of the words are:
“save others by appealing to fear, pulling them out of the fire (but all the while) hating the sin that has defined them so as to avoid also becoming infected or affected – like you would by grabbing the garment of a diseased individual.”
In other words try and reach them but view their ways as infectious and corrupt.
And he wraps this letter up with
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,
“Look to Jesus and He can and will keep you from falling.” He will, as promised, “present you faultless before the presene of his glory with exceeding joy.”
And he concludes with:
25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
We can choose to see this benediction as a reference to God who is our Savior or to Jesus, who Jude is calling God, who is the most common person referred to as Our Savior.
Because they are one I see any and all as acceptable.
But to Him be . . . glory, and majesty, dominion and power – both now and forever.
And we are ready to proceed into the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Q and A
