Judas 1
A.T. Robertson · Citado em PreceptAustin
Judas 1:1-13
Robertson remarks that the faith refers to "the gospel, the faith system as in Gal 1:23; Jude 1:3, etc. (It) means more than individual trust in Christ." In short, "the faith" here refers not to the ACT of believing but rather to WHAT is believed = the unchangeable message of the Gospel, that body of Christian truth which brings salvation (past, present and future). In Jude this faith has been delivered to the saints once for all and these who have crept in have distorted "the faith," this venerable body of doctrinal truth by which we are sustained and grow in grace. The descriptive phrase, "which was once for all delivered to the saints," makes it obvious that the reference is not to the believers' subjective faith but to the objective truths to which believers firmly adhere. (cp Gal 1:23 "preaching the faith" - clearly refers to the body of truth to be believed which corresponds to "the gospel").
Judas 1:23
Robertson - Firemen today literally do this rescue work. Do Christians? (Comment: A fireman is to physically rescue a temporal life, whereas believers are spiritually rescue an eternal soul! What's the upshot? The church of Jesus Christ should be packed full with spiritual firemen and firewomen. The fireman in the firehouse are always on duty, on high alert to rescue victims. Let me ask you dear reader (and I ask this of myself as I write) - "Are you always on duty, ready, able and willing to throw the rescue line out to those in danger of perishing eternally? S natching (726) (harpazo) means to snatch up or way, to seize, to steal, to pluck or to pull and to do so suddenly, even with violence and speed and no warning. The idea is to take by force with a sudden swoop and usually indicates a force which cannot be resisted. Snatching denotes forceful and heroic action, hastily and almost violently snatching someone out of imminent danger." (Hiebert) The verb snatching also conveys a sense of urgency. Warren Wiersbe on snatching from the fire- Apparently these are the people who have left the fellowship and are now a part of the apostate group. They need to be snatched out of the fire! The angels took Lot by the hand and pulled him out of Sodom (Ge 19:16), and sometimes that must be done in order to rescue ignorant (Ed: Recall that there are false teachers distorting grace and so perhaps it is not so much that they are ignorant as that they are duped by the deceivers cf 2Ti 3:13) and unstable believers (Ed: Recall that some like John MacArthur don't see these as believers and I tend to agree. In either case they need rescuing!) from the clutches of false teachers. There is probably a reference here to Zechariah 3:2 and also Amos 4:11. In the Zechariah passage, the “brand” was the nation Israel brought back from the Babylonian Captivity and resettled in their land. God saw the people as a brand saved from the fire. In Amos 4, God was reproving the people for not heeding His warnings and judgments—poverty, poor crops, drought, pestilences, war, and even judgments like those that overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. They were as a brand plucked out of the fire, yet they did not appreciate God’s mercy. (Be Alert 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude- Beware of the Religious Impostors) The fire - To what does this refer? Most agree that this is most clearly a reference to the everlasting fire of hell, not a popular topic to discuss. One fairly liberal minister who did not believe in hell nonetheless approved of Moody’s preaching. How could that be? “Mr. Moody never preached about hell without tears.” UBS Handbook has an interesting not on fire - Fire, on the other hand, can refer to two things: 1. It can be a reference to the fires of the final judgment (as in Jude 1:7), during which time the wicked will receive the punishment they deserve. This is in keeping with the tone of urgency about the future found in the letter. Most commentaries prefer this first possibility. 2. On the other hand, fire can refer to the trials and difficulties that the Christians were experiencing at that time. This also is appropriate, since Jude describes a community of believers that is beset by many problems arising from the presence of godless people among them. (Bolding added) THE THIRD GROUP: DANGER AHEAD! On some have mercy with fear - This group has moved so far from "the faith" that they are even dangerous to the faithful. Hiebert says this group is "so polluted that they can be dealt with only in cautious compassion to avoid contamination by their sins. This is clearly the most degraded of the three classes. They are teetering on the brink of ruin, with meager probability of their being turned back." Despite the depth of their decline from truth, Jude says even they are to shown mercy. The attractiveness of sin should never be underestimated! Even the most faithful saint is not immune to temptations of the flesh. How do you have mercy to this group? Jude does not really tell us, but some would say you speak the truth of God's Word to them (and the Gospel) while others would say we pray for them, our act of prayer being in a sense a demonstration of mercy. Others would say we don't speak harsh, condemning words to them. However we certainly cannot compromise on the truth but must speak the truth in love. And as discussed below, however we have mercy on them we couple that with an intense hatred of the corruption wrought by their sins, whatever those are (Jude does not say, but some suggest sexual immorality). Michael Green loosely paraphrases Jude's description of this third group - "they are to have pity upon even the most abandoned heretic, but to exercise great care while getting alongside him lest they themselves become defiled. They are to retain their hatred of sin even as they love the sinner." (Jude Commentary - Tyndale). Compare - (Gal 6:1) Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. With fear - Literally the Greek is "in fear." The point Jude makes is to be careful when you carry out a rescue operation of your brethren who have been ensnared by the apostates, lest you be "contaminated" by "the contagion of sin while you are rescuing them." (Vincent) Even the most faithful believer can be influenced by evil in the person he is attempting to restore, so "compassionate caution" is necessary (cp Gal 6:1-2). With fear (5401)(phobos from phebomai = to flee from) in classic Greek means panic, fright, fear, awe, reverence. Phobos is used in an active sense to describe that which causes fear or terror, sometimes the source being God (of His divine works - eg, death of Ananias and Sapphira - Acts 5:5, 11, cp 1Ti 5:20, Rev 18:10, 15, Rev 11:11 = two slain witnesses come to life and ascend to heaven before a watching world!). As discussed below there are two ways with fear could be interpreted - (1) fear of God or (2) fear of danger. I personally think the context definitely favors the latter, but perhaps both meanings could be intended as they are not incompatible. Moo also favors (2) for the same reason writing "the words that follow “with fear” suggest....that believers are to fear the subtle influence of the false teachers. As they “show mercy” to them, they must at the same time be cautious in their contact with them, fearing that they too might catch the contagion of false teaching." (Ibid) Plummer - It is quite possible to approach evil with good intentions, and then, through want of proper humility and caution, end in finding it fatally attractive. (Expositor's Bible Commentary) This "with fear" principle can be applied to accountability groups. For example, I have been in men's groups in which the speaker was being far too graphic regarding his sexual sin, and his graphic description led me to feel "dirty" on one hand and to be tempted on the other. We need to share, but we need to do so with a sense of "spiritual decorum," discernment and concern for those who hear our confession. Warren Wiersbe calls this last group dangerous explaining that "The phrase with fear means “with caution.” In trying to help those who have erred, we must be careful not to be trapped ourselves! Many a would-be rescuer has been drowned himself (Ed: See story of Dawson Trotman below). When an unstable believer has been captured by false doctrine, we must be very careful as we try to help him, for Satan can use him to defile us. In trying to save him, we may be stained or burned ourselves! The principle Jude was laying down was that stronger believers must never think they are beyond satanic influence. Even while serving the Lord and seeking to rescue one of His children, we can become defiled by those we want to help. The Old Testament Jews had to be very careful to avoid ceremonial defilement, and this included even their clothing (Lev. 13:47ff; 14:47; 15:17). If a “clean” person touched an “unclean” garment, then he was defiled." ILLUSTRATION FROM EBOLA OUTBREAK - As a pathologist with subspecialty in medical microbiology (infectious diseases) as I read Jude's words of warning I thought how poignantly (and tragically) they were demonstrated in the 2014 Outbreak of Ebola Virus in West Africa. In seeking to help the victims of Ebola virus, several healthcare workers contracted this highly contagious virus and died. ILLUSTRATION OF THE RESCUE TUBE - Have you ever noticed that when the life guards at the pool are seated on the guard tower, they will have in their lap (if they are following regulations) a 3-4 foot firm rubber structure known as a "rescue tube." What's the function? To rescue a drowning victim. One way to do so is to hold the rescue tube out to the distressed swimmer (assuming they are close enough to the edge of the pool), instructing them to grab the rescue tube and slowly pulling the victim to safety. TRAGIC STORY OF DAWSON TROTMAN FOUNDER OF THE NAVIGATORS - On the afternoon of June 18, 1956, ten people who were attending a Christian conference in upstate New York were speeding in a power boat across Schroon Lake. Suddenly a wave struck the boat, hurtling two of its occupants into the water. The man held the young girl's head above the water while the boat circled back to them. Just as she was lifted to safety, her rescuer sank beneath the waters and disappeared from sight. The man who thus died saving the life of a girl whose name he did not know was Dawson E. Trotman, founder and director of The Navigators, designer of the counseling and follow-up program used by Evangelist Billy Graham. In his thirty years of service for Christ he had been used to bring back into focus for the Christian world some foundational New Testament truths, the influence of which had only begun to be felt during his own lifetime. His close personal friend and co-laborer Billy Graham said, “I think Dawson Trotman touched more lives than any man I have ever known. We today are only representatives of thousands of many races and languages and cultures that have been touched by this great man. .. There could not have been a more dramatic and characteristic way to die. He who spent all of his life in bringing salvation and upbuilding to others...spending his last moments in saving the life of one who could not swim.” (The Pathfinder: A Condensed Life Story of Dawson E. Trotman by Lorne C. Sanny) Here is another version of the tragic drowning of Dawson Trotman entitled ALWAYS HOLDING SOMEONE UP - The July 2, 1956 issue of the Time Magazine in its opening paragraph of the article entitled “Religion: The Navigator” was as follows – “Dawson Trotman clambered back into a motorboat one day last week after two hours of waterskiing on Schroon Lake, N.Y. He was dog-tired, but before he settled down he asked one of the two girls in the boat, Allene Beck, if she could swim; when she shook her head, he traded places with her so she would be in a safer spot. Minutes later the speeding boat bounced on a wave, and both of them, the 50-year-old man and the girl, shot into the water. He swam to her and held her head above water until the boat could circle back and she was hauled aboard. But as hands reached down to seize Trotman’s hand, he sank out of sight.” Dawson Trotman died by drowning, as he saved the life of another in the throes of death. The caption under his picture in the article appropriately summed up his life as it read “Always Holding Someone Up.” The article also aptly concluded with “He lived to save others” and “His death was just the way he would have planned it.” (Always Holding Someone Up) Mayor - The faithful are urged to show all possible tenderness for the fallen, but at the same time to have a fear lest they themselves or others whom they influence should be led to think too lightly of the sin whose ravages they are endeavoring to repair. (The Expositor's Greek Testament) Hiebert interprets with fear as a "reverential awe, springing out of a strong sense of God’s holiness, is the best immunization against infectious evil. The closer to God we live, the less appealing sin becomes." (Second Peter-Jude: An Expositional Commentary) (Comment - Certainly Hiebert's thought has merit for one would not want a new believer or a spiritually immature believer going into this dangerous setting.) NET Note agrees with Hiebert explaining that "Joining a fear of God to mercy is an important balance when involved in disciplinary action. On the one hand, being merciful without fear can turn to unwarranted sympathy for the individual, absolving him of personal responsibility; but fearing God without showing mercy can turn into personal judgment and condemnation. The imagery (inner garments) here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning." (Jude 1) While Jude could be speaking of the fear of God (as Hiebert and NET Note suggest), the text does not actually say this fear is to be of God. In fact a normal reading of the text would seem to favor another interpretation. The very next word after fear (phobos) is "hating even the garment...") in its context would lead one to conclude that we should fear lest we be contaminated so to speak by this group's sin. And so it could have both meanings - yes, we demonstrate mercy because of a sense a healthy fear of God, but we do so with the realization that if any man thinks he stands, he needs to take heed lest he too fall! New Living Translation - Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. UBS Handbook on with fear - fear here can mean two things. Firstly, it may be fear of being contaminated by the sins of these people. In this sense Jude is saying that, while they should have mercy and compassion on these people, they should also be aware of the danger of their sins and should guard themselves against being influenced by them. So this fear has in it the elements of carefulness and caution. See, for example, Jerusalem Bible, “there are others to whom you must be kind with great caution.” (Here is the New Jerusalem Bible = "to others again you must be compassionate but wary, hating even the tunic stained by their bodies") On the other hand, fear can mean “fear of God.” In this sense Jude is exhorting his readers to continue to have awe and reverence for God. And since they know that God will punish those who sin against him, their fear of God will prevent them from being influenced by these evil people within their fellowship. HATE THE SIN NOT THE SINNER Hating even the garment polluted by the flesh - The garments (chiton) refer to the undergarments (underwear), which here are pictured as stained or soiled! These individuals had become so corrupt that in a sense even their undergarments were defiled. While we are not to hate the sinner, we ought to feel an aversion and loathing for their sin. God hates sin and so should we! In the OT we note that the clothing of a leper was considered contaminated and had to be burned (Lev 13:47-52). MacArthur on dealing with those whose garment was polluted by the flesh - Just as no one wants to handle someone else’s dirty underwear and be defiled physically, so we should be extremely wary of getting too close to the spiritual defilement of those corrupted by false teachers. Even in bringing the gospel to committed apostates, saints must exercise great caution and wisdom (cf. Matt. 10:16). (2Peter and Jude MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Spurgeon on dealing with this group with polluted garments - When you have to deal with unclean professors, there must be an abhorrence and detestation of their sin even when there is great gentleness towards the sinner. We must never be such believers in the repentance of the guilty as to be willing to wink at sin; for sin is a great evil in any case, and repentance cannot wipe it away; and though it behooves us to be tender to the sinner, we must never be tender to the sin. (Exposition) NET Note - “Hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh.” The “flesh” in this instance could refer to the body or to the sin nature. It makes little difference in one sense: Jude is thinking primarily of sexual sins, which are borne of the sin nature and manifest themselves in inappropriate deeds done with the body. At the same time, he is not saying that the body is intrinsically bad, a view held by the opponents of Christianity. Hence, it is best to see “flesh” as referring to the sin nature here and the language as metaphorical. (Jude 1) Kistemaker regarding the garment polluted - What is Jude trying to communicate? The picture is of undergarments that are soiled by discharges of the body. Jude wants the readers to feel intense aversion, even to the point of hatred, especially when they think about clothes that belong to someone else. Jude is saying to the readers, “Avoid all contact with sin so that it does not contaminate you. In fact, hate sin as you would loathe filthy undergarments stained by human excretions.” Jamieson on hating even the garment - A proverbial phrase: avoiding the most remote contact with sin, and hating that which borders on it. As garments of the apostles wrought miracles of good in healing, so the very garment of sinners metaphorically, that is, anything brought into contact with their pollution, is to be avoided. Compare to lepers and other persons defiled, Lev 13:52-57; Lev 15:4-17: the garments were held polluted; and anyone touching them was excluded, until purified, from religious and civil communion with the sanctified people of Israel. Christians who received at baptism the white garment in token of purity, are not to defile it by any approach to what is defiled. (Jude - Commentary Critical and Explanatory) John gives a parallel on Revelation 3:4 quoting Jesus' words to the church at Sardis - "But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy." (Rev 3:4-note) While it is only conjecture, some writers have surmised that this is possibly why Jesus left His grave clothes. He took the sin of man upon Himself and shed the "contaminated" grave clothes at His resurrection. In a possible OT parallel, we see the High Priest on the Day of Atonement removing his linen garments including those that covered his flesh after he had performed the sin offerings for himself and the congregation. This OT practice could be seen as a picture of our Great High Priest offering Himself for our sin and then removing His grave clothes. Hating (3404)(miseo from misos = hatred) means to dislike strongly, to have a strong aversion to or to detest, all of these representing expressions of hostility of one person (or group) toward another (Mt 5:43, Lk 6:27, et al). Specifically the hatred can be directed toward God (Lk 1:71). Good hatred is described here in Jude 1:23 (cf Heb. 1: 9; Jude 1:23; Rev. 2: 6, 15. Ro 7:15; cf similar hatred of sin, etc in Lxx of Ps 101:3, Ps 119:104, 113, 128, 163, Ps 139:21-22). Paul Cedar - We are to be like Jesus. He had a reputation for being a friend of sinners, but He hated sin. He came to be our Savior and to rescue us from sin. (The Preacher's Commentary) Jamieson says "Even hatred has its legitimate field of exercise. Sin is the only thing which God hates: so ought we." Paul gives a somewhat similar warning in dealing with others involved in sin - "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; [each one] looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." (Gal 6:1). Garment (5509)(chiton) is a masculine noun. which refers to a close–fitting inner vest, an inner garment, an undergarment or in some contexts to any garment. At times two tunics seem to have been worn, probably of different materials for ornament or luxury (Mt. 10:10; Mk 6:9; Lu 3:11; 9:3). The high priest rent his clothes (Mk 14:63). In the Septuagint chiton is used of Adam's garment of skin (Ge 3:21). Chiton is used 5x in Genesis to describe Joseph's "varicolored tunic." (Ge 37:3, 23, 31-33) Jesus uses both chiton and himation in (Lk 6:29). In Mk 14:63 the high priest tore "his clothes" referring to an outer cloak, which in this context was equivalent to himation. Friberg on chiton - tunic, an undergarment worn next to the skin by both men and women, a sleeveless shirt reaching below the knees; more generally clothing, garment; plural clothes Webster on tunic - a simple slip-on garment made with or without sleeves and usually knee-length or longer, belted at the waist, and worn as an under or outer garment by men and women of ancient Greece and Rome. Chiton -11x in 10v - NAS Usage: clothes(1), coats(1), garment(1), shirt(2), tunic(2), tunics(4). Matthew 5:40 "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Matthew 10:10 or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. Mark 6:9 but to wear sandals; and He added, "Do not put on two tunics." Mark 14:63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? Luke 3:11 And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." Luke 6:29 "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Luke 9:3 And He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. Acts 9:39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 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. Chiton - 29v in the Septuagint (Lxx) - Ge 3:21; Ge 37:3, 23, 31-33; Ex 28:4, 39-40; Ex 29:5, 8; 35:19; 39:27; 40:14; Lev 6:10; 8:7, 13; 10:5; 16:4; 2Sa 13:18f; 15:32; 1 Kgs 21:27; Job 30:18; Song 5:3; Isa 3:16, 24; 36:22; 61:10 Isaiah 61:10 I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments (Lxx = himation) of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe (Lxx = chiton) of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Polluted (stained, spotted) (4695)(spiloo from spilos) means stained, defiled, contaminated or soiled and is found only here and in James 3:6. The perfect tense describes the lasting effect of the pollution on the garment. Jude uses spiloo metaphorically to describe the bringing about of moral impurity which causes disgrace and produces shame. The garment is permanently stained or defiled by their gross sin. Peter uses the root noun spilos to describe the false teachers themselves not their garments, stating that they are as "stains (spilos) and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you." (2Pe 2:13-note) Here is the other use of spiloo - James 3:6 "And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles (present tense = continually) the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell." Notice the striking contrast in Jude's description of those in Jude 1:23 who are polluted (defiled, soiled) and those in Jude 1:24-note who are blameless (without spot or blemish). Schreiner - Such a picture shocks the readers with how polluting and corrupting sin is. Believers are to beware lest their mercy is transposed into acceptance, and they themselves become defiled by the sin of those they are trying to help. The New American Commentary- 1, 2 Peter, Jude) Michael Green - The Christian worker has the wonderful offer of a change of raiment for the defiled, a robe of righteousness (cf. Isa. 61:10) for the man clothed in filthy rags (cf Isa 64:6), and he must proffer it in love and mercy. But once he begins to revel in the filthy garment, once he tolerates it and toys with it, he ceases to be a useful servant of Christ at all. Once he treats sin as normal and commonplace, he is on the way to betraying the Gospel. For Jude insists, as strongly as John in the Apocalypse, that the man accepted before God is he who has not soiled his garments (Rev. 3:4); and these garments are looked upon both as the standing which God confers on the penitent sinners who ‘have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’ (Rev 7:14), and also as that rightness of character which follows in the lives of those who have truly been justified (Rev 19:8).(Jude Commentary - Tyndale). William