The Book of Jude

(Tap footnote to read it.  Old Testament quotations/allusions are underlined.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.^fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. Verbs with an asterisk (*) are in the Greek perfect tense.^fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Warning about false “Christians”

1. Jude, a slave of Jesus the Anointed and a brother of James, to the called men who are *^loved by God the Father and *kept by Jesus the Anointed;
2. may mercy, and peace, and ^love be multiplied to you.
3. Beloved, using all diligent zeal to write to you concerning our common salvation, I had a compulsion to write to you, encouraging you to earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the holy ones.
4. For some men secretly snuck in, men who have been written of beforehand long ago for this judgement, ungodly men changing the grace of our God into wanton debauchery and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus the Anointed.
5. But I’m resolved to remind you (though you *knew all these things at one time) that [Jesus],^fn“Jesus”, many manuscripts say the “Lord” instead of Jesus here.  The textual evidence is divided, however, given the context of verse 4, the referent is the same in either case. after having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed the men who didn’t believe.^fnquotation/allusion to many judgements while Israel was in the wilderness, especially Numbers 14:22-23 and Deuteronomy 1:32-35.
6. And the angels who didn’t keep to their own domain but abandoned their own dwelling, He has kept them in eternal chains under darkness for judgement on the great day.
7. Like Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them – which indulged in fornication and went after strange flesh^fnquotation/allusion to Genesis 19:1-11, especially verse 5 in a similar way as these angels^fn“these angels” this might be a reference to Genesis 6:1-4, where the “sons of God” (angelic beings according to Job 1:6) had children with human women.  However, there are other views.  Notably, “these” cannot refer to Sodom or Gomorrah because the grammatical gender of “these” does not match either word. – are set forth as an example of undergoing the sentence of the fire of ages.
8. Yet likewise also, these dreaming men indeed defile the flesh, and reject divine authority, and blaspheme glory.
9. But Michael the archangel – when disputing with the Accuser while he was reasoning about Moses’ body^fnMoses is recorded in Deuteronomy 34:5-6, but the dispute between Michael and the Accuser isn’t recorded there.  That story is told in the non-canonical book: “the Assumption of Moses”.  It should be noted that the Bible regularly cites non-biblical works, especially in the Old Testament.  Thus, citing a non-biblical work doesn’t necessarily make it scripture.  However, given Jude’s reference, it does appear that this portion of that book is generally true, even if not necessarily in all the specifics. – didn’t dare to bring forward a blasphemous judgment, but said “May the Lord rebuke you.”
10. But these men indeed blaspheme whatever they haven’t seen. And whatever they understand naturally, like unreasoning animals, they ruinously corrupt themselves by these things.
11. Woe to them, because they were led in the way of Cain,^fnquotation/allusion to Genesis 4:1-16 and they rushed into the error of Balaam^fnquotation/allusion to Numbers 31:16, and also Numbers chapter 22-24 for a reward, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.^fnquotation/allusion to Numbers 16:1-40
12. These men are like hidden reefs, fearlessly feasting together with you at your ^love feasts, shepherding only themselves,^fnquotation/allusion to Ezekiel 34:2 clouds without water,^fnquotation/allusion to Proverbs 25:14 being carried away by winds, autumn trees without fruit, having died twice, having been uprooted,
13. wild waves of the sea foaming up^fn“foaming up” is one word in Greek.  It refers to how refuse tends to collect on the crests of waves and thus is visible for a long way. their own shame,^fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 57:20 wandering stars for whom the black darkness has been reserved through the age.
14. And also Enoch, the seventh from Adam,^fnquotation/allusion to Genesis 5:21-24 prophesied about these men saying: “Behold, the Lord came among ten thousands of His holy ones,
15. to execute judgement against all, and to convict with evidence all the ungodly concerning all their works of ungodliness that they did in an ungodly way, and concerning all the unyieldingly harsh things that ungodly sinners spoke against Him.”^fnThis appears to be a reference to the deuterocanonical book “1 Enoch” (Often called “The Book of Enoch”, or simply “Enoch”), specifically chapter 1, verse 9.  It should be noted that the Bible regularly cites non-biblical works, especially in the Old Testament.  Thus, citing a non-biblical work doesn’t necessarily make it scripture.  However, this does appear to be a general endorsement of 1 Enoch as being reasonably accurate in general content, though not necessarily specifics, even if it isn’t scripture.  This is further reinforced because the first section of 1 Enoch (chapters 1-36, which are sometimes called “The Book of the Watchers”) retells the Genesis 6:1-4 event where angels mate with human women to produce hybrid offspring, and Jude references this very thing in verse 7; see note on that verse.
16. These men are grumblers, complainers, following after their cravings, and their mouth speaks exaggerations, flattering others’ appearances for the sake of profit.
17. But you beloved, remember the words which have been spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus the Anointed,
18. that they were telling you that in the last time, there will be scoffers following after their own ungodly cravings.
19. These are the men creating divisions, sensual^fn“sensual” This Greek word is also used in 1 Corinthians 2:14 and James 3:15 to indicate what is natural for animals, i.e., the base instinct toward pleasure without wisdom and reason. men not having the Spirit.
20. But you beloved – building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit –
21. keep yourselves in the ^love of God, expectantly welcoming the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Anointed for the life of ages.
22. And indeed, show mercy to men who are doubting,
23. and save others by snatching them from the fire, and show mercy to others with fear, even hating the clothing which has been stained by the flesh.
24. Now, to the One able to guard you without stumbling and to establish you unblemished in exultation in the sight of His glory,
25. to our only God and savior through Jesus the Anointed our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before every age, and now, and through all the ages.  Amen.

 

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