Jude 1:17-19

Exhortation to the Faithful

1:17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions ¹  foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²  1:18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come ³  scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.” ⁴  1:19 These people are divisive, ⁵  worldly, ⁶  devoid of the Spirit. ⁷ 

[1:17]  ¹ tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.

[1:17]  ² sn This verse parallels 2 Pet 3:2 both conceptually and in much of the verbiage. There is one important difference, however: In 2 Pet 3:2 the prophets and apostles speak; here, just the apostles speak. This makes good sense if Jude is using 2 Peter as his main source and is urging his readers to go back to the authoritative writings, both OT and now especially NT.

[1:18]  ³ tn Grk “be.”

[1:18]  ⁴ tn Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.”

[1:19]  ⁵ tn Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”

[1:19]  ⁶ tn Or “natural,” that is, living on the level of instincts, not on a spiritual level (the same word occurs in 1 Cor 2:14 as a description of nonbelievers).

[1:19]  ⁷ tn Grk “not having [the] Spirit.”