Discovery BoxJude 1:15-24
Context1:15 to execute judgment on 1 all, and to convict every person 2 of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds 3 that they have committed, 4 and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 5 1:16 These people are grumblers and 6 fault-finders who go 7 wherever their desires lead them, 8 and they give bombastic speeches, 9 enchanting folks 10 for their own gain. 11
1:17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions 12 foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 13 1:18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come 14 scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.” 15 1:19 These people are divisive, 16 worldly, 17 devoid of the Spirit. 18 1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, 19 1:21 maintain 20 yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating 21 the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. 22 1:22 And have mercy on those who waver; 1:23 save 23 others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy 24 on others, coupled with a fear of God, 25 hating even the clothes stained 26 by the flesh. 27
1:24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, 28 and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, 29 without blemish 30 before his glorious presence, 31
[1:15] 1 tn Grk “against” (κατά [kata] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him (κατά + genitive).
[1:15] 3 tn Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.
[1:15] 4 tn The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω (asebew) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια (asebeia, “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.
[1:15] 5 sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.
[1:16] 6 tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.
[1:16] 7 tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.
[1:16] 8 tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”
[1:16] 9 tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”
[1:16] 10 sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.
[1:16] 11 tn Or “to their own advantage.”
[1:17] 12 tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.
[1:17] 13 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] 15 tn Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.”
[1:19] 16 tn Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”
[1:19] 17 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] 18 tn Grk “not having [the] Spirit.”
[1:20] 19 tn The participles in v. 20 have been variously interpreted. Some treat them imperativally or as attendant circumstance to the imperative in v. 21 (“maintain”): “build yourselves up…pray.” But they do not follow the normal contours of either the imperatival or attendant circumstance participles, rendering this unlikely. A better option is to treat them as the means by which the readers are to maintain themselves in the love of God. This both makes eminently good sense and fits the structural patterns of instrumental participles elsewhere.
[1:21] 21 tn Or “waiting for.”
[1:21] 22 tn Grk “unto eternal life.”
[1:23] 24 tn Grk “and have mercy.”
[1:23] 25 tn Grk “with fear.” But as this contrasts with ἀφόβως (afobw") in v. 12 (without reverence), the posture of the false teachers, it most likely refers to reverence for God.
[1:23] 26 sn The imagery here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning.
[1:23] 27 tn Grk “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.
[1:24] 28 tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “free from falling” is the adjectival complement.
[1:24] 29 tn Grk “with rejoicing.” The prepositional clause is placed after “his glorious presence” in Greek, but most likely goes with “cause you to stand.”
[1:24] 30 tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “without blemish” is the adjectival complement.
[1:24] 31 tn Or “in the presence of his glory,” “before his glory.”
