Greeting 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James: to them that are beloved in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called. 2 Mercy to you, and peace, and charity be fulfilled.
Purpose of address 3 Dearly beloved, taking all care to write to you concerning your common salvation, I was under a necessity to write to you: to urge you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men are secretly entered in, (who were written of long ago to this judgment,) ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord God into riotousness, and denying the only sovereign Ruler, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Divine judgments 5 I will therefore admonish you, though you once knew all things, that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, did afterwards destroy them that believed not: 6 And the angels who kept not their principality, but forsook their own habitation, he has reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, to the judgment of the great day. 7 As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the neighbouring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication, and going after other flesh, were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
Evil life of heretics 8 In like manner these men also defile the flesh, and despise dominion, and blaspheme majesty. 9 When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses, he did not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord command you. 10 But these men blaspheme whatever things they know not: and what things soever they naturally know, like dumb beasts, in these they are corrupted. 11 Woe to them, for they have gone in the way of Cain: and after the error of Balaam they have for reward poured out themselves, and have perished in the contradiction of Core. 12 These are spots in their banquets, feasting together without fear, feeding themselves, clouds without water, which are carried about by winds, trees of the autumn, unfruitful, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion; wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever.
Judgment of heretics 14 Now of these Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord comes with thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to reprove all the ungodly for all the works of their ungodliness, whereby they have done ungodly, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God. 16 These are murmurers, full of complaints, walking according to their own desires, and their mouth speaks proud things, admiring persons for gain's sake. 17 But you, my dearly beloved, be mindful of the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 Who told you, that in the last time there should come mockers, walking according to their own desires in ungodlinesses. 19 These are they, who separate themselves, sensual men, having not the Spirit.
Exhortation to perseverance and charity 20 But you, my beloved, building yourselves upon you most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to life everlasting. 22 And some indeed reprove, being judged: 23 But others save, pulling them out of the fire. And on others have mercy, in fear, hating also the spotted garment which is carnal.
Conclusion 24 Now to him who is able to preserve you without sin, and to present you spotless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 25 To the only God our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory and magnificence, empire and power, before all ages, and now, and for all ages of ages. Amen.
Commentary on Jude
1 The apostle Jude, called Thaddaeus, whom Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18 mentioned in their Gospels. (St. Bede) He was the brother of James the Less. (Bishop Richard Challoner)
3 common salvation: That is, of that salvation which was shared by him and them. For indeed the salvation, faith, and love of Christ are one and common to all the elect. (St. Bede) faith once delivered to the saints: That is, apostolic teaching, (St. Irenaeus Frg. 36) which was left with the Church. (Bishop John McEvilly)
4 secretly entered in: They entered the midst under the disguise of religion and crept like wolves into the Lord’s sheepfold. They had the appearance of godliness, though they were the enemies of genuine godliness. (Erasmus) who were written long ago: Jude means that their condemnation was predestined, for even the betrayal of Judas had been foretold. (Andreas of Caesarea Cramers Catena)
5 Jesus having saved the people: He is referring not to Jesus the son of Nun but to our Lord, showing first that he did not have his beginning at his birth, as the heretics have wished to assert, but he existed as the eternal God. (St. Bede) He pitied them when they were calling out to him, but he plunged them afterward into worse ruin when they lost faith in the desert and were murmuring against God. Their slavery in Egypt prefigures our slavery to our former vices. (Erasmus)
6 The idea conveyed here, is the same with that expressed in 2 Peter 2:4. Although the words of this passage would appear to afford grounds for the opinion that the demons are confined to hell, it is, however, the far more probable opinion, that they were first hurled into hell, and that some of them were by divine dispensation, as St. Thomas Aquinas (Sum Theo 3.89.8) expresses it, allowed to come forth to tempt and carry out war against mankind. (Bishop John McEvilly) under darkness and everlasting chains: perhaps this is a specific place called TARTARUS. (John Litteral)
7 The unnatural lust in which the Sodomites indulged was homosexuality, which is wrong because it cannot lead to procreation. (Oecumenius) So by conflagration of the people of Sodom he gives the example of those who exchange the grace of our Lord for self-indulgence. (St. Bede)
9 Jude makes use here of the apocryphal book of the Assumption of Moses, but it does not mean that the book is inspired, but it does mean that the portion that Jude is referring to is true and worthy to be believed as inspired because Jude, who was lead by the Holy Spirit in this epistle, made reference to it, and in turn it becomes a divinely revealed fact in Scripture. There are numerous apocryphal writings that are intermingled with truth and exaggerated pious legends. (John Litteral) We even find St. Paul quoting some true passages from Pagan authors, and having been quoted by him, the quotes have all the authority of divinely inspired Scriptures (Titus 1:12; 1 Cor 15:33). (Bishop John McEvilly) If Michael had scruples about using an abusive word to the Devil, how much more insufferable is the action of those who are not afraid to revile people pre-eminent in authority and rank. (Erasmus)
11 Gone in the way, etc: Heretics follow the way of Cain, by murdering the souls of their brethren; the way of Balaam, by putting a scandal before the people of God, for their own private ends; and the way of Core or Korah, by their opposition to the church governors of divine appointment. (Bishop Richard Challoner)
12-13 their banquets etc. : We must remark that, at the time of St. Paul, in imitation of Christ, who, after the common meal on the Passover lamb, instituted the Eucharist, the Christians instituted before the Eucharist a meal common to all, rich and poor alike, in token of their mutual Christian charity. This custom lasted in some Churches for several centuries. As late as the time of Sozomen, as he relates (Hist.lib. 7. c. 29), it was the custom in many towns and villages of Egypt, first to take a meal in common, and then, following Christ’s example, celebrate and partake of the Holy Eucharist. The Third Council of Carthage (can. 29) points to the same custom as prevailing in several other Churches. Others, however, think that “the supper taken before” is the agape after the Eucharist. In the primitive Church, in imitation of Christ, the richer members were in the habit of spreading a feast for rich and poor alike after the Holy Communion, in token of love, where it was called the “agape;” but as charity grew cold and the number of the faithful increased, the practice became abused; for the rich would spread their own table sumptuously, even getting intoxicated, and would sit apart by themselves, the poor being excluded or not expected, far less invited, and it is this that the Apostle in 1 Cor 11:21-22 censures. Chrysostom (Hom. 23. Moral.), Tertullian (Apol. 29), and Baronius in loco. It was for this reason that the Council of Laodicea (can. 28) abolished the agape. But the former explanation seems the better for the reasons given above; for the agape in St. Paul’s time was held, not after but before the Eucharist; although shortly after these early days, when the Church laid down that, out of reverence, the Eucharist should be received fasting only, the agape was kept after the Eucharist, as will be seen by reference to the passages of Tertullian and Chrysostom, quoted above, and to St. Augustine (Ep. 118). (Cornelius a Lapide 1 Cor 11:21) raging waves etc.: The words of Jude here about these men are to be understood metaphorically. (Andreas of Caesarea) |
14-15 This is a quote from the apocryphal book of Enoch 1:9. As for the question of Jude giving credit to Enoch himself as the one who prophesied, this should not be troubling at all. Who is to say that Enoch did not make that prophecy. Maybe Enoch prophesied, and his prophecy was preserved but not perfectly, at least not exactly the way that it exists now in the book of Enoch. Maybe the book of Enoch has carried some oral tradition from Enoch himself but through time has been mixed with pious legend, as other apocryphal writings do. And let us assume that Jude was guided by the Holy Spirit to quote the part that actually came from Enoch himself. (John Litteral) Tertullian says concerning the possible tradition of the book of Enoch, “I am aware that the writing of Enoch… is not received by some, because it is not admitted into the Jewish canon either. I suppose they did not think that, having been published before the flood, it could have safely survived that world-wide calamity. If that is the reason for rejecting it, let them recall that Noah, the survivor of the deluge, was the great-grandson of Enoch. He had heard and remembered, from hereditary tradition, his own great-grandfather’s ‘grace in the sight of God’ (Genesis 5:24), and concerning all his preaching. Enoch had given no other charge to Methuselah than that he should hand on the knowledge of them to his posterity. Noah therefore succeeded in the trusteeship of Enoch’s preaching”. (Tertullian, On the Apparel of Women, 4.2.1.3)
17 spoken before by the apostles: Faith in this great offer had initially been communicated to the world first through the Lord himself, Jesus Christ, who was not only the herald but also the author of eternal salvation. It was subsequently confirmed by those who had been the witnesses of everything which he said and did during his life among men and women. Lest the preaching of these witnesses have too little weight, God himself confirmed their words with many different portents and miraculous signs and other amazing gifts, which that heavenly Spirit distributed to his followers in various ways, as seemed to God to be advantageous for the salvation of mankind. From all these things it was abundantly established that the whole of what was being done was not the product of human strength but of divine power. (Erasmus Heb 2)
18 in the last time: That statement, and similar expressions that are to be found in Scripture do not enable us to know the exact length of time. For they are not intended to indicate a short length of time, but to signify the last state of the world, which is the last age of all, and it is not stated definitely how long this will last. Thus neither is fixed duration appointed to old age, which is the last age of man, since sometimes it is seen to last as long as or even longer than all the previous ages, as Augustine remarks (Qq. 83, qu. 58). Hence also the Apostle in 2 Thess. 2:2 disclaims the false signification which some had given to his words, by believing that the day of the Lord was already at hand. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 3.88.3. r3)
19 Here was see yet another crime which these awful heretics have committed. Not only are they perishing themselves, they have raided the Church and taken people away from it, which means that they have taken them outside the faith into their own assemblies. (Oecumenius)
20 building yourselves: To forever reform themselves according to the Holy Spirit’s guidance; in other words, by building congregations up, by their preaching, in the teaching of the Holy Spirit. (Oecumenius) praying in the Holy Spirit: To pray in the Spirit always means to offer prayer to God with a clean conscience and a pure faith. If we live a good life the Holy Spirit dwells with us and we can receive what we ask for. (Ambrosiaster Eph 6:18)
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God: Which may either mean, the love of God for us, or our love for him, or both; for one follows from the other. So the words mean, persevere in the grace and love of God. (Bishop John McEvilly)
22-23 In the meantime take into account the situation of each person and make every effort to save everyone. Save some by gently and mildly recalling them to a better state of mind, others, however, through the use of fear, snatching them, as it were, from a fire. (Erasmus) It is a characteristic of the just not to hate anything in sinners other than their sins; and to love those people themselves. (St. Augustine Contra Adimantum17.5)
24 preserve you without sin: We are not told that a man can be without sin… but that God, if He chooses, can keep a man free from sin, and of His mercy guard him so that he may be without blemish. And I say that all things are possible with God; but that everything which a man desires is not possible to him, and especially. (St. Jerome Ag. Pel. Bk 1.24) Does he not most manifestly show that perseverance in good unto the end is God’s gift? And no one need doubt, but that whosoever prays from the Lord that he may persevere in good, confesses thereby that such perseverance is His gift. (St. Augustine Ag. Pel. 10)
25 This summary bestows coequal and coeternal glory and the kingdom both on the Father and Son through all and before all ages and refutes the error of those who believe that the Son is less or later than the Father, when it says that glory, splendor, lordship, and power belong to God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord, and this not from some beginning in time but before all ages both now and for ever. (St. Bede) |
Catechism Cross-Reference
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