Ver 17.
But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken
before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But you, beloved. Or "my beloved", as the Syriac and Arabic
versions read; or "our brethren", as the Ethiopic version; the
apostle addresses the saints in this manner, to distinguish them
from the false teachers, and to show that he had a different opinion
of them from them; and that be would have them beware of them, and
not be surprised at them, since it was no other than what was
foretold; and also to engage their attention and regard to the
following exhortation.
Remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles
of our Lord Jesus Christ. These words mean not the doctrines of the apostles in general,
but particularly the prophecies delivered out by them, as by the
Apostles Paul and Peter, concerning the false teachers that should
arise; and these being spoken of before, and by apostles, even by
the apostles, of our Lord Jesus Christ, were worthy of regard, and
deserved to be remembered; a remembrance of which is a preservative
from error, and a relief in the worst of times, whether of
persecution, or heresy. This does not suppose that Jude was not an
apostle, only that there were other apostles besides him; and that
these, some of them at least, had prophesied of these men, and that
he had lived to see their predictions verified; nor does he exclude
himself from being one of them; yea, the Ethiopic version reads,
"which we the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ have formerly
declared unto you"; see 2 Peter 3:2.
Ver 18.
They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers,
walking after their own ungodly lusts.”
The word rendered “mockers” here is the same which in the parallel
place in 2 Peter 3:3 is rendered “scoffers.” Peter has stated more
fully what was the particular subject on which they scoffed, and has
shown that there was no occasion for it 2 Peter 3:4, following.
Ver 19.
These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having
the Spirit.
These are those who cause divisions. Not from sinners
openly profane; such a separation is commendable, being according to
the will and word of God, to the mind and practice of Christ, and
which tends to the good of men, and to the glory of God; but from
the saints and people of God; it is possible that a child of God may
for a time leave the fellowship of the saints, but an entire and
total forsaking of them, and of assembling with them, looks with an
ill aspect; nor did they separate themselves from superstition and
will worship, and every false way of worship, which would have been
right, but from the pure worship, ordinances, and discipline of
God's house, by a perversion of them, and as being above them, or
unwilling to be under any notice and government; not from errors and
heresies, and persons that held them, with these they herded; but
from the pure doctrines of the Gospel, and ministers of the word,
and made divisions and separations among the churches, for worldly
ends, and through pride and affectation of vain glory, as if they
were more knowing, more holy, and more spiritual than other men.
And are sensual. Such as gave themselves up to sensual
lusts and pleasures; and at best were but natural men, who had only
natural and rational abilities, but without spiritual and
experimental knowledge.
Not having the Spirit. Though they might have some external
gifts of the Spirit; or he himself dwelling in them as a spirit of
conviction and illumination, as a spirit of regeneration and
sanctification, as a spirit of faith and comfort, as a spirit of
adoption, and as the earnest and pledge of the heavenly glory; they
were not under his influence, nor did they feel the operations of
his grace, nor had they communion with him: hence they appeared to
be none of Christ's, nor could they claim interest in him, and were
without life, and so could not persevere.
Ver 17. But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But you, beloved. Or "my beloved", as the Syriac and Arabic versions read; or "our brethren", as the Ethiopic version; the apostle addresses the saints in this manner, to distinguish them from the false teachers, and to show that he had a different opinion of them from them; and that be would have them beware of them, and not be surprised at them, since it was no other than what was foretold; and also to engage their attention and regard to the following exhortation.
Remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. These words mean not the doctrines of the apostles in general, but particularly the prophecies delivered out by them, as by the Apostles Paul and Peter, concerning the false teachers that should arise; and these being spoken of before, and by apostles, even by the apostles, of our Lord Jesus Christ, were worthy of regard, and deserved to be remembered; a remembrance of which is a preservative from error, and a relief in the worst of times, whether of persecution, or heresy. This does not suppose that Jude was not an apostle, only that there were other apostles besides him; and that these, some of them at least, had prophesied of these men, and that he had lived to see their predictions verified; nor does he exclude himself from being one of them; yea, the Ethiopic version reads, "which we the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ have formerly declared unto you"; see 2 Peter 3:2.
Ver 18. They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.”
The word rendered “mockers” here is the same which in the parallel place in 2 Peter 3:3 is rendered “scoffers.” Peter has stated more fully what was the particular subject on which they scoffed, and has shown that there was no occasion for it 2 Peter 3:4, following.
Ver 19. These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having the Spirit.
These are those who cause divisions. Not from sinners openly profane; such a separation is commendable, being according to the will and word of God, to the mind and practice of Christ, and which tends to the good of men, and to the glory of God; but from the saints and people of God; it is possible that a child of God may for a time leave the fellowship of the saints, but an entire and total forsaking of them, and of assembling with them, looks with an ill aspect; nor did they separate themselves from superstition and will worship, and every false way of worship, which would have been right, but from the pure worship, ordinances, and discipline of God's house, by a perversion of them, and as being above them, or unwilling to be under any notice and government; not from errors and heresies, and persons that held them, with these they herded; but from the pure doctrines of the Gospel, and ministers of the word, and made divisions and separations among the churches, for worldly ends, and through pride and affectation of vain glory, as if they were more knowing, more holy, and more spiritual than other men.
And are sensual. Such as gave themselves up to sensual lusts and pleasures; and at best were but natural men, who had only natural and rational abilities, but without spiritual and experimental knowledge.
Not having the Spirit. Though they might have some external gifts of the Spirit; or he himself dwelling in them as a spirit of conviction and illumination, as a spirit of regeneration and sanctification, as a spirit of faith and comfort, as a spirit of adoption, and as the earnest and pledge of the heavenly glory; they were not under his influence, nor did they feel the operations of his grace, nor had they communion with him: hence they appeared to be none of Christ's, nor could they claim interest in him, and were without life, and so could not persevere.