Jude 1

Greetings from Jude

1This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.#1:1 Or keeps you for Jesus Christ.

2May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love.

The Danger of False Teachers

3Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus#1:5 Other manuscripts read [the] Lord, or God, or God Christ. first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. 6And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. 7And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.

8In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.#1:8 Greek at glorious ones, which are probably evil angels. 9But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels,#1:9 Greek Michael, the archangel. did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.) 10But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.

12When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you.#1:12 Or they are contaminants among you; or they are stains. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. 13They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.

14Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones 15to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”#1:14-15 The quotation comes from intertestamental literature: 1 Enoch 1:9.

16These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.

A Call to Remain Faithful

17But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. 18They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

20But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,#1:20 Greek pray in the Holy Spirit. 21and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

22And you must show mercy to#1:22 Some manuscripts read must reprove. those whose faith is wavering. 23Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others,#1:22-23a Some manuscripts have only two categories of people: (1) those whose faith is wavering and therefore need to be snatched from the flames of judgment, and (2) those who need to be shown mercy. but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.#1:23b Greek with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

A Prayer of Praise

24Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

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Jude 1

Greeting

1Jude, a servant#1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

# Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:24 To those who are called, #1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13beloved in God the Father and #John 17:11, 15; 1 Thess. 5:23kept for#1 Or by Jesus Christ:

2May #[2 John 3] mercy, #1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:2peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Judgment on False Teachers

3Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our #Titus 1:4common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you #1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7; [Luke 13:24; 1 Cor. 9:25; Phil. 1:27]to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4For #2 Pet. 2:1certain people #[Gal. 2:4] have crept in unnoticed #1 Pet. 2:8who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert #See Acts 11:23the grace of our God into sensuality and #Titus 1:16; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 2:22deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5Now I want #2 Pet. 1:12; 3:17to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that #[1 Cor. 10:4, 5, 9] Jesus, who saved#5 Some manuscripts although you fully knew it, that the Lord who once saved a people out of the land of Egypt, #Num. 14:29, 37; 26:64, 65; Ps. 106:26; Heb. 3:17-19afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6And #2 Pet. 2:4; [Rev. 20:2]the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7just as #See Gen. 19:24Sodom and Gomorrah and #Deut. 29:23; Hos. 11:8the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and #2 Pet. 2:10pursued unnatural desire,#7 Greek different flesh serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

8Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and #2 Pet. 2:10blaspheme the glorious ones. 9But when #1 Thess. 4:16; [2 Pet. 2:11] the archangel #Dan. 10:13; 12:1; Rev. 12:7Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing #[Deut. 34:6] about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, #Zech. 3:2“The Lord rebuke you.” 10#2 Pet. 2:12But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11Woe to them! For they walked in #See Gen. 4:5-8the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain #See 2 Pet. 2:15to Balaam’s error and #Num. 16:1-3, 31-35perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12These are hidden reefs#12 Or are blemishes #2 Pet. 2:13at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, #Ezek. 34:2, 8, 10shepherds feeding themselves; #Prov. 25:14; 2 Pet. 2:17waterless clouds, #Heb. 13:9swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, #Matt. 15:13uprooted; 13#Isa. 57:20wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of #[2 Cor. 4:2; Phil. 3:19] their own shame; #[Isa. 14:12] wandering stars, #2 Pet. 2:17for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

14It was also about these that Enoch, #Gen. 5:18the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, #See Deut. 33:2; [Dan. 7:10; Mark 8:38; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:7]“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15#[2 Pet. 2:5] to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have #2 Pet. 2:6committed in such an ungodly way, and of all #1 Sam. 2:3; Ps. 94:4; John 6:60the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16These are grumblers, malcontents, #2 Pet. 2:10following their own sinful desires; #2 Pet. 2:18they are loud-mouthed boasters, #Lev. 19:15; Deut. 10:17showing favoritism to gain advantage.

A Call to Persevere

17But you must #2 Pet. 3:2remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18They#18 Or Christ, because they said to you, #2 Pet. 3:3“In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, #[Rom. 8:9; Phil. 3:3]devoid of the Spirit. 20But you, beloved, #See Col. 2:7building yourselves up in your most holy faith and #Eph. 6:18; [Rom. 8:26]praying in the Holy Spirit, 21#2 Cor. 13:14; [Acts 13:43] keep yourselves in the love of God, #Titus 2:13; 2 Pet. 3:12waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22And have mercy on those who doubt; 23save others by #Amos 4:11; Zech. 3:2snatching them out of #See 1 Cor. 3:15the fire; to others show mercy #[2 Cor. 5:11] with fear, hating even #Rev. 3:4; [Zech. 3:4]the garment#23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin stained by the flesh.

Doxology

24 # Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:20 Now to him who is able #John 17:12to keep you from stumbling and #Col. 1:22; [1 Pet. 4:13] to present you #Eph. 1:4; 5:27; Phil. 2:15; Rev. 14:5blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25to #John 5:44; 1 Tim. 1:17the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, #See Rom. 11:36be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time#25 Or before any age and now and forever. Amen.

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