Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Jude 1

Jde 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called

the called ones, beloved in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.

preserved in Jesus Christ

Or, kept for Jesus Christ.

Assurance is the believer's full conviction that, through the work of Christ alone, received by faith, he is in possession of a salvation in which he will be eternally kept. And this assurance rests only upon the Scripture promises to him who believes.

called

Assurance. (Isa 32:17.)

Jde 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

salvation [See also Jde 1:5.]

Scofield Romans 1:16, note.

it was needful for me

Literally constraint was upon me, i.e. of the Spirit.

faith

Gospel. Rev 14:6. (Gen 12:1-3; Rev 14:6.)

once

once for all.

Jde 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

who were before of old ordained to this condemnation

Jde 1:14-15; Jas 1:13, 15.

the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ

our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.

Jde 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

angels

Scofield Hebrews 1:4, note.

great day

Day (of Jehovah). Rev 2:26-27. (Isa 2:10-22; Rev 19:11-21).

The judgment of the fallen angels. The "great day" is the day of the Lord (Scofield Isa 2:9-22, refs.). As the final judgment upon Satan occurs after the thousand years, and preceding the final judgment (Rev 20:10), it is congruous to conclude, as to the time, that other fallen angels are judged with him (2Pe 2:4; Rev 20:10). Christians are associated with Christ in this judgment (1Co 6:3). See other judgments, Scofield Rev 20:12, note.

Jde 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

vengeance of eternal fire

judgment.

Jde 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

defile the flesh

2Pe 2:10.

Jde 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

devil

Satan. Rev 2:9-10, 13, 24. (Gen 3:1; Rev 20:10.)

accusation

judgment.

The Lord

Jehovah. Zec 3:2.

Jde 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

they have gone in the way of Cain

Apostasy. Rev 3:14, 16. (Luk 18:8; 2Ti 3:1.)

Cain

Cain (cf. Gen 4:1), type of the religious natural man, who believes in a God, and in "religion," but after his own will, and who rejects redemption by blood. Compelled as a teacher of religion to explain atonement, the apostate teacher explains it away.

error of Balaam

Balaam, the "error" of Balaam must be distinguished from his "way" (Scofield 2 Peter 2:15, note), and his "doctrine" (Scofield Revelation 2:14, note). The "error" of Balaam was that, reasoning from natural morality and seeing the evil in Israel, he supposed a righteous God must curse them. He was blind to the higher morality of the Cross, through which God maintains and enforces the authority and awful sanctions of His law, so that He can be just and the justifier of a believing sinner. The "reward" of Jde 1:11 may not be money, but popularity, or applause.

gainsaying [contradiction]

antilogia = against the Word.

of Core

See Scofield Num 16. The sin of Korah was denial of the authority of Moses as God's chosen spokesman, and intrusion into the priest's office.

Jde 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

feasts of charity

love feasts.

feeding themselves without fear

shepherds that without fear feed themselves.

trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit

autumn trees without fruit.

Jde 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

the Lord

Jehovah. Deu 33:2.

cometh

Christ (Second Advent). Jde 1:14-15; Rev 1:7-8. (Deu 30:3; Acts 1:9-11.)

Jde 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

judgment

Judgments (the seven). Jde 1:6, 14-15; Rev 22:12. (2Sa 7:14; Rev 22:12).

convince

convict.

speeches

things.

sinners

Sin. Scofield Romans 3:23, note.

Jde 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

sensual

natural.

having not the Spirit

See Rom 8:8-9.

Jde 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

holy

Sanctify, holy (persons) (N.T.). Rev 22:11. (Mat 4:5; Rev 22:11.)

Holy Ghost

Holy Spirit (N.T.). Jde 1:19-20; Rev 1:4, 10. (Mat 1:18; Act 2:4.)

Jde 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

eternal life

Life (eternal). Rev 2:7, 10. (Mat 7:14; Rev 22:19.)

Jde 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

pulling

snatching.

flesh

Flesh. (Jhn 1:13.)

Flesh, Summary: "Flesh," in the ethical sense, is the whole natural or unregenerate man, spirit, soul, and body, as centered upon self, prone to sin, and opposed to God (Rom 7:18). The regenerate man is not "in [the sphere of] the flesh," but in [the sphere of] the Spirit" (Rom 8:9); but the flesh is still in him, and he may, according to his choice, "walk after the flesh" or "in the Spirit" (1Co 3:1-4; Gal 5:16-17). In the first case he is a "carnal," in the second a "spiritual," Christian. Victory over the flesh will be the habitual experience of the believer who walks in the Spirit (Rom 8:2, 4; Gal 5:16-17).

Jde 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

falling

stumbling.

Jde 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Saviour, be glory and majesty

Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory and majesty. [διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν - Morphological GNT]

Saviour

Scofield Romans 1:16, note.