Jude 1 · The Lantern

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.

Jude, who wrote the Catholic Epistle, the brother of the sons of Joseph, and very religious, while knowing the near relationship of the Lord, yet did not say that he himself was His brother. But what said he? "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ,"— of Him as Lord; but "the brother of James." For this is true; he was His brother, (the son) of Joseph.

Jude does his utmost to make sure that nobody confuses him with Judas Iscariot, which is why he confesses that he is Christ's servant and James's brother. Note how he also says that the Father chooses us, Jesus keeps us and the Holy Spirit calls us.

The Lord said: "No one can come to Me unless My Father draws him" (John 6:44). This blessed man shows that now this word has been justified. For he says that those loved by the Father are preserved by Jesus Christ, which is why he also calls them called, since they did not come of their own accord, but were drawn and called by the Father.

Mercy unto you and peace: and charity be fulfilled.

Jude includes a reference to love here because he has noticed that there is a lack of it among his people.

"Those who are beloved in God the Father, and who are called, are saved by Jesus Christ." The Lord's word, in which He said, "No one comes to me unless the Father draws him," (Jn. 6:44) this blessed man now shows to be true. For those who are beloved by the Father, Jude says, have been saved by Jesus Christ.

He desires that mercy, peace, and love be multiplied unto them; "mercy" because we are called by God and received as His servants through the compassion of mercy; "peace" because God the Father Himself also granted it to us, having reconciled us, who had offended Him, to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ; "love" because the Only-begotten Son of God gave Himself over to death…

Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.

"For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist;" and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan.

The faith was first delivered to these people by the apostle Paul, who said: "No other foundation can anyone lay, than the one which is already laid."

Here the apostle indicates the motivation for writing the epistle. Namely: he writes the present epistle out of concern for the salvation of the faithful, so that they in their simplicity would not be carried away by the most vile heretics; he writes in order to expose them through a description of the depraved life of the heretics and make them known to those who are unaware.

For certain men are secretly entered in (who were written of long ago unto this judgment), ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord God into riotousness and denying the only sovereign Ruler and our Lord Jesus Christ.

For certain men have entered unawares, ungodly men, who had been of old ordained and predestined to the judgment of our God;" not that they might become impious, but that, being now impious, they were ordained to judgment.

Jude means that their condemnation was predestined, for even the betrayal of Judas had been foretold. Here he is talking about the Simonians, for they are gluttonous and intemperate, pretending to teach godliness so that they can worm their way into people's houses.

He exhorts those who once acknowledged our Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and believed in Him, to contend for the faith. For if we have accepted the incarnate Word and yet say that He Who is from the Father before the ages is one, and He Who is from the Mother is another, and that He is a separate person, then how do we not deny the one Lord and Master?

I will therefore admonish you, though ye once knew all things, that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, did afterwards destroy them that believed not.

And the angels who kept not their principality but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day.

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.

Secondly, if, according to the Scripture, they who shall be "apprehended" by the faith in (the state of) Gentile marriage are not defiled (thereby) for this reason, that, together with themselves, others also are sanctified: without doubt, they who have been sanctified before marriage, if they commingle themselves with "strange flesh," cannot sanctify that (flesh) in (union wit…

As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighboring cities, etc. Because He had given an example of condemnation in those who solely deny the Sovereign and our Lord Jesus Christ, by recalling the ruin of the murmuring and unfaithful people in the desert, or those rising against the author of the wicked angels, so He gives an example of the punishment of those who turn the grace of our L…

As an example that unquenchable fire will encompass them, the inhabitants of Sodom are also brought forward. "Other flesh" refers to the male nature, as not serving such intercourse as to give birth. For such intercourse the female flesh is capable, according to the saying of the forefather: "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" (Gen.

In like manner, these men also defile the flesh and despise dominion and blaspheme majesty.

"Similarly to the same," he says, "also those dreamers,"—that is, who dream in their imagination lusts and wicked desires, regarding as good not that which is truly good, and superior to all good,—"defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of majesty," that is, the only Lord, who is truly our Lord, Jesus Christ, and alone worthy of praise.

Jude calls them "dreamers" because they have no idea of the truth but fantasize as if they were dreaming and concoct doctrines full of impiety.

Having set forth the examples just mentioned, the apostle left it to the listener himself to infer the conclusion from them. What conclusion? If God dealt thus with those people, not regarding their former good lot, then will today's impious ones be saved by the fact that the Son of God came into the world for mankind, endured reproach for them, and bore sufferings?

When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses, he durst not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord command thee.

"When Michael, the archangel, disputing with the devil, debated about the body of Moses." Here he confirms the assumption of Moses. He is here called Michael, who through an angel near to us debated with the devil.

Yet Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the Devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not think to pronounce a condemning judgment against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" But these people blaspheme what they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that they, like irrational animals, understand instinctively.

Since the apostle mentioned evil speaking, he reproves not only the blasphemers, but also persuades all people not to defile their tongues with such evil, not to employ it even against those who deserve it, and says: "Michael the Archangel," and so on. He speaks as if to say: they hastily and uncontrollably speak evil of everyone, but this ought not to be so.

But these men blaspheme whatever things they know not: and what things soever they naturally know, like dumb beasts, in these they are corrupted.

"But these," he says, "speak evil of those things which they know not; but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves." He means that they eat, and drink, and indulge in uncleanness, and says that they do other things that are common to them with animals, devoid of reason.

Not knowing the true doctrine, these people concoct blasphemies for themselves. They are so caught up in lust that they are no different from dumb animals.

Michael, he says, did not endure the blasphemies of the devil against a man, that is, Moses, yet these compose blasphemous speeches against teachings which they do not know; and what they know by natural inclination, confusedly, like irrational animals, they pursue like horses.

Woe unto 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.

"Woe unto them!" he says, "for they have gone in the way of Cain." For so also we lie under Adam's sin through similarity of sin.

Woe to them, for they have gone the way of Cain, and for profit they have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam, and in the contradiction of Korah they perished. "The way of Cain": this is, through the murder of a brother: for those teaching such things also kill their brothers, or men of the same sort, with wicked doctrines.

Woe to them, because they went in the way of "Cain" through fratricide; for, teaching impious doctrine to brethren, that is, to fellow men, they kill them with their evil teachings, or: by devouring the seed, they kill their brethren in potentiality, that is, those whom the seed, brought to maturity, would have brought into life.

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:

"Clouds," he says, "without water; who do not possess in themselves the divine and fruitful word." Wherefore, he says, "men of this kind are carried about both by winds and violent blasts." "Trees," he says, "of autumn, without fruit,"— unbelievers, that is, who bear no fruit of fidelity.

The apostle's words about these men who will not be pardoned have to be understood metaphorically. For he is not talking about stars and clouds, waves and trees, though he uses them as examples, because what they have they have by nature, whereas these men have the same things by deliberate choice.

At that time, love-feasts were still being celebrated in the churches, as the Apostle Paul says in the Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor.

Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion: wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever.

"Waves," he says, "of a raging sea." By these words he signifies the life of the Gentiles, whose end is abominable ambition. "Wandering stars,"— that is, he means those who err and are apostates are of that kind of stars which fell from the seats of the angels— "to whom," for their apostasy, "the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.

These are people who by their wicked life and ungodliness have killed their souls with false doctrines. Before they believed, they were dead in their ungodliness, but when they turned to the gospel they found life. However, they gave themselves up again to ungodliness and lust, thereby killing themselves a second time.

He calls them "wandering stars." Heretics are like them not in the sense that they shine in the firmament of our faith and through them passes the Sun of righteousness, Christ, who brings virtues to maturity and gives life to the faithful devoted to them, but in the sense that, appearing to have taken upon themselves the guise of an angel of light, like their originators, the d…

Now of these Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord cometh with thousands of his saints:

And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

Does not the canonical epistle of Jude the apostle openly declare that Enoch spoke as a prophet? It is true that his alleged writings have never been accepted as authoritative, either by Jews or Christians, but that is because their extreme antiquity makes us afraid of handing out as authentic works those which may be forgeries.

To what was said above he adds that Enoch also prophesied about the punishment awaiting them from God in the last days, that is, on the day of God's righteous judgment.

To execute judgment upon all and to reprove all the ungodly for all the works of their ungodliness, whereby they have done ungodly: and for all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God.

These are murmurers, full of complaints, walking according to their own desires: and their mouth speaketh proud things, admiring persons, for gain's sake.

These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. After this, however, having been freed from the accommodation of these ungodly ones, Jude now also addresses the matter itself, accusing their vices, calling them grumblers and complainers.

These are murmurers, grumblers, etc. The more anyone murmurs and grumbles about the present labors of the Church, the less they have extinguished the desires of the flesh within themselves.

After this, having left off the comparison of the ungodly, he now proceeds to the actual exposure of them, calling them murmurers and fault-finders. A murmurer is one who through clenched teeth and timidly censures what is displeasing to him, while a fault-finder is one who always and at everything laughs. These vile ones are murmurers and fault-finders.

But you, my dearly beloved, be mindful of the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Who told you that in the last time there should come mockers, walking according to their own desires in ungodlinesses.

These are they who separate themselves, sensual men, having not the Spirit.

"Those," he says, "separating" the faithful from the unfaithful, be convicted according to their own unbelief. And again those separating from the flesh. He says, "Animal not having the spirit;" that is, the spirit which is by faith, which supervenes through the practice of righteousness.

"These are the ones who are causing divisions." Behold, another accusation against these very small men. For they are not the only ones, Jude says, who perish, but they also rob the nourishments of those of the Church, (for this is what the term "cause division" intends to signify), that is, making them outside the ecclesiastical boundaries, either of the faith or even of the v…

Here is yet another fault of these most vile people. They, he says, not only perish themselves, but also snatch away the nurslings of the Church (this is what "those who separate" means), that is, they lead them beyond the boundaries of the Church, that is, the boundaries of the faith or even of the church enclosure itself.

But you, my beloved, building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

"But you, beloved." Therefore, Jude says, but you building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, that is, making your own gatherings according to the teaching of the Holy Spirit in your prayers. "keep yourselves in the love of God," that is, safeguard yourselves, waiting for the mercy of our Lord that leads to eternal life.

But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, etc. We pray in the Holy Spirit when, pierced by divine inspiration, we seek heavenly aid to receive the goods which we cannot possess by ourselves.

Soulish people, he says, act as we have described. But you, build yourselves up on the Holy Spirit and on your most holy faith, that is, renew yourselves in the Holy Spirit, that is, conduct your assemblies in your houses of prayer according to the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto life everlasting.

And some indeed reprove, being judged:

"But some," he says, "save, plucking them from the fire;" "but of some have compassion in fear," that is, teach those who fall into the fire to free themselves. "Hating," he says, "that spotted garment, which is carnal:" that of the soul, namely; the spotted garment is a spirit polluted by carnal lusts.

Jude is recommending mercy for those who doubt the truth of the words of false teaching. As for other kinds of doubters, James condemns them in his letter.

And those, if they are departing from you, rebuke, that is, expose their impiety before all; but if they are disposed toward healing, do not push them away, but receive them by the mercy of your love, saving them from the fire that threatens them.

But others save, pulling them out of the fire. And on others have mercy, in fear, hating also the spotted garment which is carnal.

What if, even here, you should conceive to reply that communion is indeed denied to sinners, very especially such as had been "polluted by the flesh," but (only) for the present; to be restored, to wit, as the result of penitential suing: in accordance with that clemency of God which prefers a sinner's repentance to his death?

What is meant by "a cloak stained by corrupted flesh"? This is said of those who have a life stained by the lusts of the flesh. We all have clothes which bear the marks of our life, whether we are righteous or not. The person who has a clean cloak is one who leads a pure life, whereas the one who has a soiled one has got mixed up with evil deeds.

Receive them, however, with mercy and with fear, being careful that receiving them, through your careless disposition toward them, does not become a cause of perdition for yourselves, because they drag even those who are firm in the faith into the flood of their impiety, and evil is easily adopted.

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:

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.

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