Jude, Chapter 1, verses 11-25
1 The Warnings of History to the Ungodly, 17 Keep Yourselves in the Love of God11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for paykthey have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are the men who arelhidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit,mdoubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their ownnshame like foam; wandering stars, for whom theoblack darkness has been reserved forever. | |
14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came withpmany thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts;qthey speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. | |
17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions,rworldly-minded,sdevoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. | |
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now andtforever. Amen. |
Luke, Chapter 23, verses 1-34, 44-56
1 Jesus before Pilate, 8 Jesus before Herod, 13 Pilate Seeks Jesus’ Release, 26 Simon Bears the Cross, 33 The Crucifixion, 50 Jesus Is Buried1 Then the whole body of them got up and brought Him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself isaChrist, a King.” 3 So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.” | |
6 When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalembat that time. | |
8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see somecsign performed by Him. 9 And he questioned Himdat some length; but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently. 11 And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other. | |
13 Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. 15 No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. 16 Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” 17 [eNow he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.] | |
18 But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” 19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) 20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22 And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. 25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. | |
27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who werefmourning and lamenting Him. 28 But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’ 31 For if they do these thingsgwhen the tree is green, what will happenhwhen it is dry?” | |
44 It was now aboutpthe sixth hour, and darknessqfell over the whole land untilrthe ninth hour, 45 sbecause the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torntin two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man wasuinnocent.” 48 And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return,vbeating their breasts. 49 And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things. | |
50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. 54 It was thewpreparation day, and the Sabbath was about toxbegin. 55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. |
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23:1 Mat 27:1; Mar 15:1; Joh 18:28.
23:4 Then said Pilate - After having heard his defence - I find no fault in this man - I do not find that he either asserts or attempts any thing seditious or injurious to Cesar.
23:5 He stirreth up the people, beginning from Galilee - Probably they mentioned Galilee to alarm Pilate, because the Galileans were notorious for sedition and rebellion.
23:7 He sent him to Herod - As his proper judge.
23:8 He had been long desirous to see him - Out of mere curiosity.
23:9 He questioned him - Probably concerning the miracles which were reported to have been wrought by him.
23:11 Herod set him at nought - Probably judging him to be a fool, because he answered nothing. In a splendid robe - In royal apparel; intimating that he feared nothing from this king.
23:15 He hath done nothing worthy of death - According to the judgment of Herod also.
23:16 I will therefore chastise him - Here Pilate began to give ground, which only encouraged them to press on. Mat 27:15; Mar 15:6; Joh 18:39.
23:22 He said to them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? - As Peter, a disciple of Christ, dishonoured him by denying himthrice, so Pilate, a heathen, honoured Christ, by thrice owning him to be innocent.
23:26 Mat 27:31; Mar 15:21; Joh 19:16.
23:30 Hos 10:8.
23:31 If they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? - Our Lord makes use of a proverbial expression, frequent among the Jews, who compare a good man to a green tree, and a bad man to a dead one: as if he had said, If an innocent person suffer thus, what will become of the wicked? Of those who are as ready for destruction as dry wood for the fire?
23:34 Then said Jesus - Our Lord passed most of the time on the cross in silence: yet seven sentences which he spoke thereon are recorded by the four evangelists, though no one evangelist has recorded them all. Hence it appears that the four Gospels are, as it were, four parts, which, joined together, make one symphony. Sometimes one of these only, sometimes two or three, sometimes all sound together. Father - So he speaks both in the beginning and at the end of his sufferings on the cross: Forgive them - How striking is this passage! While they are actually nailing him to the cross, he seems to feel the injury they did to their own souls more than the wounds they gave him; and as it were to forget his own anguish out of a concern for their own salvation. And how eminently was his prayer heard! It procured forgivenessfor all that were penitent, and a suspension of vengeance even for the impenitent.
1
1:11 Woe unto them - Of all the apostles St. Jude alone, and that in this single place, denounces a woe. St. Peter, to the same effect, pronounces them "cursed children." For they have gone in the way of Cain - The murderer. And ran greedily - Literally, have been poured out, like a torrent without banks.After the error of Balaam - The covetous false prophet. And perished in the gainsaying of Korah - Vengeance has overtaken them as it did Korah, rising up against those whom God had sent.
1:12 These are spots - Blemishes. In your feasts of love - Anciently observed in all the churches. Feeding themselveswithout fear - Without any fear of God, or jealousy over themselves. Twice dead - In sin, first by nature, and afterwards by apostasy. Plucked up by the roots - And so incapable of ever reviving.
1:13 Wandering stars - Literally, planets, which shine for a time, but have no light in themselves, and will be soon cast into utter darkness. Thus the apostle illustrates their desperate wickedness by comparisons drawn from the air, earth, sea, and heavens.
1:14 And of these also - As well as the antediluvian sinners Enoch - So early was the prophecy referred to, Jud 1:4.The seventh from Adam - There were only five of the fathers between Adam and Enoch, Ch1 1:1-3. The first coming of Christ was revealed to Adam; his second, glorious coming, to Enoch; and the seventh from Adam foretold the things which will conclude the seventh age of the world. St. Jude might know this either from some ancient book, or tradition, or immediate revelation. Behold - As if it were already done, the Lord cometh!
1:15 To execute judgment - Enoch herein looked beyond the flood. Upon all - Sinners, in general. And to convict all the ungodly, in particular, of all the grievous things which ungodly sinners (a sinner is bad; but the ungodly who sin without fear are worse) have spoken against him, Jud 1:8, Jud 1:10, though they might not think, all those speecheswere against him.
1:16 These are murmurers - Against men. Complainers - Literally, complainers of their fate, against God. Walking - With regard to themselves. After their own foolish andmischievous desires. Having men's persons in admiration for the sake of gain - Admiring and commending them only for what they can get.
1:17 By the apostles - He does not exempt himself from the number of apostles. For in the next verse he says, they told you, not us.
1:19 These are they who separate themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit - Having natural senses and understanding only, not the Spirit of God; otherwise they could not separate. For that it is a sin, and a very heinous one, "to separate from the church," is out of all question. But then it should be observed,
1:20 But ye, beloved, not separating, but building yourselves up in your most holy faith - Than which none can be more holy in itself, or more conducive to the most refined and exalted holiness. Praying through the Holy Spirit - Who alone is able to build you up, as he alone laid the foundation. In this and the following verse St. Jude mentions the Father, Son, and Spirit, together with faith, love, and hope.
1:21 By these means, through his grace, keep yourselves in the love of God, and in the confident expectation of that eternal life which is purchased for you, and conferred upon you, through the mere mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1:22 Meantime watch over others, as well as yourselves, and give them such help as their various needs require. For instance,
- Some, that are wavering in judgment, staggered by others'or by their own evil reasoning, endeavour more deeply to convince of the whole truth as it is in Jesus.
- Some snatch, with a swift and strong hand, out of the fireof sin and temptation.
- On others show compassion in a milder and gentler way;though still with a jealous fear, lest yourselves be infected with the disease you endeavour to cure.
See, therefore, that while you love the sinners, ye retain the utmost abhorrence of their sins, and of any the least degree of, or approach to, them.1:24 Now to him who alone is able to keep them from falling - Into any of these errors or sins. And to present them faultless in the presence of his glory - That is, in his own presence, when he shall be revealed in all his glory.