Jude 1:17-25 Lesson 468

Jude 1:17-25
Lesson 468

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

A warning.
Encourage others.
Fight for truth.
Final benediction (1:24-25).

Jesus' Twelve Apostles.
(An Orthodox Greek Byzantine Icon by Evangelia)

Study Tip:

Listen closely to what God is telling you.

The General Epistle of Jude

The King James Bible

Jude 1:17-25
Show mercy to sinners

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

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

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

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

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

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

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,

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

Margin notes:

"Remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles." (1:17) - Remember the words of the apostles Luke (Acts 20:29), Paul (1 Timothy 4:1-2), Peter (2 Peter 2:1-3), and John (2 John 1:7).

"How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts." (1:18) - The Apostles warned us there would be "mockers" and unbelievers in "the last time." "The last time" refers to the days between the birth of Christ and His return. This prediction of "mockers" is repeated from 2 Peter 3:3.

"Walk after their own ungodly lusts." (1:18) - "Chase after their own ungodly passions."

"These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." (1:19) - "These are the ones who cause divisions, sinful, without the Spirit."

"Building up yourselves." (1:20) - Who can build us up? Read Acts 20:32.

"And of some have compassion, making a difference." (1:22) - "And have compassion on doubters." This means show compassion on unbelievers and Christians who succumb to the influence of false teachers and unbelievers.

"And others save with fear." (1:23) - "And others, rescue them with respect."

"Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." (1:23) - "Hate even the clothes made unclean by the flesh" (Zechariah 3:4). Hate the sin but love the sinner.

"Now unto him that is able...Amen." (1:24-25) - Verses 1:24-25 are Jude's doxology (song of praise) to God's glory. Thanks to God and Jesus, we are saved. Notice the similarities of these two verses to Colossians 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and to Peter's final benediction in 2 Peter 3:18.

New Living Translation

Jude 1:17-25
A Call to Remain Faithful

17 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said.

18 They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires.

19 These 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.

20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,

21 and 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.

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.

23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

A Prayer of Praise

24 Now 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.

25 All 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.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. What four commands can you find in this passage?

Pray for the strength to resist sin. Ask for forgiveness when you fall to temptation and give thanks when you don't.

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. The four commands in this passage are to -

1. Remember what Jesus' apostles told us (1:17).
2. Stay in the love of God and wait patiently for the eternal life promised to us (1:21).
3. Have compassion on unbelievers (1:22).
4. Help others find the Lord (1:23).

Application thought for the day:

Memorize the commands in 1:21-23.

And so ends the last of the apostolic epistles.

Jude reinforces God's warning against false prophets
and the importance of building a life filled with faith.

Go back and review Jude while it is still fresh in your mind. You
will glean more meaning and find more lessons to apply to your life.
Remember, applying what we learn is the most important part of Bible study.

In a few days, you will receive the first Lesson of "The Revelation of Saint John the Divine."

Prepare yourself!

God Bless!

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2023 evolke

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