Sunday
Evening Bible Study
April 22, 2001
Introduction
Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, 3.25) relates that John, after the death of Domitian, returned
from his exile in Patmos to Ephesus, and went on missionary tours into the
heathen regions around, and also made visitations of the churches around, and
ordained bishops and clergy. If Eusebius is right, both Epistles must have been
written after the Apocalypse, in his old age, which harmonizes with the tone of
the Epistles, and in or near Ephesus.
2John
:1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the
truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
elder – presbuteros –
elder, of age; among the Christians, those who presided over the assemblies (or
churches) The NT uses the term bishop, elders, and presbyters interchangeably
elect – eklektos – picked
out, chosen
lady – Kuria – a Christian
woman to whom the second Epistle of John is addressed; this is a female form of
kurios, the word for “lord”. Some have suggested that this
:2 For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for
ever.
dwelleth – meno – to
remain, abide
(2 John 1:1-2 NLT) This
letter is from John the Elder. It is written to the chosen lady and to her
children, whom I love in the truth, as does everyone else who knows God's
truth-- {2} the truth that lives in us and will be in our hearts forever.
:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
be with – future tense, “will be with”
:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we
have received a commandment from the Father.
rejoiced – chairo – to
rejoice, be glad; to rejoice exceedingly
greatly – lian – greatly,
exceedingly, exceedingly beyond measure
:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment
unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
beseech – erotao – to question;
to ask; to request, entreat, beg, beseech
lady – Kuria – a Christian
woman to whom the second Epistle of John is addressed
:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the
commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
deceivers – planos –
wandering, roving; misleading, leading into error; a vagabond,
"tramp", imposter; corrupter, deceiver
confess – homologeo – to
say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent; to concede; not to
deny; to confess; declare; to profess; to declare openly, speak out freely
:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought,
but that we receive a full reward.
look – blepo – to see,
discern, of the bodily eye; metaph. to see with the mind’s eye; to have (the
power of) understanding; to discern mentally, observe, perceive, discover,
understand; to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider,
contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine
lose – apollumi – to
destroy; to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin; to lose
we have wrought – ergazomai –
to work, labour, do work; to do, work out; to work for, earn by working, to
acquire
reward – misthos – dues
paid for work; wages, hire; reward: used of the fruit naturally resulting from
toils and endeavours
:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath
not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and
the Son.
transgresseth – parabaino –
to go by the side of; to go past or pass over without touching a thing; to
overstep, neglect, violate, transgress; so to go past as to turn aside from;
one who abandons his trust
The one who no longer remains in the doctrine of Christ has “gone past”,
gone too far.
:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him
not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
bring – phero – to carry;
to bring, bring to, bring forward; to bring in by announcing, to announce
receive – lambano – to
take; to take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use
it; to take what is one’s own, to take to one’s self, to make one’s own; to
admit, receive; to receive a person, give him access to one’s self
house – oikia – a
house
Some have used this verse to say that you should not allow anyone into your
house who is not a born-again Christian. But John is writing to a church that
met in a house. The proper understanding of this is that we are not to allow
into a place of teaching or prominence a person who is not a born-again
Christian.
God speed – chairo – to
rejoice, be glad; to rejoice exceedingly; to be well, thrive; in salutations,
hail!; at the beginning of letters: to give one greeting, salute
bid – lego – to say, to
speak
:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
biddeth – lego – to say,
to speak
God speed – chairo –
to rejoice, be glad; to rejoice exceedingly; to be well, thrive; in
salutations, hail!; at the beginning of letters: to give one greeting, salute
is partaker – koinoneo –
to come into communion or fellowship with, to become a sharer, be made a partner;
to enter into fellowship, join one’s self to an associate, make one’s self a
sharer or partner
deeds – ergon – business,
employment, that which any one is occupied; any product whatever, any thing
accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind; an act, deed, thing done: the
idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work
evil – poneros – full of
labours, annoyances, hardships; bad, of a bad nature or condition; in an
ethical sense: evil wicked, bad
Lesson
Don’t give your stamp of approval to
the wrong things
There is a difference between loving people and wanting to see them come
out of their wicked ways and crossing the line and end up affirming their
wicked ways.
:12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and
ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be
full.
paper – chartes – paper
ink – melan – ink
face – stoma – the mouth,
as part of the body: of man, of animals, of fish, etc.; since thoughts of a
man’s soul find verbal utterance by his mouth, the "heart" or
"soul" and the mouth are distinguished
literally, “mouth to mouth”
may be full – pleroo – to
make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full; to cause to abound, to furnish
or supply liberally; to render full, i.e. to complete; to fill to the top: so
that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim
:13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
greet – aspazomai – to
draw to one’s self; to salute one, greet, bid welcome, wish well to; to receive
joyfully, welcome
3John
:1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Gaius – Gaios =
“lord"
:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospereth.
I wish – euchomai – to
pray to God; to wish, to pray, to pray for
prosper – euodoo (“well”
+ “way”) – to grant a prosperous and expeditious journey, to lead by a direct
and easy way; to grant a successful issue, to cause to prosper; to prosper, be
successful
Ro 1:10 Making request, if
by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will
of God to come unto you.
1Co 16:2 Upon the first
[day] of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as [God] hath
prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
be in health – hugiaino
– to be sound, to be well, to be in good health; metaph. of Christians
whose opinions are free from any mixture of error; of one who keeps the graces
and is strong
prospereth – euodoo – to
grant a prosperous and expeditious journey, to lead by a direct and easy way;
to grant a successful issue, to cause to prosper; to prosper, be successful
This is John’s personal wish for Gaius. Some people misquote it as God’s
general will for all His children.
:3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the
truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
I rejoiced – chairo – to
rejoice, be glad; to rejoice exceedingly; to be well, thrive; in salutations,
hail!; at the beginning of letters: to give one greeting, salute
greatly – lian – greatly,
exceedingly, exceedingly beyond measure
Illustration
For the past one hundred years people have been blessed by the Hymns of
Fanny Crosby: “God Will Take Care of You,” “Blessed Assurance,” “I Am Thine, O
Lord,” “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” “Draw
Me Nearer,” and “Rescue the Perishing,” to name just a few.
Rather than destroying her life, Fanny Crosby’s blindness shut out enough
of the world so she could hear the music of heaven. She said, “Sightless, I see, and, seeing, find soul-vision,
though my eyes are blind.” That vision
strengthened her to work until the age of ninety-one. She worked tirelessly, writing, speaking, ministering in the
slums and missions of New York City, and praying for those spiritually blinded
by sin.
When she died at age ninety-five, the simple tombstone erected on her grave
captured the essence of her life: "Aunt Fanny. She hath done what she could."
-- Ray Beeson & Ranelda Hunsicker, The Hidden Price of Greatness,
(Tyndale, 1991), p. 88.
:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
greater – meizoteros –
greater
Lesson
Joy of discipling
It is a great joy to have spent time working with people and to see after a
few years that they are still walking with Jesus.
:5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren,
and to strangers;
faithfully – pistos –
trusty, faithful; of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of
business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties
doest – poieo – to make;
to do
doest (second time) – ergazomai
– to work, labour, do work; to do, work out; exercise, perform, commit; to
work for, earn by working, to acquire
strangers – xenos – a foreigner,
a stranger
(3 John 1:5 NLT) Dear
friend, you are doing a good work for God when you take care of the traveling
teachers who are passing through, even though they are strangers to you.
:6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou
bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
charity – agape –
brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
bring forward on their journey – propempo
– to send before; to send forward, bring on the way, accompany or escort;
to set one forward, fit him out with the requisites for a journey
sort – axios – suitably,
worthily, in a manner worthy of
literally, “worthy of God”
:7 Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the
Gentiles.
:8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to
the truth.
ought – opheilo – to owe;
to owe money, be in debt for; that which is due, the debt
to receive – apolambano –
to receive; to receive any one hospitably
fellowhelpers – sunergos –
a companion in work, fellow worker
John was encouraging Gaius to be helping those in the ministry, who were
travelling from church to church.
Lesson
It takes a team
John appreciated Gaius because of how he helped in the ministry.
I appreciate very much those that are helpful here in the ministry. I can’t do it alone.
Illustration
Don Bennett is a Seattle businessman who decided he wanted to climb
Washington's Mount Ranier. It's a stiff
climb to the peak of the 14,410-foot summit, but so many individuals have made
the climb that it no longer merits getting your name in the newspaper.
For Don Bennet, however, the climb was a remarkable achievement, and papers
nationwide carried the news of the first amputee ever to reach Mount Ranier's
summit.
In their book, The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner tell the
story of how Bennett made the climb on one leg and two crutches. Asked to share
the most important lesson he learned from his celebrated achievement, Bennett
spoke of the team of individuals who helped him attain his dream, and
commented, "You can't do it alone."
-- James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner, The
Leadership Challenge (San Francisco:
Jossey: Bass, 1987) p. 23
Illustration
John Stemmons, a well-known Dallas businessman, was asked to make a brief
statement on what he considered to be foundational to developing a good
team. His answer was crisp and
clear. It is worth repeating.
“Find some people who are comers, who are going to be
achievers in their own field, and whom you can trust. Then grow old together.”
:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the
preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
loveth to have the preeminence – philoproteuo (“love” + “first”) – to aspire to pre-eminence, to
desire to be first
Diotrephes – Diotrephes –
“nourished by Zeus”
:10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating
against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he
himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them
out of the church.
I will remember – hupomimnesko
– to cause one to remember, bring to remembrance, recall to mind: to
another; to put one in remembrance, admonish, of something; to be reminded, to
remember
deeds – ergon – business,
employment, that which any one is occupied; that which one undertakes to do,
enterprise, undertaking; any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand,
art, industry, or mind; an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is
emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work
doeth – poieo – to make;
to do
malicious – poneros –
full of labours, annoyances, hardships; bad, of a bad nature or condition; in
an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad
prating against – phluareo
– to utter nonsense, talk idly, prate; to bring forward idle accusations,
make empty charges; to accuse one falsely with malicious words; from phluo,
“to bubble”.
Can you imagine someone making false charges against the apostle John? Yet
this is what Diotrephes had been doing.
content – arkeo – to be
possessed of unfailing strength; to be strong, to suffice, to be enough; to be
satisfied, to be contented
them that would – boulomai –
to will deliberately, have a purpose, be minded; of willing as an affection, to
desire
forbiddeth – koluo – to
hinder, prevent forbid; to withhold a thing from anyone; to deny or refuse one
a thing
Those that wanted to help the travelling missionaries were forbidden to do
so by Diotrephes. If anyone wanted to disagree with Diotrephes, he would have
them kicked out of the church.
Lesson
The danger of wanting to be first
I think this is a great danger in the church. It creeps up on a person unawares.
I see it when …
Being sad when you’re not picked for something.
Being sad when someone else gets promoted ahead of you.
Being sad because your ideas aren’t being listened to.
It’s nothing new. Back in the 1930’s, A.T. Robertson wrote,
Some forty years ago I wrote an article on Diotrephes for a
denominational paper. The editor told me that twenty-five deacons stopped the
paper to show their resentment against being personally attacked in the paper.
We ought to be willing to be on the sidelines cheering each other along.
:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that
doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
follow – mimeomai – to
imitate: any one
evil – kakos – of a bad
nature; not such as it ought to be; of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting;
base, wrong, wicked; troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful
good – agathos – of good
constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful,
happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable
doeth good – agathopoieo (“good”
+ “to do”) – to do good, do something which profits others
he that doeth evil – kakopoieo
– to do harm; to do evil, do wrong
hath … seen – horao – to
see with the eyes; to see with the mind, to perceive, know; to see, i.e. become
acquainted with by experience, to experience
This is very much like what John wrote back in 1John:
(1 John 3:6 KJV) Whosoever
abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known
him.
If you’ve truly come to know Jesus, you can never be the same again. Once
you’ve truly met Jesus, He will change you forever.
Lesson
Be careful what you copy
Illustration
Plutarch says that among the Persians those persons were considered most
beautiful who were hawk-nosed, for no other reason than that Cyrus had such a
nose. In Richard the Third's court hunchbacks were the height of fashion.
According as the various potentates who have condescended to rule mankind have
lisped, or stuttered, or limped, or squinted, or spoken through their noses,
these infirmities have been elevated into graces and commanded the admiration
of silly mortals.
But is there not more than a possibility that what we ridicule in the
kingdoms of earth may have its counterpart in the church? Is there not a
tendency among Christians to imitate the spiritual infirmities of their
religious leaders, or more often still of departed saints? We may follow holy
people so far as they follow Christ. The mischief is that we do not readily
stop where we should, but rather where we should not. By all means imitate the
great heroes of the faith, but not indiscriminately, not slavishly, or you will
do so ridiculously. One is your Master, to copy him in every jot and tittle
will be safe enough.
-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon,
(Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, Inc, 1990)
:12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea,
and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.
Demetrius – Demetrios –
“belonging to Ceres”
hath good report – martureo –
to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or
experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation
or inspiration; to utter honourable testimony, give a good report
Lesson
The value of a good reputation
Illustration
In his book, I Almost Missed the Sunset, Bill Gaither writes:
Gloria and I had been married a couple of years. We were teaching school in
Alexandria, Indiana, where I had grown up, and we wanted a piece of land where
we could build a house. I noticed the parcel south of town where cattle grazed,
and I learned it belonged to a 92-year-old retired banker named Mr. Yule. He
owned a lot of land in the area, and the word was he would sell none of it. He
gave the same speech to everyone who inquired: "I promised the farmers
they could use it for their cattle."
Gloria and I visited him at the bank. Although he was retired, he spent a
couple of hours each morning in his office. He looked at us over the top of his
bifocals.
I introduced myself and told him we were interested in a piece of his land.
"Not selling," he said pleasantly. "Promised it to a farmer for
grazing."
"I know, but we teach school here and thought maybe you'd be
interested in selling it to someone planning to settle in the area."
He pursed his lips and stared at me. "What'd you say your name
was?"
"Gaither. Bill Gaither."
"Hmmm. Any relation to Grover Gaither?"
"Yes, Sir. He was my granddad."
Mr. Yule put down his paper and removed his glasses. "Interesting.
Grover Gaither was the best worker I ever had on my farm. Full day's work for a
day's pay. So honest. What'd you say you wanted?"
I told him again.
"Let me do some thinking on it, then come back and see me."
I came back within the week, and Mr. Yule told me he had had the property
appraised. I held my breath. "How does $3,800 sound? Would that be
okay?"
If that was per acre, I would have to come up with nearly $60,000!
"$3,800?" I repeated.
"Yup. Fifteen acres for $3,800."
I knew it had to be worth at least three times that. I readily accepted.
Nearly three decades later, my son and I strolled that beautiful, lush
property that had once been pasture land. "Benjy," I said,
"you've had this wonderful place to grow up through nothing that you've
done, but because of the good name of a great-granddad you never met."
"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is
better than silver or gold" (Prov 22:1).
-- Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching
(Baker), from the editors of Leadership.
:13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto
thee:
ink – melan – ink
pen – kalamos – a reed; a
writer’s reed, a pen
Lesson
Letters don’t always cut it
It is not hard to be misunderstood by a letter or e-mail. I get concerned
with people who begin to discover the wonder of e-mail when they don’t seem to
learn right away that you can be greatly misunderstood. Be careful about trying
to say important things in a letter when talking in person is possible.
:14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face.
Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.
I trust – elpizo – to hope
face – stoma – the mouth,
as part of the body: of man, of animals, of fish, etc.; since thoughts of a
man’s soul find verbal utterance by his mouth, the "heart" or
"soul" and the mouth are distinguished
literally, “mouth to mouth”
friends – philos – friend,
to be friendly to one, wish him well
Jude
This letter was written somewhere around AD 70-80.
The letter of Jude was written by one of Jesus’ half-brothers, named Jude.
He was a “half-brother” because he, like James, had the same biological mother
as Jesus, but had a different father than Jesus. Jude’s father was Joseph,
Jesus’ father was God.
Jude was one of the last letters written in the New Testament, and in his
letter he even quotes Peter’s second letter (Jude 1:18; 2Pet. 3:3)
: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:
Jude – Ioudas – Judas,
Judah = “he shall be praised”
This was another half-brother of Jesus. He, along with James, had the same
mother as Jesus (Mary), but whereas Jude and James had Joseph for a biological
father, Jesus had God as His Father.
(Mat 13:55 KJV) Is not this
the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James,
and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
servant – doulos – a
slave, bondman, man of servile condition
sanctified – hagiazo – to
render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow; to separate from profane
things and dedicate to God; to purify
preserved – tereo – to
attend to carefully, take care of; to guard; metaph. to keep, one in the state
in which he is
This is one of the key words of the epistle:
(Jude 1:1 KJV) 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:
(Jude 1:6 KJV) 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.
(Jude 1:13 KJV) Raging waves
of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved
the blackness of darkness for ever.
(Jude 1:21 KJV) Keep yourselves
in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
:2 Mercy unto you, and peace and love, be multiplied.
be multiplied – plethuno –
to increase, to multiply
: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.
diligence – spoude –
haste, with haste; earnestness, diligence; earnestness in accomplishing,
promoting, or striving after anything; to give all diligence, interest one’s
self most earnestly
common – koinos – common;
common i.e. ordinary, belonging to generality
needful – anagke –
necessity, imposed either by the circumstances, or by law of duty regarding to
one’s advantage, custom, argument; calamity, distress, straits
exhort – parakaleo – to
call to one’s side, call for, summon; to address, speak to, (call to, call
upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort,
instruction, etc.
earnestly contend – epagonizomai
– to contend; from agonizomai –
to enter a contest: contend in the gymnastic games; to contend with
adversaries, fight; metaph. to contend, struggle, with difficulties and
dangers; to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something
once – hapax – once, one
time; once for all
delivered – paradidomi –
to give into the hands (of another); to give over into (one’s) power or use
Here comes the warnings against the false teachers.
: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.
crept in unawares – pareisduno
(“alongside” + “into” + “enter”) – to enter secretly, slip in stealthily;
to steal in
of old – palai – of old,
former; long ago
before … ordained – prographo –
to write before (of time); of old set forth or designated before hand (in the
scriptures of the OT); to depict or portray openly; to write before the eyes of
all who can read; to depict, portray, paint, before the eyes
condemnation – krima – a
decree, judgments; judgment; condemnation of wrong, the decision (whether
severe or mild) which one passes on the faults of others
ungodly – asebes –
destitute of reverential awe towards God, condemning God, impious
turning – metatithemi – to
transpose (two things, one of which is put in place of the other); to transfer;
to change
lasciviousness – aselgeia –
unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness,
outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence
These men abused God’s gifts, God’s grace, and have exchanged them for
unbridled lust. I guess these kinds of
people are always going to be around.
Illustration
After a refreshing shower that has made all the flowers to smile till the
teardrops of joy stand in their eyes, you will see your garden paths spotted
over with slugs and snails. These creatures lay concealed till the genial rain
called them forth to make their slimy way toward whatever they might devour.
In the same way, revivals, of necessity, sometimes develop hypocrites. Yet
who would deplore the shower because of the snails, and who would complain
about "times of refreshing" because mere pretenders are excited to
make a base profession of a grace to which they are strangers?
-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw
Publishers, Inc, 1990)
:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how
that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward
destroyed them that believed not.
put you in remembrance – hupomimnesko
– to cause one to remember, bring to remembrance, recall to mind: to
another; to put one in remembrance, admonish, of something; to be reminded, to
remember
destroyed – apollumi – to
destroy; to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin
Not everyone rescued from Egypt made it into the Promised Land alive.
: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.
kept – tereo – to attend
to carefully, take care of; to guard; metaph. to keep, one in the state in
which he is; to observe; to reserve: to undergo something
first estate – arche –
beginning, origin
left – apoleipo – to
leave, to leave behind; to desert or forsake
habitation – oiketerion –
a dwelling place, habitation; of the body as a dwelling place for the spirit
darkness – zophos –
darkness, blackness; used of the darkness of the nether world
reserved – tereo – to
attend to carefully, take care of; to guard; metaph. to keep, one in the state
in which he is; to observe; to reserve: to undergo something
Same word translated “kept” earlier in the verse.
Some have suggested that Jude is talking about the “sons of God” that cohabited
with the “daughters of men” in Genesis 6, which led to a race of giants and
eventually the flood.
: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.
giving themselves over to fornication – ekporneuo – to go a whoring, “give one’s self over to fornication”
strange – heteros – the
other, another, other; another: i.e. one not of the same nature, form, class,
kind, different
an example – deigma – a
thing shown; a specimen of any thing, example, pattern
vengeance – dike – custom,
usage; a judicial hearing, judicial decision, esp. sentence of condemnation;
execution of a sentence, punishment; to suffer punishment
Illustration
You talk about free love -- there is no such thing as free love! Don't let
anyone ever tell you there is a thing as casual love or free sex. I'll tell you how expensive it is. I'll tell you who is paying the price of the
last 15 years. In the last year, just
in the last year, more little babies have been born with a birth defect because
of a sexually transmitted disease than all the babies affected by polio during
the entire epidemic of the fifties. In
just 365 days! It's the little children
being born who are paying the price.
Free love? Twenty-seven thousand people today in the United States will
contract a sexually transmitted disease, 10 million this year. Free love? The state of Illinois this year will spend
853 million dollars dealing with the effects of illicit sex. Free love?
The United States government last year spent 8.6 billion dollars --
there is no such thing as free love, and we've let the culture sell our young
people a bill of goods that was made with cheap labor. We had better wake up in the church!
-- Understanding the Times, Josh McDowell, 1986
:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion,
and speak evil of dignities.
Three things these people do: defile the flesh through dreams; despise
authority; blaspheme glory
filthy dreamers – enupniazomai
– to dream (divinely suggested) dreams; metaph., to be beguiled with
sensual images and carried away to an impious course of conduct
defile – miaino – to dye
with another colour, to stain; to defile, pollute, sully, contaminate, soil; to
defile with sins
dominion – kuriotes –
dominion, power, lordship; in the NT: one who possesses dominion
despise – atheteo – to do
away with, to set aside, disregard; to thwart the efficacy of anything,
nullify, make void, frustrate; to reject, to refuse, to slight
NAS – “reject authority”
dignities – doxa –
opinion, judgment, view; in the NT always a good opinion concerning one,
resulting in praise, honour, and glory; splendour, brightness; majesty; a thing
belonging to God; of the angels
speak evil – blasphemeo –
to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme; to be evil
spoken of, reviled, railed at
: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.
contending – diakrino – to
separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer; to separate one’s self
in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with dispute, contend; to be at variance
with one’s self, hesitate, doubt
he disputed – dialegomai –
to think different things with one’s self, mingle thought with thought; to
ponder, revolve in mind; to converse, discourse with one, argue, discuss
durst – tolmao – not to
dread or shun through fear; to bear, endure; to bring one’s self to; to be
bold; bear one’s self boldly, deal boldly; NAS – “dare”
railing – blasphemia –
slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another’s good name; impious and
reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty
rebuke – epitimao – to
adjudge, award, in the sense of merited penalty; to tax with fault, rate,
chide, rebuke, reprove, censure severely; to admonish or charge sharply
Some have suggested that this was the manner in which the Lord had buried
Moses, using Michael the archangel.
De 34:6 And he buried him in
a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his
sepulchre unto this day.
Lesson
Let Jesus handle Satan.
Learn from Michael’s example. Stand
behind Jesus. When Satan comes knocking
at your door, let the Lord answer it.
:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they
know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
speak evil – blasphemeo –
to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme; to be evil
spoken of, reviled, railed at
naturally – phusikos – in
a natural manner, by nature, under the guidance of nature: by the aid of the
bodily senses
brute – alogos (“not” +
“word”) – destitute of reason; contrary to reason, absurd
they corrupt themselves – phtheiro
– to corrupt, to destroy; to be destroyed, to perish; in an ethical sense,
to corrupt, deprave
: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.
way – hodos – properly, a
way; metaph. a course of conduct; a way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling,
deciding
Cain – the first son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother. He
killed him because he was jealous and hated his brother.
Lesson
Watch out for hate
It was hate that drove Cain.
error – plane – a
wandering, a straying about; error, wrong opinion relative to morals or
religion; error which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting; error,
that which leads into error, deceit or fraud
Balaam – the prophet hired by the Midianites to curse Israel
(Num.22-25). When he couldn’t curse Israel, he taught the Midianites to commit
fornication and idolatry with the Israelites and bring God’s wrath on them.
reward – misthos – dues
paid for work; wages, hire
ran greedily after – ekcheo –
to pour out, shed forth; metaph. to bestow or distribute largely; NAS – “rushed
headlong”
Lesson
Watch out for greed
Greed was the motive that drove Balaam.
Illustration
gainsaying – antilogia –
gainsaying, contradiction; opposition, rebellion
Core – Korah (Num. 16), who led a rebellion against Moses because he
wanted to be a priest, even though God hadn’t picked him.
perished – apollumi – to
destroy; to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin; metaph.
to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell
Lesson
Watch out for the desire for power
and position
This was Korah’s problem. As
Diotrephes (3John 9)
: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 – agape –
brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; love feasts
The early church would eat meals together regularly and instead of calling
their meals “potlucks”, they called them “love feasts”, or “agape”.
It was these feasts that Paul rebuked the Corinthian church over, because
of the excesses and abuses that occurred during the feast. Some people drank
too much wine and got drunk, others were stingy and didn’t share their food,
others who were poor didn’t eat anything.
spots – spilas – a
rock in the sea, ledge, reef; metaph. of men who by their conduct damage others
morally, wreck them as it were
they feast – suneuocheo –
to entertain together; to feast sumptuously with
without fear – aphobos –
without fear, boldly
feeding – poimaino – to
feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep
without water – anudros –
without water
A cloud is a promise of rain, but a cloud without water is like the person
who is all show but no substance.
wind – anemos – wind, a
violent agitation and stream of air; a very strong tempestuous wind
This is not the word that is used to describe the Holy Spirit, pneuma,
which can also mean “wind”, but more as a “gentle movement of air”.
carried about – periphero –
to carry round, to bear about everywhere with one; to carry here and there; to
be driven
These people are driven by every new thing that comes along.
whose fruit withereth – phthinoporinos
(“waning” + “fruit”) – autumn trees;
trees such as they are at the close of autumn, dry, leafless and without fruit;
metaph. of unfruitful, worthless men
without fruit – akarpos –
metaph. without fruit, barren, not yielding what it ought to yield
plucked up by the roots – ekrizoo
– to root out, pluck up by the roots
There is nothing good that comes from the lives of these people.
Jesus warned about false prophets and said,
(Mat 7:15-17 KJV) Beware of
false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves. {16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of thistles? {17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth
good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
:13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars,
to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
waves – kuma – a wave
(swell) esp. of the sea or of a lake; of impulse and restless men, tossed to
and fro by their raging passions
raging – agrios – living
or growing in the fields or woods; of animals, wild, savage; of countries,
wild, uncultivated, unreclaimed; of men and animals in a moral sense, wild
savage, fierce; boorish, rude; of any violent passion, vehement, furious
foaming out – epaphrizo –
to foam up; to cast out as foam, foam out
shame – aischune – the
confusion of one who is ashamed of anything, sense of shame; ignominy,
disgrace, dishonour; a thing to be ashamed of
wandering – planetes (“planet”)
– a wanderer: wandering stars. From the word planos, the root word for
“deceive”.
Planets, comets, shooting stars are “wandering” stars.
blackness – zophos –
darkness, blackness; used of the darkness of the nether world
darkness – skotos –
darkness; of night darkness
is reserved – tereo – to
attend to carefully, take care of; to guard; metaph. to keep, one in the state
in which he is; to observe; to reserve: to undergo something
:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying,
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
ten thousands – murias (“myriads”)
– ten thousand; an innumerable multitude, an unlimited number; innumerable
hosts
The prophecy of Enoch was probably handed down through tradition, though
there was a book called “The Book of Enoch”, which had been lost in history,
but recovered in modern times in Abyssinia.
The fact that Jude quotes from this apocryphal book doesn’t mean that the
Book of Enoch was inspired and completely trustworthy any more than when Paul
quoted some of the Greek poets, that their writings were inspired.
: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.
convince – exelegcho – to
prove to be in the wrong, convict
ungodly – asebes –
destitute of reverential awe towards God, condemning God, impious
ungodly deeds – asebeia –
want of reverence towards God, impiety, ungodliness
they have ungodly committed – asebeo
– to be ungodly, act impiously
hard – skleros – hard,
harsh, rough, stiff; of men: metaph. harsh, stern, hard; of things: violent,
rough, offensive, intolerable
ungodly – asebes –
destitute of reverential awe towards God, condemning God, impious
:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and
their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration
because of advantage.
murmurers – goggustes – a
murmurer, one who discontentedly complains (against God)
complainers – mempsimoiros –
complaining of one’s lot, querulous, discontented
lusts – epithumia –
desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust
great swelling – huperogkos –
overswollen; metaph. immoderate, extravagant
in admiration – thaumazo –
to wonder, wonder at, marvel; to be wondered at, to be had in admiration
persons – prosopon – the
face
advantage – opheleia –
usefulness, advantage, profit
(Jude 1:16 NLT) These people
are grumblers and complainers, doing whatever evil they feel like. They are
loudmouthed braggarts, and they flatter others to get favors in return.
Lesson
God will one day judge
It doesn’t matter what kinds of fancy words you have been known for, God
will judge you one day.
Illustration
Many will recognize the flagship of humanism in the words "I am the
master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." They are from a poem
entitled "Invictus" (meaning "unconquered"), by
William Ernest Henley, an eighteenth century English poet. This is what Timothy McVeigh plans on
reading at his upcoming execution.
Here is the entire poem:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charted with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
-- William Henley
It is no accident that the life of William Henley ended in suicide.
You may be stubborn like this, but you will still face God as your judge
one day.
:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
spoken before – proereo –
to say before; to say in what precedes, to say above; to say before i.e.
heretofore, formerly; to say beforehand i.e. before the event: prophecies
:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who
should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
mockers – empaiktes – a
mocker, a scoffer
Jude is probably referring to the very words of Peter in:
(2 Pet 3:3 KJV) Knowing this
first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own
lusts,
Both Peter and Paul spoke of these kinds of things that Jude is talking
about:
(2 Pet 2:1-3 KJV) But there
were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying
the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
(1 Tim 4:1-2 KJV) Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; {2} Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
separate themselves – apodiorizo
– to disjoin, part, separate from another; making divisions or separations
sensual – psuchikos – of
or belonging to breath; the sensuous nature with its subjection to appetite and
passion
:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
most holy – hagios – most
holy thing, a saint. Superlative, “most holy”. Not just “holy” or “more holy”,
but “most holy”.
building up … on – epoikodomeo
– to build upon, build up; to finish the structure of which the foundation
has already been laid
See Sunday morning study.
:20 praying in the Holy Ghost,
praying – proseuchomai –
to offer prayers, to pray
in – en – in, by, with
etc.
:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God
keep – tereo – to attend
to carefully, take care of; to guard; metaph. to keep, one in the state in
which he is; expresses watchful care and is suggestive of present possession
love – agape – brotherly
love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
:21 looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
looking for – prosdechomai –
to receive to one’s self, to admit, to give access to one’s self; to admit one,
receive one into intercourse and companionship; to receive one (coming from
some place); to accept (not to reject) a thing offered; to expect: the
fulfilment of promises
We are to be looking forward to heaven and the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ.
:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
compassion – eleeo – to
have mercy on; to help one afflicted or seeking aid; to help the afflicted, to
bring help to the wretched; to experience mercy
to feel sympathy with the misery of another, esp. such sympathy as
manifests itself in act, less freq. in word
making a difference – diakrino
– to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer; to learn by discrimination,
to try, decide; to determine, give judgment, decide a dispute; to withdraw from
one, desert; to separate one’s self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with
dispute, contend; to be at variance with one’s self, hesitate, doubt
:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even
the garment spotted by the flesh.
fear – phobos – fear,
dread, terror
save – sozo – to save,
keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction
pulling them out – harpazo
– to seize, carry off by force; to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly;
to snatch out or away. This is the word that is used to describe the Rapture in
1Thess 4:17.
hating – miseo – to hate,
pursue with hatred, detest; to be hated, detested
spotted – spiloo – to defile,
spot
garment – chiton – a
tunic, an undergarment, usually worn next to the skin, a garment, a vestment
(Jude 1:23 NLT) …but be
careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins.
Lesson
Different people are reached
differently.
Some people need to hear of God’s love and compassion.
Others need to learn of God’s judgment and fear Him.
Illustration
“A traveler was journeying in the darkness of night along a road that led
to a deep and rapid river, which, swollen by sudden rains, was chafing and
roaring within its precipitous banks. The bridge that crossed the stream had
been swept away by the torrent, but he didn’t know it. A man met him and said
to him in an indifferent way, ‘Are you aware that the bridge is gone? I heard
such a report this afternoon, and though I am not certain about it, perhaps you
had better not proceed.’
“Deceived by the hesitating and undecided manner in which the information
was given, the traveler pushed on in the way of death. Soon another came along
and cried out in consternation, ‘Sir, sir, the bridge is gone!’
“Oh, yes,” replied the traveler. “’Someone told me that story a little
while ago, but I’m sure it is an idle tale.’”
“Oh, it is true!’ exclaimed the other. ‘I barely escaped being carried away
with it myself. You must not go on.’ In the excitement of his feelings, he
grasped the traveler by the hands, by the arms, by the clothes. Convinced by
the earnest voice, the earnest eyes, the earnest gestures, the traveler turned
back and was saved.
“So it is only through a burning zeal for the salvation of the lost—a zeal
glowing in the heart and flashing out in look and action and utterance—that the
confidence of unbelief can be overcome and the heedless travelers of the broad
way won to the path of life and happiness. Love is the most potent logic:
interest and sympathy are the most subduing eloquence.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Illustration
Evangelism is like strong horseradish: people praise it with tears in their
eyes.
There are other word associations we could make with the concept of
evangelism. For some people, evangelism is an evangelical mugging mission,
where we go into a phone booth, come out with a big red S on our chests and
charge out into a neighborhood, seldom our own, to win it for Christ.
For others, it’s some kind of evangelical ambush where we lure the honest,
unsuspecting victim to some type of an event, lock the doors, and sing
twenty-two verses of “Just as I Am.”
Some people think of evangelism as a bombing mission where, from protective
cloud cover at 30,000 feet, we fill backyards with gospel bombs.
For others, evangelism is herding fish into the stained glass aquarium
where the big fisherman throws the lure from the pulpit.
-- Joseph Aldrich, "How to Be a Redemptive Person," Preaching
Today, Tape No. 113.
: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,
that is able – dunamai –
to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or
of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of
law or custom; to be able to do something; to be capable, strong and powerful
to keep you – phulasso –
to guard; to watch, keep watch; to guard a person (or thing) that he may remain
safe
falling – aptaistos – not
stumbling, standing firm, exempt from falling
present – histemi – to
cause or make to stand, to place, put, set; to stand
before the presence – katenopion
– over against, before the face of, before the presence of, in the sight of,
before
faultless – amomos –
without blemish; as a sacrifice without spot or blemish; morally: without
blemish, faultless, unblameable
exceeding joy – agalliasis –
exultation, extreme joy, gladness
:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and
power, both now and for ever. Amen.