Judas

1

Jude 1

King James

SAB comment

My comment


1

2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

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.

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"
God pre-ordained that certain "ungodly" men would deny Jesus.
Do humans have free will?
What the Bible says about determinism and free will

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.

"The Lord ... destroyed them that believed not."
God destroys non-believers.

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.

(6-7) "The angels which kept not their first estate"
The angels that Jude refers to here are the "sons of God" that had sex with human females to produce a race of giants. (See Gen.6:4)
Is the devil free to roam?
Do angels have sex?
In this verse Jude talks about fallen angels, angels who became devils. But in the next verse Jude talks about humans. Without any warrant the author of the SAB merges these two verses, making it appear angels were fornicating in Sodom. That doesn't make any sense at all.
Jude's topic is that there are many examples of those who first received God's grace, but “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (verse 4).” And God seeks and punishes sin. He starts his list (verse 5) with “I will therefore put you in remembrance.” His first example is God's own people, the Israelites who fled Egypt, but did not reach Canaan. His second is God's angels, this verse, the angels which were in heaven, but stood up against God. His third example is God's own creation, the next verse (verse 7), the people in Sodom and Gomorrha. Jude shows here that no one is excluded from God's righteous judgement.
On the “sons of God” and the supposed intercourse between angels and humans, see Gen. 6:4.
On if the devil is free to roam ...

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.

(7-8) "Giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh ... these filthy dreamers defile the flesh."
God sent "eternal fire" on the people of Sodom and Gomorrah for "going after strange flesh."

The author of the SAB reads right. No amount of denying, wriggling and reinterpretation will make the scripture say anything else on homosexuality. It is a grave sin.

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

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.

"Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses."
Michael the Archangel (Jesus according to the Watchtower) argued with the devil about the body of Moses.

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.

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.

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;

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

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

(14-15) "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam"
Jude says Enoch, "the seventh from Adam", prophesied that God would come with 10,000 of his saints "to execute judgment upon all." But this prophecy is from the Book of Enoch, not from the Bible.
Was Enoch the seventh from Adam?
The author of the SAB asks "Was Enoch the sixth or the seventh from Adam?". The Bible never claims that Enoch was the sixth of Adam. It's the author of the SAB that does the counting. The issue is resolved easily it we take into account that the Jews counted inclusive, so the author of the SAB should count Adam as well. As literally Jude says: "the seventh", counted "from Adam".
Other examples of this is "the seventh day", counted from the first day. Or in the months: "the third month", counted from the first. Jews always include the first thing in the count.
The number seven hold a special meaning for the Jews, so that might be another reason why Jude mentions the number seven.
A third reason we find in Genesis. There we see two family lines: Seth and Cain. The seventh is singled out in both cases. On the one hand we find Enoch, on the other we find Lamech. One following its own ways, the other walking in the way of God.

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.

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.

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.