Jude 1:15
Profile of an Apostate
1. Ungodly (v. 4)
2. Morally perverted (v. 4)
3. Deny Christ (v. 4)
4. Defile the flesh (v. 8)
5. Rebellious (v. 8)
6. Revile holy angels (v. 8)
7. Dreamers (v. 10)
8. Ignorant (v. 10)
9. Corrupted (v. 10)
10. Grumblers (v. 16)
11. Fault finders (v. 16)
12. Self seeking (v. 16)
13. Arrogant speakers (v. 16)
14. Flatterers (v. 16)
15. Mockers (v. 18)
16. Cause division (v. 19)
17. Worldly minded (v. 19)
18. Without the Spirit (v. 19)
16 grumblers. See note on v. 5. The word, found only here in the NT, is used in the LXX to describe the murmurings of Israel against God (Ex. 16:7–9; Num. 14:27, 29; 1 Cor. 10:10). complainers. Lit. “finding fault.” They gave vent to dissatisfaction with God’s will and way as was the case with Israel, Sodom, the fallen angels, Cain, Korah, and Balaam (cf. vv. 5–7, 11). walking…own lusts. See notes on 2 Pet. 2:10, 18; 3:3. This is a common phrase used to describe the unconverted (v. 18; 2 Tim. 4:3). Apostates are especially driven by a desire for sinful self-satisfaction. mouth great…words. See note on 2 Pet. 2:18. They speak arrogantly, pompously, and even magnificently, but with empty, lifeless words of no spiritual value. Their message has external attractiveness, but is void of the powerful substance of divine truth. flattering people. They tell people what they want to hear for their own profit (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3, 4), rather than proclaiming the truth of God’s Word for the auditors’ benefit. Cf. Pss. 5:9; 12:2, 3; Prov. 26:28; 29:5; Rom. 3:13; 16:18.
17, 18 See notes on 2 Pet. 3:1–3.
17 words…by the apostles. The apostles had warned the coming generation about apostates, so that they would be prepared and not be taken by surprise (cf. Acts 20:28–31; 1 Tim. 4:1, 2; 2 Tim. 3:1–5; 4:1–3; 2 Pet. 2:1—3:4; 1 John 2:18; 2 John 7–11). God’s Word is designed to warn and protect (Acts 20:31; 1 Cor. 4:14); as v. 18 indicates, there had been continually repeated warnings.
18 mockers. See note on 2 Pet. 3:3. These are the scoffers at God’s future plans who pretend to know the truth but deny that judgment will ever come. last time. Lit. at the chronological end of the current epoch or season (cf. 2 Tim. 3:1). This term refers to the time of Messiah from His first coming until His second (see notes on 2 Tim. 3:1; 2 Pet. 3:3; 1 John 2:18). These characteristics will prevail until Christ returns. walk…ungodly lust. See note on v. 16.
19 sensual persons. Apostate teachers advertise themselves as having the highest spiritual knowledge, but are actually attracted to the most debased levels of life. They are “soulish” not “spiritual.” Cf. James 3:15. cause divisions. They fractured the church rather than united it (cf. Eph. 4:4–6; Phil. 2:2). not having the Spirit. To not have the Spirit, is to not have spiritual life at all (see notes on Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20) or, in other words, to be an unbeliever.
20 building. True believers have a sure foundation (1 Cor. 3:11) and cornerstone (Eph. 2:20) in Jesus Christ. The truths of the Christian faith (cf. v. 3) have been provided in the teaching of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20), so that Christians can build themselves up by the Word of God (Acts 20:32). praying in the Holy Spirit. See note on Eph. 6:18. This is not a call to some ecstatic form of prayer, but simply a call to pray consistently in the will and power of the Spirit, as one would pray in the name of Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 8:26, 27).
21 keep. Cf. Acts 13:43. This imperative establishes the believer’s responsibility to be obedient and faithful by living out his salvation (cf. Phil. 2:12), while God works out His will (cf. Phil. 2:13). It means to remain in the place of obedience where God’s love is poured out on His children, as opposed to being disobedient and incurring His chastening (cf. 1 Cor. 11:27–31; Heb. 12:5–11). This refers to the perseverance of the saints, the counterbalance to God’s sovereign preservation of believers in Christ (cf. v. 1). This is accomplished by: 1) building one’s self up in the Word of God (v. 20); 2) praying in the Holy Spirit (v. 20); and 3) looking for the finalization of eternal life (v. 21). For a related discussion of the perseverance of the saints, see note on Matt. 24:13. looking. An eager anticipation of Christ’s second coming to provide eternal life in its ultimate, resurrection form (cf. Titus 2:13; 1 John 3:1–3), which is the supreme expression of God’s mercy on one to whom Christ’s righteousness has undeservedly been imputed (cf. v. 2). Paul called this “loving His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8) and John wrote that such a steady anticipation was purifying (1 John 3:3).
22, 23 some. There are several textual variants here which could result in either two or three groups being indicated. They are: 1) sincere doubters who deserve compassion (v. 22; see marginal note); 2) those who are deeper in unbelief and urgently need to be pulled from the fire (v. 23); and 3) those declared disciples of apostasy who still deserve mercy, but are to be handled with much fear (v. 23; see marginal note), lest the would-be-rescuer also be spiritually sullied. Given the mss. evidence and Jude’s pattern of writing in triads, 3 groups is the more likely scenario.
22 compassion. These victims of the apostate teachers need mercy and patience because they have not yet reached a firm conclusion about Christ and eternal life, and so remain doubters (see marginal note) who could possibly be swayed to the truth.
23 others save. Others, who are committed to the errors taught by the apostates, need immediate and forthright attention before they are further entrenched on the road to the fire of hell (cf. v. 7) as a result of embracing deceptive lies. with fear. See marginal note for this phrase. This third group also needs mercy, even though they are thoroughly polluted by apostate teaching. These people are to be given the true gospel, but with great fear, lest the deliverer be contaminated also. The defiled garment pictures the apostate’s debauched life, which can spread its contagion to the well-meaning evangel.
24, 25 Jude’s lovely benediction/doxology stands as one of the most splendid in the NT (cf. Rom. 11:33–36; 16:25–27; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 13:20, 21). It returned to the theme of salvation which Jude had hoped to develop at the beginning (cf. v. 3) and bolstered the courage of believers to know that Christ would protect them from the present apostasy.
24 Him who is able. This speaks of omnipotent God. Cf. Gen. 18:14; Deut. 7:21; 1 Sam. 14:6; Matt. 19:26. keep you from stumbling. See notes on v. 1; 1 Pet. 1:3–5. The power of Christ would sustain the sincere believer from falling to the temptation of apostasy (cf. Job 42:2; Pss. 37:23, 24; 121:3; Jer. 32:17; Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37; John 6:39, 40, 44; 10:27–30; Eph. 3:20). present you faultless. Cf. 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:27. Christians possess Christ’s imputed righteousness through justification by faith and have been made worthy of eternal life in heaven (see notes on Rom. 8:31–39). with exceeding joy. This refers primarily to the joy of the Savior (cf. Heb. 12:2) but also includes the joy of believers (cf. 1 Pet. 1:8). Joy is the dominant expression of heaven (see Matt. 25:23). God our Savior. God is by nature a saving God, unlike the reluctant and indifferent false deities of human and demon invention (see notes on 1 Tim. 2:2; 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4; 2 Pet. 1:1).
25 alone is wise. Divine wisdom is embodied by Christ alone (cf. 1 Cor. 1:24, 30; Col. 2:3) and not by any human person or group, like the apostates. glory…power. Both Jude on earth and the angels and saints in heaven (Rev. 4:10, 11; 5:12–14) ascribed these qualities to our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 1
1:1 a Acts 1:13
1:1 b Rom. 1:7
1:1 c John 17:11, 12
1:1 1 NU beloved
1:2 d 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:2
1:3 e Titus 1:4
1:3 f Phil. 1:27
1:4 2 NU omits God
1:5 g Ex. 12:51; 1 Cor. 10:5–10; Heb. 3:16
1:6 3 own
1:7 h Gen. 19:24; 2 Pet. 2:6
1:7 4 punishment
1:8 i 2 Pet.
2:10
1:8 j Ex. 22:28
1:8 5 glorious ones, lit. glories
1:9 k Zech. 3:2
1:9 6 arguing
1:10 l 2 Pet. 2:12
1:11 m Gen. 4:3–8; Heb. 11:4; 1 John 3:12
1:11 n Num. 31:16; 2 Pet. 2:15; Rev. 2:14
1:11 o Num. 16:1–3, 31–35
1:12 7 stains, or hidden reefs
1:12 8 NU, M along
1:13 p Is. 57:20
1:13 q (Phil. 3:19)
1:13 r 2 Pet. 2:17; Jude 6
1:15 s 1 Sam. 2:3
1:16 t 2 Pet. 2:18
1:16 u Prov. 28:21
1:17 v 2 Pet. 3:2
1:18 w Acts 20:29; (1 Tim. 4:1); 2 Tim. 3:1; 4:3; 2 Pet. 3:3
1:19 9 soulish or worldly
1:20 x Col. 2:7; 1 Thess. 5:11
1:20 y (Rom. 8:26)
1:21 z Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; 2 Pet. 3:12
1:22 10 NU who are doubting (or making distinctions)
1:23 a Rom. 11:14
1:23 b Amos 4:11; Zech. 3:2; 1 Cor. 3:15
1:23 c (Zech. 3:4, 5); Rev. 3:4
1:23 11 NU omits with fear
1:23 12 NU adds and on some have mercy with fear
1:24 d (Eph. 3:20)
1:24 e Col. 1:22
1:24 13 M them
1:25 14 NU the only God our
1:25 15 NU Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Be glory
1:25 16 NU adds Before all time,
Introduction to Revelation
Title
Unlike most books of the Bible, Revelation contains its own title: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1). “Revelation” (Gr., apokalupsis) means “an uncovering,” “an unveiling,” or “a disclosure.” In the NT, this word describes the unveiling of spiritual truth (Rom. 16:25; Gal. 1:12; Eph. 1:17; 3:3), the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19), Christ’s incarnation (Luke 2:32), and His glorious appearing at His second coming (2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7). In all its uses, “revelation” refers to something or someone, once hidden, becoming visible. What this book reveals or unveils is Jesus Christ in glory. Truths about Him and His final victory, that the rest of Scripture merely allude to, become clearly visible through revelation about Jesus Christ (see Historical and Theological Themes). This revelation was given to Him by God the Father, and it was communicated to the Apostle John by an angel (1:1).
Author and Date
Four times the author identifies himself as John (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8). Early tradition unanimously identified him as John the apostle, author of the fourth gospel and three epistles. For example, important second century witnesses to the Apostle John’s authorship include Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian. Many of the book’s original readers were still alive during the lifetimes of Justin Martyr and Irenaeus—both of whom held to apostolic authorship.
There are differences in style between Revelation and John’s other writings, but they are insignificant and do not preclude one man from writing both. In fact, there are some striking parallels between Revelation and John’s other works. Only John’s gospel and Revelation refer to Jesus Christ as the Word (19:13; John 1:1). Revelation (1:7) and John’s gospel (19:37) translate Zech. 12:10 differently from the Septuagint, but in agreement with each other. Only Revelation and the Gospel of John describe Jesus as the Lamb (5:6, 8; John 1:29); both describe Jesus as a witness (cf. 1:5; John 5:31, 32).
Revelation was written in the last decade of the first century (ca. A.D. 94–96), near the end of Emperor Domitian’s reign (A.D. 81–96). Although some date it during Nero’s reign (A.D. 54–68), their arguments are unconvincing and conflict with the view of the early church. Writing in the second century, Irenaeus declared that Revelation had been written toward the end of Domitian’s reign. Later writers, such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Victorinus (who wrote one of the earliest commentaries on Revelation), Eusebius, and Jerome affirm the Domitian date.
The spiritual decline of the 7 churches (chaps. 2, 3) also argues for the later date. Those churches were strong and spiritually healthy in the mid-60s, when Paul last ministered in Asia Minor. The brief time between Paul’s ministry there and the end of Nero’s reign was too short for such a decline to have occurred. The longer time gap also explains the rise of the heretical sect known as the Nicolaitans (2:6, 15), who are not mentioned in Paul’s letters, not even to one or more of these same churches (Ephesians). Finally, dating Revelation during Nero’s reign does not allow time for John’s ministry in Asia Minor to reach the point at which the authorities would have felt the need to exile him.
Background and Setting
Revelation begins with John, the last surviving apostle and an old man, in exile on the small, barren island of Patmos, located in the Aegean Sea southwest of Ephesus. The Roman authorities had banished him there because of his faithful preaching of the gospel (1:9). While on Patmos, John received a series of visions that laid out the future history of the world.
When he was arrested, John was in Ephesus, ministering to the church there and in the surrounding cities. Seeking to strengthen those congregations, he could no longer minister to them in person and, following the divine command (1:11), John addressed Revelation to them (1:4). The churches had begun to feel the effects of persecution; at least one man—probably a pastor—had already been martyred (2:13), and John himself had been exiled. But the storm of persecution was about to break in full fury upon the 7 churches so dear to the apostle’s heart (2:10). To those churches, Revelation provided a message of hope: God is in sovereign control of all the events of human history, and though evil often seems pervasive and wicked men all powerful, their ultimate doom is certain. Christ will come in glory to judge and rule.
Historical and Theological Themes
Since it is primarily prophetic, Revelation contains little historical material, other than that in chaps. 1–3. The 7 churches to whom the letters were addressed were existing churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Apparently, they were singled out because John had ministered in them.
Revelation is first and foremost a revelation about Jesus Christ (1:1). The book depicts Him as the risen, glorified Son of God ministering among the churches (1:10ff.), as “the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth” (1:5), as “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (1:8), as the one “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (1:8), as the First and the Last (1:11), as the Son of Man (1:13), as the one who was dead, but now is alive forevermore (1:18), as the Son of God (2:18), as the one who is holy and true (3:7), as “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God” (3:14), as the Lion of the tribe of Judah (5:5), as the Lamb in heaven, with authority to open the title deed to the earth (6:1ff.), as the Lamb on the throne (7:17), as the Messiah who will reign forever (11:15), as the Word of God (19:13), as the majestic King of kings and Lord of lords, returning in glorious splendor to conquer His foes (19:11ff.), and as “the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star” (22:16).
Many other rich theological themes find expression in Revelation. The church is warned about sin and exhorted to holiness. John’s vivid pictures of worship in heaven both exhort and instruct believers. In few other books of the Bible is the ministry of angels so prominent. Revelation’s primary theological contribution is to eschatology, i.e., the doctrine of last things. In it we learn about: the final political setup of the world; the last battle of human history; the career and ultimate defeat of Antichrist; Christ’s 1,000 year earthly kingdom; the glories of heaven and the eternal state; and the final state of the wicked and the righteous. Finally, only Daniel rivals this book in declaring that God providentially rules over the kingdoms of men and will accomplish His sovereign purposes regardless of human or demonic opposition.
Interpretive Challenges
No other NT book poses more serious and difficult interpretive challenges than Revelation. The book’s vivid imagery and striking sy
mbolism have produced 4 main interpretive approaches:
The preterist approach interprets Revelation as a description of first century events in the Roman Empire (see Author and Date). This view conflicts with the book’s own often repeated claim to be prophecy (1:3; 22:7, 10, 18, 19). It is impossible to see all the events in Revelation as already fulfilled. The second coming of Christ, for example, obviously did not take place in the first century.
The historicist approach views Revelation as a panoramic view of church history from apostolic times to the present—seeing in the symbolism such events as the barbarian invasions of Rome, the rise of the Roman Catholic Church (as well as various individual popes), the emergence of Islam, and the French Revolution. This interpretive method robs Revelation of any meaning for those to whom it was written. It also ignores the time limitations the book itself places on the unfolding events (cf. 11:2; 12:6, 14; 13:5). Historicism has produced many different—and often conflicting—interpretations of the actual historical events contained in Revelation.
The idealist approach interprets Revelation as a timeless depiction of the cosmic struggle between the forces of good and evil. In this view, the book contains neither historical allusions nor predictive prophecy. This view also ignores Revelation’s prophetic character and, if carried to its logical conclusion, severs the book from any connection with actual historical events. Revelation then becomes merely a collection of stories designed to teach spiritual truth.
The futurist approach insists that the events of chaps. 6-22 are yet future, and that those chapters literally and symbolically depict actual people and events yet to appear on the world scene. It describes the events surrounding the second coming of Jesus Christ (chaps. 6-19), the Millennium and final judgment (chap. 20), and the eternal state (chaps. 21, 22). Only this view does justice to Revelation’s claim to be prophecy and interprets the book by the same grammatical-historical method as chaps. 1-3 and the rest of Scripture.
Outline
I. The Things which You Have Seen (1:1-20)
A. The Prologue (1:1-8)
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 668