Jude 1:23 by Precept Austin Commentary

Jude 1:23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh: ous de sozete (2PPAM) ek puros harpazontes (PAPMPN) ous de eleate (2PPAM) en phobo misountes (PAPMPN) kai ton apo tes sarkos espilomenon (RPPMSA) chitona save = Ro 11:14; 1Co 5:3-5; 2Co 7:10, 11, 12; 1Ti 4:16 snatching = Amos 4:11; Zech 3:2 = "Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"; 1Co 3:15 hating = Lev 13:47-59; 14:47; 15:17; Isa 64:6; La 4:14; Zech 3:3, 4, 5; 1Co 5:9, 10, 11; 1Co 15:33; 2Th 3:14; Rev 3:4,18 Amplified - [Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others take pity [but] with fear, loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality. Barclay - Others you must rescue by snatching them out of the fire. Others you must pity and fear at the same time, hating the garment stained by the flesh. NET - save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh. TLB - Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren’t pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners. Wuest - be saving, snatching out of the fire, others on the other hand, upon whom be showing mercy in fear, hating even the undergarment completely defiled by the flesh. TWO MORE GROUPS The second group are describes as in fire, and although they are close to be completely seduced by the apostate teaching, there is some hope that they can be rescued from the wrath to come. While clearly salvation belongs to the Lord, He calls on the saints to "bring glad tidings of good things." (Ro 10:15). The Spirit uses the proclaimed Gospel of Jesus Christ to bring about conviction, repentance, belief and regeneration. Save is an present imperative, a command calling for them to continually have a Spirit enabled "evangelistic" mindset. Save and snatching bring to mind a "spiritual intervention" if you will, much like families do when one of their loved ones is trapped in addiction to some substance of abuse and are in grave danger. The were to have the attitude of a parent who sees their child in the path of an oncoming car and runs to snatch and rescue them from harm's way. MacArthur writes that "in humility and faith we who would be faithful must be willing to be used by God to save others. God remains the ultimate source of salvation (Ps. 3:8; Jonah 2:9; John 1:12–13; 3:6–8; Eph. 2:8), but we are the secondary means He uses to reach sinners (cf. Acts 2:37–41; 4:1–4; 8:26–38; 13:46–48; 16:13–14). James wrote, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19–20). (2Peter and Jude MacArthur New Testament Commentary) John Calvin - The word to save, is transferred to men, not that they are the authors, but the ministers of salvation. Save (4982)(sozo) has the basic meaning of rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect, keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole. "“Save” calls for an activity which is strictly applicable only to God, but the meaning is that God desires to use His people to effect the salvation of such individuals." (Hiebert) Snatching them out of the fire - Rescue them. This phrase pictures rescuing someone out of great danger (like rescuing someone from a building on fire.) Kistemaker sees this as a rescue of some from "the fire of sin." Moffatt understands the reference to be to “the fire of immoral temptations set ablaze by these libertine religionists.” Hiebert favors the "view of Lawlor that those rescued are “believers, weak in the faith” who have become ensnared in the erroneous views and practices of the apostates, and that the fire denotes the resultant “severe chastening judgment.” (Second Peter and Jude An Expositional Commentary) Others understand the fire to denote the impending fate of the lost. E.g., the ESV Study Bible comments that "They were close to the fire of God's judgment" Another has written that "Jude’s expression seems best understood as denoting the fire of hell awaiting the unsaved." MacArthur adds that Jude "pictured them as having been singed by the very fire of hell, a foreshadowing of the eternal inferno that would one day engulf them if they continued to embrace false teaching (cf. Isa. 33:14; Matt. 13:42)." (Ref) Jude may have drawn his imagery from the OT prophets. Zechariah 3:2 describes "a brand plucked from the fire." In the prophet Amos we read "I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the LORD. (Amos 4:11) It is spiritually dangerous to stay around apostates and others who steadfastly reject and oppose the Gospel of Christ. If there is opportunity to witness to them, it should be done with the greatest of caution, “snatching them out of the fire,” as it were, and being careful not to get burned ourselves in the process. We should not even listen to “the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge” (1Ti 6:20). Exposing ourselves to such people and such teaching risks spiritual disaster (cf. 2Jn 8-11). Snatching (726) (harpazo) means to snatch up or way, to seize, to steal, to pluck or to pull and to do so suddenly, even with violence and speed and no warning. The idea is to take by force with a sudden swoop and usually indicates a force which cannot be resisted. "Snatching” denotes forceful and heroic action, hastily and almost violently snatching someone out of imminent danger." (Hiebert) The verb snatching also conveys a sense of urgency. Warren Wiersbe - Apparently these are the people who have left the fellowship and are now a part of the apostate group. They need to be snatched out of the fire! The angels took Lot by the hand and pulled him out of Sodom (Gen. 19:16), and sometimes that must be done in order to rescue ignorant and unstable believers from the clutches of false teachers. (Be Alert 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude- Beware of the Religious Impostors) On some have mercy with fear - This group has moved so far from "the faith" that they are even dangerous to the faithful. Hiebert says this group is "so polluted that they can be dealt with only in cautious compassion to avoid contamination by their sins. This is clearly the most degraded of the three classes. They are teetering on the brink of ruin, with meager probability of their being turned back." Despite the depth of their decline from truth, Jude says even they are to shown mercy. The attractiveness of sin should never be underestimated! Even the most faithful saint is not immune to temptations of the flesh. Compare... (Gal 6:1) Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. With fear - Literally the Greek is "in fear." The point Jude makes is to be careful when you carry out a rescue operation of your brethren who have been ensnared by the apostates, lest you be "contaminated" by "the contagion of sin while you are rescuing them." (Vincent) Even the most faithful believer can be influenced by evil in the person he is attempting to restore, so "compassionate caution" is necessary (cp Gal 6:1-2). Plummer - It is quite possible to approach evil with good intentions, and then, through want of proper humility and caution, end in finding it fatally attractive. (Expositor's Bible Commentary) This principle can be applied to accountability groups. For example, I have been in men's groups in which the speaker was being far too graphic regarding his sexual sin, and his graphic description led me to feel "dirty" on one hand and to be tempted on the other. We need to share, but we need to do so with a sense of "spiritual decorum," discernment and concern for those who hear our confession. Fear (5401)(phobos from phebomai = to flee from) in classic Greek means panic, fright, fear, awe, reverence. Phobos is used in an active sense to describe that which causes fear or terror, sometimes the source being God (of His divine works - eg, death of Ananias and Sapphira - Acts 5:5, 11, cp 1Ti 5:20, Rev 18:10, 15, Rev 11:11 = two slain witnesses come to life and ascend to heaven before a watching world!). Mayor - The faithful are urged to show all possible tenderness for the fallen, but at the same time to have a fear lest they themselves or others whom they influence should be led to think too lightly of the sin whose ravages they are endeavoring to repair. (The Expositor's Greek Testament) Hiebert explains with fear as a "reverential awe, springing out of a strong sense of God’s holiness, is the best immunization against infectious evil. The closer to God we live, the less appealing sin becomes." (Second Peter-Jude: An Expositional Commentary) NET Note - Joining a fear of God to mercy is an important balance when involved in disciplinary action. On the one hand, being merciful without fear can turn to unwarranted sympathy for the individual, absolving him of personal responsibility; but fearing God without showing mercy can turn into personal judgment and condemnation. The imagery here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning. (Jude 1) Hating even the garment polluted by the flesh - The garments (chiton) refer to the undergarments (underwear), which here are pictured as stained or soiled! The apostates were so corrupt that in a sense even their undergarments were defiled. While we are not to hate the sinner, we ought to feel an aversion and loathing for their sin. God hates sin and so should we! In the OT we note that the clothing of a leper was considered contaminated and had to be burned (Lev 13:47-52). MacArthur - Just as no one wants to handle someone else’s dirty underwear and be defiled physically, so we should be extremely wary of getting too close to the spiritual defilement of those corrupted by false teachers. Even in bringing the gospel to committed apostates, saints must exercise great caution and wisdom (cf. Matt. 10:16). (2Peter and Jude MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Spurgeon - When you have to deal with unclean professors, there must be an abhorrence and detestation of their sin even when there is great gentleness towards the sinner. We must never be such believers in the repentance of the guilty as to be willing to wink at sin; for sin is a great evil in any case, and repentance cannot wipe it away; and though it behooves us to be tender to the sinner, we must never be tender to the sin. (Exposition) NET Note - “Hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh.” The “flesh” in this instance could refer to the body or to the sin nature. It makes little difference in one sense: Jude is thinking primarily of sexual sins, which are borne of the sin nature and manifest themselves in inappropriate deeds done with the body. At the same time, he is not saying that the body is intrinsically bad, a view held by the opponents of Christianity. Hence, it is best to see “flesh” as referring to the sin nature here and the language as metaphorical. (Jude 1) Kistemaker - What is Jude trying to communicate? The picture is of undergarments that are soiled by discharges of the body. Jude wants the readers to feel intense aversion, even to the point of hatred, especially when they think about clothes that belong to someone else. Jude is saying to the readers, “Avoid all contact with sin so that it does not contaminate you. In fact, hate sin as you would loathe filthy undergarments stained by human excretions.” Jamieson on hating even the garment - A proverbial phrase: avoiding the most remote contact with sin, and hating that which borders on it. As garments of the apostles wrought miracles of good in healing, so the very garment of sinners metaphorically, that is, anything brought into contact with their pollution, is to be avoided. Compare to lepers and other persons defiled, Lev 13:52-57; Lev 15:4-17: the garments were held polluted; and anyone touching them was excluded, until purified, from religious and civil communion with the sanctified people of Israel. Christians who received at baptism the white garment in token of purity, are not to defile it by any approach to what is defiled. (Jude - Commentary Critical and Explanatory) John gives a parallel on Revelation 3:4 quoting Jesus' words to the church at Sardis - "But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy." (Rev 3:4-note) While it is only conjecture, some writers have surmised that this is possibly why Jesus left His grave clothes. He took the sin of man upon Himself and shed the "contaminated" grave clothes at His resurrection. In a possible OT parallel, we see the High Priest on the Day of Atonement removing his linen garments including those that covered his flesh after he had performed the sin offerings for himself and the congregation. This OT practice could be seen as a picture of our Great High Priest offering Himself for our sin and then removing His grave clothes. Hating (3404)(miseo from misos = hatred) means to dislike strongly, to have a strong aversion to or to detest, all of these representing expressions of hostility of one person (or group) toward another (Mt 5:43, Lk 6:27, et al). Specifically the hatred can be directed toward God (Lk 1:71). Good hatred is described here in Jude 1:23 (cf Heb. 1: 9; Jude 1:23; Rev. 2: 6, 15. Ro 7:15; cf similar hatred of sin, etc in Lxx of Ps 101:3, Ps 119:104, 113, 128, 163, Ps 139:21-22). "Even hatred has its legitimate field of exercise. Sin is the only thing which God hates: so ought we." (Jamieson) Polluted (4695)(spiloo) means stained, defiled, contaminated or soiled and is found only here and in James 3:6. The perfect tense describes the lasting effect of the pollution on the garment. The garment is permanently stained or defiled by sin. Peter uses the noun spilos describing the false teachers... suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, (2 Peter 2:13-note) Flesh (4" class="scriptRef">4561)(sarx) in this context refers to the natural or unregenerate man > centered upon self, prone to sin, and opposed to God (Ro 7:18-note). The regenerate man is "controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit" (Ro 8:9-note); but the sinful nature is still in him and he may, according to his choice, "follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature" or "the Spirit" (1Co 3:1,4; Gal 5:16-note). Progressively greater victory (victory = a relative term as true, complete victory will be found only when we are glorified) over the sinful nature will be the habitual experience of the Christian who walks in the Spirit (Ro 8:2,4-note; Gal 5:16-note,Gal 5:17-note). Jamieson - Three kinds of patients require three kinds of medical treatment. Ministers and Christians are said to “save” those whom they are made the instruments of saving; the Greek for “save” is present, therefore meaning “try to save.” Jude already (Jude 1:9-note) had reference to the same passage (Zech 3:1-3). The three classes are: (1) those who contend with you (accusative case in oldest manuscripts), whom you should convict; (2) those who are as brands already in the fire, of which hell-fire is the consummation: these you should try to save by snatching them out; (3) those who are objects of compassion, whom accordingly you should compassionate (and help if occasion should offer), but at the same time not let pity degenerate into connivance (1828 Webster = "properly, the act of winking. Hence figuratively, voluntary blindness to an act, generally imply consent to it") at their error. Your compassion is to be accompanied “with fear” of being at all defiled by them. (Jude - Commentary Critical and Explanatory) Bengel - Wretched men must be rescued in one way from the fire, and in another way from the mud. It is sufficient for these last to be treated with mildness, fear only being applied: these, being almost untouched by you, may perceive from this very circumstance your hatred and loathing even of the mere surface of impurity. (even) not only the flesh itself, which they pollute, Jude 1:8, but even the garment.— the spotted tunic) The tunic is the whole outward habit of life, in which we are affected by others. The phrase resembles a proverbial one. (Jude-Bengel's Gnomon) Hiebert - Christians cannot be merely indifferent to such men, nor avoid them with a “holier-than-thou” attitude. With a deep feeling of compassion for them, they are to act helpfully toward them as opportunity affords, but they must ever be careful not to be brought under the power of the deadly contamination that clings to the practices and surroundings of such individuals. The zeal to win souls must be combined with holy wisdom and prudence. (Second Peter-Jude: An Expositional Commentary) ><>><>><> Rick Renner's devotional on Jude 1:23 - It's Time for You To Act Fast! - Have you ever known fellow believers who got caught up in sinful lifestyles that had the power to destroy their lives? How did it affect you when you saw them making those harmful decisions? I don't know about you, but I find it heartbreaking when I see someone I love doing things that are self-destructive and harmful to his or her walk with God. Doesn't it affect you this same way? Jude tells us what our attitude should be toward fellow believers who get caught up in the world again. We must realize that these fellow believers are in grave danger of reaping the consequences of sin and that those consequences are very serious. Therefore, we must act decisively when we see this happen to someone we love. In Jude 1:23, Jude tells us, "And others save with fear...." That word "save" is taken from the Greek word sozo. In this particular verse, it is used in the present imperative tense, which means the Greek calls for immediate, fast, and continuous action. This is not a mild suggestion that Jude is making to his readers. This is a strong command to take action and to do it as fast as possible. The word "fear" is from the Greek word phobos. In this particular case, it evokes a fear or a strong dose of respect for something that is life-threatening, dangerous, or alarming. Jude uses this word "fear" to let us know that believers who continue in sin place themselves in a very precarious, dangerous, and alarming situation. This is no game. Sin in the life of a believer is extremely serious. Therefore, Jude commands us to act immediately when we see a fellow brother or sister compromising his or her walk with the Lord. With the full meaning of these Greek words, Jude 1:23 could be translated: "Because of the alarmingly dangerous state that some believers are in, I urge you to take immediate and fast-acting measures to see them delivered and rescued. And if they don't quickly respond, don't stop! You need to keep up your sense of urgency until you are convinced that they are rescued from this precarious situation...." There is no doubt about it! This verse places a heavy responsibility on us to do whatever we can to bring this deceived person back to a place of safety. Jude speaks in a commanding tone of voice to let us know that we don't have a choice in this matter. We must act fast, act deliberately, and be continuous and unending in our efforts until we are certain that these straying brothers and sisters are back in safe territory again. So if you know a friend or loved one who is allowing serious sin to continue in his life, pray for him. Then go to him and express your concerns in love. Love that person enough to speak the truth to him. Act fast on his behalf, and do what you can to save him. Otherwise, he may eventually make mistakes that will bring disaster and destruction upon his life. That's why Jude commands us to take action right now. The possible consequences are too serious to ignore. We must do everything within our power to save and rescue believers caught in the snare of sin as quickly as possible. (Sparkling Gems From The Greek- 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word) ><>><>><> EXPOSING BY CONTRAST - A professing Christian was entangled in an addiction to pornography. He came to me for help, but when he learned that I had never struggled with his particular problem he didn’t think I was qualified. I assured him I didn’t need firsthand knowledge or experience in a sin to know how to overcome it. I had him read Ephesians 5:8-21. Then we discussed the “goodness, righteousness, and truth” of verse 9 and the marks of a Spirit-filled life as described in verses 18 through 21. Before long, my visitor was on his knees confessing his sin and asking God to make him pure. In verse 11, the apostle Paul said that we are not to have “fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” But then he went on to say that these sins are “shameful even to speak of” (v.12). Jude even warned that in helping others escape sin we can become trapped (Jude 22-24). So how do we expose sin? We must focus on Jesus, “the light of the world” (Jn. 8:12), and ask Him to enable us to “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). It is in Christ’s pure light that the blackness of sin will be exposed and the stage will be set for the repentance that brings deliverance. - Herbert Vander Lugt Lord, keep us from entanglements That choke Your Spirit's work within, So we can then reflect Your light Into a world that's dark with sin. —Sper To drive out the darkness, bring in the light

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Jude 1:23

Precept Austin Commentary

Precept Austin Commentary ( - )

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