The Pulpit Commentary — Jude — Section 12

world (Tiom. i. 2i). With the Dead Sea passage, however, e.nd the nnalogy of 2 pmhably in hie view, the writer deeoribee Pet. ii. 10, eto., seem to point eo deoidedll the dc>0m of the oities ae an ezample of or a to higher dignities than the earthly inst. ,r•itn,m to (the noun need being one that tutions of Ohuroh find State, that most Inter- occure airain only in Jae. v. 11, and bearing preters now think that celestial lordehlp of ('ither eenee) the retributive justice of God. some kind is in view. llut or what kind? They e.re set forth (literally, they lie before That of God and that of good ange1", say u") for a.n example, 1u1fering the vengeance some. That of ChriBt and that of angel,, (rather, I.he puni,hment) of eternal fire. So 11&y others. Doth olauees, se.y a third class it is put by the Authorized Version and of interpreters, refer to angels, both to good the Re.-ised Version, as aleo by Wiokliff'e, angels and to evil, or to good angels alone, Tyndale, Cranmer, the Genevan, e.nd the or to evil angels alone, as the all usioue Rbemish. There is much to be said, how• are variously understood. Pointing to the e..-er, in favour of the order adopted by the particular word which is used here for Revised Version in ite margin, viz. "set "dominion" or" lord.ship," some contend that forth e.s an exiimple of eternal fire, suffering there ie a definite reference to the dominion puniehment." It could not, except in a of Christ, the Lord dietinotively eo called. forced manner, he said that these cities, in But the same word is used elsewhere (of. being destroyed as they were, lillff'ered the Eph. i. 21; Col.i.16) of angels, while the term penalty of eternal fire, and continued to translated "dignities," or " glories," occurs serve e.s an instance of that. Bnt it could again only in 2 Pet. ii. 10. If, therefore, be said that, in being destroyed, they suffered any single kind of lord.ship is in view, we punishment, and that the kind of punish- should conclude in favour of angelic dig- ment was typical of the eternal retribution nities, and the authority of good angels in of God. "A destruction," says Professor particular. But it may be that Jude uses Lum by, "eo utter and eo permanent as the terms here in a general sense to cover theirs he.e been, is the nearest approach all kinds of authority, especially celestial that can be found in this world to the de- authority. This is favoured by the unde- etruotion which awaits those who are kept fined expressions which meet us in the under darkneee unto the jodgment of the Petrine parallel (2 Pet. ii. 10, etc.). It is great day." supported, too, by the consideration that in Ver. 8.-R&ving set in the forefront of levelling three separate charges against the his warnings these terrible instances of gross men, Jude has probably in view the three sin and overwhelming penalty, the writer separate cases which he has just cited in proceeds to deal with the real character of vers. 5-7. In which case the parallel the insidious troublers and corrupters of the between these latter and the men now ChUJ'Ches of his time. He describes them described can naturally be only of a general as filthy dream.era; or better, e.e the Re- kind. It is remarked by Professor Plumptre vised Version pots it, men in their dream- that the passage in 2 Pet. ii. 10, etc. (see ing&--an expression pointing to the foul hie Commentary), taken in connection with and perverted fancies in the service of this one in Jude, suggests that "the undue which they lived. He charges them with worshipping of angels in the Jodaizing the particular sins of defiling the flesh, Gnosticism which had developed out of the despieing dominion, and railing at dignities. teaching of the Essenes (Col. ii. 18), had He further declares of them that, iu prac- been met by its most extreme opponents tising such sins, they run a course like that with coarse and railing mockery as to all of the cities of the plain, and run it in angels, whether good or evil, and that the defiance, too, of the warning held forth to apostle felt it necessary to rebuke this them by the caee of Sodom e.nd Gomorrah. licence of speech ns well as that which For such seems the point of the terms con- paid no respect to human authority." necting this paragraph with the preceding, Ver. 9.-The irreverent a!lcl unbridled which are best rendered "nevertheless in speech or these "filthy dreamers" ie now like manner," or "yet in like manner" contrasted with the self-restraint of one of (Revised Version). The difficulty lies, the "dignities " of the angelic world. The however, in the description of their otfencee. point of the contrast is sufficiently clear. What ie intended by the charge that tbey The incident itself is obscure. But llfiohael defile the flesh is obvious. But what is the archangel With the exception of referred to in the other clauses, a.nd set Rev. xii. 7, where he is described as warring at nought dominion ( or, lordship), and rail with the dragon, this is the only roentiou at di.guities (or, glories), is far from clear. which the New Testament mnkes of Michael. It blli! been supposed that a Je.wlessness is It ie entirely in harruouy,however, with the meant which expre~eed itself in contempt Old 'l'estament representation. It ie only for all earthly authority, whether political in the Book of D1micl that ho iR 1111.med or ecclesiao;tico.l.. The whole scope of the there, but he appears as the chu.mpion and 1-26.] 'l'HE GENERAL EPIS'l'LE OF JUDFJ.