The Pulpit Commentary — Jude — Section 18

they o.re to eet11blish themselves more 11ncl different clnsses of person.~ referrer! to in more. Praying in the Holy Ghost. 'l'hese three distinct hort.atory sentences, or only words go beet together, though some o.ttsch two such classes. Tho most recent anrl tho term, "in the Holy Ghost," to the former beet of onr English students of the I.ext, lllo.uee. They exprce~ o. second condition Meserd, Westcott and Hort, adopt rearlings which must be mncle goml, if the readers nre which differ in some respects from those to be eo.fe from the seductions which threaten of the Authorized, but agree with it in them. 'l'hoir Christinn life, if it is to be presenting only two classes of persons. proof ngainst theeo evils, must bo fed by The Revised Version, following many "'OOd prnycr, nnd by prnyer of the deepest and authorities, both ancient and modem, pr;fers most effectuo.l or<ler-pr11yer which takes another form of text with 11 triple division. it■ life and power from the Holy Spirit Accepting this, we kn.ve still more than one (cf. Eph. vi. 18; Rom. viii. 26). Keep-your- uncertainty to take account of. In the first selves in the love of God, looking for the of the three clauses there is the difficulty of meroy of our Lord J' eeus Christ unto eternal deciding between two 1·eadings, one of life. The "love of God" must have a which gives us "on some have mercy," while sense parallel to that of the " mercy of the other yields the sense '' some convict," Christ." It is, therefore, not our love to that is to say, bTing their ,in home to them, God, but hie love to us. The love which or Tefute their erTm-. The preference is to be God is revealed in Christ to have to us given, on the whole, though with some Liesita- is th11t in which they are to keep themselves. tion, to the former of these readings, which So long as they live within its grace they is also the more difficult of the two. There co.nnot but be secure against the corruptions is also the difficulty of determining the of men. If they foll 11way from it, they be- precise idea expressed by the participle in come an easy prey. And keeping themselves the same clause. It appears clear enough in this love, they are to "look for mercy." that it cannot have the sense assigned it by They are then entitled to expect that mercy, the Authorized Version, namely, that of and the o.ttitude of expectation will itself "making a difference." But setting this be ·an aid to the keeping of themselves aside, we have still to choose between two in the love. The mercy of the future is here ways of te.kiug it. It may have the sense of spoken of as specifically the mercy of our hesitating or doubting; in which case the class Lord Jesus Christ; Jude ho.ving in view of persons referred to will be those who are that advent of Christ which filled the not wholly gone in unbelief, but a.re on the immediate horizon of the early Christians, way to it. Such persons are to be regarded and to which they looked with an intensity as fit objects for anxious, considerate, pitiful of expectation to us very partially realizable, treatment. This is e. sense which the word as tho event which would speedily reveal undoubtedly bee.re in several passages of every man's work and in which mercy the New Testament (Ju. i. 6; also llfatt. would triumph over judgment for the faith- xxi. 21; Mark xi. 22; Rom. iv. 20). It baa ful. And this meTcy, or, as it 11lso may be, this also the sanction of the Revised Version, ezpectation, is further described as having which renders it, "And on some have mercy, nothing less than eternal life for its object who are in doubt." But it may also have and its certo.in end. So the central idea the sense of contending, end the fact that in this counsel is the necessity of holding by it has already been so used in the presen~ the revealed fact of God's love in Christ. Epistle (ver. 9) is a weighty consider11tion The first two clauses point to the means by in favour of this view. The rendering thaa whioh this is to be made good, and the last might be, "Some compassionate, when they clause expresses an attitude of soul which contend with you" (so Alford, etc.). In this is at once an extension of the central duty case the class referred to will be the co11ten- and e. help to it. And of some have compas- tious, of whom there might be different; sion, ma.king a difference: and others eave kiuds, some more hopeful and reasonable, with fear, palling them out of the fire. The others less so. l\Ien of this spirit are to be readings here a.re so diverse, and so difficult tried first with kindness and consideration. to determino, that some of our best critics Even when they oppose you and draw off take this to be ono of the passages in which from you, be pitiful toward them; take 11, we have to recognize a corruption of the compaesioue.te, helpful interest in them. primitive text now past certain correction, The second clause is best rendered with the The Received Text is clearly in error at Revised Version," And some sa.ve, snatching least in one important term. The word them out of the fire." This brings a different which it renders "making a difference," as class of persons into view-those who have if it referred to the renders, is in the same sunk into corrupt courses which will soon c11se with tho "some," o.nd refers to the undo them, who are already, indeed, in tho persons who are to b~ dealt with. It is penal fires of wrong, but yet are not be- uoubtfu~ too, whether we have three yond the possibility of rescue if quick and  THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. [1-25,