The Pulpit Commentary — Jude — Section 22

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHOHS. 'V <'rs. 1, 2.-.Authorship a.nd salutation, 'l'his brief Epistle is remarkable for ita triple order of ideas, ce.rried through to the very end. 'l'he first instnnce occurs in tho account the e.uthOI: gives of himself-" Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James." I. AUTHORSHIP. 1. Who W/1,/1 Jude, 'l'here are two persons of the nRme repre- sented as relativ_es of James: There is. Jude the spostle, brother or son ~f Ja~es the martyr (Luke YI. 16; Acts 1. 13), who 1s also called Lebbams; and there 1s tlus Jude the _brother of James-:--that is James the Just, the br?ther of the Lord (Gal. i. 19): president of the council at Jerusalem (Acts xv. 13). 'I he author of this Epistle was, therefore, a younger brother of our Lord and a younger son of Joseph and Mary. He was not an apostle, else he would probably have called himself so. He did not believe in our Lord during his ministry (John vii. 5), but became a convert after the Resurrection (Acts i. 14). 2. His official position. He was "a servant of Jesus Christ," not merely in the larger sense iu which all saints are so, but in the special l!Cnse of his official relation to the Church as an evangelist. (1) It is an honour to be in the service of such a Master. (2) Our service ought tJ be (a) to him alone (Matt. vi. 24); (b) and to be a. diligent, cheerful, and constant service. (3) Those who would lead others to serve Christ must themselves set the example. 3. His relationship to James. ,Tude mentions this fact: (1) Partly that he may distinguish himself from others like Judas the apostle and Judas Iscariot. (2) Partly to substantiate his claim to a hearing from his relationship to one more celebrated and better known in the Church; James was at once "the Lord's brother," "a pillar in the Church" (Gal. ii. 9), and a saintly character. (3) Partly as implying an agreement in doctrine between James and him.<selt (4) Had Jude been an apostle, he would hardly have mentioned this relationship, inasmuch as he could have asserted a much stronger claim. (5) It may be asked-Why did he not rather mention his relationship to Christ himself? (a) He may have been led by religious feeling, like James himself in his Epistle, to omit all reference to this matter. (b) The ascension of Christ had altered the character of this earthly relationship. (c) Such a course would have been inconsistent with the spirit and teaching of our Lord himself, who taught that those who did his will were more nearly allied to him than earthly kin (Luke xi. 27, 28). IL THE PERSONS TO WHOM TBE EPISTLE WAS ADDRESSED. "To them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and preserved for Jesus Christ." Here, again, we have a triple order of ideas. He addresses true saints of God. 1. They were called. This is the familiar Pauline description of the saints. They are called (1) out of darkness into God's marvellous light (1 Pet. ii. 9). (2) The calling is "according to his purpose" (Rom. viii 28). (3) Not according to works (2 Tim. i. 9), (4) It is a high callin~, (5) a holy calling; and therefore saints ought to live suitably thereto. 2. They 1rere beloved in God the Father. This is a unique expression in the New Testament. The tense of the participle implies the love as a continuously existingJ fact. The Father is the Source of all love-experiences, the sphere in which love is displayed; for God is Jove. 3. They were preserved for Jesus Christ. (1) Their preservation do~s not depend upon their own holiness or effort. (2) It depends on God's purpose, on his calling, on his grace. He is aule to "keep them from falling" (ver. 24). Chri_st shall "confirm them to the end" (1 Cor. i. 8); no one shall pluck them out of h)s han_d (John L 29) • their seed abideth in them (1 John iii. 9); the fear of the Lord m their hearts shall ketp them from departing from him (Jer. xxxii. 40); they are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation" (1 Pet. i. 5). (3) 'l'bey are preserv~? (a) from the curse of the Law (Gal. iii. 13); (b) from the evil o~ the world (John xvu. 15); (c) from falling (ver. 24); (d) from the touc~ of the evi( OD;e (1 J?hn v. 18). (4) They are preserved for the day of Christ's comrng. That s1&mfies their stea~fa_st p(:rseverance till death. The .Apostle Paul placed his soul, as an immortal deposit, m Christ's La□ ds, with the full persuasion that it would be safely kept "~ill that da,r" (2 Tim. i. 12). The saints are kept for the glory of Immanuel in his overlastmg kingdom. • 1· d " III. THE SALUTATION, "Mercy unto you and pea.cc and love be mu!t1p IC •  THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. 21