The Pulpit Commentary — Jude — Section 23

Anotl1or triplet, 1. Mercy is from the Father. It is his distinguishing attribute. "His mercy ondureth for evor." There is forgiving mercy, providing mercy, restrain- ing mercy, restoring mercy, crowniug mercy. He has "bowels of mercy." He "delights to show mercy." 2. Peace is through the Son. (1) He is our Peace (Eph. ii. 14), ns "the chastisement of our peace was upon him" (Isa. !iii. 5). (2) He gives pence (John xiv. 27). (3) He preached peace (Eph. ii. 17). Therefore great shall be the pence of God's children. 3. Love is from the Holy Ghost. He sheds it abroad in the heart (Rom. v. 6). There is "a love of the Spirit" (Rom xv. 30). The Christian has experience of love objecti,e and subjective. 4. Jude prays that these grace.~ may be multiplied. (1) This implies that saints are till death incomplete in their graces. 'fhere never will come a time in which this prayer may not be offered for saints in the flesh. (2) This prayer has an eye to the glory of God as well as to the comfort and peace of believers. (3) The Lord is always willing to impart his best gifts. (4) He has abundance of grace for all his children, and for all the exigencies of their life.-T. C. Ver. 3.-The purpose and occasion of this Epistle. It was to exhort the saints to steadfastness in contending for the truth which was then threatened by an insidious party of antinomians who had entered the Church. Love prompted the writing of the Epistle, as we may infer from the term " beloved" by which the author addresses his readers. ,. I. His CONCERN l!'OR THEIR WEJ,FARE. "Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto yo1L" 1. It was a ready, prompt, entire diligence, because there was danger in delay, and the constraint of love was upon him. 2. It is right that ministers should be diligent about the most important concerns, the interests of truth and the welfare of the flock. 3. Jude ,ho11Jed his concern for the saints by committing his thoughts to writing. (1) Writing gave_ them permanence. Words pass away, but writing remains. "This shall be written for the generation to come." (2) Writing secured a wider circle of hearers. Every age of the Church, as well as the first, has been benefited by this brief letter of Jude. (3) It is a great sin to undervalue the written Word of God. II. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT OF HIS WRITING. .. Our common salvation." 1. The nature of this salvation. (1) It is the deliverance of man from the guilt and power of sin and the complete redemption of his soul and body in the day of judgment. (2) It begins in the present life. (3) God has given us his Word to show the way of salvation. 2. It is the common salvation of all saints. "Our common salvation." (1) Christ, the Sa.viour, is common to all the saints. (2) There is but one common way to hea.ven. There is but "one faith." (3) The blessinge of salvation are common to all believers, Jew and Gentile. (4) It is a salvation of which the early Christians had an experimental knowledge; it is "our common salvation.'' III. THE NECESSITY FOR BIB WRITING. " I was constrained to write unto you." This arose : 1. From the evil doctrines of the antinomians. 2. From their subtle arts. 3. From the too great readiness of the saints to be deceived. 4. The exposure of seducers is a necessary part of the ministry. IV. THE NATURE OF THE EXHORTATION Jum;: ADDRJ,;ssED TO THE SAINTS. "Exhort- ing you to contend earnestly for the faith which wa;; once for all delivered unto the saints." Christians must suffer the word of exhortatio::;, which is an excellent help to religious steadfastness. 1. The matter to be contended for. (1) It is the doctrine of faith,or the truth which is to be received in order to our salvation. It is called" faith" because it is the instrument used by the Holy Spirit to work faith. (2) It is the faith "delivered" by God, not discovered by man. The natural man can no more perceive than he can discover the things which are of God (1 Cor. ii. 24). (3) It is the faith delivered "once for all." No other faith will ever be given. No new doctrines are to be added to the circle of faith, though the truth may be cast in new forms, and sha.ped according to the intellectual and spiritual exigencies of each age. Therefore (a) it is a great sin to despise the fait-b ~i.vered to us; (b) we ought to be thank- ful for it; (c) we ought to receive a.no. ovey it in the love of it; (d) we ought to gl1ard it against heretical perversions. (4) It is a sa.cred deposit placed in the hands of trustees-" delivered to the saints." Not to holy prophets and apostles merely, but to all saints, even in nges destitute of prophets and apostles. (a) It is a solemn 22 'l'HE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. [1-26,