The Pulpit Commentary — Jude — Section 24

trust, irrrnlving !m'"t responeibililies. (b) The saints e.re to keep the falth for their own salVRtion and comfort. (c) They are to keep it for generations to come. (d) Bow mnch is the world indebted to the i:mints I (e) The trustees of the fe.ith ought to hnvc holy hnnds and holy hearts. 2. The duty of the saints to co11tend for tl1e faith. This duty implies (1) the importance of this faith, for it is the best things that Satan is most anxious to destroy; (2) the presence of adversiLries seeking to corrupt or destroy it; (3) the need of Divine strength for contending for it with effeot; (4) the various wn)·s in which the saints are to contend for it-(a) by refuting and convincing gainsayers, (b) by praying for its success, (c) by confessing it boldly before men, (d) by mutual exhortation, (e) by holy example, (f) by suffering for the truth.-T. C. Ver. 4.-Reasons to enforce the duty of =tending for the faith. The principal rrason is the presence of antinomian errorists in the Church. I. THE ENTRANCE OF WICKED ERBORISTS INTO THE CHURCH. " For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old set forth unto this condemnation." 1. These men are not 'TUI,med, either because Jude did not en.re to give them the celebrity their vanity might have desired, or because their names were already known to the l'Aints. 2. It is not possible for man to guard the Church against the entrance of such men. Even apostles themselves could not keep the Church pure. 3. The entrance <if errorist.s is usually effected by hypocritical arts. They are "false apostles," "deceitful workers," "deceiving the hearts of the simple," "drawing many disciples after them," "false teachers privily bringing in damnable heresies." They usually conceal their real opinions ; they mix wholesome truth with destructive errors; and they preach doctrines palatable to the corruJ t nature of man. They usually effect nn air of novelty or origi- nality in their teaching. The best Christians may therefore be sometimes mistaken in such seducers. 4. The presena of such mffl in the Church does not destroy the being of the Church. 5. Their destructive influence and the retribution that awaits them were predicted beforehand. For "thry were of old set forth unto this condemnation." Not in the prophecies by Peter and Paul, bnt in the Old Testament; for the phrase, '' of old," refers to something in history. The condemnation is that illustrated by the examples recorded in the following verses. 6. it is needful that Christians should be on the watch against the entrance and the influence of wicked errorists. II. THE CHARACTER oF THESE MEN. "Ungodly men, turning the grace of our God iuto lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." 1. They were 9odless men. (1) They denied to God the hononr due to him. 'l'hey lived without relation to God. They were practically "without God in the world." "In their works they denied him." " They called not upon the Lord." (2) They gave to the world, to sin, to folly, the allegiance that was due to God. They "served the creature more than the Crea.tor." (3) 'l'hey sought to honour God in a wrnng manner. They wor- shipped not according to his Word; and their service was selfish, or partial, or incon- stant, or profane. (4) UngCJtl!.iness leads to all wick~ practi_c~s. 2. ~y per:verted the doctrines of grace. "Turnmg the grace of our God mto lasc1v10usness; argwng, as 'l'rapp says, from mercy to liberty, which is the devil's logic. (1) The tru~ design of tl1e grace of G~d. It is that" denying ungodliness_and worldly lusts, w_e may live sobe~ly, 1ighteously, godly, in this world." As the free gift o~ Go~, our ~lect1~n and our c~ng being both of grace, we are bound to see that we receive 1t _not m _va!D (2 Cor. v1. 1). (2) The perversion of this grace is effected (a) by men "usrng therr liberty for a cloak of maliciousness" (1 Pet. ii. 16), "for an occasion to the flesh" (Gal. v. 13), by" con- tinuing in sin that grace may abound" (Rom. vi. l); (b) by rejecting the Law as _a rule of life; (c) by abusing their liberty to the offence of weak consciences. (3). 'l'he hemous• nees of such conduct. (a) It implies the sin of hypocrisy.; (b) It 1s a profouD:d dishonour to God and his doctrine. (c) It argues a boundless ingratitude. (d) It_ is almost the most hopaless of all 1ins against God. 3. Tlteg denie~ Jesus O~ris_t. W ea.ring the livery of Christ, they were all t~e while !'as~als of the devil. (~) Christ 1s the only Lord and Master of believers. 'l'h1s Lordship 18 based upon the 1cle~ of pro- perty. We are the Lord's, whether living or dead (Rom. xiv. 9). (a) He gives laws to his servants. (b) He binds them lovingly to pb_edience. (c) He rewards \he~ according to their service. (d) He has power both to give and to take ~way. (e) 'I~ei_e is no eEcape for his enemies. We may, therefore, infer: (") How serious an error it JJt 1-2/j,] THE GENEilAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. 23