Jude 1:15 by Precept Austin Commentary

Jude 1:15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.": poiesai (AAN) krisin kata panton kai elegxai (AAN) pasan psuchen peri panton ton ergon asebeias auton on esebesan (3PAAI) kai peri panton ton skleron on elalesan (3PAAI) kat autou hamartoloi asebeis execute = Ps 9:7,8; 37:6; 50:1-6; 98:9; 149:9; Ec 11:9; 12:14; Jn 5:22,23,27; Acts 17:31; Ro 2:16; 14:10; 1Co 4:5; 5:13; Rev 22:12, 13,14,15,20 convince = Ro 2:5; 3:19,20 and of all = Jude 1:16; Ex 16:8; 1Sa 2:3; Ps 31:18; 73:9; 94:4; Isa 37:22-36; Da 7:20; 11.36" class="scriptRef">Da 11:36; Mal 3:13, 14, 15; Mt 12:31-37; Rev 13:5,6,11 Amplified - To execute judgment upon all and to convict all the impious (unholy ones) of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed [in such an] ungodly [way], and of all the severe (abusive, jarring) things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. Barclay - to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the impious for all the deeds of their impiousness, which they have impiously committed, and for the harsh things which impious sinners have said against him. NET to execute judgment on all, and to convict every person of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds that they have committed, and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Young's Literal - to do judgment against all, and to convict all their impious ones, concerning all their works of impiety that they did impiously, and concerning all the stiff things that speak against Him did impious sinners.' THEIR UNGODLY WORDS AND WORKS NET Note explains that Jude 1:15 is "An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text." Cory Anderson - Jude's Use of the Pseudepigraphal Book of 1 Enoch Did Jude Treat Non-canonical Writings as if They Were Inspired? The Use of Tradition-Material in the Epistle of Jude The Lord Will Come with His Holy Myriads - An Investigation of the Linguistic Source of the Citation of 1 Enoch 1:9 in Jude 14b-15 Jude continues, explaining the purpose of the Lord Jesus' Second Coming... To execute judgment upon all (to do justice) - Not only will this future judgment be personal (the Lord), but it will be universal (upon all)—all who are not safe in Christ, "just as the Flood destroyed all who were outside the ark (Ed: The "Ark" is a picture of Christ. Are you safe in the "Ark" of Christ and His perfect righteousness?), and the fire and brimstone destroyed all in Sodom and Gomorrah except Lot and his wife and two daughters." (Wiersbe). Upon all makes it clear that none outside the "Ark" will escape judgment! No escape! No second chances! No exceptions! At one time, we were all ungodly and in danger of facing this judgment, but praise God "while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Ro 5:6-note) Indeed, as Jesus declared "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (John 5:24) Dear reader, have you passed out of death (the second death) and into life (eternal life in the presence of God)? Peter links ungodliness with judgment giving two historical examples and one that is yet future... HISTORY: and (God) did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He (God) condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; (2Pe 2:5-6-note) PROPHECY: But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2Pet 3:7-note) To convict (1651) (elegcho = primary verb but related to elegchos = bring to light to reveal hidden things) means to expose, to convict, to reprove, to shame or disgrace. Jesus would rebuke these apostates in such a way that they would be compelled to see and to admit the error of their ways. He would clearly demonstrate to them their wrong thinking and doing, and furnish indisputable proof of their flagrant ungodliness. Hiebert adds "To convict involves more than just bringing in the evidence; it involves refuting the arguments of the guilty (Ed: I frankly doubt that anyone will have a rebuttal to the evidence presented by the Righteous Judge!) and establishing their guilt beyond all doubt, to their own shame." A JUST JUDGMENT The apostates (and all the ungodly) will have one Righteous Judge (Ps 7:11-note, 2Ti 4:8-note), Jesus Christ (Jn 5:22, 27, 2Ti 4:1-note, Acts 17:31; Ro 2:16-note), but no jury. There will be a perfect prosecution, but no defendant defense, for every mouth will be closed and all will be accountable to God (Ro 3:19-note). There will be a sentence passed, but no appeal process, for there can be no higher court than God’s. Finally, there will be a final and forever punishment (cf Rev 20:11-15-note). The entire procedure will be just, for the Righteous One (Isa 53:11, Acts 3:14, 7:52, 22:14), the Son of God will be in charge. Of all their ungodly (asebeia) deeds (more literally = works of ungodliness) which they have done in an ungodly way - "Ungodly way" is asebeo (Strong's 764 - used only here) and speaks of these apostates' utter disregard for God and His holy law, their gross irreverence and inveterate impiety being manifest by their sacrilegious words and works. Their impious deeds are the product of their distorted view of God. "They are devoid of any restraining reverence toward God." (Hiebert) Richard Wolf adds that "ungodly deeds may be performed by persons who have a form of godliness (Ed: cf 2Ti 3:5). Every action that proceeds from an unholy, unrepentant heart is an ungodly deed." Williams writes "Satan in Eden and Judas in Gethsemane clothed ungodly deeds in soft words." (Quoted by Constable) And of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him - Malachi give us an OT example of harsh things spoken against God, for God Himself says that "Your words have been arrogant against Me...You have said it is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept His charge and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts?" (Mal 3:13-14-note, cp Ex 16:8, Ps 73:9-note; Job 42:7) Jude makes clear in Jude 1:16 what some of those "harsh things" are. Harsh (4642)(skleros from skéllo = to harden, dry up; English = sclerosis) literally means hard, stiff, dried up, dry, severe. When referring to voices or sounds it means hoarse or harsh (Jn 6:60). When referring to things it means hard or tough. When referring to people, it conveys an inhuman character. "The word always conveys a grave reproach; it indicates a character harshly inhumane and uncivil" (Trench). Skleros refers to winds as fierce, violent, rough (Jas 3:4; Pr 27:16). In Acts 26:14, skleros refers to Saul of Tarsus; "hard to kick against the goads." Figuratively a "hard man" is a master who is difficult to please (Mt 25:24) Webster on Harsh - Rough to the ear; grating; discordant; jarring; as a harsh sound; harsh notes; a harsh voice. Austere; crabbed; morose; peevish. Rough; rude; abusive; as harsh words; a harsh reflection. Rigorous; severe. Though harsh the precept, yet the preacher charm´d. Dryden. Skleros - 5x in 5v - difficult(1), hard(2), harsh things(1), strong(1). Matthew 25:24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard (strict, severe, harsh, demanding) man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. John 6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult (offensive - see Jn 6:61) statement; who can listen to it?" Barclay - The Greek word is skleros, which means not hard to understand but hard to accept. The disciples knew quite well that Jesus had been claiming to be the very life of God come down from heaven, and that no one could live this life or face eternity without submitting to him. Here we come upon a truth that re-emerges in every age. Time and again it is not the intellectual difficulty which keeps men from becoming Christians; it is the height of Christ's moral demand. At the heart of an religion there must be mystery, for the simple reason that at that heart there is God. In the nature of things man cannot ever fully understand God. Any honest thinker will accept that there must be mystery. The real difficulty of Christianity is two-fold. It demands an act of surrender to Christ, an acceptance of him as the final authority; and it demands a moral standard of the highest level. The disciples were well aware that Jesus had claimed to be the very life and mind of God come down to earth; their difficulty was to accept that as true, with all its implications. To this day many a man refuses Christ, not because he puzzles intellect, but because he challenges his life. (John-1 - Barclay's Daily Study Bible) Acts 26:14 "And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard (difficult) for you to kick against the goads.' James 3:4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. Jude 1:15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. Skleros - 55v in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - 21.11-Gen.21.12" class="scriptRef">Gen 21:11-12; 42:7, 30; 45:5; 49:3; Ex 1:14; 6:9; Num 16:26; Deut 1:17; 15:18; 26:6; 31:27; Jdg 2:19; 1Sa 1:15; 5:7; 25:3; 2Sa 2:17; 3:39; 1Kgs 12:4, 13" class="scriptRef">13, 24; 2Chr 10:4, 13; Job 9:4; 22:21; Ps 17:4; 60:3; Pr 17:27; 27:16; 28:14; 29:19; Eccl 7:17; Song 8:6; Isa 5:30; 8:12, 21; 14:3; 19:4; 21:2; 27:8; 28:2; 48:4; Dan 11:32; Zeph 1:14. Here is an excellent representative use... Proverbs 28:14 How blessed is the man who fears always, But he who hardens (Lxx = hard of heart) his heart will fall into calamity. ("Fear keeps the heart tender and the soul safe. Security and presumption harden the sinner and he falls into mischief....a deep sensibility of sin is a special mercy. A deep sensibility of sin is a special mercy. To think what it is what it may be; that, indulged only in thought, if the Lord restrain not, it will end in apostasy--Oh! dare we trifle with it? The man, who presumes upon it, as too harmless for eternal punishment, and promises himself peace in the way of his own heart--a voice from heaven could scarcely describe the tremendous horrors of his case. Every word of God is a thunderbolt leveled at him. Scarcely less pitiable is the man, who makes light of his eternal state: living without prayer; so much better in his own eyes than his more ungodly neighbours; and fully satisfied with a mere external preparation for eternity. Forget not--Christian Professor--we may be strong in confidence, only because we are sleeping in delusion, or hardened in insensibility. From all the mischief of self-ignorance and' hardness of heart, Good Lord, deliver us! [Amen or Oh my!] from Charles Bridges' - click for full comment) Vincent - The railing, gainsaying; the profane and vain babblings (2Ti 2:16-note). Ungodly sinners (“godless sinners that they are!”) - Placed last in the Greek sentence for emphasis. Literally it reads "sinners, godless persons." They are not just sinners but "ungodly" ones at that! Ungodly is the key word in this passage and describes their basic sinful attitude of refusing to have a proper reverence for God. As Johann Bengel said "A sinner is bad; asebes, one who sins without fear, is worse." William MacDonald - “The people are ungodly, their deeds are ungodly, the manner in which they perform these deeds is ungodly, and they further manifest their ungodliness by their blasphemies against the Lord.” MacArthur - Their punishment comes because of their ungodly actions and their ungodly speech; both their works and their words betray the wickedness of their hearts. (2Peter and Jude MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Sinners (hamartolos) describes those who are continually erring from the way, constantly missing God's mark, living in opposition to His good and acceptable and perfect will. Have spoken against Him - Against is kata which means down upon, toward and was used with verbs of swearing as well as when speaking to someone with a hostile intent (translated "against" = Mt 10:35, 2Cor 10:5, 1Pe 2:11, 1Cor 4:6) These ungodly sinners spoke harsh words from a hard (sclerotic) heart, because out of the mouth comes that which fills a man ("for the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart" = Mt 12:34, 15:19, Lk 6:45). As Jamieson observes "Those who speak against God's children are regarded by God as speaking against Himself." The words we speak are important for Jesus said "that every careless (argos = ineffective, worthless) word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment." (Mt 12:36-See MacArthur's comment) Hiebert - “Hard things” (tōn sklērōn) here does not mean things difficult to understand but rather things that are rough, harsh, and offensive. And their guilt will be shown to lie in the fact that they uttered such things “against him” (kat’ autou), against the Lord, Christ the Judge. With apparent impunity they have uttered their defiant speeches against Christ and His demands upon their lives. But all their speeches were placed on record, and they will be held accountable for them. Williams remarks that “their ungodly deeds and their hard words had a terrible consistency. Satan in Eden and Judas in Gethsemane clothed ungodly deeds in soft words.” (Second Peter-Jude: An Expositional Commentary) Guzik - Many people take the judgment of God lightly. But the most important question in the world is “Will God judge me? Am I accountable to Him?” If we are truly accountable to God, they we are fools if we do not prepare to face that judgment. Think of someone arrested for a crime, with a date to appear in court - but made absolutely no preparation for their appearance before the judge. That person would be a fool. We shouldn’t be so foolish, and instead take advantage of our court-appointed advocate - Jesus Christ (1John 2:1). (Jude - Guzik's Commentary on the Bible) ><>><>><> What Means Most to Us? - How influential is music on the young people in our society? They buy millions of recordings annually. And screaming fans jam-pack concerts by well-known artists. So, whether we like it or not, rock, rap, and heavy metal are making a significant impact on today’s culture. Neil Gallagher, leader of the group Oasis, made the claim, “We’re more popular than Jesus Christ now.” He added, “Some of the pop stars I like are more important to me than God.” Such an opinion reveals an appalling shallowness of his understanding of the One who made him and will one day judge him. The New Testament letter of Jude says that Jesus will return one day “to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them . . . of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 1:15). The music of Oasis and the warped thinking of its leader cry out for sharpest criticism. Yet what place does Jesus occupy in our lives? Is God supremely important to us? Are we thrilled by music that magnifies the gospel? Are we grateful for our salvation? And are we praying for those, young and old, who haven’t yet put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? What means most to us? - Vernon C. Grounds The arrogance of those, O Lord, Who do not honor You! Yet do we always put You first In all we say and do? —Sper What we do with Christ now determines what He will do with us later.

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Jude 1:15

Precept Austin Commentary

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