Word
of God
Man
does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from
the mouth of God
Matthew
4:4
The
Epistle of Jude 1:3-4
Study
notes by John Gill
Edited/Prefaced
by Doktor Riktor Von Zhades
3
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, to exhort you,
that ye should earnestly contend for the maintenance of the faith,
which was once given unto the Saints. 4 For there are certain men
crept in, which were before of old ordained to this condemnation:
ungodly men they are, which turn the grace of our God into
wantonness, and deny God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brethren:
On
occasion during the course of our studies references to various
scripture contained within the Epistle of Jude. Indeed at least once
the entire Epistle was posted for your consideration to mediated
upon. However up until today we have not actually made an in depth
study. So let us now proceed upon such a study with diligence along
with an open heart and mind.
Above,
the Apostle Jude speaks upon the infiltration of those that would
pervert the faith, use the Gospel to as a cloak for acts of
ungodliness, thereby turning the redemption of those that believe
into unrighteousness, and in the end deny the very god they pretend
to serve.
It
should be noted that the Apostle Paul in various epistles likewise
wrote concerning the same topic; that is to say the perversion of the
Word of God for self serving ends. These men, these people are as he
wrote are; “ speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron.” (See 1 Timothy 4:2).
Both
Apostles, tell their flocks to not only avoid such people, but to
openly condemn them and make them known to others so as not to be
entrapped by their lies. - Dr. R.V.Z
“These
words contain a reason why the doctrine of faith should be contended
for, because of false teachers, who are described as being then upon
the spot; the Apostles Peter and Paul had foretold that they would
come, but Jude here speaks of them as in being; wherefore present
rigor and vigilance were necessary to be used: their names are not
mentioned, nor their number, only that there were ‘certain’, or
‘some men’; which is done to stir up the saints to
self-examination, whether they were in the faith; to diligence, in
finding out these men; to vigor, in opposing them; and to care, to
nip error and heresy in the bud: and they are said to have ‘crept
in unawares’: either into private houses, as was the custom of
those men; or into the churches, and become members of them being the
tares the enemy sows among the wheat; or into the ministry, assuming
that office to themselves, without being called and sent of God; and
so into the public assemblies of the saints, spreading their
poisonous doctrines among them; and also into their affections, until
discovered; and so the Ethiopic version reads here, ‘because
ungodly men have entered into your hearts’; and all this was at an
unawares, privily, secretly, without any thought about them, or
suspicion of them. All men are by nature ungodly, some are
notoriously so, and false teachers are generally such; here it
signifies such who are destitute of the fear of God, and of all
internal devotion, and powerful godliness; and who did not worship
God externally, according to his institutions and appointments, and
much less sincerely, and in a spiritual manner; and who even
separated themselves from the true worshippers of God, and gave
themselves up to sensuality, and therefore their condemnation was
just” - John Gill - Theologian
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