Jude 1
Commentary from 26 fathers
Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
ἔλεος ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ ἀγάπη πληθυνθείη.
млⷭ҇ть ва́мъ и҆ ми́ръ и҆ любы̀ да ᲂу҆мно́житсѧ.
Jude includes a reference to love here because he has noticed that there is a lack of it among his people.
Introductory Commentary on Jude
"Those who are beloved in God the Father, and who are called, are saved by Jesus Christ." The Lord's word, in which He said, "No one comes to me unless the Father draws him," (Jn. 6:44) this blessed man now shows to be true. For those who are beloved by the Father, Jude says, have been saved by Jesus Christ. Therefore, he also calls them the called: for they do not have it from themselves, but from the Father, in that they are drawn, so that they may also be called. He truly prays for them that mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Indeed mercy, for we have been recalled and taken by Him into ministry because of the bowels of the mercy of God: peace, however, because God the Father Himself has granted this to us, bringing us who had sinned back to His friendship through His Son Jesus Christ: and love, indeed, because of the love He had for us, His only-begotten Son was exposed to death for us. Therefore, he prays that these may be abundantly granted to them, saying in harmony with blessed David, who says: "Extend your mercy to those who know you." (Ps. 36:10)
Commentary on Jude
He desires that mercy, peace, and love be multiplied unto them; "mercy" because we are called by God and received as His servants through the compassion of mercy; "peace" because God the Father Himself also granted it to us, having reconciled us, who had offended Him, to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ; "love" because the Only-begotten Son of God gave Himself over to death for us out of love for us. Thus, the apostle prays that these gifts may abound in the faithful, just as David also cries out to the Lord: "Extend Your mercy to those who know You" (Psalm 36:10). Urged by these saving examples, we too, with sincere disposition toward our neighbor, must live worthily of Him Who called us.
Commentary on Jude
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Ἀγαπητοί, πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ποιούμενος γράφειν ὑμῖν περὶ τῆς κοινῆς σωτηρίας, ἀνάγκην ἔσχον γράψαι ὑμῖν παρακαλῶν ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει.
Возлю́бленнїи, всѧ́ко тща́нїе творѧ̀ писа́ти ва́мъ ѡ҆ ѻ҆́бщемъ спⷭ҇нїи ва́шемъ, нꙋ́ждꙋ воз̾имѣ́хъ писа́ти ва́мъ, молѧ̀ подвиза́тисѧ ѡ҆ пре́даннѣй вѣ́рѣ ст҃ы̑мъ є҆ди́ною.
"For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist;" and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan. Wherefore, forsaking the vanity of many, and their false doctrines, let us return to the word which has been handed down to us from the beginning; "watching unto prayer," and persevering in fasting; beseeching in our supplications the all-seeing God "not to lead us into temptation," as the Lord has said: "The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Epistle to the Philippians 7
For this is the affinity of the apostolical teaching and the most holy “faith delivered unto us,” which the unlearned receive, and those of slender knowledge have taught, not “giving heed to endless genealogies,” but studying rather [to observe] a straightforward course of life; lest, having been deprived of the Divine Spirit, they fail to attain to the kingdom of heaven.
Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus
If we wish woodenly to preserve unchanged the good things once given to the saints and will not adapt the events of the historical account, we will by such action appear to do something like what the heretics do, by not preserving the harmony of the narrative of the Scriptures from beginning to end.
Commentary on John 10.290
The faith was first delivered to these people by the apostle Paul, who said: “No other foundation can anyone lay, than the one which is already laid.”
Introductory Commentary on Jude
3–4My dearest, I have had such a strong desire to write to you about our common salvation that I could not cease from writing to you: urging you to contend again for the faith once delivered to the saints. For certain ungodly men have secretly entered in, who were long ago marked out for this condemnation: who turn the grace of our God into vileness and deny the only Master God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Through this, the argument of the epistle is hinted at, which, for the providence of their salvation, is now presented to prevent them from being ensnared by the most wicked heretics due to simplicity: it renders their speeches as if marking and making them obvious to the ignorant through the exposure of their lustful lives. Peter also spoke about these matters, but here it is stated more openly and extensively. Jude describes them as abandoned: because both Peter and Paul spoke of those who will be such seducers in the last times. And before these, Christ himself said: “Many will come in my name and will deceive many: therefore do not follow them.” (Matt. 24:5) For claiming to be Christians, they deceive many in this name. He mentions Nicholas, Valentinus, and Simon, and those who followed them, the most wicked and impure. For being gluttons and lustful, they pretended to teach, so that under this pretext they might gain a hidden entrance into homes and lead captive women burdened with sins. (2 Tim. 3:6) For they have given themselves over to nighttime mysteries in their beds and lasciviousness (Rom. 13:13). What he says, "They turn to lasciviousness," means that they corrupt themselves, twisting away from abstinence to lasciviousness; therefore they even deny our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, how do they not deny Him, who, through the impurity of life, reject the Teacher of all temperance with a vulgar and loud voice? For what unity is there between light and darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14) "urging you to contend again." Jude urges those who have once received Christ the Savior and believed in Him, to continue striving or to endeavor, that is, not to be affected with a disheartened mind, but to contain themselves and embrace even greater zeal regarding this. For we have received the incarnate Word; if we were to say that there is another who was with the Father before the ages, and another who was born in His own hypostasis (ὑπόστασιν) from the Mother in the last times, would we not deny that there is one Lord and Master? For there is one Lord Jesus according to a certain privilege of union. For the Word and God before the ages, having assumed flesh for the glory of divinity, which He received from the divine Virgin from the moment of conception, is one and the same Lord of all. "turn the grace:" that is, they transform, corrupt.
Commentary on Jude
Beloved, making all diligence to write to you, etc. He speaks of their common salvation, that salvation which was common to both him and them. For the salvation, faith, and love of Christ are one and common to all the elect.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Exhorting to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. Exhorting them not to learn another faith than that which was once delivered to them by the apostles, but always to contend for it even unto death.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Here the apostle indicates the motivation for writing the epistle. Namely: he writes the present epistle out of concern for the salvation of the faithful, so that they in their simplicity would not be carried away by the most vile heretics; he writes in order to expose them through a description of the depraved life of the heretics and make them known to those who are unaware. The apostle Peter had already spoken about them, but the apostle Jude writes more extensively. He says that they were "designated beforehand" (v. 4), because the apostles Peter and Paul had already written that in the last times deceivers of this kind would come (2 Pet. 1:1–2, 3:3; 2 Tim. 3:1–8). Even before them, Christ Himself said: "many will come in My name and will deceive many; do not go after them" (Luke 21:8), because by calling themselves Christians, they will deceive many by this name. The apostle speaks of the followers of the most vile Nicholas, Valentinus, and Simon. For being gluttons and intemperate, they gave their teaching a fair-seeming cover in order to gain access to homes and captivate women mired in sins. Having invented certain nocturnal rites, they gave themselves over to debauchery. From this it also follows that they deny our Lord Jesus Christ. For how can those who by their impure life drive away from themselves the Teacher of all chastity not deny Him? For what fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14).
Commentary on Jude
People will tell you, for instance, that theology became elaborate because it was dead. Believe me, if it had been dead it would never have become elaborate; it is only the live tree that grows too many branches.
A Great Man (Tremendous Trifles)
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God,* and our Lord Jesus Christ.
παρεισέδυσαν γάρ τινες ἄνθρωποι, οἱ πάλαι προγεγραμμένοι εἰς τοῦτο τὸ κρῖμα, ἀσεβεῖς, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν χάριν μετατιθέντες εἰς ἀσέλγειαν καὶ τὸν μόνον δεσπότην καὶ Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀρνούμενοι.
Привнидо́ша бо нѣ́цыи человѣ́цы, дре́вле пред̾ꙋста́вленнїи на сїѐ ѡ҆сꙋжде́нїе, нечести́вїи, бг҃а на́шегѡ блгⷣть прелага́ющїи въ скве́рнꙋ, и҆ є҆ди́нагѡ влⷣки бг҃а и҆ гдⷭ҇а на́шегѡ і҆и҃са хрⷭ҇та̀ ѿмета́ющїисѧ.
For certain men have entered unawares, ungodly men, who had been of old ordained and predestined to the judgment of our God;" not that they might become impious, but that, being now impious, they were ordained to judgment.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
There are some godless men who twist Scripture wickedly and who have come into the church, pretending to preach the gospel. Their judgment was decreed long ago, and they have condemned themselves by their actions. As a result, they have been handed over to their impure lusts. By their great ungodliness they have turned the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ into wantonness, and by their wickedness even people who have been called by the gospel have denied the one Lord Jesus Christ. It is in order to win them back that Jude goes on to talk of what God did in the past to people who behaved in that way.
Commentary on Jude
These words were written about those who, after attributing the glory of sonship only to the Word begotten of God the Father, say that another son of the seed of David and Jesse has been united with him and been given a share in the sonship and in the glory proper to God.
Letters 55.41
Jude means that their condemnation was predestined, for even the betrayal of Judas had been foretold. Here he is talking about the Simonians, for they are gluttonous and intemperate, pretending to teach godliness so that they can worm their way into people’s houses.
Catena
Certain men have crept in, etc. He means into this judgment, into this condemnation, which the impious deserve by their actions. Hence the Lord says: And they shall come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment (John V), that is, condemnation.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Perverting the grace of our Lord into licentiousness. The grace of our Lord has softened the hardness of the law, because when it said, If anyone does this or that, let them be stoned; if anyone does this or that, let them be burned with fire; the Lord, having relaxed the strictness of the law, gave through the grace of the Gospel the license to purge committed crimes through penance and the fruits of almsgiving. But they pervert this grace of His into licentiousness, who now sin all the more freely and easily, as they see themselves less immediately examined by the harshness of the law for their admitted crimes.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
And denying the only Sovereign and Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only Sovereign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, just as the Father is the only Sovereign with the Son and the Holy Spirit, and just as the Holy Spirit is the only Sovereign with the Father and the Son. The whole Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is the only Sovereign. For whichever person you name in the same holy and indivisible Trinity, it is the only God. And when you name the whole Trinity together, you name the only true God. Hence it is rightly understood that any heretics who deny that the Father of Christ is the true, good, and just God deny our only Sovereign and Lord. Whoever denies that Jesus Christ is the true Son of God, they also deny our only Sovereign and Lord. Whoever diminishes the power of the Holy Spirit, they also contradict the majesty of our only Sovereign and Lord, for the same Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is undeniably our only Sovereign and Lord.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
He exhorts those who once acknowledged our Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and believed in Him, to contend for the faith. For if we have accepted the incarnate Word and yet say that He Who is from the Father before the ages is one, and He Who is from the Mother is another, and that He is a separate person, then how do we not deny the one Lord and Master? For the Lord Jesus is one by the union of the economy; because the pre-eternal Word of God and God, having flesh grafted into the glory of the Godhead, which He assumed from the Holy Virgin, from the very conception, is one and the same Master of all.
Commentary on Jude
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Ὑπομνῆσαι δὲ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, εἰδότας ὑμᾶς ἅπαξ τοῦτο ὅτι ὁ Κύριος λαὸν ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου σώσας, τὸ δεύτερον τοὺς μὴ πιστεύσαντας ἀπώλεσεν,
Воспомѧнꙋ́ти же ва́мъ хощꙋ̀, вѣ́дꙋщымъ и҆ ва́мъ є҆ди́ною сїѐ, ꙗ҆́кѡ гдⷭ҇ь лю́ди ѿ землѝ є҆гѵ́петскїѧ сп҃сѐ, послѣдѝ невѣ́ровавшыѧ погꙋбѝ:
"For the Lord God," he says, "who once delivered a people out of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not;" that is, that He might train them through punishment. For they were indeed punished, and they perished on account of those that are saved, until they turn to the Lord.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
When Moses delivered the people from Egypt, all those who did not believe perished.
Commentary on Jude
5–7I want to remind you, when we know once that the Lord, after He had saved the people from Egypt, again destroyed those who did not believe: and that He kept the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their own dwelling, in eternal chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring cities, which were similarly defiled with them through sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. After Jude spoke of the corruption of the impure Nicolaitans, Valentinians, and Marcionites, and as if by a certain branding he marked them out from their own foul filth, he also adds this: "after He had saved the people from Egypt," etc., indeed showing through these things that the same God is the author of both the Old and the New Testament: and not, as these wicked ones say, that there was one God of the Old Testament, vengeful and cruel, and another of the New, gentle and humane: and Jude also states that neither those who now sin will remain unpunished, just as neither did those who were brought out of Egypt. For indeed, by the enormous power of God, and because of the oath made to their ancestors, God had freed them from the slavery and tyranny of Egypt: yet those who acted immorally did not remain unpunished, but they received deserving penalties; and it did them no good that God had been generous towards their ancestors: nor did the enormous evidence of signs presented for them have any effect: just as neither did the angels who had fallen, although they were formed by God and endowed with intellectual nature; nor did the Sodomites, because they dwelt with Lot. But those who first crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, later became unbelievers and perished. Those who had indeed received the honor of angelic position, since they did not remain in their origin, but corrupted the gift given to them from the goodness of celestial life, were reserved and kept for judgment or condemnation on the day of great and intolerable punishment. For this also now signifies kept (τετήρηνε). According to what Christ said: "Who is prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matt. 25:41) And certainly, the Sodomites are presented as a sign of the eternal fire that will receive them. "and pursued strange flesh," and committed fornication, that is, turning aside, which means to engage in prostitution (πορνεύειν). But strange flesh refers to male flesh, which does not benefit the union that is for the sake of generation. For the flesh that engages in union is the flesh of a woman, according to what was said by the first parent: "Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." (Gen. 2:23) The flesh of men, however, is strange, I say, from sexual intercourse. Although in a woman, indeed joined by the laws to one man, her flesh is her own and moral: but that which is poured out and public is foreign and strange, and left almost to the atonement of male wickedness. But when Jude had set forth these examples, he left it to the listener to understand what followed from them. What is that? To bear what follows from it. If, therefore, he has so destroyed these, not satisfied by their previous happiness, does he now allow these to act immorally and lustfully, when the Son of God came into the world for men and suffered injuries and afflictions for them? No one would ever say this. For although he is kind and compassionate, yet he is also truly just: and for the sake of true justice, he did not spare those who have sinned (2 Peter 2:4): but for the sake of kindness, he introduced harlots and tax collectors into the kingdom (Matt. 21:31). Since it was thus necessary that the discourse should promise, he himself omitted it, for the reason we have mentioned. Or also speaking in a similar manner with blessed Peter, when he said: "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned," etc. (2 Peter 2:4) And indeed it has been said of these things.
Commentary on Jude
Jude shows that although God led his people out of Egypt, they turned away from him, and for that reason he gave them over to destruction if they would not repent.
Catena
I wish to remind you, although you know these things once and for all. Namely, knowing all the mysteries of the faith and not needing to hear new teachers as if they were holier.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Because Jesus, saving the people from the land of Egypt, etc., he calls Jesus not the son of Nave, but our Lord, showing first that he did not have his beginning from the birth of the holy Virgin, as the heretics affirm, but according to the mystery of his name, he has existed as the eternal God for the salvation of believers; then indicating that in the same way he mercifully saves believers, he also justly condemns the unbelievers. For just as he first saved the humble who cried out to him from the affliction of Egypt, he later cast down the proud who murmured against him in the wilderness. He emphasizes this so that we now remember that he saves believers through the waters of baptism, which the Red Sea signified, so that even after baptism he demands a humble life in us, apart from the filth of vices, such as the conversion of the wilderness in its seclusion rightly indicated. Indeed, if anyone defiles this life, whether by deviating from the faith or by acting wrongly, just as if returned in heart to Egypt, he will merit to perish among the wicked rather than reach the promised homeland of the kingdom. Alternatively: Secondly, he destroyed those who did not believe, because as a just judge, he strikes some now and later due to their faults. He frees solely those from punishment whom he transforms in suffering. For those whom present evils do not correct, they lead to future evils.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Having spoken about the debauchery of the impious Nicolaitans, Valentinians, and Marcionites, he adds also that the Lord delivered the people from the land of Egypt, and so on. By this he shows that the Founder of the Old and New Testaments is one and the same God, and not as those vile ones say, that one God, wrathful and cruel, gave the Old Testament, and another God, without wrath and loving of mankind, gave the New Testament. By this he also shows that those who now act impiously will not remain unpunished, just as those who came out of Egypt did not remain so. For although God by His surpassing power and by the oath to their fathers freed them from Egyptian slavery, nevertheless, when they transgressed the law, He did not leave them without punishment, but rendered to them the due retribution: neither the favor of God toward their ancestors nor the supernatural power of miracles helped them in the least; and those who at that time crossed the Red Sea on dry land later perished for their departures from the faith.
Commentary on Jude
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
ἀγγέλους τε τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχήν, ἀλλὰ ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας δεσμοῖς ἀϊδίοις ὑπὸ ζόφον τετήρηκεν·
а҆́ггелы же не соблю́дшыѧ своегѡ̀ нача́льства, но ѡ҆ста́вльшыѧ своѐ жили́ще, на сꙋ́дъ вели́кагѡ днѐ ᲂу҆́зами вѣ́чными под̾ мра́комъ соблюдѐ.
And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' And Semjaza, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.' And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.' Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And these are the names of their leaders: Samlazaz, their leader, Araklba, Rameel, Kokablel, Tamlel, Ramlel, Danel, Ezeqeel, Baraqijal, Asael, Armaros, Batarel, Ananel, Zaqiel, Samsapeel, Satarel, Turel, Jomjael, Sariel. These are their chiefs of tens.
And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.
And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjaza taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, 'Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijal (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven...
1 Enoch, Chapters 6-8
For many angels of God accompanied with women, and begat sons that proved unjust, and despisers of all that was good, on account of the confidence they had in their own strength; for the tradition is, that these men did what resembled the acts of those whom the Grecians call giants. But Noah was very uneasy at what they did; and being displeased at their conduct, persuaded them to change their dispositions and their acts for the better: but seeing they did not yield to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he was afraid they would kill him, together with his wife and children, and those they had married; so he departed out of that land.
Antiquities of the Jews - Book 1, Chapter 3, Section 1
God, when He had made the whole world, and subjected things earthly to man, and arranged the heavenly elements for the increase of fruits and rotation of the seasons, and appointed this divine law-for these things also He evidently made for man-committed the care of men and of all things under heaven to angels whom He appointed over them. But the angels transgressed this appointment, and were captivated by love of women, and begat children who are those that are called demons; and besides, they afterwards subdued the human race to themselves, partly by magical writings, and partly by fears and the punishments they occasioned, and partly by teaching them to offer sacrifices, and incense, and libations, of which things they stood in need after they were enslaved by lustful passions; and among men they sowed murders, wars, adulteries, intemperate deeds, and all wickedness. Whence also the poets and mythologists, not knowing that it was the angels and those demons who had been begotten by them that did these things to men, and women, and cities, and nations, which they related, ascribed them to god himself, and to those who were accounted to be his very offspring, and to the offspring of those who were called his brother), Neptune and Pluto, and to the children again of these their offspring. For whatever name each of the angels had given to himself and his children, by that name they called them.
The Second Apology, Chapter V
6–7Since the Son of God is always one and the same, He gives to those who believe on Him a well of water [springing up] to eternal life, but He causes the unfruitful fig-tree immediately to dry up; and in the days of Noah He justly brought on the deluge for the purpose of extinguishing that most infamous race of men then existent, who could not bring forth fruit to God, since the angels that sinned had commingled with them, and [acted as He did] in order that He might put a check upon the sins of these men, but [that at the same time] He might preserve the archetype, the formation of Adam. And it was He who rained fire and brimstone from heaven, in the days of Lot, upon Sodom and Gomorrah, “an example of the righteous judgment of God,” that all may know, “that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.”
Heresies Book 4, Chapter XXXVI
6–7"But the angels," he says, "that kept not their own pre-eminence," that, namely, which they received through advancement, "but left their own habitation," meaning, that is, the heaven and the stars, became, and are called apostates. "He hath reserved these to the judgment of the great day, in chains, under darkness." He means the place near the earth, that is, the dark air. Now he called "chains" the loss of the honour in which they had stood, and the lust of feeble things; since, bound by their own lust, they cannot be converted. "As Sodom and Gomorrha," he says.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
To which also we shall add, that the angels who had obtained the superior rank, having sunk into pleasures, told to the women the secrets which had come to their knowledge; while the rest of the angels concealed them, or rather, kept them against the coming of the Lord.
The Stromata Book 5
For they, withal, who instituted them are assigned, under condemnation, to the penalty of death — those angels, to wit, who rushed from heaven on the daughters of men; so that this ignominy also attaches to woman. For when to an age much more ignorant (than ours) they had disclosed certain well-concealed material substances, and several not well-revealed scientific arts — if it is true that they had laid bare the operations of metallurgy, and had divulged the natural properties of herbs, and had promulgated the powers of enchantments, and had traced out every curious art, even to the interpretation of the stars — they conferred properly and as it were peculiarly upon women that instrumental mean of womanly ostentation, the radiances of jewels wherewith necklaces are variegated, and the circlets of gold wherewith the arms are compressed, and the medicaments of orchil with which wools are colored, and that black powder itself wherewith the eyelids and eyelashes are made prominent. What is the quality of these things may be declared meantime, even at this point, from the quality and condition of their teachers: in that sinners could never have either shown or supplied anything conducive to integrity, unlawful lovers anything conducive to chastity, renegade spirits anything conducive to the fear of God. If (these things) are to be called teachings, ill masters must of necessity have taught ill; if as wages of lust, there is nothing base of which the wages are honourable. But why was it of so much importance to show these things as well as to confer them? Was it that women, without material causes of splendour, and without ingenious contrivances of grace, could not please men, who, while still unadorned, and uncouth and — so to say — crude and rude, had moved (the mind of) angels? Or was it that the lovers would appear sordid and — through gratuitous use — contumelious, if they had conferred no (compensating) gift on the women who had been enticed into connubial connection with them? But these questions admit of no calculation. Women who possessed angels (as husbands) could desire nothing more; they had, forsooth, made a grand match! Assuredly they who, of course, did sometimes think whence they had fallen, and, after the heated impulses of their lusts, looked up toward heaven, thus requited that very excellence of women, natural beauty, as (having proved) a cause of evil, in order that their good fortune might profit them nothing; but that, being turned from simplicity and sincerity, they, together with (the angels) themselves, might become offensive to God. Sure they were that all ostentation, and ambition, and love of pleasing by carnal means, was displeasing to God. And these are the angels whom we are destined to judge: these are the angels whom in baptism we renounce: these, of course, are the reasons why they have deserved to be judged by man. What business, then, have their things with their judges? What commerce have they who are to condemn with them who are to be condemned? The same, I take it, as Christ has with Belial. With what consistency do we mount that (future) judgment-seat to pronounce sentence against those whose gifts we (now) seek after? For you too, (women as you are,) have the self-same angelic nature promised as your reward, the self-same sex as men: the self-same advancement to the dignity of judging, does (the Lord) promise you. Unless, then, we begin even here to pre-judge, by pre-condemning their things, which we are hereafter to condemn in themselves, they will rather judge and condemn us.
On the Apparel of Women, Chapter 2
But not only did man fall from perfection to imperfection, but so too did "the sons of God," "when they saw that the daughters of men were fair, and took for themselves whomever they chose." And, in general, all those fell who forsook "their own habitation" and "kept not their own beginning."
Commentary on the Gospel According to John, Books 13-32, Section 243
Who can understand God’s love for his people or figure out the truth just by his own reasoning? For because of the truth he did not spare the angels who sinned, but on account of his kindness toward us he has allowed harlots and publicans into his kingdom.
Catena
They are being kept until they are thrown into the ultimate fire and bound in those chains which cannot be seen because of the darkness. That he has kept them for the coming judgment can be seen from what Peter has written.
Catena
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of the judgment by which the ruler of this world has been judged, in these words of the apostle Jude.
Homilies on the Gospels 2.11
The angels, indeed, who did not keep their own position, etc. And in this sentence, as in the previous one, we must first remember that Jesus our Lord punished the transgressing angels. For He, the man born at the end of the ages from a Virgin, who received the name Jesus by the angel’s declaration, being God born from the Father before all ages, arranged every creature with the Father as He willed, and from the beginning condemned the haughty angels under the darkness of this air, reserving them for greater punishment on the day of judgment. And therefore, rightly are they to be condemned who contend that Christ Jesus was not true God, but only a man, and born of both genders. Furthermore, it must be inferred that He who did not spare the sinning angels will not spare haughty men either; but those who did not keep their position, namely, by the grace of adoption made sons of God, but forsook their abode, that is, the unity of the Church, in which they were reborn unto God, or certainly the seats of the heavenly kingdom which they would have received if they kept the faith, He will also condemn severely before the judgment and more severely in the universal judgment.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
And those who, having received the honor of angelic dignity, through negligence did not remain in their original state, but cast off the heavenly manner of life given to them by grace, God has hidden away in punishment for the judgment, that is, for the condemnation, of the great day; for this is what the word "keeps" means. Therefore the Lord also says: "Depart into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41).
Commentary on Jude
In the same way, let the convert, or still more the semi-convert, face any one fact that does seem to him to deface the Catholic scheme as a falsehood; and if he faces it long enough he will probably find that it is the greatest truth of all. I have found this myself in that extreme logic of free will which is found in the fallen angels and the possibility of perdition. Such things are altogether beyond my imagination, but the lines of logic go out towards them in my reason. Indeed, I can undertake to justify the whole Catholic theology, if I be granted to start with the supreme sacredness and value of two things: Reason and Liberty. It is an illuminating comment on current anti-Catholic talk that they are the two things which most people imagine to be forbidden to Catholics.
The Catholic Church and Conversion, Ch. 5: The Exception Proves the Rule (1926)
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
ὡς Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα καὶ αἱ περὶ αὐτὰς πόλεις τὸν ὅμοιον τούτοις τρόπον ἐκπορνεύσασαι καὶ ἀπελθοῦσαι ὀπίσω σαρκὸς ἑτέρας πρόκεινται δεῖγμα, πυρὸς αἰωνίου δίκην ὑπέχουσαι.
Ꙗ҆́коже содо́ма и҆ гомо́рра и҆ ѡ҆кре́стнїи и҆́хъ гра́ды, подо́бнымъ и҆̀мъ ѡ҆́бразомъ преблꙋди́вше и҆ ходи́вше в̾слѣ́дъ пло́ти и҆ны́ѧ, предлежа́тъ въ показа́нїе, ѻ҆гнѧ̀ вѣ́чнагѡ сꙋ́дъ под̾е́мше,
Secondly, if, according to the Scripture, they who shall be "apprehended" by the faith in (the state of) Gentile marriage are not defiled (thereby) for this reason, that, together with themselves, others also are sanctified: without doubt, they who have been sanctified before marriage, if they commingle themselves with "strange flesh," cannot sanctify that (flesh) in (union with) which they were not "apprehended.
To His Wife Book 2
As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighboring cities, etc. Because He had given an example of condemnation in those who solely deny the Sovereign and our Lord Jesus Christ, by recalling the ruin of the murmuring and unfaithful people in the desert, or those rising against the author of the wicked angels, so He gives an example of the punishment of those who turn the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ into licentiousness, recalling the burning of Sodom.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
As an example that unquenchable fire will encompass them, the inhabitants of Sodom are also brought forward. "Other flesh" refers to the male nature, as not serving such intercourse as to give birth. For such intercourse the female flesh is capable, according to the saying of the forefather: "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" (Gen. 2:23), while the flesh of the male, as I said, is alien to such intercourse. And even female flesh, according to the laws, belongs as one's own and proper flesh to one alone, but that which mingles with many is other and alien flesh, and in defilement falls little short of the male.
Commentary on Jude
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
ὁμοίως μέντοι καὶ οὗτοι ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι σάρκα μὲν μιαίνουσι, κυριότητα δὲ ἀθετοῦσι, δόξας δὲ βλασφημοῦσιν.
та́кожде ᲂу҆̀бо и҆ сі́и, сѡ́нїѧ ви́дѧще, пло́ть ᲂу҆́бѡ сквернѧ́тъ, госпо́дства же ѿмета́ютсѧ, сла́вы же хꙋ́лѧще (не трепе́щꙋтъ).
"Similarly to the same," he says, "also those dreamers,"—that is, who dream in their imagination lusts and wicked desires, regarding as good not that which is truly good, and superior to all good,—"defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of majesty," that is, the only Lord, who is truly our Lord, Jesus Christ, and alone worthy of praise. They "speak evil of majesty," that is, of the angels.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
Likewise, these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme glorious beings. Furthermore, what he says: "Likewise, these dreamers defile the flesh," it is worthy of admiration that Jude has expressed the speech so modestly. For he indeed testifies much filthiness and nerve about them, saying that their life is impure, and their tongue is especially lustful: however, he rightly comprehends the fervent immorality of their actions through this word ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι (that is, dreaming or agitated by sleeplessness), which we will briefly and appropriately reveal, taking understanding from the work that blessed Epiphanius, bishop of Cyprus, published about these, which he called the Panarion (26). For he says here that those wicked Borborites (that is, those filled with filth and sludge) when they mixed with foul women, did not dispense semen into the womb, but with an imperfect abomination, they received it with their own hands, and immediately inserted it into the mouths of the women with whom they had been corrupted: and thus they departed from each other impure, thinking they had accomplished something great. This unclean drama is called a dream because such things are also found in dreams. Therefore, by this filthy assumption, they further rage against the divine nature, Jude says, despising its dominion and the authority it has over the universe. Moreover, blessed Irenaeus of Lyons spoke more broadly about these things in his Refutation of the So-called Knowledge, from which anyone who wishes may gain understanding. They reject authority, that is, the perfection of the mystery that is according to Christ: in order and in turn, fulfilling their shamelessness through the mysteries of angels. However, the term "glorious " (Δόξας) that is, splendors, is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments: as Paul says, "For if what was brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory." (2 Cor. 3:11) And again: "For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, much more will the ministry of righteousness abound in glory." (2 Cor. 3:9) Or it also refers to the ecclesiastical authorities, upon which they heap blasphemies: as can be learned even from the third Epistle of John the beloved, among whom he mentions Diotrephes, who gossiped against them with malicious words. (3 Jn. 10)
Commentary on Jude
Jude calls them “dreamers” because they have no idea of the truth but fantasize as if they were dreaming and concoct doctrines full of impiety. They say that our flesh, that is to say, our body, is the work of the devil and blaspheme the lordship and glory of the Holy Trinity, accepting the Father as the eternal and uncreated One but reducing the Son and the Holy Spirit to the status of creatures made in time. These are the noxious teachings of Marcion and Arius, which explains why the apostle expresses himself so sharply against them. They do not confess that there is one God, Maker of both the visible and the invisible worlds, but they deify matter and darkness and detest the flesh. Jude condemns these people, even to the point of saying that they have polluted their mind and their entire being.
Catena
Similarly, those who indeed defile the flesh, etc. It must be understood that these, like the Sodomites who defiled the flesh, are also to be damned, like the unbelieving people who blasphemed the majesty of divine power, like the angels who despised the dominion of their Creator.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Having set forth the examples just mentioned, the apostle left it to the listener himself to infer the conclusion from them. What conclusion? If God dealt thus with those people, not regarding their former good lot, then will today's impious ones be saved by the fact that the Son of God came into the world for mankind, endured reproach for them, and bore sufferings? No one can say this. For although He is merciful, He is also truly righteous, and in true justice He did not spare those who sinned, while in His mercy He brought harlots and tax collectors into the Kingdom (Matt. 21:31). Such is the conclusion that follows; but the apostle omitted it, and did so either for the reason we stated before, or following the example of holy Peter, when he said: "if God spared not the angels that sinned" (2 Pet. 2:4), and so on. Thus we speak of this. The words "dreamers who defile the flesh" are spoken with remarkable modesty; for by the expression "dreamers" the apostle only hinted at the extremely shameful side of the matter. Let us reveal it in part and insofar as is fitting, borrowing information about this from the work of Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, which he called the Panarion. He says: these fornicators and defilers, shamefully uniting with women, do not release seed into the womb, but, not completing the defilement, take it into their own hands and immediately place it into the mouths of the women with whom they were debauching themselves, and thus these impure ones withdraw from each other, imagining that they have done something great. It is this unclean handful, on account of the incompleteness of the act, that the apostle calls dreaming, for such defilement occurs during sleep. Defiling their flesh with such vile offering, they also madly rise up against the Divine nature, rejecting Its sovereignty and dominion over all. Saint Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, spoke of this more extensively in his work "Exposure of Falsely-Named Knowledge." Otherwise: the apostle testifies to the depravity of the heretics, saying that they are impure in life and utterly vile in knowledge. They, he says, "reject authorities," that is, they reject the performance of the mystery of Christ — they reject it because instead of angelic mysteries they perform their own abominations. "They speak evil of dignities" (δόξας). By "dignities" one should understand the various opinions of wise men, called among the notable Greeks "theses" (θέσεις), by which they mean lofty opinions, accessible not to everyone, but only to those acquainted with philosophy. A witness to what we have said is the Apostle Paul. When the Athenians brought him to the Areopagus and he preached to them the teaching about God, they considered him a babbler (Acts 17). Thus, just as they called the teaching of the apostles babbling, so also they called the aforementioned "dignities." For this reason, speaking of men gifted by God and inspired by God, the Apostle Jude used the word "dignities," as a common and universally known term. Another explanation: by "dignities" he perhaps means the Old and New Testaments. Or: by "dignities" he means ecclesiastical authorities, whom they spoke evil of, as the beloved John indicates in his third epistle (3 John 1:9–10), where he writes that Diotrephes reviles them with wicked words.
Commentary on Jude
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
ὁ δὲ Μιχαὴλ ὁ ἀρχάγγελος, ὅτε τῷ διαβόλῳ διακρινόμενος διελέγετο περὶ τοῦ Μωσέως σώματος, οὐκ ἐτόλμησε κρίσιν ἐπενεγκεῖν βλασφημίας, ἀλλ᾿ εἶπεν· ἐπιτιμήσαι σοι Κύριος.
Мїхаи́лъ же а҆рха́гг҃лъ, є҆гда̀ со дїа́воломъ разсꙋжда́ѧ {препира́ѧсѧ} глаго́лаше ѡ҆ мѡѷсе́овѣ тѣлесѝ, не смѣ́ѧше сꙋда̀ навестѝ хꙋ́льна, но речѐ: да запрети́тъ тебѣ̀ гдⷭ҇ь.
"When Michael, the archangel, disputing with the devil, debated about the body of Moses." Here he confirms the assumption of Moses. He is here called Michael, who through an angel near to us debated with the devil.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
You can search them out for yourself from sacred Scripture without my help. And it will become clearly evident to you that this likely is the age of which it was said, “Believe not in friends and trust not in princes,” and that the prophecy is now being fulfilled: “The leaders of my people have not known me; they are foolish and senseless children. They are wise to do evils, but to do good they have no knowledge.” We should rather pity such people than hate them and should rather pray for them than revile them. For we were created to bless and not to revile. Thus also Michael, when he was arguing with the devil over the body of Moses, did not dare to bring an accusation of blasphemy against him even for such a serious offense but said, “May the Lord rebuke you.” Even in Zechariah, we read something similar to this. “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan, and the Lord that chose Jerusalem rebuke you.” And so we also pray that those who refuse to be rebuked by their friends with humility may be rebuked by the Lord.
Against Rufinus 2.18
For he does not say to blaspheme no man: but absolutely no one: not an angel, nor any creature of God. Because everything that was made by God is very good. For when Michael the Archangel disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a judgment of blasphemy, but said, "May God rebuke you” (Jud. 9). If Michael therefore did not have the audacity to bring judgement upon the devil, certainly deserving of a curse, for blasphemy: how much more should we be pure from every curse? The devil deserved a curse: but it should not have come out through the mouth of an archangel.
Commentary on Titus 3:1-2
The angels were present at the death of Moses, and God himself took care of his burial.
Sermons 83
9–10Yet Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the Devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not think to pronounce a condemning judgment against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" But these people blaspheme what they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that they, like irrational animals, understand instinctively. Since he remembers the blasphemy, he restrains not only them alone, but also all men, so that they may have pure tongues from such evil, and do not use it against those who are worthy of blasphemy, saying: "Michael the archangel," etc. But what does this mean? That these indeed rashly and intemperately use blasphemies against all. However, this should not happen, since it is not even fair to attack those who are worthy of blasphemy with curses, as is evident from the archangel Michael. For when there was a dispute between him and the Devil about the body of Moses, an opportunity was given to him to attack him with a blasphemy because of his boldness, But the archangel did not dare to bring a railing accusation against the Devil, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" How do these men dare to blaspheme the glorious beings? It is written in another way: If the archangel was in this condition, we should not heap up blasphemies and curses against the brother of a man of the same condition as us. And indeed, these things have been said about them. Furthermore, this is the judgment concerning the body of Moses. It is said that Michael the archangel provided ministry in burying Moses: the Devil could not bear this but brought an accusation because of the killing of the Egyptian (Ex. 2), as if it were Moses' own, and therefore did not allow him to obtain an honorable burial. But also wishing to signify through this, the Apostle presents in the open that the law is prescribed to all men after their departure from the body, and that the same God is of the Old and New Testament. For when God wished to reveal the hidden things to men who were then more grossly affected, namely that the Devil, with his wicked demons, rises against our souls after they have been freed from here, wanting to hinder their journey to the heavens (and indeed he resists, but the good angels of God are there to assist them: as blessed Anthony also saw): He permitted these things to happen at that time. Nevertheless, Michael then dared to repel the Devil, not with the authority to rebuke, but he granted judgment to the Lord of all, and said: "May God rebuke you, O Devil." But these do not know what they speak. Michael indeed acted so, nor did he bring any accusation against a man or Moses: but these compose slanderous speeches about doctrines they do not understand; those who, by natural motion or judgment, as beings experienced in reason, pursue these things like maddened horses towards mares, or like swine.
Commentary on Jude
Here Jude shows that the Old Testament agrees with the New and that they were both given by the same God. For the devil objected, claiming that the body was his because he is the lord of matter.… But Michael would not accept this and brought on the devil a punishment worthy of his blasphemy, though he abandoned him to the discretion of his own master. For when God brought Moses to the mount of transfiguration, the devil said to Michael that God had broken his promise, because he had sworn not to do such a thing. Michael is said to have taken care of the burial of Moses, and the devil is supposed to have objected to this. God then came to the rescue and wanted to show those who at that time saw only a very little that eventually our souls would be changed and we would all ascend into heaven. But the devil and the evil spirits with him wanted to cut off the way to heaven and tried both to do their evil deeds and at the same time weaken the righteous by this angelic warfare. This is what the blessed Antony saw in his vision.
Catena
When Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil, etc. From which Scriptures Jude took this testimony is not easily clear. But it should be known that we find something similar to these things in the prophet Zechariah. For he says: Because the Lord showed me Jesus the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan stood at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord rebuke you, Satan, and the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you (Zech. III). But it is very easy to understand in this place that Jesus the high priest desired the people of Israel to be freed from Babylonian captivity and to return to their homeland. But Satan opposed him, not wanting the people of God to be liberated, but rather to be made slaves to enemies and nations; and therefore the angel who was the helper of the people rebuked him and removed him from the injury against that same people. But when Michael contended with the devil about the body of Moses, we have no certainty. However, there are those who say that the same people of God were called the body of Moses, because Moses himself was part of that people; and so Jude, having read what was done about the people, could rightly say it was done about the body of Moses. But wherever and whenever this dispute between the angel and the devil took place, it should be diligently considered, because if Michael the archangel did not wish to say a blasphemy to the devil opposing him, but restrained him with modest speech, how much more should all blasphemy be avoided by men, and especially lest they offend the majesty of the Creator with undisciplined words.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Since the apostle mentioned evil speaking, he reproves not only the blasphemers, but also persuades all people not to defile their tongues with such evil, not to employ it even against those who deserve it, and says: "Michael the Archangel," and so on. He speaks as if to say: they hastily and uncontrollably speak evil of everyone, but this ought not to be so. For it is unjust to speak evil even of those who deserve evil speaking, as is evident from the conduct of the Archangel Michael. Contending with the devil about the body of Moses, he could have reproached the devil for his shamelessness, yet he did not do so, but only said to him: The Lord rebuke you, devil! In another sense: if the Archangel acted this way, then we too, in a dispute with a man, our brother and kinsman, ought not to employ evil speaking. The dispute about the body of Moses was as follows. In the apocryphal writings it is said: the Archangel Michael ministered at the burial of the body of Moses; the devil would not allow this, but charged Moses with the guilt of killing the Egyptian, and on account of such guilt declared Moses unworthy of burial. The Apostle Jude recalls this in order not only to teach us not to be quick to speak evil, but also to show us that all people, upon departing from the body, must give an account of everything; that the God of the Old and New Testaments is one and the same; that upon our passage from this world, the devil together with his evil demons rises up against our souls, wishing to cut short their blessed journey: he opposes them, while the good angels fight on their behalf, as the holy Anthony saw. So it could have happened then as well. Only Michael repelled the devil at that time by rebuking him, not by his own authority, but by committing the judgment to the Lord of all, saying: The Lord rebuke you, devil!
Commentary on Jude
There was never any question of tracing all evil to man; in fact, the New Testament has a good deal more to say about dark superhuman powers than about the fall of Adam. As far as this world is concerned, a Christian can share most of the Zoroastrian outlook; we all live between the 'fell, incensed points' of Michael and Satan. The difference between the Christian and the Dualist is that the Christian thinks one stage further and sees that if Michael is really in the right and Satan really in the wrong this must mean that they stand in two different relations to somebody or something far further back, to the ultimate ground of reality itself.
Evil and God, from God in the Dock
But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
οὗτοι δὲ ὅσα μὲν οὐκ οἴδασι βλασφημοῦσιν, ὅσα δὲ φυσικῶς ὡς τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα ἐπίστανται, ἐν τούτοις φθείρονται.
Сі́и же, є҆ли̑ка ᲂу҆́бѡ не вѣ́дѧтъ, хꙋ́лѧтъ: є҆ли̑ка же по є҆стествꙋ̀ ꙗ҆́кѡ безсловє́снаѧ живѡ́тнаѧ вѣ́дѧтъ, въ си́хъ сквернѧ́тсѧ {растлѣва́ютсѧ}.
"But these," he says, "speak evil of those things which they know not; but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves." He means that they eat, and drink, and indulge in uncleanness, and says that they do other things that are common to them with animals, devoid of reason.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
Not knowing the true doctrine, these people concoct blasphemies for themselves. They are so caught up in lust that they are no different from dumb animals.
Catena
Michael, he says, did not endure the blasphemies of the devil against a man, that is, Moses, yet these compose blasphemous speeches against teachings which they do not know; and what they know by natural inclination, confusedly, like irrational animals, they pursue like horses.
Commentary on Jude
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
οὐαὶ αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ Κάϊν ἐπορεύθησαν, καὶ τῇ πλάνῃ τοῦ Βαλαὰμ μισθοῦ ἐξεχύθησαν, καὶ τῇ ἀντιλογίᾳ τοῦ Κορὲ ἀπώλοντο.
[Заⷱ҇ 78] Го́ре и҆̀мъ, ꙗ҆́кѡ въ пꙋ́ть ка́їновъ поидо́ша, и҆ въ ле́сть вала́амовы мзды̀ ᲂу҆стреми́шасѧ, и҆ въ прерѣка́нїи корре́овѣ погибо́ша.
"Woe unto them!" he says, "for they have gone in the way of Cain." For so also we lie under Adam's sin through similarity of sin.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
I and my colleagues who were present with me were deeply and grievously distressed, dearest brother, on reading your letter in which you complained of your deacon, that, forgetful of your priestly station, and unmindful of his own office and ministry, he had provoked you by his insults and injuries. And you indeed have acted worthily, and with your accustomed humility towards us, in rather complaining of him to us; although you have power, according to the vigour of the episcopate and the authority of your See, whereby you might be justified on him at once, assured that all we your colleagues would regard it as a matter of satisfaction, whatever you should do by your priestly power in respect of an insolent deacon, as you have in respect of men of this kind divine commands. Inasmuch as the Lord God says in Deuteronomy, "And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest or the judge, whoever he shall be in those days, that man shall die; and all the people, when they hear, shall fear, and shall no more do impiously." And that we may know that this voice of God came forth with His true and highest majesty to honour and avenge His priests; when three of the ministers -Korah, Dathan, and Abiram-dared to deal proudly, and to exalt their neck against Aaron the priest, and to equal themselves with the priest set over them; they were swallowed up and devoured by the opening of the earth, and so immediately suffered the penalty of their sacrilegious audacity. Nor they alone, but also two hundred and fifty others, who were their companions in boldness, were consumed by a fire breaking forth from the Lord, that it might be proved that God's priests are avenged by Him who makes priests. In the book of Kings also, when Samuel the priest was despised by the Jewish people on account of his age, as you are now, the Lord in wrath exclaimed, and said, "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me." And that He might avenge this, He set over them Saul as a king, who afflicted them with grievous injuries, and trod on the people, and pressed down their pride with all insults and penalties, that the despised priest might he avenged by divine vengeance on a proud people.
Epistle LXIV
Since it has been declared that heretics have completely deserted the word of truth, Jude shows how they are subjected to different kinds of evil.
Commentary on Jude
Woe to them, for they have gone the way of Cain, and for profit they have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam, and in the contradiction of Korah they perished. "The way of Cain": this is, through the murder of a brother: for those teaching such things also kill their brothers, or men of the same sort, with wicked doctrines. Or even by absorbing the seed, they kill the brother in virtue, whom the fruitfulness of the seed would bring forth to life. "the error of Balaam", because they, like him, do these things for the sake of gain. Furthermore, the way of Korah, because they, like him, seized the office of teacher, being unworthy.
Commentary on Jude
These people are even fratricides, because what they teach kills the souls of those who are deceived by them. Look how he describes their outrageous ungodliness. He is not content to compare them with Cain but adds Ba-laam and Korah as well. Cain we understand from the above. Balaam he adds because Ba-laam went out to curse God’s people for the sake of money, even if God later turned his tongue around to the point where he blessed them instead. Korah is mentioned because he seized a teaching authority which God had not granted to him.
Catena
Woe to them who have gone in the way of Cain, etc. They go in the way of Cain, who assume for themselves the name of learned men out of envy for their betters to be honored. And they pour themselves out in the error of Balaam, who for the love of earthly goods, attack the truth which they themselves know. They perish in the contradiction of Korah, who descended alive into the inferno, whoever separates themselves from the unity of the Holy Church with the desire of undue primacy, knowing and foreseeing how much evil they carry, yet they descend to the abyss of crimes. And indeed the Lord reproached Cain for thinking of fratricide, but envy did not let him be saved. Balaam, however, desiring to walk against the people of God, the Lord forbade, but the love of money hindered him from obeying. Moses tried to calm Korah, who was boasting, speaking for the Lord; but his pride made him incurable. Thus indeed, thus do heretics act, who, scorned by the rebuke of the holy Church, refuse to be corrected; rather they strive to kill their brothers with the sword of evil doctrine, as Cain did, deceive them with evil counsel as Balaam did, and rise up against catholic teachers as Korah did, to their own destruction.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Woe to them, because they went in the way of "Cain" through fratricide; for, teaching impious doctrine to brethren, that is, to fellow men, they kill them with their evil teachings, or: by devouring the seed, they kill their brethren in potentiality, that is, those whom the seed, brought to maturity, would have brought into life. They went in the way of "Balaam," because they too do what they do for the sake of gain, like Balaam. They went in the way of "Korah," because, like him, being unworthy, they seized for themselves the dignity of the teaching office.
Commentary on Jude
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Οὗτοί εἰσιν ἐν ταῖς ἀγάπαις ὑμῶν σπιλάδες, συνευωχούμενοι ἀφόβως, ἑαυτοὺς ποιμαίνοντες, νεφέλαι ἄνυδροι ὑπὸ ἀνέμων παραφερόμεναι, δένδρα φθινοπωρινά, ἄκαρπα, δίς ἀποθανόντα, ἐκριζωθέντα,
Сі́и сꙋ́ть въ любва́хъ ва́шихъ скверни́тєли, съ ва́ми ꙗ҆дꙋ́ще, без̾ боѧ́зни себѐ пасꙋ́ще: ѡ҆́блацы безво́дни, ѿ вѣ̑тръ преноси́ми: древеса̀ є҆сє́нна, безплѡ́дна, два́жды ᲂу҆мє́рша, и҆скоренє́на:
"Clouds," he says, "without water; who do not possess in themselves the divine and fruitful word." Wherefore, he says, "men of this kind are carried about both by winds and violent blasts." "Trees," he says, "of autumn, without fruit,"— unbelievers, that is, who bear no fruit of fidelity. "Twice dead," he says: once, namely, when they sinned by transgressing, and a second time when delivered up to punishment, according to the predestined judgments of God; inasmuch as it is to be reckoned death, even when each one does not immediately deserve the inheritance.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
These people may say that they will bear fruit, but they are lying because they are incapable of doing that. The reason is that they are thorns and weeds, and trees without any fruit at all. They are fit for nothing except to be thrown into the fire.
Commentary on Jude
12–13These are the blemishes who are in your love feasts, feasting without fear, shepherding themselves; they are clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead and uprooted; wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. "These are the blemishes who are in your love feasts (ἀγάπαις)." There were still at that time, tables that were prepared in the churches, of which Paul speaks in the Epistle to the Corinthians (11): which were also called ἀγάπας, that is, "loves). Jude says, "They come together not for the purpose that is in them, but to find an opportunity "enticing unstable souls": as Peter also says in the second Epistle (2:14). And what he says: without fear, or with the preceding, it should be arranged that there is this sense: "Like the stones of the sea living together," that is, when they expect nothing to fear, they suddenly take on one form, like the stones of the sea leading to the punishment of souls. But, fearlessly shepherding themselves, or rather to be arranged towards the blemishes, so that the meaning may be this: Fearlessly feasting like blemished ones, that is, not anticipating any fear from the fellow diners, suddenly, like blemished ones, bringing upon them the destruction of souls. As for the shepherding, feeding themselves without fear. Without fear, he says, the judgment from not knowing how to shepherd, but blind, leading the blind, and into the abyss, as the Lord will say, falling in with those being shepherded. And he likens them to cliffs, and to clouds without water, and to autumn trees, and to wild waves, and to wandering stars. For they have that which exists by nature, these things by choice. For if the whirlpools are deadly to those sailing, unexpectedly arising, they also present a trustworthy evil to those dining together. And the waterless clouds, driven by the winds, wherever they may be carried, do not refresh with rain, for they do not have it; rather, they work out darkness for them. Likewise, these also do not save the souls of those who encounter them with a saving word, but they darken them with their most polluted teachings, being driven by the wicked practices of the demons. But even the autumn trees, dying twice, both in the shedding of their fruit and in the falling of their leaves (for they seem then to be deprived of beauty, both from the splendor of the fruit and from the flowery elegance of the leaves), suffer something appropriate to them. For they are twice cast out due to the eating of the seed, and they are deprived of the good behavior that comes from a temperate state. Therefore, they are also uprooted from the paradise of the Lord of the Church. And being cast out from this, they are gathered to the eternal fire. For what standing or root will he have, who is being thrown by all into the heap of pleasure? The stars also wander and engage in business, not because they are transforming to the firmament of our faith, having the sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2), Christ, arising through them, and producing the hours of virtues, and giving life to the faithful arranged according to these, but because they seem to be transformed into an angel of light, as the wicked demon who is their precursor, on the contrary, only bear the doctrines of the Lord, by which they also darken those approaching, and acquire for themselves eternal darkness. But even when compared to wild waves, they do not deny their similarity to them. For they themselves, driven by the spirits of wickedness, blaspheme against God without restraint, foaming up their own shame, ultimately coming to a foam with the height of blasphemy, from the weak and easily broken filth of their lives. Such is the foam of the waves to which they have been compared.
Commentary on Jude
The apostle’s words about these men who will not be pardoned have to be understood metaphorically. For he is not talking about stars and clouds, waves and trees, though he uses them as examples, because what they have they have by nature, whereas these men have the same things by deliberate choice. For waterless clouds which are blown about by the winds are not punished, nor are fruitless trees which just die. Wild waves have nothing to be ashamed of either, because they are mindless and devoid of sense. Likewise, the stars we call planets do not inherit the darkness—sinful people do! The ones whom Jude is talking about are like wandering planets which are going along the pathway which is diametrically opposed to virtue. The darkness is reserved for them, not as stars but as men. For Jude’s point has nothing to do with stars or clouds or waves, but rather it is concerned with the animal-like behavior of men, their wickedness and corruption.
Catena
These are spots in their feasts, etc. He who sins is stained: the stain is the very crime that contaminates its perpetrator. And therefore he calls the heretics, whom he accuses, stains; because they not only perish themselves in their feasting and drunkenness, whether carnal or spiritual, but they also destroy and pollute others.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Clouds without water, etc. The saints are preachers, who, having their conversation in the heavens, shine with miracles, and rain with words. Of whom it is said to God: And your truth reaches to the clouds. But heretics are clouds without water, who have placed their mouth in the heavens by their proud words; but they do not water the hearts of their listeners with the water of wisdom, who are carried away by the winds, as if by the suggestion of invisible spirits, and are caught up in various errors of vices.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Autumnal trees, fruitless, twice dead, uprooted. A tree is dead which does not bear good fruit; but one that has also produced the fruit of evil work is called a twice-dead tree. And if he who refuses to bear the fruit of good work is said to be cut down for his barrenness and cast into the fire; what punishment do you think he deserves, who either by acting wickedly or by perverting others has brought forth the most wicked fruits? Nor is it surprising if fruitless and twice-dead trees are said to be uprooted, which are proven to be. For it is said of the saints: Rooted and grounded in love (Ephes. III). But those who do not fear to uproot themselves from the firmness of love, and justly admit if they seem to have any good fruit. Such men are deservedly compared to autumnal trees, to show their salvation is hopeless. For in the time of autumn not only no fruits are born; but also those that were born and ripened usually fall. To this time are compared those who neglect to bear the fruits of faith themselves and strive to uproot and convert into vain endeavors those good deeds which they see faithful people perform.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
At that time, love-feasts were still being celebrated in the churches, as the Apostle Paul says in the Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 11:21–22), called "agapae," or "love-feasts." They, he says, come together at the feasts not for the benefit contained in them, but in order to find an occasion to beguile unstable souls, as the Apostle Peter also says in his second epistle (2 Pet. 2:14). He likens such people to hidden rocks, waterless clouds, autumn trees, and wandering stars; for what happens in these by nature is done by heretics by choice. Just as hidden rocks, encountered unexpectedly by those sailing, prove destructive to them, so too heretics cause unexpected harm to their companions at the feast. Just as waterless clouds do not refresh with rain (for they have none in themselves) the places to which they are carried, driven by the wind, but bring darkness upon them, so too heretics do not irrigate the souls of the people they encounter with saving teaching, but darken them with their most foul narratives, driven by the evil qualities of demons. Autumn trees die twice, losing their fruit and shedding their leaves (for dry trees at this time appear stripped of their adornment, the splendor of fruit and the flourishing comeliness of leaves). And something similar happens with heretics as well. They too die twice, losing their fruit through the consumption of the seed and being stripped of the comeliness of a prudent life. Therefore they are also uprooted from the paradise of the Lord, that is, from the Church, and outside of it are gathered and cast into the eternal fire. For what root will one have whom all turn away from on account of the vileness of his life? The words "without fear" should be referred to the words "feast themselves." They feast themselves "without fear," that is, not fearing the condemnation pronounced by the Lord for their inability to shepherd: blind leaders of the blind, together with those they lead, they themselves also fall into the pit (Matt. 15:14).
Commentary on Jude
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
κύματα ἄγρια θαλάσσης ἐπαφρίζοντα τὰς ἑαυτῶν αἰσχύνας, ἀστέρες πλανῆται, οἷς ὁ ζόφος τοῦ σκότους εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τετήρηται.
вѡ́лны свирѣ́пыѧ мо́рѧ, воспѣнѧ́ющѧ своѧ̑ стыдѣ̑нїѧ: ѕвѣ́зды пре́лєстныѧ, и҆̀мже мра́къ тьмы̀ во вѣ́ки блюде́тсѧ.
"Waves," he says, "of a raging sea." By these words he signifies the life of the Gentiles, whose end is abominable ambition. "Wandering stars,"— that is, he means those who err and are apostates are of that kind of stars which fell from the seats of the angels— "to whom," for their apostasy, "the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
These people are called wandering stars because they do not follow the sun of truth.
Introductory Commentary on Jude
These are people who by their wicked life and ungodliness have killed their souls with false doctrines. Before they believed, they were dead in their ungodliness, but when they turned to the gospel they found life. However, they gave themselves up again to ungodliness and lust, thereby killing themselves a second time. How can someone who is this guilty, doing evil and living in ungodliness and lust, ever find stability or roots in such a topsy-turvy life?
Catena
Wild waves of the sea foaming out their own shame. The wild waves of the sea are perverse teachers, who are always restless in themselves, swollen, dark, and bitter, and never cease to attack the peace of the Church, which is the stability and firmness of the faithful. But such men are rightly said to foam out their own shame, because, like swollen waves, the higher they rise in pride, the more they are confused, dissolving into the lightest foam and perishing.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Wandering stars, for whom the storm of darkness is reserved forever. The wandering stars, which are seven, never rise or set in the same place where they did the day before; but sometimes they descend to the lowest part of the winter zone, sometimes they ascend to the highest part of the summer zone, sometimes they return to the middle line of the equinoctial zone. Thus indeed, thus are the heretics, who promising the light of truth, never persist in the same state of teaching; but now in this way, now in that way, shaping their doctrine, they themselves clearly show how contemptible is the display of light which they promise. And indeed among the planets, that is the wandering stars, the most well-known are the moon, the morning star, which is also the evening star. These are sometimes taken in a good sense, when the sun is the Lord, the moon is the Church, the morning star is John the Baptist, who, by being born, preceded the Lord about to be born in the flesh and by providing testimony to the light. But we also read about the sun in a bad sense, as the Lord says about the seeds sown on rocky ground: And when the sun rose, they were scorched (Matthew 13). Which he himself explains further: When persecution arises because of the word, they quickly fall away (ibid). Therefore, the sun's heat indicates the fervor of persecution. We read about the moon in a bad sense: A fool is changed like the moon (Ecclesiasticus 27). The morning star in a bad sense: How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star (Isaiah 14)? This can be understood not only about the devil’s first fall, but also about his members who fall from the Church through heresy. The evening in a bad sense: You cause darkness to be fall upon the children of earth (Job 38). Because both the Antichrist and his ministers, although they transform themselves as angels of light, do not bear witness to the divine light, like the morning star to the sun; but they rather show the works of darkness to their followers; similar to the star called the evening star, which appearing in the west in the evening, is the precursor of the ensuing night. It says, Wandering stars, for whom the storm of darkness is reserved forever. For rightly they will be sent into the darkness of eternal torment, who were bringing the darkness of errors into the Church of God under the name of light. Deservedly they will be struck by the storm of punishment, who, like sea storms, were disturbing the peace of the faithful.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
He calls them "wandering stars." Heretics are like them not in the sense that they shine in the firmament of our faith and through them passes the Sun of righteousness, Christ, who brings virtues to maturity and gives life to the faithful devoted to them, but in the sense that, appearing to have taken upon themselves the guise of an angel of light, like their originators, the demons (2 Cor. 11:13–14), they rush only against the teachings of the Lord, by which they both darken those who approach them and prepare for themselves eternal darkness. He likens them to "raging waves." They bear resemblance to these as well; for, driven by the spirits of wickedness, they foam madly and uncontrollably in blasphemies against God with their shameful deeds and end the inconstant and easily destroyed shame of their life in the foam of proud blasphemies. For such is also the foam of the waves to which they are likened.
Commentary on Jude
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
προεφήτευσε δὲ καὶ τούτοις ἕβδομος ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ Ἐνὼχ λέγων· ἰδοὺ ἦλθε Κύριος ἐν ἁγίαις μυριάσιν αὐτοῦ,
Прⷪ҇ро́чествова же и҆ ѡ҆ си́хъ седмы́й ѿ а҆да́ма є҆нѡ́хъ, глаго́лѧ: сѐ прїи́детъ гдⷭ҇ь во тьма́хъ ст҃ы́хъ а҆́гг҃лъ свои́хъ,
14–15And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.
1 Enoch 1:9
Enoch also, the seventh from Adam," he says, "prophesied of these." In these words he verities the prophecy.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
I am aware that the Scripture of Enoch, which has assigned this order (of action) to angels, is not received by some, because it is not admitted into the Jewish canon either. I suppose they did not think that, having been published before the deluge, it could have safely survived that world-wide calamity, the abolisher of all things. If that is the reason (for rejecting it), let them recall to their memory that Noah, the survivor of the deluge, was the great-grandson of Enoch himself; and he, of course, had heard and remembered, from domestic renown and hereditary tradition, concerning his own great-grandfather's "grace in the sight of God," and concerning all his preachings; since Enoch had given no other charge to Methuselah than that he should hand on the knowledge of them to his posterity. Noah therefore, no doubt, might have succeeded in the trusteeship of (his) preaching; or, had the case been otherwise, he would not have been silent alike concerning the disposition (of things) made by God, his Preserver, and concerning the particular glory of his own house. If (Noah) had not had this (conservative power) by so short a route, there would (still) be this (consideration) to warrant our assertion of (the genuineness of) this Scripture: he could equally have renewed it, under the Spirit's inspiration, after it had been destroyed by the violence of the deluge, as, after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian storming of it, every document of the Jewish literature is generally agreed to have been restored through Ezra. But since Enoch in the same Scripture has preached likewise concerning the Lord, nothing at all must be rejected by us which pertains to us; and we read that "every Scripture suitable for edification is divinely inspired." By the Jews it may now seem to have been rejected for that (very) reason, just like all the other (portions) nearly which tell of Christ. Nor, of course, is this fact wonderful, that they did not receive some Scriptures which spoke of Him whom even in person, speaking in their presence, they were not to receive. To these considerations is added the fact that Enoch possesses a testimony in the Apostle Jude.
On the Apparel of Women, Chapter 3
Since Enoch in the same book tells us of our Lord, we must not reject anything at all which genuinely pertains to us. Do we not read that every word of Scripture useful for edification is divinely inspired? As you very well know, Enoch was later rejected by the Jews for the same reason that prompted them to reject almost everything which prophesied about Christ. It is not at all surprising that they rejected certain Scriptures which spoke of him, considering that they were destined not to receive him when he spoke to them himself. But we have a witness to Enoch in the epistle of Jude the apostle.
On the Dress of Women 3.3
Nor, of course, is this fact wonderful, that they did not receive some Scriptures which spake of Him whom even in person, speaking in their presence, they were not to receive. To these considerations is added the fact that Enoch possesses a testimony in the Apostle Jude.
On the Apparel of Women Book 1
Does not the canonical epistle of Jude the apostle openly declare that Enoch spoke as a prophet? It is true that his alleged writings have never been accepted as authoritative, either by Jews or Christians, but that is because their extreme antiquity makes us afraid of handing out as authentic works those which may be forgeries.
City of God 18.38
14–15But the seventh from Adam, Enoch, also prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord comes with thousands of His saints to execute judgment on all and to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly works which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God. Jude adds to these things Enoch, who previously prophesied the punishment reserved for them by God, in the final judgment of God. "all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly works." The ungodly differs from the sinner in that the ungodly has sin against God, while the sinner deviates from the goal of righteousness in the actions of life.
Commentary on Jude
Prophecies were made about them by the seventh from Adam, Enoch, etc. He does not speak against all men, but against all the impious, leaving none of them unpunished. It is added about them:
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
To what was said above he adds that Enoch also prophesied about the punishment awaiting them from God in the last days, that is, on the day of God's righteous judgment.
Commentary on Jude
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
ποιῆσαι κρίσιν κατὰ πάντων καὶ ἐλέγξαι πάντας τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς αὐτῶν περὶ πάντων τῶν ἔργων ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν ὧν ἠσέβησαν καὶ περὶ πάντων τῶν σκληρῶν ὧν ἐλάλησαν κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀσεβεῖς.
сотвори́ти сꙋ́дъ ѡ҆ всѣ́хъ и҆ и҆з̾ѡбличи́ти всѣ́хъ нечести́выхъ ѡ҆ всѣ́хъ дѣ́лѣхъ нече́стїѧ и҆́хъ, и҆́миже нече́ствоваша, и҆ ѡ҆ всѣ́хъ же́стокихъ словесѣ́хъ и҆́хъ, ꙗ҆́же глаго́лаша на́нь грѣ̑шницы нечести́вїи.
And to convict all the impious. He actually states that the seventh from Adam is Enoch, who prophesied these things, to confirm by example what he stated above: Because the impious men who long ago were designated for such judgment had slipped in at his time to subvert the faith of the pious.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
And to convict (he says) all the impious of all their deeds of impiety, etc. This sentiment is indeed true, because the Lord, coming in judgment, will convict the impious not only of deeds but also of words, and will judge the wicked; however, it should be known that the book of Enoch, from which this is taken, is classified among the apocryphal Scriptures by the Church, not because the sayings of such a great patriarch can be in any way dismissed or should be considered false, but because the book offered under his name does not seem to have been truly written by him, but published by another person under his title. For if it were truly his, it would not be contrary to sound faith. But now, because it contains many incredible things, among which is the account of the giants not having human fathers but angels, it is clear to the learned that the writings that are tainted with falsehood are not those of a truthful man. Hence, this same Epistle of Jude, because it bears testimony from an apocryphal book, was rejected by many in the early times. However, due to its authority, antiquity, and use, it has merited to be counted among the holy Scriptures, especially because Jude took such testimony from an apocryphal book which is conspicuous for the clear truth of its true light rather than being apocryphal and dubious.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Between the ungodly and the sinner there is this difference: the ungodly one sins in relation to God, while the sinner deviates in the affairs of life from the aim of righteousness.
Commentary on Jude
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Οὗτοί εἰσι γογγυσταί, μεμψίμοιροι, κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν πορευόμενοι, καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν λαλεῖ ὑπέρογκα, θαυμάζοντες πρόσωπα ὠφελείας χάριν.
Сі́и сꙋ́ть ропотницы̀, ᲂу҆кори́тєли, (ча́сть поро́чна,) въ по́хотехъ свои́хъ ходѧ́ще нече́стїемъ и҆ законопрестꙋпле́нїемъ: и҆ ᲂу҆ста̀ и҆́хъ глаго́лютъ прегѡ́рдаѧ: чꙋдѧ́щесѧ ли́цамъ по́льзы ра́ди.
These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. After this, however, having been freed from the accommodation of these ungodly ones, Jude now also addresses the matter itself, accusing their vices, calling them grumblers and complainers. There is indeed a grumbler, one who, under his breath and without speaking out, complains to the one who is displeased. The complainer, on the other hand, always and constantly engages in contempt. These wretched ones are murmurers and complainers, Jude says. For they do not have the boldness to engage in their teaching through shameful means. For it is not without danger to publicly proclaim recklessness with wickedness and blasphemy. And they are complainers, slandering both other people and the truth, in order to set up their own evils and obscenity as if they were something good. As he has said concerning Balaam, that they have poured themselves out for profit just like him, he now states more clearly that they flattering people to gain advantage, admiring indeed, by flattering those in authority, but the profit is actually the gain.
Commentary on Jude
These people have no confidence in their own teaching. For how can it not be dangerous to spread it with such wickedness and blasphemy?
Catena
These are murmurers, grumblers, etc. The more anyone murmurs and grumbles about the present labors of the Church, the less they have extinguished the desires of the flesh within themselves. But on the contrary, holy Daniel and other men of heavenly desires, as diligently as they only desire the things above, so much more scornfully do they despise all passing things that seem adverse.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
After this, having left off the comparison of the ungodly, he now proceeds to the actual exposure of them, calling them murmurers and fault-finders. A murmurer is one who through clenched teeth and timidly censures what is displeasing to him, while a fault-finder is one who always and at everything laughs. These vile ones are murmurers and fault-finders. They are murmurers, for they do not dare openly to make use of their teaching, on account of its vileness, since it is unsafe to publicize their ungodliness, which is joined with debauchery and blasphemy. They are fault-finders, because they slander everything that belongs to others and truth itself, in order to more firmly establish their own evil and debauchery. What was said above, that the heretics, like Balaam, were carried away by reward, he now explains with the words: they "show partiality" for the sake of "gain." To show partiality means to deal flatteringly with those in authority.
Commentary on Jude
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀγαπητοί, μνήσθητε τῶν ρημάτων τῶν προειρημένων ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Вы́ же, возлю́бленнїи, помина́йте глаго́лы преждеречє́нныѧ ѿ а҆пⷭ҇лъ гдⷭ҇а на́шегѡ і҆и҃са хрⷭ҇та̀:
Jude does not specify which apostles he is referring to, but many people assume he means Peter, James and John.
Introductory Commentary on Jude
17–18"remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles," those by Peter in the second Epistle, and by Paul in almost every epistle. From this, it is clear that this was written last after the apostles had passed away.
Commentary on Jude
How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
ὅτι ἔλεγον ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐν ἐσχάτῳ χρόνῳ ἔσονται ἐμπαῖκται κατὰ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἐπιθυμίας πορευόμενοι τῶν ἀσεβιῶν.
занѐ глаго́лахꙋ ва́мъ, ꙗ҆́кѡ въ послѣ́днее вре́мѧ бꙋ́дꙋтъ рꙋга́тєли, по свои́хъ по́хотехъ ходѧ́ще и҆ нече́стїихъ.
Jude got this from Peter’s second letter, where he talks about Paul’s writings, for Paul has a lot to say about this.
Catena
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀποδιορίζοντες, ψυχικοί, Πνεῦμα μὴ ἔχοντες.
Сі́и сꙋ́ть ѿдѣлѧ́юще себѐ (ѿ є҆ди́ности вѣ́ры, и҆ сꙋ́ть) тѣле́сни {дꙋше́вни}, дꙋ́ха не и҆мꙋ́ще.
"Those," he says, "separating" the faithful from the unfaithful, be convicted according to their own unbelief. And again those separating from the flesh. He says, "Animal not having the spirit;" that is, the spirit which is by faith, which supervenes through the practice of righteousness.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
The enemy of unity has no share in God’s love. Those who are outside the church do not have the Holy Spirit, and this verse is written of them.
Letters 185.50
The Nestorians are sensual men, not having the Spirit, because they divide the one Christ and Son and Lord into two sons.… For they pretend to confess one Christ and Son and say that his person is one, but by dividing him into two separate hypostases they completely sweep away the doctrine of the mystery.
Letters 50.20
"These are the ones who are causing divisions." Behold, another accusation against these very small men.
For they are not the only ones, Jude says, who perish, but they also rob the nourishments of those of the Church, (for this is what the term "cause division" intends to signify), that is, making them outside the ecclesiastical boundaries, either of the faith or even of the very holy tabernacle of the Church. For having shown their gatherings to be a den of thieves, they lead away from the Church, but bring to themselves. And they do this, being worldly people, that is, living according to the behavior of the world. For we have already said that the divine Scripture often calls the soul and life, as in Job; "All that a man has, he will give for his soul," (Job 2:4) that is, for his life. Of these, Paul says that they are natural men, unable to accept the things of the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 2:14) Being worldly, they are taught by natural means, concerning which it has been said: This wisdom is not from above, descending from the Father of lights (James 1:17), but is earthly, demonic, not having the Spirit of God speaking.
Commentary on Jude
These are they who separate themselves, etc. Therefore, they reprobate themselves by separating from the lot of the righteous, hence they are sensual, that is, following the lusts of their own soul, because they have not merited to possess the Spirit of unity by which the Church is gathered together, by which it is made spiritual. Therefore, they dissolve, because they lack the bond of charity.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Here is yet another fault of these most vile people. They, he says, not only perish themselves, but also snatch away the nurslings of the Church (this is what "those who separate" means), that is, they lead them beyond the boundaries of the Church, that is, the boundaries of the faith or even of the church enclosure itself. For they have made their assemblies into dens of robbers, and they lead others away from the Church and bring them to themselves. They do this because they are soulish people, that is, people who live according to the manner of the world. For we have already noted that Holy Scripture has the custom of calling the life also "soul." And the Apostle Paul says that soulish people cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:14). So, being soulish, they also employ soulish teaching, of which it is said: "This is not the wisdom that descends from above, but is earthly, soulish, demonic" (James 3:15), not having the Spirit of God.
Commentary on Jude
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀγαπητοί, τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει ἐποικοδομοῦντες ἑαυτούς, ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ προσευχόμενοι,
Вы́ же, возлю́бленнїи, ст҃о́ю ва́шею вѣ́рою назида́юще себѐ, дх҃омъ ст҃ы́мъ молѧ́щесѧ,
20–21"But you, beloved." Therefore, Jude says, but you building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, that is, making your own gatherings according to the teaching of the Holy Spirit in your prayers. "keep yourselves in the love of God," that is, safeguard yourselves, waiting for the mercy of our Lord that leads to eternal life.
Commentary on Jude
But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, etc. We pray in the Holy Spirit when, pierced by divine inspiration, we seek heavenly aid to receive the goods which we cannot possess by ourselves. Therefore, the blessed Jude instructs us to build ourselves up on the foundation of holy faith, to thus join ourselves as living stones to the house of God, which is the Church; he thus commands us to keep ourselves in the love of God, so that we never presume on our own strength, but hope in the aid of divine protection. Let no one according to the dogma of Pelagius declare that he can be saved by himself, but let us all seek the coming of the Holy Spirit into us, by which inspired we may be able to pray more fervently, lest perhaps we be separated from the society of the Holy Church with those who do not have the Spirit and therefore continue to be sensual.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Soulish people, he says, act as we have described. But you, build yourselves up on the Holy Spirit and on your most holy faith, that is, renew yourselves in the Holy Spirit, that is, conduct your assemblies in your houses of prayer according to the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
Commentary on Jude
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
ἑαυτοὺς ἐν ἀγάπῃ Θεοῦ τηρήσατε, προσδεχόμενοι τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
са́ми себѐ въ любвѝ бж҃їей соблю́дайте, ждꙋ́ще млⷭ҇ти гдⷭ҇а на́шегѡ і҆и҃са хрⷭ҇та̀ въ жи́знь вѣ́чнꙋю.
And "keep" yourselves in the love of God, that is, preserve yourselves, awaiting mercy from the Lord, Who on the last day will grant you eternal life.
Commentary on Jude
And of some have compassion, making a difference:
καὶ οὓς μὲν ἐλεεῖτε διακρινόμενοι,
И҆ ѻ҆́вѣхъ ᲂу҆́бѡ ми́лꙋйте разсꙋжда́юще,
22–23"But some," he says, "save, plucking them from the fire;" "but of some have compassion in fear," that is, teach those who fall into the fire to free themselves. "Hating," he says, "that spotted garment, which is carnal:" that of the soul, namely; the spotted garment is a spirit polluted by carnal lusts.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
Since, then, there is much difference between those who have sacrificed, what a want of mercy it is, and how bitter is the hardship, to associate those who have received certificates, with those who have sacrificed, when he by whom the certificate has been received may say, "I had previously read, and had been made aware by the discourse of the bishop, that we must not sacrifice to idols, that the servant of God ought not to worship images; and therefore, in order that I might not do this which was net lawful, when the opportunity of receiving a certificate was offered, which itself also I should not have received, unless the opportunity had been put before me, I either went or charged some other person going to the magistrate, to say that I am a Christian, that I am not allowed to sacrifice, that I cannot come to the devil's altars, and that I pay a price for this purpose, that I may not do what is not lawful for me to do." Now, however, even he who is stained with having received a certificate,-after he has learnt from our admonitions that he ought not even to have done this, and that although his hand is pure, and no contact of deadly food has polluted his lips, yet his conscience is nevertheless polluted, weeps when he hears us, and laments, and is now admonished of the thing wherein he has sinned, and having been deceived, not so much by guilt as by error, bears witness that for another time he is instructed and prepared.
Epistle LI
22–23And those, if they separate from you (for this is what "to distinguish" means), rebuke them, that is, make their wickedness evident to all.
If they are aimed at healing, do not reject them, but receive them with your love, snatching them out of the fire that threatens them. But receive them with caution and with fear, considering that the reception of these may become a cause of distress for you if you are careless in your dealings with them, leading to the theft of those already established into the same overflow of their wickedness. For wickedness is very zealous. Therefore, let their reception be, Jude says. But approach them with fear, either with careful consideration, and let the hatred towards their small deeds be accompanied by mercy, hating and detesting them, and the garment stained by their flesh, or their defiled garment, as it touches their flesh and becomes disgusting. Those who receive them with the fear of the coming punishment, Jude says, should see mercy granted to them, preparing for repentance.
Commentary on Jude
Jude is recommending mercy for those who doubt the truth of the words of false teaching. As for other kinds of doubters, James condemns them in his letter.
Catena
22–23And of some have compassion, making a difference: others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh, etc. What he said with fear must be joined to all three things he proposed. Because whoever reproves apostates and shows them as damnable must act in fear, lest perhaps he or his loved ones suffer something similar. And whoever rescues another from the fire of vices by chastising him, must consider himself lest he also be tempted. And whoever shows mercy to a penitent neighbor must also do this carefully, lest perhaps he becomes more severe or more lenient than is just.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
And those, if they are departing from you, rebuke, that is, expose their impiety before all; but if they are disposed toward healing, do not push them away, but receive them by the mercy of your love, saving them from the fire that threatens them.
Commentary on Jude
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
οὓς δὲ ἐν φόβῳ σῴζετε, ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς ἁρπάζοντες, μισοῦντες καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐσπιλωμένον χιτῶνα.
ѻ҆́вѣхъ же стра́хомъ спаса́йте, ѿ ѻ҆гнѧ̀ восхища́юще: ѡ҆блича́йте же съ боѧ́знїю, ненави́дѧще и҆ ꙗ҆́же ѿ пло́ти ѡ҆скверне́нꙋю ри́зꙋ.
What if, even here, you should conceive to reply that communion is indeed denied to sinners, very especially such as had been "polluted by the flesh," but (only) for the present; to be restored, to wit, as the result of penitential suing: in accordance with that clemency of God which prefers a sinner's repentance to his death? -for this fundamental ground of your opinion must be universally attacked.
On Modesty
If someone can use the word of God to rescue those who have already fallen into the all-embracing fire set alight by the flaming arrows of the devil, he will snatch the most promising ones from the fire. For this person is not called to snatch back those who have been condemned by God.
Catena
What is meant by “a cloak stained by corrupted flesh”? This is said of those who have a life stained by the lusts of the flesh. We all have clothes which bear the marks of our life, whether we are righteous or not. The person who has a clean cloak is one who leads a pure life, whereas the one who has a soiled one has got mixed up with evil deeds. Or a cloak may be soiled by the flesh if the latter is formed in its conscience by the memory of those evil deeds which spring from the flesh and which still work on the soul. Just as the Spirit can make a cloak for the soul out of the virtues which come from the principle of incorruptibility, so by analogy the flesh can produce an unclean and soiled cloak from the lusts which belong to it.
Catena
Hating even the garment stained by the flesh. By "garment of the flesh" he means our body. However, we should not hate our body, but we should hate this stained condition in every way, and as much as we can act to make it spotless, so that what is carnal may deserve to become spiritual. Since this is not achieved by our own will, but must be accomplished by the grace of God, it is rightly added:
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Receive them, however, with mercy and with fear, being careful that receiving them, through your careless disposition toward them, does not become a cause of perdition for yourselves, because they drag even those who are firm in the faith into the flood of their impiety, and evil is easily adopted.
Commentary on Jude
So then, receive them, but approach them with fear, that is, with caution, and combine mercy toward them with hatred for their vile deeds; even toward the garment defiled by their flesh, have loathing and aversion, because through contact with the flesh it itself becomes defiled. Or: receiving them, by the fear of future punishment prepare them so that they may repent and prove worthy of mercy. The defiled garment is a life defiled by many transgressions as a result of fleshly passion. For every person is known, whether righteous or unrighteous, by their way of life, as if by their clothing. One has clean clothing, a virtuous life; another has defiled clothing, a life with evil deeds. Or, better: the garment defiled by the flesh is such a habit and disposition of conscience that corrupts the soul by the remembrance of the depraved movements and actions of the flesh, constantly looking upon which, as upon its own clothing, the soul is filled with the stench of passions. For just as from the Spirit, through virtues gradually added one to another, a garment of incorruption is formed for the soul, putting on which it becomes beautiful and most glorious, so also from the flesh, through the gradual addition of one passion to another, a certain impure and defiled garment is formed, which of itself reveals the qualities of the soul and gives it a different appearance and image, and not God's.
Commentary on Jude
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ φυλάξαι αὐτοὺς ἀπταίστους καὶ στῆσαι κατενώπιον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἀμώμους ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει,
Могꙋ́щемꙋ же сохрани́ти вы̀ без̾ грѣха̀ и҆ без̾ скве́рны и҆ поста́вити пред̾ сла́вою свое́ю непоро́чныхъ въ ра́дости,
"Now to Him," he says, "who is able to keep you without stumbling, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory in joy." In the presence of His glory: he means in the presence of the angels, to be presented faultless, having become angels. When Daniel speaks of the people and comes into the presence of the Lord, he does not say this, because he saw God: for it is impossible that any one whose heart is not pure should see God; but he says this, that everything that the people did was in the sight of God, and was manifest to Him; that is, that nothing is hid from the Lord.
From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus
When Jude says this, does he not show that perseverance in good to the end is a gift of God?
Admonition and Grace 6.10
24–25Having said these things, he seals the letter with a prayer.
Commentary on Jude
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling, etc. It rightly says here that we will be placed in exultation before the presence of God's glory, whom he previously admonished to serve God in fear. For the more fearful we are about our actions in the present, the more we will rejoice about our deserved reward in the future.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
μόνῳ σοφῷ Θεῷ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν, δόξα καὶ μεγαλωσύνη, κράτος καὶ ἐξουσία καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.
є҆ди́номꙋ премⷣромꙋ бг҃ꙋ и҆ сп҃сꙋ на́шемꙋ, і҆и҃сомъ хрⷭ҇то́мъ гдⷭ҇емъ на́шимъ, сла́ва и҆ вели́чїе, держа́ва и҆ вла́сть, пре́жде всегѡ̀ вѣ́ка, и҆ нн҃ѣ, и҆ во всѧ̑ вѣ́ки. А҆ми́нь.
Praise is given to God alone, for he is the only one who deserves our worship. He is our Savior, because “he has saved his people from their sins.” Glory is ascribed to him because he is the victor in every battle; majesty, because the praise of the heavenly virtues is so great; dominion, because he rules over all he has made; and authority, because he has the power to destroy or to set free everything in creation. He exists from the beginning, in the present and forever.
Introductory Commentary on Jude
To the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory and majesty. This clause attributes equal and co-eternal glory and kingdom to both the Father and the Son, before all and through all ages. It also refutes the error of those who believe the Son to be less or posterior to the Father, when it says that glory, majesty, dominion, and power belong to God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. And this not from the beginning of any time, but before all ages, and now and for all ages of ages. Amen.
Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
Having said this, the apostle concludes his epistle with a prayer, as with a seal.
Commentary on Jude
JUDE, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Ἰούδας, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος, ἀδελφός δὲ Ἰακώβου, τοῖς ἐν Θεῷ πατρὶ ἡγιασμένοις καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ τετηρημένοις κλητοῖς·
[Заⷱ҇ 77] І҆ꙋ́да, і҆и҃са хрⷭ҇та̀ ра́бъ, бра́тъ же і҆а́кѡва, сꙋ́щымъ ѡ҆ бз҃ѣ ѻ҆ц҃ѣ̀ ѡ҆свѧщє́ннымъ, і҆и҃съ хрⷭ҇то́мъ соблюдє́ннымъ зва̑ннымъ: