but others save with
fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the
flesh.
Jude 23
Dear Heavenly
Father, you are too awesome, too great for me to even praise you with the
correct words. I fall in reverence of
Your love, grace, and mercy. I so don't
deserve it. But thank You. Thank You for all that You've done for me and
my family. I was once lost but now I'm
found. Please guide and direct me and my
family. Help us to be grounded in Your
Word. Please be with me on completing
this week's study. In Jesus name, I
pray, Amen.
With this verse,
Jude concludes his instructions to the church.
To bring deeper understanding to today's text, let's examine some key
words and their companion or similar verses.
"Others"
in this verse refer to these false teachers who don't understand the Christian
life. "Save" in the Greek is sozo means heal, preserve, deliver out of
danger into safety, God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin
and into His provision, keep safe and sound, to deliver from the penalties of
messianic judgement, salvation by Christ.
"Fear" in the Greek is phobos
which means terror, reverence, alarm, respect, fleeing because feeling
inadequate, positively in relation to God but more often negatively of
withdrawing from the Lord (His will), remove oneself to avoid dread, anxious
heed lest be defiled by the wickedness of one whom you are rescuing. 2
Corinthians 5:11 states " Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we
persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in
your consciences." Rescue even unbelievers from the penalty and power of
sin with the reverence, respect of an Almighty God but careful not to be
defiled by the wickedness of those whom you are saving.
"Pulling"
in the Greek is harpazo which means
seize, obtain by robbery, seize by force suddenly and decisively (bounty,
spoil, prize), taken by open display of force, rescue from the danger of
destruction, snatching. Amos 4:11 states
"'I overthrew some of you, As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you
were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to
Me,' Says the Lord." Zechariah 3:2
states "And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord
who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the
fire?'" "Out" in the
Greek is ek which means from out, out
from among, suggesting from the interior outwards, out of the depths of the
source and extending its impact on the object.
"Fire" in the Greek is pur
which means heat of the sun, lightning, strife, trials, the eternal fire,
snatch from the danger of destruction, elevating one's value over another. 1 Corinthians 3:15 states "If anyone’s
work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as
through fire." Seize by force suddenly and decisively these
unbelievers from the depths of the eternal fire of destruction like snatching a
piece of burning wood from the fire.
"Hating"
in the Greek is miseo which means
detest, pursue with hatred, love less, esteem less, denounce, to love someone
or something less, denounce a choice in favor of another, loathing. "Garment" in the Greek is chiton which means tunic, under garment, worn
next to skin, undershirt. Revelation 3:4
states "You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their
garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy." Zechariah 3:4 states "Then He answered
and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, 'Take away the filthy garments
from him. 'And to him He said, 'See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and
I will clothe you with rich robes.'"
"Defiled" in the Greek is sproo
which means stain, spot, soil, spiritually stain, contaminate, polluted. This word is only used in two places here and
James. James 3:6 states "And the
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members
that it defiles
the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by
hell." "Flesh" in the
Greek is sarx which means body, human
nature, kindred, carnal, human origin or empowerment, according to self (apart
from God), unaided human effort, animal nature with cravings that incite sin. Loath the
unbelievers filthy undergarments polluted by their human nature with cravings
to incite sin.
God still desires to
save unbelievers, even ones who hate Him.
2 Peter 3:9 states "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance."
God mandates us to
not neglect or condemn the unbeliever.
In Ezekiel 3:18-19, God tells Ezekiel "When I say to the wicked,
‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the
wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in
his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not
turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his
iniquity; but you have delivered your soul." We will be called to explain why we didn't
attempt to share the Gospel with the wicked.
Our job is not to save that is God's work, but we are commanded to share
the Gospel and disciple the believer.
The Gospel is to be shared with everyone, even ones consumed and
controlled by the evil one. Stay
faithful, share God.
save others,
snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing
even the clothing spotted and polluted by their shameless immoral freedom.
Amplified Bible
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