The Epistle of St. Jude preached and interpreted. *)
Preached in 1523, printed in 1524.
The Epistle of St. Jude.
V. 1. 2. Judas, a servant of Jesus Christ, but a brother of Jacob, the called, sanctified in God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ. To you be much mercy and peace and love.
This epistle is dedicated to the holy apostle St. Jude, who was the brother of two apostles, Jacob the Less and Simonis, brother of the sister of the mother of Christ, who is called Mary Jacobi or Cleopheh; as one reads Marc. 16, 1. But this epistle cannot be considered to be of the right apostle, because in it he speaks of the apostles, as one of their disciples, long after. It also has nothing special in it, except that it points to the other epistle of St. Peter, from which it has taken all the words, and is nothing other than an epistle against our clergy, bishops, priests and monks.
Dear ones, since I have been diligent to write to you about the common salvation, I am compelled to write to you and exhort you to continue in the faith that was once given to the saints.
(2) This much is said: I am also compelled to write unto you, that I may remind and exhort you how ye ought to pass through, continuing in the faith which was preached unto you once before. As if he should say: It
It is necessary that I admonish you to watch and stay on the right path. But why it is necessary, he gives a reason and says:
V. 4: For there are some men beside them, of whom it was written before, who have come to such a judgment.
(3) Therefore I will remind you to hold fast to the faith which you have heard, for there are already preachers coming who are teaching other doctrines besides the faith, so that people may be led astray cleanly and unawares. St. Peter also said in his other 1) Epistle, Cap. 2, 1: "There shall be false teachers among you, which shall bring in corrupt sects" 2c. These, he says, have long since been proclaimed to such a judgment that they are damned.
4 We understand this well, because we know that no one becomes righteous and justified by his own works, but only by faith in Christ, so that he relies on Christ's work as his chief good. After that, if there is faith, whatever works a man does afterwards, they should all be done for the benefit of the neighbor, and that one should beware of all works that are not done in such a way that the neighbor is served by them, as there is now priestly and
1) "andern" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
*See the note to the heading of the interpretations of the second epistle of St. Peter. We give the text, because much has been changed in the Wittenberg, according to the Jena, comparing the Erlangen.
Monasticism. Therefore, if anyone introduces anything else of such status and works besides this doctrine of faith, he deceives people into being condemned with him.
They are ungodly, and draw the grace of God to lust.
5. The sermon that is given to us of the grace of God, and holds Christ up to us, as he is offered and given to us with all that he has, that we may be free from sin, death, and all misfortune; Such grace and gift, offered by the gospel, they use to drive only their lust, that is, they call themselves Christians, and pretend the gospel, but lead beside it such a state, in which they drive all courageousness in eating and drinking and evil living; as they boast and say: We are not in the worldly, but in the spiritual state; and under such a name and appearance have taken all good, honor and pleasure. This already begins, says Jude. For we read that it began a thousand years ago that the bishops wanted to be lords and to be held higher than the common Christians; as can also be seen in St. Jerome's Epistles.
And deny God that He alone is the Lord, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
6 St. Peter also said this in his epistle; but the denial (as we have heard) is not done with the mouth, for with it they confess that God is a Lord; but they deny the Lord Christ with deeds and works, do not consider Him to be their Lord, but themselves. For when they preach that fasting, pilgrimage, church planting, chastity, obedience, poverty, etc. are the way to salvation, they lead people to their works, and keep silent about Christ, and this is just as much as if they said, "Christ is of no use to you, His works" do not help you, but you must earn salvation with your own works. So they deny the Lord who bought us with his blood, as Peter says.
V. 5-7. But I want to remind you that you know this all at once, that the Lord, when he
The first time he helped the people out of Egypt, the second time he killed those who did not believe. Also the angels, who did not keep their principality, but left their dwelling, he kept for the judgment of the great day, with everlasting bands under the darkness. Just as Sodoma and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, which also went out in the same way as these, and went after another flesh, are set as an example, and bear the eternal fire.
(7) He also gives three examples, like St. Peter in his epistle. But of those he adds one, as God caused the children of Israel, whom he had brought out of Egypt by many miraculous signs, when they believed not, to perish and to be slain, that there remained no more than two of them, though they were numbered of all that came out, from twenty years old and upward, even six times an hundred thousand men. Now he sets these examples as a warning and a fright, as if he should say that those who are called Christians should beware, and under that name draw on the grace of God for lust, so that it does not happen to them as it happened to those 1). And indeed, since the time the papacy went out, and the gospel was concealed in the whole world, there has always come one plague after another, so that God has punished the unbelievers and thrown them into the devil's jaws.
V. 8. These dreamers who defile the flesh are like them.
8 He calls these teachers "dreamers. For just as when a man lies in a dream, so he goes about with images, and thinks he has something; but when he wakes up, there is nothing there. Then he sees that it was a dream and does not give anything to it. So also what these say is nothing else but a mere dream; but when their eyes will once be opened, they will see that it is nothing. So when they see that their plates and caps, obedience, poverty and chastity are pleasing to God, they have this before their eyes, and before God it is nothing but a mere dream. So he has given them a right, fine
1) Erlanger: them.
Names given that they deal with dreams, so that they deceive themselves and the world.
(9) But the apostles especially give this vice to the spiritual class, that they lead an unchaste life. God also proclaimed long before that they would have no wives. Now it is not possible 1) for God to do as many miraculous works as there are people in the state; therefore they cannot be chaste. Thus the prophet Daniel Cap. 12, 37. said of the Pabst's regiment: "He will not respect wives." This is an outward virtue, as it is inward, that they are dreamers.
But the lords despise, and the majesties blaspheme.
The third virtue is that they do not want to be subject to worldly authority. Thus we have taught: While we live on earth, we are all obliged to be subject and obedient to the authorities. For the Christian faith does not break the secular rule; therefore no one can pull himself out of it. Therefore, the pope's decree of the church's liberties is the devil's law.
V. 9. But Michael the archangel, when he quarreled with the devil, and talked over the body of Moses, could not pronounce the sentence of blasphemy, but said, "The Lord punish you.
(11) This is one of the reasons why this epistle was rejected before, because an example is given here that is not in the Scriptures, how the angel Michael and the devil quarreled with each other about Moses' body. This is said to have happened because so much is written about Moses, Deut. 34, 6, how God buried him and no one has yet learned of his grave; also because the Scriptures bear witness, v. 10, that no prophet in Israel rose again like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face 2c. So it is said about the same text that his body was kept hidden so that the Jews would not set up idolatry with it. And that is why the angel Michael resisted the devil who wanted the body to be hidden.
1) Jenaer in the text: "impossible" with the conjecture "possible" in the margin.
would be revealed that the Jews should worship him. And although Michael was an archangel (says Jude), yet he was not so bold as to curse the devil himself; and these blasphemers trample under foot the authority ordained by God, cursing it to the seventh, eighth and ninth generation, if they are men, so that this archangel should not have maledicted the worst devil, who is already damned, but says no more, but: "The Lord forbid thee, and punish thee."
V.10. But these, what they do not know, they blaspheme; but what they naturally know, like unreasoning animals, therein they corrupt themselves.
(12) They are such blasphemers that they can do nothing but banish and curse and give them to the devil, not only kings and majesties, but also God and the saints, as is seen in the bulla coenae Domini. They do not know that our salvation is based on faith and love, and they cannot suffer their works to be rejected and condemned, and preach how Christ alone must help us with his works. Therefore they banish and blaspheme all Christian doctrine, which they do not know; but that which they know by natural knowledge, namely, that making masses and the like brings money and goods, they force themselves into it, and thereby corrupt themselves and everyone.
V. 11 Woe to them, for they have gone the way of Cain.
13 Cain slew his brother only because he was more pious than he; for that sacrifice was acceptable in the sight of God, but his was not, Genesis 4:4, 8. Now this is "the way of Cain," to stand on one's own works and to blaspheme right works, and to kill and strangle those who walk in the right way, as these also do.
And are buried by the wages in the error of Balaam.
14. they should remain inwardly in confidence of divine grace, but they go out and scatter to and fro in various outward works, and do it only for the sake of money, that they may fill their bellies, as the prophet Balaam, when we heard in the epistle of Peter, 2 Pet. 2, 15.
And perished in the turmoil of Korah.
(15) Of the rebellion of Korah, and how he perished with his company, is written in the fourth book of Moses, chapter 16. Moses was required and appointed by God to lead the people out of Egypt, and his brother Aaron was also appointed by God to be the chief priest. Now Korah was also of the same family and their friendship, who also wanted to be something great and to be brought forth, and attached to himself two hundred and fifty men from the best and most distinguished of the people, and caused such an outrage and tumult that Moses and Aaron had to flee. And Moses fell on his face and prayed that God would not accept their sacrifice, and commanded the congregation of the people to depart from them, and said to them, v. 28 ff: "In this you shall know that the LORD has sent me: If these die or are afflicted, as all men are afflicted, the LORD hath not sent me. But if the LORD shall make a new thing, and the earth shall open her mouth, and swallow them up, and they shall go down alive into hell; then ye shall know that these men have blasphemed the LORD. When he had spoken these words, the earth cracked open beneath them and swallowed up Korah and the other heads of the rebellion with everything they had, so that they went down to hell alive. And the fire devoured the other two hundred and fifty men who had joined him."
(16) Now Judas points this example to these blasphemers, who blame us for causing trouble when we preach against them, when they are the ones who cause all the trouble. For Christ is our Aaron and chief priest, whom we ought to let reign alone. But the pope and the bishops 1) do not want to suffer this, they have raised themselves up, and want to rule by force, and set themselves against Christ. God has punished them for having swallowed up and covered the earth, for being drowned and swallowed up in earthly life and pleasures, and for being nothing but the world.
1) Wittenberger: "der Pabst sammt seinen Cardinälen und Bischöfen".
V. 12. 13. These live on your love's goods, and are the filth, and feed well, without care, feeding themselves. Clouds without water, driven about by the wind, bare, barren trees, twice dead and rooted out. Wild waves of the sea, foaming their own shame, erring stars, which are kept in the darkness of eternity.
(17) We have heard enough of this in St. Peter's epistle. All the world has brought up its children to be clergymen and to have good days, and not to feed themselves with their hands and their labor, nor even to preach, but to live in ease without care, and to have good courage from the goods that poor people acquire by their sweat. Item, one means, they should be the best piece and jewel in the Christianity, then they are vain stains and abominations; "eat well", as one also speaks: What is good belongs to the clergy; they are without care and fear, thinking that the devil may not overthrow them; they do not feed the sheep, but are themselves wolves that devour the sheep; they are the "clouds" that hover above in the air, sitting up in the church as if they should preach, and yet they do not preach, but let themselves be driven to and fro by the devil.
18. item, they are "bare, unfruitful trees" (he says) as the autumn trees, have neither fruit nor leaves; stand alone, as other trees; let themselves be seen as Christian bishops, but neither word nor works is there, but everything has died with the root.
19) Further, they are like the "wild waves of the sea," that is, as the wind on the water casts and drives the waves and bulges, so they also go as the devil leads them; and "foam out their own shame," like a pot 2) full of heat; are so full of excess that they go over the top and can keep nothing with them, but must all come out.
20) They are "erroneous stars", as the planets are called, which go backward, and not in a steady, straight 3) course. Thus they also have no right course, their life and teaching is vain error, in which they deceive themselves, and
2) Wittenberger: "port" instead of pot.
3) Jenaer: starcken.
all who follow them. Therefore, "darkness is kept for them for eternity.
(21) Jude has thus praised and depicted our spiritual rulers, who, under the name of Christ and Christianity, introduce all evil, and seize all the goods of the world, and bring everyone under themselves by force. Now follow on:
V.14. 15. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also foretold of these, saying, "Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of saints to execute judgment on everyone.
22 This saying of Enoch is also nowhere read in the Scriptures, therefore some fathers did not accept this epistle. Although it is not strong enough that one should reject a book for its sake. For also St. Paul 2 Tim. 3, 8. names two opponents of Moses, Jannes and Jambres, which names are also not found in Scripture. But be it as it may, we will let it pass; but this is nevertheless true, that from the beginning of the world God has always had His word (which promises His grace and salvation to the faithful, but judgment and condemnation to the unfaithful) proclaimed to some, until after Christ's ascension; since then it has been publicly preached in all the world. But before Christ's birth, God took only one line before Him from Adam to Abraham, and from there on to David, until Mariam, Christ's mother, who had God's word. So the Gospel has always been preached in the world, but never so publicly as now, at the last time.
23 Thus this father Enoch also practiced the word of God, which he undoubtedly learned from his father Adam, and had from the Holy Spirit. For the Scripture says of him, Genesis 5:24, that he led a godly life and was therefore taken away from God, so that he was no longer seen. Therefore it is also said that he should return before the last day. But it is not to be waited for; let it be understood that he should come spiritually, namely, that his sermon rhymes with the last day. How then this saying rhymes, wherein he is so spoken.
He speaks of the last day as if he already has it before his eyes. "The Lord has already come (he says) with many thousands of saints," that is, with such a multitude as cannot be counted. For this alone must be said of the last day, in which he will come with all the saints to execute judgment. For he did not come before with many thousands of saints, but came alone into the world, not to judge, but to give grace.
And to punish all their ungodly, for all the works of their ungodly ways, so that they have been ungodly.
(24) Judas does not reject this saying, that he speaks of false teachers who are to come before the last day, and also wants to agree that the Lord with his future will destroy the pope with his regiment; there is no other help for it. For because the world stands, there can be no end nor improvement to it. It cannot be understood in this way by anyone else, except by our clergy, who have miserably deceived the whole world, because it cannot become worse. And even if it became worse, it would still have to keep the name of Christ, and under that name it would raise up all misery. So he refers this saying to the last judgment and names those who will be judged. Therefore we conclude that our spiritual young men must wait for the last day, be it long or short.
And for all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
(25) Then he meets both their life and their preaching, saying, They speak strongly and harshly against the Lord who is to come, they are insolent and proud, they mock and blaspheme him, as St. Peter said. He does not say of their sinful, shameful life, but of the ungodly nature. "Ungodly," however, is he who lives without faith, though he already leads an honorable, outward life. Outward evil works may be the fruits of unbelief, but they are actually called ungodly beings, who look pretty on the outside, but their hearts are full of unbelief. The Lord will punish the same wicked because their preaching is insolent and stiff-necked. For they remain always on
Their head cannot be steered, and they are as hard as an anvil, condemning and lusting for and for. So Enoch has in this saying just the state troffen, which should be before the last day in the world, as one sees now before eyes. Further Judas says:
V. 16: They are murmurers and complainers 1) who walk according to their lusts, and their mouth speaks pompous words.
(26) If they will not let their thing be right and just, there is vain murmuring and complaining. So, if one does not give a bishop a right title, they cry about disobedience. In addition it is such a people, which is not to be resisted. For they pretend to have right over body and soul, they have taken both worldly and spiritual swords to themselves, so that they cannot be forced. So one must not preach against them. They have stripped themselves of all their property, interest and pensions, so that their goods may not be touched. No one is allowed to preach a word to them, unless they are asked first; and if they are attacked with the Scriptures, they say, "You must leave them alone to interpret the Scriptures. So they live everywhere as they please, according to their lusts. For they cannot apply this to us as they would like, since we have both submitted to the gospel and the secular sword; but they want to be free and unconstrained by both. Item, about it their whole law and right is nothing, because full, full vain high, proud, pompous words, since nothing is behind it.
And hold themselves after the reputation, for the sake of benefit.
27 This is their way, that they judge everything according to the person. In all the Pabst laws through and through you will not find once that a bishop should humble himself under a parish priest, or that he should meet any fruit of a Christian being; but everything is thus: The chaplain should be under the parish priest, the parish priest under the bishop, the bishop under the archbishop, and the latter under the patriarch, the patriarch under the pope. And after that, as each one shall have clothing, plates
1) Klägling - A person who is always complaining.
And they have worn their caps, and have had so many churches and benefices. So they have drawn it all on external beings, and have done such child's play and fool's work, and considered it a great sin if anyone did not keep it. That is why Jude says that they put all their things on the larvae and have only that in mind. No one knows anything about faith, love or the cross. In this way the common man is deceived and fooled, and turns all his goods to the right service of God; that is, they keep themselves according to reputation, for the sake of gain.
But you, beloved, remember the words spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, when they told you that in the last days there will be scoffers who walk according to their own lusts of the ungodly nature.
28 This saying also indicates that this epistle is not St. Jude the Apostle, for he does not count himself among the other apostles, but speaks of them as of those who preached long before him; so that it is reasonable to think that the epistle was written by another pious man who read St. Peter's epistle and drew these sayings from it.
29) Who the "scoffers" are, we have said above, in addition also "those who walk according to their own lusts", not only according to the 2) carnal, but "of the godless nature", which they lead, and do everything as it pleases them, respect neither the worldly power nor the word of God, are also neither in the outward nor inward regiment, neither divine nor human, hover between heaven and earth in the air, as the devil leads them.
V.19. These are the ones who make sects, sensual ones who have no spirit.
(30) Then he has understood what Peter says in 2 Ep 2:1, how they introduce corrupt sects. For they are the ones who have separated themselves to separate unity in the faith, not wanting to let the common Christian state be enough, where one serves the other, but set up other states, pretending to be God's servants.
2) Jenaer: "dem".
to serve with it. They are sensual or animalistic people, who have no more intellect and spirit than a horse or donkey, who go about according to their natural intellect and carnal sense, having no word of God to judge themselves by or to live by.
V. 20. 21. But you, my beloved, build yourselves up on our most holy faith, through the Holy Spirit, and pray. And keep yourselves in the love of God.
There he summarizes in short words what a completely Christian being is. Faith is the foundation on which one should build. But "building" is to increase day by day in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, which is done by the Holy Spirit. When we have been built up in this way, we should not do any work to earn anything by it and to become blessed, but should do everything for the benefit of our neighbor. Then we must see to it that we abide in love, and do not fall out as fools, who set up strange works and creatures, and so lead men away from love.
And wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.
This is the hope of the holy cross; therefore our life should be set up in such a way that it is nothing else but a constant longing and waiting for the life to come, but in such a way that such waiting is directed to the mercy of Christ, that we call upon him in such a way that he helps us from this life to that life out of pure mercy, not through any work or merit.
V. 22. 23. And have mercy on these and set them apart. But these make blessed [with fear], 2) and bring them out of the fire.
1) Jenaer and Erlanger: "vieheliche".
2) The words "mit Furcht" (with fear), which are missing in the Jena and Erlangen editions, are probably omitted here only by an oversight, because they are placed later in the interpretation.
33) This is not well said in German, but it means this much: 3) Have mercy on some, make some blessed; that is, let your lives be directed toward mourning for those who are miserable, blind and hardened, have no joy or pleasure in them; but let them go, get rid of them, and have nothing to do with them. But the others, whom you can pull out, "make blessed with fear," deal kindly and gently with them, as God dealt with you, do not act with violence and storms, but stand against them as against those lying in the fire, whom you are to pull out and save with all care, reason and diligence. If they do not want to be pulled out, let them go and have mercy on them; do not, like the pope and the heretics, burn them with fire and strangle them.
And hate the stained skirt of the flesh.
(34) We have received the Holy Spirit through faith and have been cleansed, but as long as we live here, the old sackcloth, our flesh and blood, is still clinging to us, which does not leave its will. This is the stained robe that we are to take off and always take off as long as we live.
V. 24, 25: Now to Him who is able to keep you without offense, and to set you before the face of His glory blameless with joy, to God, who alone is wise, to our Savior, be glory and majesty, and kingdom and power, now and forever. Amen.
35 This is the conclusion of this epistle. Thus do the apostles: When they have written, taught, exhorted and prophesied, they ask, desire and give thanks. So we have now seen in these 4) epistles both what is true Christian and false unchristian teaching and life.
3) Because the Wittenberg edition has the text of the Bible throughout this scripture, the beginning of this paragraph is changed: "Will so much say: Etlicher" 2c.
4) Jenaer and Erlanger: den.