hence one to be protected with the holiest earnestness, is faith also called, Jude 20, ȧyióTaтos; and if it is here designated as the foundation on which the whole Christian moral life is built, there is in this implied only the fundamental thought of our Epistle, according to which knowledge or faith, for the sake of their objects, are the impelling motives for all striving after Christian virtue.

§ 128. The Striving after Christian Virtue.

Christian knowledge is shown as fruitful, when the proclamation of the salvation given in Christ stirs up zeal to strive after Christian virtue (a). That is to say, while this knowledge presents to us the promises, for the attainment of which we are appointed, it makes that attainment dependent on this, that we keep ourselves unspotted, and so by means of the promising and commanding word of God, it stirs up zeal to secure their fulfilment for us in the way pointed out (b). The essence of Christian morality consists partly, in general, in piety and righteousness springing from the fear of God, and partly, in particular, in love, especially brotherly love (c). The exhortation to strive after Christian virtue was all the more pressing at a time, when a libertinism in principle had made its appearance, a libertinism which in its false doctrine of liberty showed already the germ of an un-Christian heresy (d).

(a) He who lacks zeal to contribute his own moral energy (apeTý) with his faith, to what the divine aperń (i. 3) has done for his complete salvation (ver. 5), proves himself to be dull and unfruitful in reference to the knowledge of Christ (ver. 8), like an unfruitful tree (Jude 12). True knowledge must

9 Everything which comes from God is primarily designated in our Epistle as holy, as § 84, d, footnote 14, such as the Spirit of God (Jude 20; 2 Pet. i. 21) and the divine commandment (ii. 21); so also everything which belongs to God in a special sense, as His angels (Jude 14; comp. § 64, a), His prophets (iii. 2; comp. Luke i. 70, § 106, a), and Christians (Jude 3), whose walk must therefore be holy (iii. 11). But as even the Mount of Transfiguration is called, i. 18, holy because it has received a higher consecration through the experience of the apostle there (comp. Acts vii. 33, xxi. 28, vi. 13; Matt. xxiv. 15), so also, Jude 20, the predicate of ayorns appears as the designation of a higher consecration, which this incomparable blessing is to have in the eyes of Christians.

therefore bear fruit for the moral life. One must be quite blind, or else very short-sighted and forgetful, if the knowledge that he has been cleansed from sin through Christ does not move him to avoid sin (i. 9). Whoever gives himself up to the false doctrine of liberty has denied the Lord, as though he had never known that He had delivered him from the dominion of sin (ii. 1). By the knowledge of the calling given us is everything bestowed on us which pertains to a true life, i.e. a life acceptable to God (i. 3; comp. Luke xv. 24, 32). Such a life is therefore the fruit of knowledge required, ver. 8. So far now as the preaching of the gospel with its promises produces this fruitful knowledge, these promises may be designated as that by which we are (born again, and so) made partakers (ver. 4) of the divine nature (that is to say, of God's peculiar ayıórns; comp. § 45, d, footnote 6). Here also, as by Peter (§ 46, a), an immediate divine power must be ascribed to the word of the gospel proclamation, if, according to ver. 3, the Ocía Súvapus of Christ, by the knowledge of our calling, gives us all that pertains to a true life; for this knowledge is imparted to us only by that proclamation.

(b) In consequence of the operation of God, which made use of the preaching of the gospel to evoke the knowledge that is both fruit-bearing and renewing, Christians have escaped from the stains with which the world, by quickening sinful desires in men, pollutes them (ii. 20: ȧπоÓνyóνтes тà μiáoμata tοû kóoμov év éπiyváσel; comp. ver. 18), and also the destruction which rules in the world in consequence of these sinful lusts (ἡ ἐν κόσμῳ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ φθορᾶς, i. 4).

1 Even in the First Epistle of Peter, it was stated how deliverance from the guilt of sin (ii. 24), and along with that the death of Christ Himself (i. 19), has actually also delivered us from sin and made us free (§ 49, d). Whoever is confirmed in Christian truth must know, according to 2 Pet. i. 12, that for the consummation of salvation there is need of striving after Christian virtue, by which knowledge is shown to be fruitful (vv. 5-11). But the unfruitful trees are said (Jude 12) to be twice dead, because they, being rooted up, can never again come to life.

2 The idea of the xórpos does not here designate, as with Paul (§ 67, a), the world of men under the dominion of sin, but, as in the early apostolic system of doctrine (§ 46, b, footnote 3; 55, a), the totality of creaturely existence, the present condition of the world (comp. also Heb. iv. 3, ix. 26, x. 5), so far as the enticing allurement to sin proceeds from it. The old condition of the world

Christians, therefore, no doubt in virtue of the destination to complete salvation given them by their calling, know themselves to be elected from the total mass of sinful men; but their calling and election has to be made sure (ver. 10) by zeal in the manifestation of that fruitful knowledge (ver. 5), i.e. the realization of the end thereby intended has to be assured.* This happens, that is to say, in that the view of the promises given therewith quickens zeal to keep oneself even now holy and unspotted (comp. § 123, b), after one has by the power of God been once made partaker of His divine nature, i.e. become holy (i. 4), so that one may look for the final decision in peace, i.e. without anxiety, the decision which definitely settles the obtaining of what is promised (iii. 11, 14; comp. Jude 21). If this keeping, in virtue of which alone we can draw near joyfully to God's judgment-seat (Jude 24), is referred to the power of God (comp. ver. 1), then our Epistles give ground enough to understand this, with Peter ($ 46, a), of the work of God by His word. In the knowledge of Christ (ii. 20) we have received a holy command (ie. one coming from God), which points out to us the way of righteousness (ver. 21). This command of Christ, the Messianic Lord and Saviour, which has been delivered to us by the apostles (iii. 2), and which likewise has been enjoined by Paul, according to the wisdom given him, in all his Epistles (vv. 15, 16), requires us to keep ourselves unspotted, in view of the expected final consummation (ver. 14).*

which perished with the flood (ii. 5, iii. 6), is expressly designated as the xéμos àoßã, (ii. 5), in order to characterize it as filled with godless men. As for bringing into prominence sinful lust as the characteristic quality of pre-Christian life, comp. § 46, b; 56, a; but also § 66, c.

3 This placing of xaño, first, shows that the ideas of election and calling have not been put in the Pauline way (§ 88), but in the Petrine way (§ 45, b, footnote 2), to designate the same divine act from a different side. As here it is knowledge of the promises given to us in our Christian calling, so with Peter it is (§ 51, d) hope, which is the motive for all striving after Christian virtue.

4 If this commandment, transmitted in writing by Paul, is put into a position of equal authority with the word of the Old Testament Scriptures (iii. 16), then, according to ver. 2, the Lord's commandment, transmitted by the apostles agreeing therewith, is put side by side with the prophecies of the prophets; and from both passages it is clear, that here, as with Peter (§ 46, a), the preaching of the apostles is ever such a word of God, as is the word of God of the Old Testament (comp. also § 89, a; 116, b). As such, that commandment is likewise regarded as working with the power of God, like the word of the perfect law in VOL. II.

(c) Evoéßela here, as in the Pastoral Epistles, forms the deepest root of Christian morality (§ 107, c); in it is the nature of the true life (i. 3; comp. note a) comprehended. Moral energy (ȧpern), that is to say, is not sufficient, unless intelligent knowledge (yvious), in the sense of 1 Pet. iii. 7, is added (ver. 5), which prescribes to it the right way of its activity. But even this is of no avail without the power of self-government (èуkpáтeia), as otherwise natural passion gets the better of intelligent knowledge; and without the power of patience (vπoμový), which does not allow the temptation of outward suffering to hinder the intelligent activity of moral power. But every form of natural knowledge and strength are of no avail without the God-fearing mind of true piety (evσéßela), as it alone gives to moral effort its true worth (ver. 6). This piety only produces the normal condition of a life of Sikatoσúvn, well-pleasing to God, the manifestation of which (odos Sikaιoσúvηs: ii. 21) the divine law requires, and which hence must be perfectly realized in the consummation of the end (iii. 13).5 But brotherly love (i. 7: piλadeλpía; comp. § 47, a), necessarily springing from the fact of the new filial relation, is peculiar to Christianity (§ 127, a), and also that general love (i. 7: άyáπŋ) which goes beyond the circle of Christian brethren (i. 10, iii. 15).

(d) The Epistle of Jude is essentially directed against a form of heathenish godlessness (ào éßela: vv. 4, 15, 18; comp. 2 Pet. ii. 6, iii. 7), whose peculiarity is the walk in lusts (Jude 16, 18; comp. iii. 3), in particular, in the defiling lusts of the flesh (ii. 18; comp. vv. 10, 13, 14; Jude 7, 8, 23),

James (§ 52). Only the way in which, according to Jude 20, this preserving oneself in the love of God, to which, in view of the expectation of a final decision, Christians are exhorted (ver. 21), is regarded as brought about by prayer in the Holy Spirit, reminds one of the Pauline doctrine of the Holy Spirit (comp. ver. 19), since the Spirit is mentioned, 2 Pet. i. 21, only as the source of prophecy.

5 And so the surßis form the contrast to the adına (ii. 9); and the individual forms of sirißua are identical with different manifestations of a walk consecrated to God (iii. 11: åyías àvaorpoqaí; comp. 1 Pet. i. 15), in which participation in the divine nature is realized. Εὐσέβεια and δικαιοσύνη likewise correspond to each other in the Pastoral Epistles (§ 108, c), and quite analogously the fear of God and righteousness in Peter (§ 45, c), at the same time here also, as there, the two are by no means characteristic of the Christian life; the Old Testament pious were rather susßus (ii. 9) and díxasos (ii. 7, 8; comp. ii. 5).

6

14; comp. ver. 3) — specifically

and in covetousness (ii. heathenish sins (§ 69, d). With this godlessness is conjoined a moral licence, which considered itself bound by no law (ii. 7: ἡ τῶν ἀθέσμων—comp. iii. 17—ἐν ἀσελγεία—comp. ii. 2, 18—åvaσтpopń), and that on principle; for if these libertines turned the grace of God to doéλyela (Jude 4), then they must have found in their state of grace a justification for such licence, and, from ver. 19, it is clear that they claimed to be the really spiritual. Inasmuch now as the Christian has to follow the commandments of Christ as His Lord, this libertinism can only be characterized as a despising and a denying of the Lordship of Christ (vv. 4, 8; comp. ii. 1, 10), for whom the called like true subjects are kept (ver. 1); but, in so far as it at the same time brings under the power of the devil, it is characterized as a shameful despising of demoniac powers (dóğaı: vv. 8–10; comp. ii. 10, 11). But only in the Second Epistle of Peter does this libertinism appear expressly as the preacher of a false liberty (ii. 17-19), which seeks support from misunderstood or perverted passages of Paul and the Old Testament (iii. 16).o

We saw, § 69, b, that even with Paul arißua is the characteristic of heathenism. The Second Epistle of Peter, which borrows from the Epistle of Jude the characteristic of those libertines, appears to have selected in contrast to this the designation of the fear of God as εὐσέβεια (instead of φόβος Θεοῦ, used in the Old Testament and by Peter, § 45, c). To the fleshly lusts of these libertines belongs also debauchery, with which they desecrated the love feasts (Jude 12; comp. ii. 13). Beginnings of this we found even in the Corinthian church (§ 85, d). Zápě, moreover, stands throughout in our Epistles in its own (ii. 10, 18; Jude 7, 8, 23), never in the specific Pauline sense (comp. § 27).

7 If they are designated in this passage as those that make separations (oi àæodiopíCorres), it is clear from what follows that they distinguished between the natural and the spiritual, and reckoned themselves among the latter, while the author asserts that they are but natural, who have not the spirit in truth as the higher principle, because they give themselves up altogether to natural impulse. Yux therefore appears to be used here in opposition to μa quite in the Pauline sense (§ 68), while, ii. 8, 14, yux, as throughout in the early apostolic type of doctrine (§ 27), the soul is designated as the bearer of the higher life in man.

8 The author is afraid that this doctrine of a false liberty may shape itself in the future into a definite theory, and form a propaganda successful in the highest degree and soul-destructive; for as once false prophets arose among the people, so there will not be awanting false teachers (sudodidásnaλa) even among the New Testament people of God (ii. 1-3; comp. § 45, a). It is perhaps in view of these germinating false doctrines, just as in the Pastoral Epistles, that Christianity is by preference conceived of as izíyvwois (§ 127, a).