Jude Chapter 1 Vs. 15

 

Judgment on False Teachers

“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.” Jude 1:15

To execute judgment... That Jesus is both Savior and Judge is evident (see Mat. 13:47-50; Rev. 1:7; 14:14-15; 19:11-21; 20:11-15). Their final sentence is eternal hell.

ungodly among them... The four-fold use of this word as a description of the apostates (verses 4 and 18), identifies the core iniquity, which is failure to reverence God (see Peter’s use of the term in 2Pet. 2:5-6; 3:7). It was for such that Christ died (Rom. 5:6).

were yet without strength: Fourfold description of the former state:

1. Without strength—weak, dying, helpless to resist sin and do good, and powerless to deliver from misery (Rom. 5:6).

2. Ungodly—sinful, depraved, ruled by Satan and enslaved (Rom. 5:6).

3. Sinners—bent on finding happiness but always missing the mark (Rom. 5:8).

4. Enemies—haters of God and holiness and openly at war with both (Rom. 5:10).

due time: Due time of fullness of time (Gal. 4:4).

for the ungodly: Instead, or in place of the ungodly.

Ungodly: Jews divided people into four classes:

1. The just who said: What is mine is mine; what is thine is thine.

2. The accommodating who said: What is mine is thine; what is thine is mine.

3. The pious who said: What is mine is thine; what is thine let it be thine.

4. The ungodly who said: What is mine is mine; what is thine shall be mine.

Peter’s argument here is that if God did not spare the angels, the antedeluvians, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, He will not spare any man who lives ungodly, including the backslider.

Jesus is the Judge. It is the Lord Jesus who executes judgment.

Enoch’s prophecy pointed to the glorious return of Christ to the earth with thousands upon thousands of His angels (holy ones) (Mat. 24:30; 2Thes. 1:10), when His purpose will be to judge everyone (2Thes. 1:7-10) and to convict all the ungodly with unanswerable evidence that their actions, manners, and words have been ungodly (asebeis, “irreverent”; cf. Jude 1:4). Jude’s fourfold use of this word ungodly reinforces his description of their nature. Rather than being true spiritual leaders, they had spoken harsh words (cf. “speak abusively” in Jude 1:10) against Jesus Christ whom they denied.