Warning about false “Christians”
- Jude, a slave of Jesus the Anointed and brother of James, to the called men who are *^loved by God the Father and *kept by Jesus the Anointed;
- may mercy, and peace, and ^love be multiplied to you.
- Beloved, using all diligent zeal to write to you concerning our common salvation, I had a compulsion to write to you; encouraging you to earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
- For some men secretly snuck in; men who have been written of beforehand long ago for this judgement; ungodly men changing the grace of our God into wanton debauchery and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus the Anointed.
- But I’m resolved to remind you (though you *knew all these things at one time) that Jesus, after having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed the men who didn’t believe.
- And the angels who didn’t keep to their own domain but abandoned their own dwelling, He has kept them in eternal chains under darkness for judgement on the great day.
- Like Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them – which in a similar way as these indulged in fornication and went after strange flesh – are set forth as an example of undergoing the sentence of the fire of ages.
- Yet likewise also, these dreaming men indeed defile the flesh, and reject divine authority, and blaspheme glory.
- But Michael the archangel – when disputing with the Accuser while he was reasoning about Moses’ body – didn’t dare to bring forward a blasphemous judgment, but said “May the Lord rebuke you.”
- But these men indeed blaspheme whatever they haven’t seen. And whatever they understand naturally, like unreasoning animals, they ruinously corrupt themselves by these things.
- Woe to them, because they were led in the way of Cain, and they rushed into the error of Balaam for a reward, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
- These are men like hidden reefs, fearlessly feasting together with you at your ^love feasts, shepherding only themselves, clouds without water, being carried away by winds, autumn trees without fruit, having died twice, having been uprooted,
- wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shame, wandering stars for whom the black darkness has been reserved through the age.
- And also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men saying: “Behold, the Lord came among ten thousands of His holy ones,
- to execute judgement against all, and to convict with evidence all the ungodly concerning all their works of ungodliness that they did in an ungodly way, and concerning all the unyieldingly harsh things that ungodly sinners spoke against Him.”
- These men are grumblers, complainers, following after their cravings, and their mouth speaks exaggerations; flattering others’ appearances for the sake of profit.
- But you beloved, remember the words which have been spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus the Anointed,
- that they were telling you that in the last time, there will be scoffers following after their own ungodly cravings.
- These are the men creating divisions, naturally earthly, not having the Spirit.
- But you beloved – building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit –
- keep yourselves in the ^love of God, expectantly welcoming the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Anointed for the life of ages.
- And indeed, show mercy to men who are doubting,
- and save others by snatching them from the fire, and show mercy to others with fear, even hating the clothing which has been stained by the flesh.
- Now, to the One able to guard you without stumbling and to establish you unblemished in exultation in the sight of His glory,
- to our only God and savior through Jesus the Anointed our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now, and through all the ages. Amen.