Jude 1:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

NIV: These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

NASB: These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.

CSB: These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.

NLT: These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

KJV: These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

NKJV: These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Earlier in this letter, Jude warned that false teachers were a deceptively-hidden danger among true Christians (Jude 1:12). Along those same lines, according to this verse, false teachers cause trouble in the churches, leading to church splits. Since they appear to be legitimate believers but are not (Jude 1:13), their influence can lead other believers astray.

The apostle Paul warned a young pastor, Titus, about disruptive apostates. He writes: "For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach" (Titus 1:10–11).

According to Jude, these unbelieving deceivers think and act like "unreasoning animals" (Jude 1:10). They follow their sinful natures, proving even more clearly that they lack the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:1–3; Romans 8:9). This is important, since Jude is not merely referring to confused or mistaken believers. He is pointing out that false teachers, like those so far described, are not actually believers at all.

Jude 1:17–23 lays out Jude's plan of action for recognizing, resisting, and defeating apostates. Prior verses were devoted to explaining how, and why, these false teachers were dangerous. Those who followed their examples were bound for eternal judgment. Here, Jude provides a means to avoid these liars, as well as their fate.

Jude's brief letter describes men at their worst and God at His best. Believers are already on the victorious side! Those who mock God's truth and who follow their own desires all while claiming to be Christians, are the most dangerous kind of unbelievers. These persons pose a danger to themselves and to any Christians they might influence. In response, Christians need to focus on understanding the truth of God's written Word and submitting to His will.

Jude is a single-chapter letter which reflects earlier warnings about apostates and their false teachings. Other passages of Scripture describe evil men who taught that Jesus was not fully human or fully God (1 John 2:22; 4:1–3), that God's grace allowed them to live immorally (2 Peter 2; Romans 6:1, 15), that Jesus blood was not an adequate sacrifice (Galatians 1:6–9; Hebrews 3:12–19; 10:19), and sinners gain a right standing in God's sight by keeping the law of Moses (Galatians 5:4, 7–9). Jude's letter combats false teaching and exhorts readers to remain faithful to the Lord.

The book of Jude is a letter written by a half-brother of Jesus, likely later than AD 66–67, which was after 2 Peter was written. Its placement immediately before the book of Revelation is appropriate. This letter warns about false religion and evil men, whom Revelation describes as maliciously affecting political and religious conditions.