Attributed commentary excerpt
Barnes' Notes on Jude 1:12
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Notes on the Whole Bible
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
These are spots - See the notes at 2 Peter 2:13. The word used by Peter, however, is not exactly the same as that used here. Peter uses the word, σπἶλοι spiloi; Jude, σπιλάδες spilades. The word used by Jude means, properly, “a rock” by or in the sea; a cliff, etc. It may either be a rock by the sea, against which vessels may be wrecked, or a hidden rock “in” the sea, on which they may be stranded at an unexpected moment. See Hesyehius and Pollux, as quoted by Wetstein, “in loc.” The idea here seems to be, not that they were “spots and blemishes” in their sacred feasts, but that they were like hidden rocks to the mariner. As those rocks were the cause of shipwreck, so these false teachers caused others to make shipwreck of their faith. They were as dangerous in the church as hidden rocks are in the ocean. In your feasts of charity - Your feasts of love. The reference is probably to the Lord’s Supper, called a feast or festival of love, because: (1)It revealed the love of Christ to the world; (2)It was the means of strengthening the mutual love of the disciples: a festival which love originated, and where love reigned. It has been supposed by many, that the reference here is to festivals which were subsequently called “Agapae,” and which are now known as “love-feasts” - meaning a festival immediately “preceding” the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. But there are strong objections to the supposition that there is reference here to such a festival. (1) There is no evidence, unless it be found in this passage, that such celebrations had the sanction of the apostles. They are nowhere else mentioned in the New Testament, or alluded to, unless it is in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, an instance which is mentioned only to reprove it, and to show that such appendages to the Lord’s Supper were wholly unauthorized by the original institution, and were liable to gross abuse. (2) The supposition that they existed, and that they are referred to here, is not necessary in order to a proper explanation of this passage. All that it fairly means will be met by the supposition that the reference is to the Lord’s Supper. that was in every sense a festival of love or charity. The words will appropriately apply to that, and there is no necessity of supposing anything else in order to meet their full signification. (3) There can be no doubt that such a custom early existed in the Christian church, and extensively prevailed; but it can readily be accounted for without supposing that it had the sanction of the apostles, or that it existed in their time. Festivals prevailed among the Jews, and it would not be unnatural to introduce them into the Christian church. The custom prevailed among the heathen of having a “feast upon a sacrifice,” or in connection with a sacrifice; and as the Lord’s Supper commemorated the great sacrifice for sin, it was not unnatural, in imitation of the heathen, to append a feast or festival to that ordinance, either before or after its celebration. This very passage in Jude, with perhaps some others in the New Testament (compare 1 Corinthians 11:25; Acts 2:46; Acts 6:2), might be so construed as to seem to lend countenance to the custom. For these reasons it seems clear to me that the passage before us does not refer to “love-feasts;” and, therefore, that they are not authorized in the New Testament. See, however, Coleman’s Antiquities of the Christian church, chapter xvi., Section 13. When they feast with you - Showing that they were…
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