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Jud_1:1-2. The superscription is in form similar to that of the Epistles of Paul and Peter: Ἰούδας Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος κ . τ . λ .] δοῦλος , as its position and Rom_1:1, Php_1:1, Jam_1:1 (see also Tit_1:1), show, denotes not the general service of believers to Christ (Schott), but the special service of those appointed to the gospel ministry. The more definite statement of office is here wanting; as the author is not the Apostle Jude (see Introd. sec. 1), so that his position in the Christian church is to be regarded as similar to that which a Barnabas, an Apollos, and others occupied, who, without being apostles in the narrower sense of the term, yet exercised a ministry similar to the apostolic.
With the first appellation the second ἀδελφὸς Ἰακώβου is connected by δέ (see Tit_1:1), which, although not precisely a contrast (Schott), yet marks a distinction. This appellation serves not only to indicate who this Jude is (Arnaud), but likewise to justify his writing. Jude does not call himself “the brother of the Lord,” because his bodily relation to Christ stepped behind his spiritual, perhaps also because that surname already specially belonged to James.
τοῖς ἐν Θεῷ πατρὶ ἠγαπημένοις [ ἡγιασμένοις ] καὶ κ . τ . λ .] According to the reading ἡγιασμένοις , ἐν expresses not the mere instrument of holiness, but holiness as consisting in fellowship with God. The participle is either substantive, co-ordinate to the following Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ τετηρημένοις κλητοῖς , or adjective, which is more probable on account of the similar participial form, τετηρημένοις .
According to the reading ἠγαπημένοις , ἐν Θεῷ πατρί may denote the sphere within which the readers are ἠγαπημένοι , namely, by the writer. Against the opinion of de Wette, “that in this objective designation the subjectivity of the author cannot be mixed,” Col_1:2 might be appealed to, where Paul names the readers of his Epistle ἀδελφοί , that is, the brethren of himself and Timotheus (see also 2Jn_1:1 and 3Jn_1:1); but in relation to what follows: καὶ Ἰησ . Χρ . τετηρημένοις , this view is correct.
In the Vulgate, τοῖς ἐν Θεῷ πατρί is taken as an idea by itself: his qui sunt in Deo Patre, etc.; and then to this idea the two attributes are added: ἠγαπημένοις and Ἰησ . Χρ . τετηρ . κλητοῖς . Apart from its harshness, not only is it opposed to this construction that by it the parallelism (incorrectly denied by Schott) of the two members of the clause—which is strongly indicated both by the form of the sentence and also by ἐν τῷ πατρί in reference to the following Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ —is destroyed, but also ἠγαπημένοις would then be without any proximate statement. The same is also the case when it is assumed, with Rampf and Schott, that the participles ἠγαπημένοις and Ἰ . Χ . τετηρημένοις are equally subordinate to ἐν Θεῷ πατρί , and explained as expressing “the living ground on which the called possess that which is expressed in the two participles” (Schott). The supplying of ὑπὸ Θεοῦ or παρὰ Θεῷ , necessary for this view, is at all events arbitrary; moreover, the juxtaposition of τοῖς ἐν Θεῷ πατρὶ Ἰησ . Χριστῷ τετηρημένοις is extremely harsh.
It is incorrect to take ἐν as equivalent to ὑπό (Hensler); ἐν is rather to be retained in its proper signification, in which it is entirely suitable to the idea ἀγαπᾶσθαι , as the love which proceeds from any person dwells in him, the κλητοί as they are loved by God so are they loved in God. Hofmann incorrectly explains it: “who have been accepted in love by God;” for ἀγαπᾷν never has this meaning, not even in the passages cited by Hofmann: 1Th_1:4; 2Th_2:13; Col_3:12.
God is called πατρί in His relation to Christ, not to men: see Php_2:11; Gal_1:1; and Meyer on the latter passage.
καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ τετηρημένοις κλητοῖς ] The dative Ἰησ . Χριστῷ is not dependent on an ἐν to be supplied from ἐν Θεῷ πατρί (Luther: preserved in Jesus Christ). Hofmann indeed appeals for this supplement to Kühner, Gr. II. p. 477; but incorrectly, as this is rendered impossible by ἠγαπημένοις intervening. What Kühner says could only be the case were it written: ἐν Θεῷ πατρὶ καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ ἠγαπημένοις . Also Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ is not the causative dative with the passive, instead of ὑπό with the genitive, but the dative commodi: for Christ (Bengel, de Wette, Wiesinger, Schott, and others). The participle τετηρημένοις is used neither instead of the present participle, as Grotius thinks, nor is it here to be understood of the act completed before God (de Wette, Wiesinger); but it simply denotes that which has taken place up to the time when the Epistle was written; thus: “to the called, who have been kept for Christ;” namely, in order to belong to Him in time and in eternity (so also Schott).[7] The idea τετηρ . is completely explained from the falling away from Christ which had taken place among so many; see Jud_1:4; comp. also Joh_17:11; 1Pe_1:5.
Although ἐν Θεῷ πατρί cannot be grammatically connected with τετηρημένοις , and although it primarily belongs to ἠγαπημένοις , yet it indicates by whom the preservation has taken place; Hornejus: quos Deus Pater … Christo … donavit et asservavit huc usque, ne ab impostoribus seducerentur et perirent.
κλητοῖς ] a designation in the Pauline sense of those who have not only heard the gospel, but have embraced it by faith; see Meyer on 1Co_1:24. Jud_1:2. ἔλεος κ . τ . λ .] The word ἔλεος is used in the formula of salutation only here and in the Pastoral Epistles. The addition καὶ ἀγάπη is peculiar to Jude. The relation of the three terms is thus to be understood: ἔλεος is the demeanour of God toward the κλητοί ; εἰρήνη their condition founded upon it; and ἀγάπη their demeanour proceeding from it as the effect of God’s grace. Accordingly ἀγάπη is used here as in Eph_6:23 (see Meyer in loco); only here the love is to be limited neither specially to the brethren (Grotius), nor to God (Calov, Wiesinger). Still ἀγάπη may also be the love of God to the κλητοῖς ; comp. Jud_1:21 and 2Co_13:13 [14] (so Hornejus, Grotius, Bengel, de Wette-Brückner, Schott, and others). No ground of decision can be derived from πληθυνθείη . With the reading ἠγαπημένοις the second explanation merits the preference, although the position of this expression after εἰρήνη is somewhat strange. On πληθυνθείη , see 1Pe_1:2; this form is apparently derived from Dan. 3:31.
[7] Arnauld incorrectly explains it: aux appelés gardés par J. Chr., c’est-à-dire: à ceux qui ont été appelés à J. Chr. par la prédication de l’Evangile et que J. Chr. garde fidèles.