Jude 17-23 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Jude 1:17-23: 1:17-23 After condemning the false teachers, Jude again encourages his readers directly (see 1:3-4 ). They had been warned by the apostles about false teaching (1:17-19 ). They should encourage each other in the faith (1:20-21 ) and reach out to those who might be going astray through the false teachers’ influence (1:22-23 ). 1:17 what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted: Such predictions are in Acts 20:29-30 ; 1 Tim 4:1-3 ; 2 Tim 3:1-5 .

Summary for Jude 1:17-23: 1:17-23 ^a After condemning the false teachers, Jude again encourages his readers directly (see 1:3-4 ^b). They had been warned by the apostles about false teaching (1:17-19 ^c). They should encourage each other in the faith (1:20-21 ^d) and reach out to those who might be going astray through the false teachers’ influence (1:22-23 ^e). 1:17 ^f what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted: Such predictions are in Acts 20:29-30 ^g; 1 Tim 4:1-3 ^h; 2 Tim 3:1-5 ⁱ.
1:18 ^j in the last times: The coming of Jesus as Messiah inaugurated the last stage of God’s plan, when the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the last days began to take place. For this reason, Jude applies the apostles’ prophecy about the last times to the immediate crisis created by the false teachers (1:19 ^k).
1:20 ^l your most holy faith: As in 1:3 ^m, faith refers to what Christians believe, the doctrinal and ethical core of Christian identity, which false teachers threaten. Believers must therefore devote themselves to it.
Summary for Jude 1:22-23: 1:22-23 ⁿ The NLT accepts the manuscript tradition that includes three commands in these verses, corresponding to three categories of people: (1) those whose faith is wavering, (2) those who need to be snatched from the flames of judgment, and (3) others who need to be shown mercy. Some manuscripts have only two categories of people: (1) those whose faith is wavering and thus need to be snatched from judgment, and (2) those who need to be shown mercy. The text adopted in the NLT follows the pattern of threes that Jude uses elsewhere (1:5-7 ^o, 11 ^p). 1:22 ^q those whose faith is wavering: Some believers were in the early stages of doubt because of what the false teachers were saying.
1:23 ^r Rescue others: Some believers were so open to the false teachers that they were in imminent danger of condemnation.

• Show mercy to still others: The third group probably consists of the false teachers themselves or those who had subscribed to the false teachers’ program. Showing mercy might have meant praying for them (cp. Matt 5:44 ^s).

• Believers need to exercise great caution when showing mercy to false teachers and those who have fallen into their sinful ways, because their sins can be enticing. Cp. Zech 3:1-4 ^t; Rev 3:4 ^u.