Jude 1:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If some withdraw from you, rebuke them, that is, reveal their impiety before all. But if they are disposed toward healing, do not push them away. Receive them according to the mercy of your love, saving them from the fire that threatens them. Receive them with mercy and with fear. Beware that receiving them, if your disposition toward them is careless, does not become the cause of destruction for you yourselves. For they draw even those firm in the faith into the overflow of their impiety, and evil is easily imitated. Therefore receive them, but approach them with fear, that is, with caution. Join mercy toward them personally with hatred for their foul deeds.

QUESTION: What is the garment defiled by the flesh? ANSWER: It is a life stained by many transgressions of fleshly passions. For each person usually reveals by his garment the manner of life he leads, whether he is righteous or unrighteous. The first has a clean garment, a virtuous way of life. The second acquires a life defiled by evil deeds. Or better: the garment defiled by the flesh is an inward state and disposition that forms the soul according to an evil conscience, through remembrance of the wicked movements and actions of the flesh. Seeing this state and disposition constantly clothing it like garments, the soul is filled with the stench of passions.

Of course, the stained tunic of the soul is the spirit defiled by fleshly desires.

"Hating even the garment defiled by the flesh," Jude says. By flesh he means our body. We must not hate our body itself, but whatever defiles it in any way.

We should strive to cleanse it, so that what is fleshly may become spiritual. This, however, is not within our power, but only within God's grace.

Treatise 4. What does this mean: “Hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 1:23)? Divine Scripture teaches us that a virtuous life, free and pure from transgressions, is the wedding garment. Those clothed in it are deemed worthy by Christ the Bridegroom Himself of the mystical bridal chamber. They recline at that blessed and sovereign banquet. But those who soil such garments are driven away from that tasting and subjected to bitter dishonor. If we have understood this, we shall know what garment the divinely speaking Apostle calls defiled and commands us, beautifully and justly, to hate. For a garment wholly stained and soiled by sins is the defiled garment. Making this still clearer, he speaks not simply of a defiled garment, but of one defiled by the flesh.

"Some save with fear, snatching them from the fire; rebuke them with fear." The Apostle's thought is that believers should strive to restore those who err in a spirit of meekness, saving them from eternal fire. Or they should act with the same caution shown by people who snatch an object from fire, fearing lest they themselves be scorched. "Hating even the garment defiled by the flesh." Jesus Christ commanded the Apostles to shake off even the dust that clung to their feet in the house or city that would not receive the preachers of the word of God (Mt 10:14). This was as proof that they wished to have nothing in common with unbelievers. Here the Apostle advises them to abhor even the garments defiled by the flesh of fornicators.

"Save them, snatching them out of the fire." By fire is meant the fire of temptation, in this case the fiery temptation arising from the deception of the faithful by impious deceivers. It also means the future fire of Gehenna, by fear of which the deceived must be saved. "To snatch out" means an action not only by force, but even by violence, and one performed swiftly and decisively. Time does not permit delay, as when people snatch from a fire whatever things can be snatched out, for example during a conflagration. "Hating even the garment," and so forth. By garment is meant, of course, every thing defiled by the flesh, or by sin, and which the pure must not touch, lest they be infected by sin.

In the conclusion (Jude 20-23), the holy Apostle Jude instructively sets forth the chief purpose of his epistle. His readers, “building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,” must keep themselves in the love of God. They must also protect their neighbors by every means from heretical delusions. “And on some have mercy.” These are those infected by heretical seductions through ignorance and excitement, not through an evil disposition of heart. Have mercy on them, but “with discernment,” learning the causes of their moral sickness and taking fitting measures for its healing. “But others save with fear.” These are the more stubborn and hardened. Save them by swift and decisive measures, removing them from temptations, as one saves an object threatened by burning.

To the separation of the Gnostics from the unity of faith and the Church, the Apostle sets Christian love in opposition. In particular, he shows how this great principle of Christian life may be applied according to persons and circumstances. Thus he counsels acting toward some with condescension, and toward others with threats. Rebuke must be used cautiously (cf. Gal 6:1), so as to save at least some (1 Cor 9:22) and not destroy oneself. Fear of the latter must keep Christians away not only from all communion with heretics (see 2 Jn 10), but even from everything bearing the mark of defilement. Nothing, even what seems smallest, such as a defiled garment, is indifferent in relation to an undefiled life.

In an impure and passionate man, even his possessions are infected by the passions. Do not touch them, and do not use them.

Believers must guard not only themselves from being carried away by false teachers, but also their neighbors. These have not yet fallen away from the Church, but are in danger of falling away. Not all of them require the same kind of admonition. Some require meek and condescending admonition: "on some have mercy with discernment." Attention should be given to their tenderheartedness and receptivity to the word of truth. Others are coarse and hard. They must be rebuked and shaken by fear of the fire of Gehenna. "Save such with fear, snatching them from the fire" of Gehenna. They are like foolish people who climb into a fire without suspecting the danger. It is useless to persuade them quietly and meekly to spare themselves.