Verse 2: May mercy and peace and love be
multiplied to you.
Jude continues his introductory comments by expressing his desire for them to be fortified by three divine operating assets: mercy, peace and love. The verb be multiplied implies that they already possess these assets. R.C.H. Lenski asserts that “now, in the trying situation that has developed, they more than ever need these three gifts from God.”1 Jude aspires that these assets are for their personal advantage—for spiritual growth, and there is a need that they employ them now for the defense of their faith (v.3). As to the scope of these assets, Jude’s expectation is that believers would saturate their homes, their churches and their communities with evidence of these Godly characteristics.
The first asset is mercy. By definition, the Greek word means compassion, pity,2 clemency, kindness. W.E. Vine notes that
mercy “is the outward manifestation of
pity.” He goes on to state that “it assumes need on the part of him who
receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who
shows it.”3
Lenski adds that mercy “denotes the love that pities the wretched, distressed,
and suffering and comes to their help.”4
God has demonstrated His mercy towards fallen mankind in the most marvelous manner—for without His mercy we would be condemned for all eternity (Romans 5:17; 8:1):
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). (Ephesians 2:4–5; cf. Titus 3:5)
As a Biblical principle, it can be stated that mercy is God’s grace in action on our behalf. Therefore, believers are encouraged to demonstrate mercy to one another cheerfully (Romans 12:8). It is important to note James’ warning if we fail to be merciful:
For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)
James explains that showing compassion for those in need is evidence of a vibrant faith (James 2:14ff). Our Lord in the parable of the Good Samaritan equates the demonstration of compassion with loving our neighbor. It is the scribe, to whom He was addressing, that described the true neighbor as “the one who showed mercy toward” the victim of robbery.
“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36–37)
The second asset is peace. The basic meaning of this word is harmony, order.5 It is the opposite of hostility—being openly aggressive or even passive antagonism. Theologically there are two aspects of peace: positional and experiential. Positionally, “the believer is now and forever on a peace footing in his relation to God, because he was justified.”6 There has been a cessation of hostility between the Creator and His creature. Paul states that the believer was once an enemy of God (Romans 5:10) but now has peace with his Creator by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on their behalf (Romans 5:1).
Experientially, the believer is given the opportunity of possessing a peace that provides tranquility in life, which can free him from the anxieties and the pressures of this world. It is the peace that comes from ones’ ability to claim the associated promises of God’s sustaining power for their lives. However, for believers to fully experience God’s peace provision, they must adhere to Isaiah’s directive:
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3; cf. Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7)
Dr. Beetham observes that:
In this way, Christ’s peace rules in their heart and so reigns in the Christian community (Colossians 3:15), manifesting itself as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).7
For this is Jude’s intended objective for his readers, that being steadfast of mind will result in their total trust and reliance upon the Lord.
The third divine operating asset is love. There is some misunderstanding of the Greek word that is used here (agape). It has been characterized exclusively as “Godly love” or “divine love”, which is only partly true. The word occurs very rarely outside of the Bible and only 18 times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament.8 This type of love is mainly a mental attitude love expressing concern, interest, "affectionate regard, goodwill, benevolence,”9 as opposed to physical or emotional affection. It is unselfish, not seeking reciprocation from the object of the one loved. Certainly humans can demonstrate this type of love—it is normally prompted by something attractive or desirable in the object of the one loved. However, God’s love for mankind was not motivated by something desirable in us, for we were in a fallen sinful state, separated from the righteousness of God. Scripture emphasizes that God loved us when we were the least desirable: we were enemies (Romans 5:10); hostile (Colossians 1:21); children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).
The believer experiences God’s unselfish love by His grace provisions in time and eternity, namely, our “great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3) attained by faith without works (Ephesians 2:8-9); and the supply of all our needs (Philippians 4:19).
Summary
God looked upon us and took pity by extending His mercy towards us. His plan of grace provided a means by which we might be able to obtain reconciliation with our Creator through the vicarious atonement for our sin by Christ on the cross. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we immediately are at peace with our Creator. Now rightly related to His righteous nature, God is then able to further express His love towards us in providing these divine operating assets.
Albert Barnes elaborates on the results of these assets in the believers’ life:
These things are mentioned as the choicest blessings which could be conferred on them: mercy—in the pardon of all their sins and acceptance with God; peace—with God, with their fellow-men, in their own consciences, and in the prospect of death; and love—to God, to the brethren, to all the world.10
[1] Lenski, R.C.H. (2001). Commentary on the New Testament, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 11.608.
[2] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, p.249
[3] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.403-404.
[4] Lenski, 11.608.
[5] Newman, B.M., Jr. (1993). A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament. Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies, p. 53.
[6] Chafer, L.S. (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 7.249.
[7] Beetham, Christopher A. (Ed.) (2021). The Concise New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, p.263.
[8] Beetham, p. 10.
[9] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G26.
[10] Barnes, A. (2005). Notes on the New Testament: James to Jude (R. Frew, Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 13.2.387.
© 2023 David M. Rossi
No comments:
Post a Comment