The Meaning of Jude 1:21 Explained

Jude 1:21

KJV: Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

YLT: yourselves in the love of God keep ye, waiting for the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ -- to life age-during;

Darby: keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

ASV: keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Discover Jude 1:21

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Jude 1:21?

MEANING: What does Jude 1:21 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Jude 1:21 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Jude 1:21?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Keep  yourselves  in  the love  of God,  looking for  the mercy  of our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto  eternal  life. 

What does Jude 1:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Third, we should keep ourselves in the sphere of God"s love ( Jude 1:1; Jude 1:6; Jude 1:13; cf. John 15:9; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:39). When we depart from His Word and His will, we erect barriers between ourselves and God thus blocking the free flow of His love to us. We keep ourselves in His love by abiding in Him ( John 15:9-10; 1 John 2:28).
"To be conscious of being beloved by God is one of the greatest protections that the believer can possess." [1]
Fourth, we should keep in mind and consciously look forward to the complete realization of our eternal life (cf. 1 John 3:2; Romans 8:29). This will be the greatest manifestation of Jesus Christ"s mercy to us as believers.
". . . the Rapture will be the consummating evidence of His mercy." [1]
In other words, Jude exhorted his readers to keep their hope in view. We have only a short time to wait and to remain faithful.
"The Christian life is viewed as having an inward look relating to the development of character [3], an upward look relating to communion with God [4], and a forward look being consummated in final glorification [5]." [6]
"The picture of the Christian life in terms of "faith, hope, and love" ( 1 Corinthians 13:13) is enriched by the addition of "praying in the Holy Spirit." There is also a carefully formulated reference to the Trinity: the Holy Spirit, the Father, and Jesus Christ." [7]

Context Summary

Jude 1:12-25 - Beware Of The Touch Of The Ungodly
What traps and pitfalls beset us! How many have fallen who had as good or a better chance than we! The angels kept not their first estate; Adam, though created in innocency, fell; Cain was rejected; Balaam, who saw with open eyes, was slain; Korah, who had carried a censer filled with holy fire, was hurled into the abyss! How can we expect to stand! Be of good cheer! He is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless, Judges 1:24.
In the succession of terrible metaphors in Judges 1:12-13, notice that in each case there is promise without fulfillment and appearance without reality. Such is much of the Christian profession of the present day. And from time to time, as Enoch foretold, the day of the Lord comes, with its retribution for all such.
The four exquisite admonitions of Judges 1:20-21 are worth pondering. Keep yourselves in the main current of God's love. Build your character after the likeness of Christ. Pray in the Holy Spirit; keep at the oriel window of hope. Christ is able to keep, and when at last we are presented by Him to the Father, we shall realize how much we owe Him [source]

Chapter Summary: Jude 1

1  He exhorts them to be constant in the profession of the faith
4  false teachers crept in to seduce them, for whose evil doctrine a horrible punishment is prepared;
20  whereas the godly may persevere, grow in grace, and keep the faith

Greek Commentary for Jude 1:21

Keep yourselves [εαυτους τηρησατε]
First aorist active imperative (of urgency) of τηρεω — tēreō In Judges 1:1 they are said to be kept, but note the warning in Judges 1:5 from the angels who did not keep their dominion. See also James 1:27. In Philemon 2:12 both sides (human responsibility and divine sovereignty are presented side by side). [source]
Looking for [προσδεχομενοι]
Present middle participle of προσδεχομαι — prosdechomai the very form in Titus 2:13. The same idea in προσδοκωντες — prosdokōntes in 2 Peter 3:14. [source]

What do the individual words in Jude 1:21 mean?

yourselves in [the] love of God keep awaiting the mercy of the Lord of us Jesus Christ unto life eternal
ἑαυτοὺς ἐν ἀγάπῃ Θεοῦ τηρήσατε προσδεχόμενοι τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον

ἑαυτοὺς  yourselves 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
ἀγάπῃ  [the]  love 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀγάπη  
Sense: brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
τηρήσατε  keep 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: τηρέω  
Sense: to attend to carefully, take care of.
προσδεχόμενοι  awaiting 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: προσδέχομαι  
Sense: to receive to one’s self, to admit, to give access to one’s self.
ἔλεος  mercy 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἔλεος  
Sense: mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ὁ  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Κυρίου  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
Ἰησοῦ  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
Χριστοῦ  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
εἰς  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
ζωὴν  life 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ζωή  
Sense: life.
αἰώνιον  eternal 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: αἰώνιος  
Sense: without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be.

What are the major concepts related to Jude 1:21?

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