To show compassion with a difference means to distinguish between persons, classes and cases and to deal with each one according to their condition, needs and situation. Some are to be met with tender compassion, while others are to be saved with fear as if pulled out of the fire, with urgent warning to turn them from danger. This discerning work belongs with building up in most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping in the love of God, and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Saving souls in this way is most earnest work because not all are to be treated in the same way, requiring divine intuition learned in the school of Christ to know how to work for each soul. Strict duty toward the erring must therefore be joined with kindness, tender love, pity, patience and Christian meekness, and tender mercy with faithful reproof that clearly opposes sin without covering it up or turning disapproval into undue severity.
Wording and Immediate Context
Making a difference means distinguishing between persons, classes, and cases and dealing with each according to condition, needs, and situation. Those who care for souls must exercise compassion with wise, fitting care, using patience, gentleness, kindness, tenderness, and discretion to deal carefully with different minds, since harsh or indiscreet treatment can harm people and tear down more than it builds up. Some who are ensnared are to be met with tender compassion, while others are to be saved with fear and pulled out of the fire, with urgent warning to turn them from danger and avoidance of the defilement associated with sin.
This compassionate, discerning work belongs with building up in most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping in the love of God, and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. It is the charge to the beloved living when mockers walk after their own ungodly lusts in the last time and when those who separate themselves are sensual, having not the Spirit. In that setting believers are to be laborers together with God through thorough consecration in humility, with body, mind, and soul given to God and earnest asking for help, trusting that God knows human infirmities and will receive and strengthen them for this service. It is God's word to those who obey His commandments and honor Him, who are complete in Him and work with Him in saving souls.
It is part of Jude's closing instruction that makes Christian work a complete, balanced whole and teaches how to conduct warfare in the service of Christ. That whole respects each person's individuality, with no one-sided extravagance, no indolence or shiftlessness, no cold-hearted criticism or selfish practice, with all human powers yielded to divine influence and brought into subjection to Christ. In all of it workers are to hate even the garment spotted by the flesh and keep their own garments undefiled, especially those claiming great light and spiritual knowledge. This is done trusting Him who is able to keep them from falling and to present them before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
Prophetic and Historical Setting
The letter belongs to Jude the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, addressed to those sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called, to whom mercy and peace and love are multiplied. It is a guard against the seductive influences of false teachers, men having a form of godliness who are not safe leaders. In the last days such false teachers arise and become actively zealous, presenting all kinds of theories to divert minds from the very truth that defines the position that can be occupied with safety. At the same time Satan works with power upon religionists who make a pretense of being righteous while failing to place themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It exposes an apostasy in which ungodly men have crept in unawares, with murmurers and separatists walking after their own lusts. It is a charge to the beloved living when mockers in the last time walk after their own ungodly lusts, and when those who separate themselves are sensual, having not the Spirit. That portrayal of evildoers and mockers applies just as manifested in the present day and in this period of earth's history. It calls those who profess to believe in the soon coming of Christ to judge the earth to be thoroughly aroused to the situation and to examine heart and life to see if they stand in the position required. That required position is keeping the commandments of God in order to be saved in His kingdom, with physicians and ministers needing assurance that they themselves are doing this.
In that setting believers are exhorted to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints while ungodly men have crept in unawares. That contending is done by bringing men back from transgression of the commandments of God, proclaiming the gospel of Christ with earnestness and zeal as light to commandment-breakers, arousing men and women to prepare to meet God, and raising the standard of truth by magnifying the law and making it honorable. The charge to have compassion, making a difference, is encouragement spoken to God's faithful people after the character of ungodly men is pointed out. In that evil setting believers must make the Lord their helper and trust in Him as their sufficiency for success.
Discerning Soul-Saving Work
Saving souls is the most earnest work, for it is work for souls ready to perish, and it is no light or easy work because not all are to be treated in the same way. Some souls are to be treated with the tenderest compassion while others are to be plucked out of the fire, so a difference must be made according to each case and need. To meet that need workers require divine intuition to know how to work for each soul. That intuition is learned in the school of Christ, by learning His given method of saving souls.
Those who show such compassion are laborers together with God, building themselves up in most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping themselves in the love of God, and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. This labor requires thorough consecration in humility, with body, mind, and soul given to God, and earnest asking for help. It rests on trust that God knows human infirmities and will receive and strengthen believers for this service. The compassion itself is the sympathy of Christ shown by brother toward brother toward human wants and woes. It is shown in watching over souls Christ purchased with His own blood and in watching for opportunities to do them good.
It requires sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him like Mary, and at the same time abounding in the work of the Lord like Martha. It requires being much on the knees in sincere prayer and devoting hands and heart and whole being to the work. It requires keeping the heart with all diligence under constant watchfulness against old habits, natural inclinations, and selfish and self-centered thoughts and plans. Every fiber of the root of selfishness must be removed, lest it spring up and many be defiled. Christian help must therefore be practical, varied labor for others’ salvation, joined with personal piety and love. Christ’s servants must meet people where they are and suit help to the person’s condition, rather than impose exact rules in every case.
Spirit of Compassionate Labor
Strict duty toward those who have gone wrong must be joined with kindness, tender love, pity, patience, gentleness, discretion and Christian meekness, with compassion and discernment that distinguishes persons and gives fitting care to different minds. Severity without tenderness provokes resistance, drives people away, causes harm, and tears down more than it builds up, while kindness and love win people and encourage them toward good. Correction is therefore to comfort and entreat rather than to censure harshly or wield a figurative whip.
Tender mercy must be joined with faithful reproof, so that sin is still clearly opposed and sinners are urged to recognize sin through warning, urging, prayer, urgent intercession and every effort to win them. Compassion does not cover up sins and must not become such tolerance that the erring think reproof undeserved or unjust, nor may disapproval of sin become needless or undue severity toward the sinner. Discernment distinguishes cases instead of treating everyone alike, overcoming reluctance to approach those in need, including unbelieving neighbors.
Compassion calls for tender sympathy toward the perplexed, unfortunate, sick and suffering, caring for each according to needs and circumstances and treating them gently as a delicate plant. It works through practical help, courtesy, conciliation and kindness that win trust and give hope and courage, and neither hardship nor rough manners is reason to withhold such care. Toward one another it means healthful heart-beats instead of jealousy, suspicion, faultfinding, criticizing, envy, evil-surmising, evil-speaking and passing judgment upon one another. It requires loving as brethren, being pitiful and courteous, and living in complete unity in the love of God, so that the Spirit can work, prayers are offered in the spirit and power of God, and Christ's intercession to restore unity is answered.
It requires bearing with one another's failings and weaknesses with patient, reasonable forbearance, helping and patiently bearing as Christ has borne, rather than seizing on words or rejecting without sufficient cause. This recognizes different temperaments, minds, understanding and experience, so all are not held to identical discipline or another person's measure of duty, since harsh judgment and faultfinding push people away while patient forbearance helps them move forward. Careful, wise action may keep erring people within the church's influence and win them to truth, while persistent disobedience or sin may require separation. Applied to teaching, it means first drawing near to God and then coming close to students with the love and gentleness of Christ rather than a harsh, domineering spirit, carrying them over the ground of knowledge with deep, earnest interest and imparting blessings received. It uses a close-meshed gospel net, making the application of Scripture easily discerned and coming right to the point, communicating knowledge with deep feeling and pathos of voice so that hearts are impressed, belonging with keeping in the love of God while looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and with saving others with fear, pulling them out of the fire while hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
People Needing Compassion
Those who have sinned and sincerely repented are to be met with compassion, especially when they are discouraged and afraid to hope. They are not to be treated as beyond forgiveness, but to be welcomed and encouraged and given opportunity to recover what they have lost. Genuine repentance is shown by earnest efforts to serve the Lord. Those who have wandered are to be worked for with discerning compassion to turn them back to the path of life and lead them to the Shepherd. Those in danger need kindly, thoughtful care suited to their particular condition, including those whose conduct or attitudes place others at risk, rather than special affection shown to a favored few. At times their eternal interests require zealous, decisive action.
Unbelieving neighbors are to be approached despite reluctance, with concern shown by warning, urging, praying, and making every effort to win them to Christ. Those unfamiliar with new light, such as those unfamiliar with the visions, should not be pressured to affirm what they do not understand. They are to be approached with care, patience, and mercy according to their understanding and experience, while those with greater light and experience may need different treatment, and such discretion can keep honest people from being driven into opposition. Church members who err should be treated patiently and with forbearance, helped and borne with as Christ has borne with believers, rather than having their words seized upon or being rejected without sufficient cause. This is necessary because people have different temperaments, minds, understanding, and experience, and cannot all be held to identical discipline or another person's measure of duty. Careful, wise action may keep erring people within the church's influence and help win them to truth, while persistent disobedience or sin may require separation from the church.
To show compassion with a difference means to distinguish between persons, classes and cases and to deal with each one according to their condition, needs and situation. Some are to be met with tender compassion, while others are to be saved with fear as if pulled out of the fire, with urgent warning to turn them from danger. This discerning work belongs with building up in most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping in the love of God, and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Saving souls in this way is most earnest work because not all are to be treated in the same way, requiring divine intuition learned in the school of Christ to know how to work for each soul. Strict duty toward the erring must therefore be joined with kindness, tender love, pity, patience and Christian meekness, and tender mercy with faithful reproof that clearly opposes sin without covering it up or turning disapproval into undue severity.
Wording and Immediate Context
Making a difference means distinguishing between persons, classes, and cases and dealing with each according to condition, needs, and situation. Those who care for souls must exercise compassion with wise, fitting care, using patience, gentleness, kindness, tenderness, and discretion to deal carefully with different minds, since harsh or indiscreet treatment can harm people and tear down more than it builds up. Some who are ensnared are to be met with tender compassion, while others are to be saved with fear and pulled out of the fire, with urgent warning to turn them from danger and avoidance of the defilement associated with sin.
This compassionate, discerning work belongs with building up in most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping in the love of God, and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. It is the charge to the beloved living when mockers walk after their own ungodly lusts in the last time and when those who separate themselves are sensual, having not the Spirit. In that setting believers are to be laborers together with God through thorough consecration in humility, with body, mind, and soul given to God and earnest asking for help, trusting that God knows human infirmities and will receive and strengthen them for this service. It is God's word to those who obey His commandments and honor Him, who are complete in Him and work with Him in saving souls.
It is part of Jude's closing instruction that makes Christian work a complete, balanced whole and teaches how to conduct warfare in the service of Christ. That whole respects each person's individuality, with no one-sided extravagance, no indolence or shiftlessness, no cold-hearted criticism or selfish practice, with all human powers yielded to divine influence and brought into subjection to Christ. In all of it workers are to hate even the garment spotted by the flesh and keep their own garments undefiled, especially those claiming great light and spiritual knowledge. This is done trusting Him who is able to keep them from falling and to present them before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
Prophetic and Historical Setting
The letter belongs to Jude the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, addressed to those sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called, to whom mercy and peace and love are multiplied. It is a guard against the seductive influences of false teachers, men having a form of godliness who are not safe leaders. In the last days such false teachers arise and become actively zealous, presenting all kinds of theories to divert minds from the very truth that defines the position that can be occupied with safety. At the same time Satan works with power upon religionists who make a pretense of being righteous while failing to place themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It exposes an apostasy in which ungodly men have crept in unawares, with murmurers and separatists walking after their own lusts. It is a charge to the beloved living when mockers in the last time walk after their own ungodly lusts, and when those who separate themselves are sensual, having not the Spirit. That portrayal of evildoers and mockers applies just as manifested in the present day and in this period of earth's history. It calls those who profess to believe in the soon coming of Christ to judge the earth to be thoroughly aroused to the situation and to examine heart and life to see if they stand in the position required. That required position is keeping the commandments of God in order to be saved in His kingdom, with physicians and ministers needing assurance that they themselves are doing this.
In that setting believers are exhorted to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints while ungodly men have crept in unawares. That contending is done by bringing men back from transgression of the commandments of God, proclaiming the gospel of Christ with earnestness and zeal as light to commandment-breakers, arousing men and women to prepare to meet God, and raising the standard of truth by magnifying the law and making it honorable. The charge to have compassion, making a difference, is encouragement spoken to God's faithful people after the character of ungodly men is pointed out. In that evil setting believers must make the Lord their helper and trust in Him as their sufficiency for success.
Discerning Soul-Saving Work
Saving souls is the most earnest work, for it is work for souls ready to perish, and it is no light or easy work because not all are to be treated in the same way. Some souls are to be treated with the tenderest compassion while others are to be plucked out of the fire, so a difference must be made according to each case and need. To meet that need workers require divine intuition to know how to work for each soul. That intuition is learned in the school of Christ, by learning His given method of saving souls.
Those who show such compassion are laborers together with God, building themselves up in most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping themselves in the love of God, and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. This labor requires thorough consecration in humility, with body, mind, and soul given to God, and earnest asking for help. It rests on trust that God knows human infirmities and will receive and strengthen believers for this service. The compassion itself is the sympathy of Christ shown by brother toward brother toward human wants and woes. It is shown in watching over souls Christ purchased with His own blood and in watching for opportunities to do them good.
It requires sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him like Mary, and at the same time abounding in the work of the Lord like Martha. It requires being much on the knees in sincere prayer and devoting hands and heart and whole being to the work. It requires keeping the heart with all diligence under constant watchfulness against old habits, natural inclinations, and selfish and self-centered thoughts and plans. Every fiber of the root of selfishness must be removed, lest it spring up and many be defiled. Christian help must therefore be practical, varied labor for others’ salvation, joined with personal piety and love. Christ’s servants must meet people where they are and suit help to the person’s condition, rather than impose exact rules in every case.
Spirit of Compassionate Labor
Strict duty toward those who have gone wrong must be joined with kindness, tender love, pity, patience, gentleness, discretion and Christian meekness, with compassion and discernment that distinguishes persons and gives fitting care to different minds. Severity without tenderness provokes resistance, drives people away, causes harm, and tears down more than it builds up, while kindness and love win people and encourage them toward good. Correction is therefore to comfort and entreat rather than to censure harshly or wield a figurative whip.
Tender mercy must be joined with faithful reproof, so that sin is still clearly opposed and sinners are urged to recognize sin through warning, urging, prayer, urgent intercession and every effort to win them. Compassion does not cover up sins and must not become such tolerance that the erring think reproof undeserved or unjust, nor may disapproval of sin become needless or undue severity toward the sinner. Discernment distinguishes cases instead of treating everyone alike, overcoming reluctance to approach those in need, including unbelieving neighbors.
Compassion calls for tender sympathy toward the perplexed, unfortunate, sick and suffering, caring for each according to needs and circumstances and treating them gently as a delicate plant. It works through practical help, courtesy, conciliation and kindness that win trust and give hope and courage, and neither hardship nor rough manners is reason to withhold such care. Toward one another it means healthful heart-beats instead of jealousy, suspicion, faultfinding, criticizing, envy, evil-surmising, evil-speaking and passing judgment upon one another. It requires loving as brethren, being pitiful and courteous, and living in complete unity in the love of God, so that the Spirit can work, prayers are offered in the spirit and power of God, and Christ's intercession to restore unity is answered.
It requires bearing with one another's failings and weaknesses with patient, reasonable forbearance, helping and patiently bearing as Christ has borne, rather than seizing on words or rejecting without sufficient cause. This recognizes different temperaments, minds, understanding and experience, so all are not held to identical discipline or another person's measure of duty, since harsh judgment and faultfinding push people away while patient forbearance helps them move forward. Careful, wise action may keep erring people within the church's influence and win them to truth, while persistent disobedience or sin may require separation. Applied to teaching, it means first drawing near to God and then coming close to students with the love and gentleness of Christ rather than a harsh, domineering spirit, carrying them over the ground of knowledge with deep, earnest interest and imparting blessings received. It uses a close-meshed gospel net, making the application of Scripture easily discerned and coming right to the point, communicating knowledge with deep feeling and pathos of voice so that hearts are impressed, belonging with keeping in the love of God while looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and with saving others with fear, pulling them out of the fire while hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
People Needing Compassion
Those who have sinned and sincerely repented are to be met with compassion, especially when they are discouraged and afraid to hope. They are not to be treated as beyond forgiveness, but to be welcomed and encouraged and given opportunity to recover what they have lost. Genuine repentance is shown by earnest efforts to serve the Lord. Those who have wandered are to be worked for with discerning compassion to turn them back to the path of life and lead them to the Shepherd. Those in danger need kindly, thoughtful care suited to their particular condition, including those whose conduct or attitudes place others at risk, rather than special affection shown to a favored few. At times their eternal interests require zealous, decisive action.
Unbelieving neighbors are to be approached despite reluctance, with concern shown by warning, urging, praying, and making every effort to win them to Christ. Those unfamiliar with new light, such as those unfamiliar with the visions, should not be pressured to affirm what they do not understand. They are to be approached with care, patience, and mercy according to their understanding and experience, while those with greater light and experience may need different treatment, and such discretion can keep honest people from being driven into opposition. Church members who err should be treated patiently and with forbearance, helped and borne with as Christ has borne with believers, rather than having their words seized upon or being rejected without sufficient cause. This is necessary because people have different temperaments, minds, understanding, and experience, and cannot all be held to identical discipline or another person's measure of duty. Careful, wise action may keep erring people within the church's influence and help win them to truth, while persistent disobedience or sin may require separation from the church.