Jud 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

As Jude brings his epistle to a close he shows the assurance that saints can have in God.  “This verse is a fitting capstone of the epistle, eloquently reminding his troubled readers that their true security lies in the sovereign power of God” (Hiebert 293).

NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE—The “him” in this verse is most certainly God (Johnson 404).  The term “now” in this verse is to get the reader to cast of all other considerations, as Jude will sum it all up in one ultimate solution.  God is the one who is             able…

TO KEEP YOU FROM STUMBLING – God is the only one who has the ability to            keep one from falling.  When one abides in the word of God, that person will not fall, it is only when one allows themselves to give heed to the words of ungodly men and not the true God do they fall (Sheerer 1111).  The term for “keep” in this verse is not the word tereo, which is a key word in the epistle. The word for “keep” in this verse is phulasso, which could be better translated guard or protect (Bertram 241).  The teaching of the false teachers may have offered some sort of assurance or protection, but true protection and strengthening is only found in God. 

“Stumbling” (aptaistos) is usually used in the figurative sense as to “keep one from sinning” (Thayer 54). This is a unique word and is only found in Jude.  This is significant because if the false teachers were denying the power of God in the one true faith, Jude here is reminding the Christian of the power that God has and the protection that is found when one submits to the faith.

AND TO MAKE YOU STAND—This is the same phrase that the KJV translates “present you”.  The true faith that the church is to follow is the only thing that can make you stand…

IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS GLORY—This is standing before The Lord while being encompassed with glory in heaven (Barnes 1520). The saints who endure the destructive heresies of the false teacher are to be presented before God as redeemed and sanctified in the presence of his glory.  Glory is basically        indicates “splendor” (Perschbacher 106).

BLAMELESS WITH GREAT JOY—This would be a great encouragement for Christians to know that they can stand before the judgment seat of Christ blameless (ammos) without fault (Moulton 19). Only with God can one be truly without fault and this is what would enable the Christians to have great joy. Great Joy (agalliasis) is particularly used of exultation at the heavenly banquet (Green 191).  As the readers of this epistle would come across this verse they would have true reason for great joy. If they stayed true to the faith that they were told to contend for and not fall prey to the error of the false teachers, they would be able to stand before God and all of his glory “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27 NKJV).

Jud 1:25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

TO THE ONLY GOD OUR SAVIOR, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD—God as Savior is not foreign to the New Testament text (Perkins 113).  Many passages make reference to this:  Luke 1:47; I Timothy 1:1 2:3; Titus 1:3.  God is the author of eternal salvation for all men (Barnes 1520).  This salvation God offers, however, is only through Jesus Christ who is the atonement for our sin (Coffman 548).  Jude makes it clear to both the Christian and the false teacher that only through the acceptance of Jesus as Lord can salvation be had.

BE GLORY, MAJEST, DOMINION, AND AUTHORITY—The word glory within a doxology deals with divine splendor.  The word ‘majesty’ is a word only attributed to God and it has to do with the grandeur of the divine nature of God (Grundeman 544).  “Dominion” denotes the power rule and sovereignty of God’s great power and it is common in doxologies in the New Testament (Arndt 450).  “Authority” carries with it the “power of one whose will and commands must be obeyed by others” (Vine 45).  Jude with these words shows the absolute greatness of the only God whom all Christians should serve.

BEFORE ALL TIME—This refers to the time period before this earth was created that has no beginning (Hiebert 299).

AND NOW—This is in reference to the period of time within the physical realm (Clarke e-sword).

AND FOREVER—This comes from the Greek word aidios, which always refer to an eternal time period (Perkins 113).  This refers specifically to the time after the physical realm.

These three words make for the “most complete statement of eternity in human language” (Robertson e-sword).

AMEN—This is a strong word of affirmation found at the end of all doxologies (Kelcy 190). 

Conclusion:

Jude has shown in this short epistle the need for Christians to ‘contend for the faith.’  He has shown the punishment of those who go beyond the faith and the reward given to those who will maintain the proper relationship with God.  He has shown the vileness of the false teacher, while also urging the Christians of his day to try to get as many as possible to heaven, snatching them away from the heresy.  Finally Jude has shown the true source of salvation is obedient faith in Jesus Christ.  All should be wise and take the heed of Jude to “contend earnestly for the faith.”