Know these things before. — Seeing that I have forewarned you of the certain appearance, conduct, and success of these false teachers and scoffers. “Forewarned, forearmed.”
Being led away with. — The Greek word occurs only thrice in the New Testament — here, Romans 12:16, and Galatians 2:13. In Romans 12:16 its meaning is a good deal different (see Note there). In Galatians 2:13 it has the same meaning as here; and, strangely enough, it is of Barnabas being “carried away with” the dissimulation of Peter and his associates.
The error of the wicked. — Better, the error of the lawless (2 Peter 2:7), but not “the seduction” or “deceit of the lawless,” as some would render it. It is the same word as occurs at the end of 2 Peter 2:18, and it implies wandering from the path, but not leading others astray. The context, not the word itself, shows that there was seduction. “The lawless” are the false teachers and scoffers.
Fall from your own stedfastness. — Referring back to 2 Peter 1:10-12, just as 2 Peter 3:18 refers back to 2 Peter 1:5-8; showing how complete is the coherence between the beginning and ending of the Epistle. (Comp. Galatians 5:4.) This “steadfastness” will be based on belief in Christ’s coming, and on the hope of entering into His kingdom, and thus will be in marked contrast to the unbelief of the “unstable” in 2 Peter 3:16. The word for “steadfastness” occurs nowhere else.
The entire absence of directions — which St. Jude gives rather elaborately — as to how these evil men and their victims are to be treated by sound Christians is in favour of the priority of this Epistle. When evil men begin to arise, the first impulse is to avoid them and their ways, and to this course St. Peter exhorts his readers. When such men have established themselves and gained proselytes, people begin to consider how to deal with the seducers and to win back the seduced, and to these points St. Jude directs his readers.