Jude 1:18 · Bible study
Jude 1:18 Commentary: Mockers in the Last Time
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jude warns that in the last time mockers will appear, walking after their own ungodly lusts.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The apostles predicted that in the Christian era mockers would appear, driven by lives of persistent ungodliness.
- Key words: empaiktai (mockers/scoffers), only here and 2 Peter 3:3; epithumias asebeiōn (lusts of ungodlinesses), plural genitive indicating desires rooted in impiety.
- Main debate: Whether 'the last time' refers to the entire church age or specifically to the period before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
- Theological theme: The certainty of apostasy before Christ's return, and the link between moral corruption and the rejection of divine truth.
- Best use: A pastoral warning to help believers recognize that scoffing often flows from ungodly living, not intellectual honesty.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
when they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.”
KJV King James Version 1769
How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
that they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
that they said to you, that in the last time there shall be scoffers, after their own desires of impieties going on,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
that they said to you, that at [the] end of the time there should be mockers, walking after their own lusts of ungodlinesses.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Who told you that in the last time there should come mockers, walking according to their own desires in ungodlinesses.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Como os decían: Que en el postrer|strong="G1722, G2078" tiempo habría burladores, que andarían según sus malvados deseos.
Como eles vos diziam, que no último tempo haveria escarnecedores, que andariam segundo seus próprios desejos ímpios.
Ils vous disaient qu’ au dernier temps il y aurait des moqueurs, marchant selon leurs convoitises impies;
da sie euch sagten, daß zu der letzten Zeit werden Spötter sein, die nach ihren eigenen Lüsten des gottlosen Wesens wandeln.
Dat zij u gezegd hebben, dat er in den laatsten tijd spotters zullen zijn, die naar hun goddeloze begeerlijkheden wandelen zullen.
com’essi vi dicevano: Nell’ultimo tempo vi saranno degli schernitori che cammineranno secondo le loro empie concupiscenze.
Iż wam powiadali, że w ostateczny czas będą naśmiewcy, chodzący według swoich niezbożnych pożądliwości.
Они говорили вам, что в последнее время появятся ругатели, поступающие по своим нечестивым похотям.
他們曾對你們 說過， 末 世 必有 好譏誚的人 隨從 自己 不敬虔的 私慾 而行。
How they said to you, In the last days there will be men who, guided by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Jude 1:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse recalls a well-known apostolic warning, likely from 2 Peter 3:3. The Greek term empaiktai (mockers or scoffers) appears only here and in 2 Peter. As Barnes notes, Jude does not specify the content of their mockery, while Peter fills it in: they scoff at the promise of Christ's coming. Calvin identifies 'the last time' as the entire Christian age, from Christ's first coming until the end. Clarke, on the other hand, limits it to the close of the Jewish polity. The phrase 'walking after their own ungodly lusts' gets a literal rendering from Vincent: 'lusts of ungodlinesses.' This genitive construction ties their desires directly to impiety itself. Cambridge calls attention to the same wording in Jude 16, showing a consistent pattern. All agree the mockers are not merely skeptics but people whose daily conduct is shaped by a deliberate rejection of God's authority.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: In the last time, people will appear who mock what is sacred and live out desires shaped by persistent ungodliness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the mockers | They are people within the Christian community who reject apostolic authority and live according to their own desires. | Some commentators (Calvin, Barnes) see them as general opponents of the faith; others (Clarke) tie them specifically to the Jewish leaders and times. |
| Timing of 'the last time' | It refers to the period of the new covenant, beginning with Christ's first coming. | Clarke limits it to the end of the Jewish polity (AD 70); Calvin extends it to the entire age between Christ's ascension and return. The Greek phrase <em>ep eschatou chronou</em> can bear either sense. |
| Relationship to 2 Peter 3:3 | Both passages share the same word for mockers and a similar warning about scoffing in the last days. | Barnes and JFB see a direct literary dependence (Jude quoting Peter); others (e.g., Cambridge) allow for a common apostolic tradition circulating orally. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jude writes to believers facing a crisis. False teachers have infiltrated the community, promoting immoral behavior and denying Jesus Christ as Master and Lord (Jude 4). The letter is urgent, calling the faithful to contend for the faith once delivered. In verse 17, Jude shifts from condemning the intruders to reminding his readers of what the apostles had already predicted. The phrase 'in the last time' echoes Jewish apocalyptic expectation, reinterpreted by the apostles as the era inaugurated by Christ's death and resurrection. This age would see both the spread of the gospel and the rise of deception.
The mockers target the core of Christian hope: the certainty of judgment and the call to holy living. The grammatical detail in verse 18 deepens this portrait. The participle poreuomenoi (walking/following) is present tense, indicating ongoing action, not a one-time lapse but a consistent pattern. And the noun asebeiōn (ungodlinesses) is plural, suggesting repeated acts or habits of impiety. These mockers live exactly as their desires dictate, and those desires are fundamentally opposed to God. The warning would have landed hard in a small church under pressure to conform to the surrounding culture's lax morals.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jude 1:18. The verse is securely attested in the major Greek manuscripts, and the wording is consistent across the tradition. The only minor variation is the inclusion or omission of the conjunction hoti in some manuscripts, which does not affect the meaning.
Reception History
Early church writers such as Tertullian and Origen referenced this verse when arguing against heretics who claimed Christian freedom as license for immorality. During the Reformation, both Protestant and Catholic interpreters applied it to those who taught salvation by grace without a transformed life. Calvin used it to warn against 'Epicurean despisers of God', people who reduce faith to a fable. In modern evangelicalism, Jude 1:18 is often cited in discussions about the rise of scoffers within the church who deny moral absolutes or the certainty of Christ's return. Across centuries, the verse has been a sobering reminder that the greatest threat to the faith can come from those who call themselves believers.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The apostles warned. The words of Christ's messengers are not optional, they are the foundation of the church's discernment (Jude 17; Acts 20:29).
- Mockery takes root in moral rebellion. Scoffing begins not in the mind but in the will. The 'lusts of ungodlinesses' show that sin and doubt feed each other.
- The last time is now. Every generation must recognize that the battle between faith and scoffing continues until Christ returns.
Five-point outline
- Apostolic prophecy as a safeguard against deception (v.17-18a)
- The identity of the mockers, insiders who reject godly authority (v.18b)
- The timing, 'last time' as the entire Christian era
- The engine of their behavior, desires shaped by ungodliness
- The pastoral response, remember, build up, keep yourselves in God's love (v.20-21)
Illustration hooks
- A church member who once worshipped with enthusiasm now dismisses the sermon as irrelevant. The shift began with small compromises in private ethics.
- A teenager questions everything about faith, but behind the questions is a desire to live without accountability. The mockery is a cover for the heart's rebellion.
- In a Bible study, someone argues that the moral teachings of Scripture are outdated. The conversation reveals not intellectual doubt but a resistance to personal change.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I tell the difference between honest doubt and the kind of scoffing Jude describes?
- Why does Jude call them 'mockers' if they still participate in the church community?
- What should I do when I feel attracted to the freedom these mockers seem to enjoy?
Leading a Discussion
This verse reminds us that the church has always faced opposition, sometimes from outside, sometimes from within. The apostles predicted it. Jude calls us not to be shocked but to remember, stand firm, and grow in faith. Use these questions to explore the difference between genuine doubt and the kind of scoffing that springs from ungodly desires.
Discussion questions
- Read Jude 17-19 aloud. What does Jude expect his readers to 'remember'? Why is memory so important in resisting false teaching?
- The Greek literally says 'lusts of ungodlinesses.' Why does Jude use the plural for ungodliness? What does that tell you about the character of the mockers?
- How does the picture of mockers in this verse compare with the description of false teachers in Jude 8-13? What patterns do you see?
- Calvin says 'the last time' began at Christ's first coming. Clarke applies it to the end of the Jewish system. How does each view shape how we read this warning today?
- Where do you see the spirit of scoffing at work in our own culture, even inside the church?
- Jude tells the faithful to respond by building themselves up in faith and praying in the Spirit (v.20). How can this group support one another when we feel the pull of ungodly desires?
- What is one concrete way you can 'remember the words of the apostles' this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 14:1 | For the Chief Musician. By David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They have done abominable deeds. There is no one who does good. |
| Psalms 14:2 | Yahweh looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who understood, who sought after God. |
| Acts 20:29 | For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. |
| I Timothy 4:1 | But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, |
| I Timothy 4:2 | through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron, |
| II Timothy 3:1 | But know this: that in the last days, grievous times will come. |
| II Timothy 3:5 | holding a form of godliness but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also. |
| II Timothy 3:13 | But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke interprets the phrase "the last time" as a specific reference to the closing period of the Jewish commonwealth and its religious system, not a general end of the world age. He directs readers to parallel warnings from Peter and Paul that point to the same historical crisis.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that Jude's appeal to words spoken by the apostles does not imply he was not an apostle himself; Jude may refer to what other apostles said in the past, or he includes himself in the collective group. He also notes that the term "mockers" here matches Peter's word "scoffers" in a parallel passage.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator observes that Jude, unlike Peter, does not dwell on mockers who taunt about the delay of Christ's return. Instead, Jude emphasizes that these people follow their own ungodly desires, using the phrase "lusts of their own impieties" to sharpen the moral indictment beyond the earlier description.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes stress that believers must actively recall the warnings the apostles spoke in advance. These words carry apostolic authority and were delivered as prophetic forewarnings against coming threats. Remembrance of what was spoken beforehand serves as a safeguard against error and unbelief.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points readers to his earlier comments on 2 Peter 3:3 instead of repeating himself here. For him, this verse is simply a reminder that the apostles had already warned believers about mockers who would appear in the last days.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that the Greek word for "mockers" appears only here and in 2 Peter 3:3, showing Jude directly quoting the apostles' earlier warning. He also notes the phrase "walk after their own ungodly lusts" literally reads "according to their own lusts of ungodliness," stressing the deliberate wickedness behind their scoffing.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry zeroes in on murmuring and complaining as marks of the wicked, not mere annoyances. For him, a grumbling spirit reveals that a person has made their own desires, not God's will, their only law and rule.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the Greek phrase literally means "lusts of ungodlinesses." The construction shows these desires are not simply sinful cravings but are fundamentally rooted in and characterized by ungodliness itself.