Jude 20

Jude 20

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

a. NLT: But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,

b. NIV: But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

c. YLT: And ye, beloved, on your most holy faith building yourselves up, in the Holy Spirit praying,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;

e. Worrell Translation: But do ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

f. Wuest Translation: But as for you, divinely loved ones, building yourselves up sonstantly in the sphere of and by means of your most holy Faith, and as constantly praying in the sphere of and by means of the Holy Spirit

g. Peshitta Eastern Text: But you, my beloved, build up yourselves anew in the holy faith through the holy Spirit, by means of prayer.

1. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,…”

a. But [Strong: 1161 de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. ye [Strong: 5210 humeis hoo-mice' irregular plural of 4771; you (as subjective of verb):--ye (yourselves), you.]

c. beloved [Strong: 27 agapetos ag-ap-ay-tos' from 25; beloved:--(dearly, well) beloved, dear.]

d. building up [Strong: 2026 epoikodomeo ep-oy-kod-om-eh'-o from 1909 and 3618; to build upon, i.e. (figuratively) to rear up:--build thereon (thereupon, on, upon).]   [epoikodomeo; epi-upon; oikodomeo-to build] [Zodhiates: To build upon, to erect a super structure.]

1). Epoikodomeo is a derivative of the Greek word oikodomeo which is used for the word “edifieth” in 1 Corinthians 14:4. “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself.”

2). Kenneth Hagin, Why Tongues, “In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul encouraged them to continue that practice of speaking with other tongues in their worship of God and in their prayer lives as a means of spiritual edification. Greek language scholars tell us that we have a word in our modern vernacular which is closer to the meaning of the original than the word “edified”. That word is “charge” as used in connection with charging a battery. Therefore we could paraphrase this verse, “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifies, charges, builds himself up like a battery….Praying in tongues stimulates faith and helps us learn to trust God more fully.”

e. yourselves [Strong: 1438 heautou heh-ow-too' from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete and the genitive case (dative case or accusative case) of 846; him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etc.:--alone, her (own, -self), (he) himself, his (own), itself, one (to) another, our (thine) own(-selves), + that she had, their (own, own selves), (of) them(-selves), they, thyself, you, your (own, own conceits, own selves, -selves).]

f. on your [Strong: 5216 humon hoo-mone' genitive case of 5210; of (from or concerning) you:--ye, you, your (own, -selves).]

g. most holy [Strong: 40 hagios hag'-ee-os from hagos (an awful thing) (compare 53, 2282); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):--(most) holy (one, thing), saint.]

h. faith [Strong: 4202 pistis pis'-tis from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.]

2. “…praying in the Holy Ghost,”

a. praying [Strong: 4336 proseuchomai pros-yoo'-khom-ahee from 4314 and 2172; to pray to God, i.e. supplicate, worship:--pray (X earnestly, for), make prayer.]

b. in [Strong: 1722 en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

c. the Holy [Strong: 40 hagios hag'-ee-os from hagos (an awful thing) (compare 53, 2282); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):--(most) holy (one, thing), saint.]

d. Spirit [Strong: 4151 pneuma pnyoo'-mah from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:--ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.]

1). In 1 Corinthians 14:21 is a quotation by the Apostle Paul of a passage in Isaiah 28:11, 12 that Paul writes was a prophetic reference to speaking in tongues.

a). Isaiah 28:11, 12 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

28:12 To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

b). The Hebrew definitions of some of the words in these two verses are very enlightening in view of the fact this was a prophetic reference to speaking or praying in tongues.

(1) rest [1st ] [Strong: 4496 mnuwchah men-oo-khaw' or mnuchah {men-oo-khaw'}; feminine of 4495; repose or (adverbially) peacefully; figuratively, consolation (specifically, matrimony); hence (concretely) an abode:--comfortable, ease, quiet, rest(-ing place), still.]   

(2) weary [Strong: 5889 `ayeph aw-yafe' from 5888; languid:--faint, thirsty, weary.]

(3) rest [2nd] [Strong: 5117 nuwach noo'-akh a primitive root; to rest, i.e. settle down; used in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, intransitive, transitive and causative (to dwell, stay, let fall, place, let alone, withdraw, give comfort, etc.):--cease, be confederate, lay, let down, (be) quiet, remain, (cause to, be at, give, have, make to) rest, set down.] [Gesenius: to cause to rest.]

(4) refreshing [Strong: 4774 marge`ah mar-gay-aw' from 7280; rest:--refreshing.] [Gesenius: a tranquil habitation.]

c). Comparing the Hebrew definitions in Isaiah 28:11, 12 with what the Scriptures declare in 1 Corinthians 14:4 about what happens when I speak in tongues to God or pray in tongues to God is clear. As I pray in tongues I am building myself up and within that building up or charging up myself, I will receive rest and refreshing. The added benefit as Jude 20 declares, it will build me up or edify me and stir me to stand on my faith. I won’t get faith by praying in tongues, because faith comes from the word, but it will stir me to stand on my faith.