Hey Joe!
Yeah, I removed the post! (first time I actually removed my own post too!!!)
I understand the point your making and I believe I was thinking along the same lines but I'm still unsure if it applies to this verse. I'm still meditating on it.
Im glad you mentioned the prophetic message point of view.
The verse is translated many different ways and its quite confusing.
Jud 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: (discernment)
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
I understand verse 23 to be a metaphor of how one is saved.
The contemporary version makes more sense to me:
Jud 1:22 Be helpful to all who may have doubts. (why this way???)
Jud 1:23 Rescue any who need to be saved, as you would rescue someone from a fire. There is the figure of speech, a simile. We are to rescue someone
as we we would if they were in a fire. Not judgement fire.
Then with fear in your own hearts, have mercy on everyone who needs it. But hate even the clothes of those who have been made dirty by their filthy deeds. There is the other!! a metaphor. The dirty clothes are the filthy deeds.
A friend of mine made a good point, It doesn't make sense to be saved or rescued from judgement fire.
We are saved
by this fire not
from it.
The scriptures I showed in my previous post, I thought were a witness to these but it didn't fit. So I think, still not sure........
I just don't think this instance is talking about judgment fire.
Joe, you do make a valid point that a lot of things we should do for the wicked and unbelieving we just can't accomplish now.
But we can literally saved them from fire(danger, hurt, harmful situations, etc........) I do understand that is capable for some.
What I can understand from the KJV is that we save some with compassion and then we save some with fear (fear of their harm)
Verse 24 is why I made the previous assumption or post that I erased.
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
How do we keep them(wicked, mockers, unbelieving) from falling?
He is able to keep us from falling because we have be chosen out.
See where I'm going?
I'm going to continue to meditate.........
Like my friend said I might be suffering from paralysis of analysis!!! seriously!!!
Antaiwan