Little Foxes

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,  Jude 1:20  NASB

The Holy Spirit – “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom” (Song of Songs 2:15).  Now wait a minute!  What does Song of Songs have to do with Jude?  Well, the little foxes are metaphors for those unseen elements that creep in and uproot important ideas.  In fact, Jude’s letter is a warning about these “little foxes.”  Remember the verse, “For certain people have crept in unnoticed, . . .” (v. 4)?  Ironically, it appears that the translators of Jude are part of the people who have crept in unnoticed.  The little foxes are alive and well in nearly every Christian Bible.

Why do I say that?  Because the Greek text here reads en pneumati ‘agio.  There’s is no definite article.  It does not say, “the Holy Spirit.”  Of course, there isn’t any capitalization either.  In fact, the context isn’t even Christian.  It’s Jewish.  You should recognize that the translation “in the Holy Spirit” imports a theological doctrine not found in the text.  Literally the text says, “in holy spirit.”  Does this mean “in a spirit of holiness,” or “in a holy breath,” or something else?  We should be aware that the preposition translated “in” (en) can also be translated “with.”  Note the remark in the TDNT:

1. 2. en with pneúma. a. The concept of the Spirit in us is local (cf. Num. 27:18; Jn. 14:17; 1 Cor. 3:16). b. The converse, that we are in the Spirit (Mt. 22:43; Rom. 8:9; Rev. 21:10; 1 Cor. 12:3; Eph. 6:18), is based on the spatial sense but approximates to the idea of a state (cf. Lk. 4:14; Acts 22:17). In the contrast with “in the flesh” in Rom. 8:8–9 the Spirit is the active principle of the ethical life. The ramifications are important for the preaching of the gospel (1 Th. 1:5) and prayer (Eph. 6:18). The demand of Jn. 4:23–24 stresses the relation between God’s personal being and the worship we are to render him. Something of an instrumental use may be seen in Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 6:11; 12:9.^[1]

Notice that en pneuma stresses the relationship between God and the worshipper.  It does not mean “The Holy Spirit.”   Furthermore, given Paul’s comments in Corinthians, it is possible that Jude is referring to glossolalia, common among Greco-Roman Gentile religious groups.

There is perhaps no more theologically difficult verse in Jude than this one, not because of the vocabulary or the grammar but because of how the Christian theological paradigm wishes to read it.  Whatever the meaning Jude intended (and it is not Trinitarian), the exhortation is collective.  It is for the whole body, not just the individual.  The faith received as the foundation has been handed down, through instruction and tradition, and is now common to this assembly.  It is the beginning of the building process, to be accompanied by serious investigation and prayer. The faith that was handed down was Jewish.  It centered in Torah and the Messiah.  Any translation or practice that removes that connection emulates the little foxes.

Topical Index:  the Holy Spirit, en pneumati ‘agio, Jude 1:20

^[1] Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 233). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.