And others save with fear
Meaning false teachers, who lead others into errors, and such as
give themselves over unto sin, whether teachers or hearers, and
who are obstinate and irreclaimable; even such as these, means
should be used to save, if possible, by sharp admonitions and
severe language; by denouncing the awful judgments of God, which
threaten them; by inflicting on them church censures in a
terrible manner; by declaring the terrors of the Lord, and of
hell, and of everlasting damnation:
pulling [them] out of the fire;
of their soul destroying doctrines, and of their filthy and
unnatural lusts, and as it were out of the fire of hell, of which
they are in great danger:
hating even the garment spotted, by the flesh;
by which may be meant the conversation of those men, even their
filthy conversation, which is to be hated, though their persons
are not; but all ways and means should be used to save them; and
this is one way, by showing a dislike unto, and a resentment at
their wicked way of living, excluding them from church communion
for it, and shunning all conversation with them. The allusion is
not to garments defiled by profluvious persons, or menstruous
women, as some think, but to garments spotted with nocturnal
pollutions, or through unnatural lusts, which these persons were
addicted to F12. It was reckoned very dishonourable
for religious persons, in the time of divine service, or on a
sabbath day, to have on a garment spotted with any thing; if a
priest's garments were spotted, and he performed service in them,
that service was not right F13; and if a disciple of a wise
man had any grease on his garments (on a sabbath day), he was
guilty of death F14.