Jude | Chapter 1

Jude

“Contending for the faith”

 

Outline:

  1. 1:1-2 Introduction
  2. 1:3-4 Statement of purpose: Contending for the faith
  • 1:5-23 Main body of teaching:  
  1. 1:5-10 The History and description of the ungodly
  2. 1:11-23 Warnings and instructions on false teachers
  3. Chp. 1:24-25 Closing

 

 

Jude

“Contending for the faith”

 

 

  • Introduction to the Letter of Jude

 

Introduction to the Letter of Jude

We now start the little letter of Jude. And before we get into the letter itself, we should address the elephant in the roomwith regards to this letter. You see unlike other letters the investigation of this, 25-verse letter, will take much more time and challenge most Bible students. The reason for this is that the original writer used illustrations intended to emphasize his points about the danger of following false teachers. And it is these illustrations that challenge today’s readers as most are unfamiliar with them for various reasons. Thus, we will need to unravel these illustrations before we can rightly interpret the text of Jude and before we can have its truths applied to our lives. Before we start our examination, I believe that it is valuable for us to first note the 5 difficult illustrations which make up a 1/3 of this letter or 8 out of the 25 verses in the letter of Jude. In so doing I will point them out and explain why they present a challenge to today’s readers of Jude. We won’t begin our investigation of these 5 difficult illustrations until we come in contact with them throughout these 25 verses. First allow me to make this point; these illustrations didn’t present the same difficulties to the original readers as Jude would under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit have used illustrations that the reader would have grasped, and this is further supported in the fact that these letters had acceptance by the readers and included in the standard of scripture. Furthermore, I find it fascinating that Jude would use these difficult illustrations to describe false teachers who were attempting to divert the body of Christ away from the truth of God’s Word.

  1. 6 Here the challenge for today’s reader of Jude is two-fold:
  2. First there is a lack of familiarity with exactly what illustration Jude is referring too even though Jude does give supporting information in verse 5 and verse 7. The reference Jude is using here is Gen. 6:1-7.
  3. And that brings us to the second reason this a difficult interpretation as even after we examine the illustration we are still left with a very difficult interpretation.
  4. 9 In this illustration the challenge is that though the story referred to by Jude is roughly found in Deut. 34:36 dealing with the death and burial of Moses. The problem for todays bible student is that none of the specifics mentioned by Jude are found in the Deut. 34:36 passage. Furthermore, the rebuke mentioned here in the words quoted by Jude “The Lord rebuke you” are not found in reference to Moses but do appear similarly in Zech. 3:1-3 and the vision that Zechariah received for Joshua the high priest. So where does Jude quote this story from? The answer to that question causes todays reader even more questions as it is taken from the apocryphal book called the Assumption of Moses where we have fragments that tell the story of the funeral of Moses in which Michael the archangel is commissioned to bury Moses but satan opposes him on two grounds: First, that satan is the lord of matter and as such the body should be turned over to him. To this Michael is quoted by Jude here saying the Lord rebuke you as it was the Lord’s spirit that created all matter including mankind. The second part of this rebuke has to do with satan’s charge against Moses as being a murder and is what the Deut. 34:6 passage answers as it regards that fact that Moses was buried in an unmarked grave where no one knows which is what they were to do for a murder. The problem for today’s reader is that Jude takes his story from an obscure text that is outside the bible and is retold as a matter of fact and not merely an illustration. So how is today’s reader supposed to examine this illustration when we don’t recognize the book as being inspired in which it is taken from? The answer is that we recognize that Jude is inspired therefore we only need to accept this story as being true and inspired and not the entirety of the text in which it is found.
  5. 11 The problems in this verse for today bible student is a lack of familiarity for the threefold illustration mentioned here. Today’s bible student will need to either be very familiar with these three illustrations or they will need to be able to examine their stories in the Bible and to do that they will need to be able to locate them in order to get the right interpretations. So, I’ll go ahead and supply you with the Biblical references for these three illustrations.
  6. The way of Cain: Gem. 4:1-7 and Hebrews 11:4 (Cain ignored the Word)
  7. The error of Balaam: Numbers 22, Deuteronomy 23 and 2 Peter 2:15. You will also need to look at Numbers 25:2-3, 31:16 and Joshua 13:22 (Balaam opposed the Word)
  8. The rebellion of Korah: Number 16 (Korah rebelled against the Word)
  9. 12-13 The challenge in these two verses for today’s Bible student is a bit easier and that is Jude’s use of picture language as he uses five-word pictures to describe false teachers:
  10. Spots in your love feasts
  11. Clouds without water
  12. Late autumn trees without fruit
  13. Wandering stars
  14. 14-15 Here the difficulty is again two-fold:
  15. He is not a very familiar Bible character. Enoch is a person whom you will find briefly mentioned in Gen. 5:18-24 and his chief characteristic is that “he walked with God”.
  16. The second problem with this passage is there is no mention of Enoch making this statement in the Bible and like the story above in verse 9 it is found in the apocryphal book of Enoch. The book was known to the early church fathers of the second century and then was lost for many hundreds of years except for a very few fragments. Then it was found in its entirety in a copy of the Ethiopic Bible in 1773. The book of Enoch that was found consists of a few revelations purporting to have been given to Enoch and Noah. The point of the book is threefold: To vindicate the way of God’s divine providence, to set forth the retribution reserved against unrepentant sinners and to show that the world is under the government of God.

 

 

Jude

“Contending for the faith”

 

  • Introduction
  • 1-2 From and To
  • 3-4 Contending for the faith

 

Introduction

We started this 25-verse letter an odd way by first going over the 8 verses or 1/3 of the letter’s difficulties with regards to the interpretations. As mentioned previously, all of them are found in the main body of the letter in verses 5-23 and as we approach them, we will be taking a look at each of them. I also want to remind you that this problem with interpreting these illustrations is unique to today’s reader and NOT the original readers as Jude would have not used illustrations on such an important topic as the descriptions and characteristics of false teachers. We now continue our study through the first 4 verses completing the introduction of the letter through the reason for the letter in verse 4.

 

Vs. 1-2 From and To

Vs.1 One of the things that fascinates me about this little letter is how it fits together from the introduction to the closing, each aspect of the letter interlocking with the next. Nothing could be more connected to the theme of the letter than the identity of the writer. Here at the beginning of the letter the author identifies himself as Jude! For the first time reader of this letter, which is on false teaching and apostasy, it is interesting that it bares the same name as the greatest deception ever fostered, Judas!  Here is a name that for the most part is not a common name today as it clearly once was. People name their sons, Peter, John, and Paul. They may even call their pets Nero or Caesar but like other names like Adolf…..Judas has all but disappeared from the registry of names. Yet with that said, God choose a man whose name was Jude to write a letter on apostasy and treachery. I believe that one of the reasons for this is the correlation with the name Jude with the actions of Judas as both turned away from truth, yet both claim a relationship with truth. Jude’s identification is twofold with the greater being displayed first:

  1. Heavenly identification “A bondservant of Jesus Christ”: The Greek word for “bondservant” is Doulos and means a servant by choice. The connection of this Greek word with whom Jude declares as his Master is a great truth; a person will never truly experience the blessings of our relationship with Jesus apart from laying our life down to the very Person who laid His life down for us.
  2. Earthly identification “And a brother of James”: In Gal 1:19 James is called the “Lord’s brother” and when we look at the fact that in verse 17 Jude refers to the apostles instead of identifying himself as one further makes it unlikely that this is the Jude of Luke 6:16 who is called the “son of James”. This only leaves us the Jude of Matt. 13:55 where we read at the rejection from his hometown of Nazareth that some said, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?” This then is the “JUDE” that is mentioned as one of Jesus’ 4 half-brothers who grew up with their older brother in Nazareth. as the Christ based upon John 7:5 and that their faith in Him came AFTER the resurrection. The only other reference to Jude is in the brief passage in 1 Cor. 9:5 where we are told that “that the brothers of the Lord took their wives with them on missionary journeys”. It is also to note the similarities in their two letters:  James writes that “Good works” are evidence of “real faith”. Jude writes that “Evil works” are evidence of apostasy and false teaching.

Jude calling himself the “brother of James” places him in the family of Jesus alongside of Mary and Joseph; yet Jude does not choose to allude to his earthly connection to Jesus only his spiritual connection to Jesus. This clearly indicates humility instead of what Jude will write about in regard to the false teachers who are arrogant. Furthermore, it indicates what Jude valued and identified with more, as he would rather be identified with Jesus spiritually being His servant of choice then being identified with being his earthly half-brother! It was only in his spiritual connection that he truly entered into an everlasting relationship which was far greater than his time of knowing his brother in unbelief. It is this truth that unlocks the readers understanding of this little letter. We must put aside our earthly identification if we are going to grow in our relationship with Jesus and we can only do so as we understand that our “heavenly identification” is what is most important. As it relates to our identification: It is always better for our life and souls if we see ourselves as Jesus’ servant by choice instead of our connection by works our others connection to.

Vs. 2 “To those” is the designation to whom the letter was intended: And Jude identifies that the recipients of this letter have three common qualities; “Called, Sanctified and Preserved”: These qualities are not attributes that come from the individual that Jude has in mind in this letter instead they are things bestowed upon people that DID NOT ever deserve such designation. Also, not that these three qualities that are bestowed upon the reader of this letter cover a person’s PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE! Also notice the Godhead involved in these qualities that are bestowed as we are called by the Holy Spirit, Sanctified by God the Father, and Preserved in Jesus Christ.

  1. Called: That is what happened to us in the past as we were called. The word in the Greek is one that is used for an invitation and in our case we were called while sinners to salvation whereby the sinner is called to repentance by the act of faith in the Lord who called him. The amazing truth is that all have been invited to become believers. In John’s gospel 1:12-13 we read that “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.” Jesus said in Matt. 22:14 that “Many are called but few are chosen”. The fact that from the beginning we have been called to salvation through sanctification because we trust in His truth. And through this calling we will be showered in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have been called out of darkness and into His light, called out of death and into life! Furthermore, our glorification is as certain as our salvation and sanctification. We have a new identity and security as we are God’s beloved!
  1. Sanctified: The second quality is that they are “set apart” and Jude describes specifically Who it is that has “set us apart” as it is “by God”! Security that is only emphases is in the beginning has no lasting security. What happens if what God called is lost because of our failure? This answers that objection: We are the objects of the Fathers love and because we have received His only Son we are also the recipients of this love as well. There is no greater experience a human being can ever have then to be “set apart in the love of God”. Chosen out of fallen humanity by His love. This love isn’t based upon our qualities, but upon His and they can never be earned or deserved instead they are ours simply because we have accepted them. It is for this reason that they have “set us apart” from all that we were to all that He has for us!
  1. Preserved: Here the Greek word means to be “kept or guarded from loss or injury”. Again, the key to understanding this word is to be found in Whose hands we are kept or guarded as we are told that it is “IN JESUS CHRIST”. It is in the very hands of the Person who our sin drove the nails meant for us through! It is in Jude’s closing in verse 24 that he reminds the reader that we are “invited to be objects of our Father’s love, forever kept by the One in whom love was given through.” We are under the watchful care of Jesus. I wonder if Jude reflected upon his brother who watched over he and his siblings?

To the person who is “called, sanctified and preserved” by God and in Christ Jesus they can expect the following three things which are the prescription for contending for the faith as well as fruit of the above three qualities.

  1. Mercy: Mercy in the Greek is a word that has a view on the misery which is the consequence of sin. Mercy precedes grace as is means not getting what we deserve, and Paul says in Eph. 2:4 that God is rich in mercy.
  2. Peace: The word peace here means to join together that which has been separated. Such peace can be ours the moment when we as believers do what D.L. Moody encouraged that we, “Worry about NOTHING, pray about EVERYTHING, and thank God for ANYTHING.”
  3. Love: The word here is Agape which is that divine love which is shed abroad in our hearts. This love is so infused with the believer that the believer’s security and identity become impossible to be separated from the love of God.

Jude prays that these three fruits of being a believer will continue to be multiplied as this is the antidote to being persuaded by false teachers to abandon the truth. What a comfort it is in a letter that is full of the future judgment for false teachers that the Holy Spirit affirms through the words he gave Jude of the assurances and blessings of the believer. The Holy Spirit HAS called us, God the Father HAS set us apart and we ARE preserved in Jesus Christ and these facts produce His mercy, peace, and love!

 

Vs. 3-4 Contending for the faith

Vs. 3 “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation.” This “common salvation” is NOT common because lacks it value as it is the most precious faith. Instead, it is “common salvation” because it is the property of all who have obtained it by faith. No person’s salvation is of greater value then another’s, as no person’s salvation came about do to anything of themselves! Jude’s salvation came the same way as did those he was now writing to. It is also important to note that this letter was not written for the false teachers to read but for those that shared a common salvation to read so as not to be lead astray. Jude’s intentions were interrupted. The word in Greek for “necessary” is a word that means to compress or apply pressure as one would do if they came upon a person who had a severe wound and was in danger of bleeding to death. These believers had the enjoyed “the blood of Christ” but false teachers had cut away at the truth and they were in danger of bleeding out the Life of Christ. The word “exhorting” is the same word used of the Holy Spirit as it describes a person coming along side to help. The God breathed exhortation of this letter to its readers is that they needed to counter these false teachers, it was of necessity that these follow believers go on the offensive and “contend for the faith”. The Greek word for contend describes what an elite athlete does in an athletic contest! This letter is a direct result of the Holy Spirits constraint placed upon Jude to warn the believers of the false teachers’ tactics to get believers to move away from the truth of God’s Word. In the book of Nehemiah, we have an illustration of what Jude is encouraging from the believers. As Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem there were those that were actively involved in stopping that work so God spoke to Nehemiah in 4:17-18 that “Those that built on the wall, and those that carried burdens, load themselves so that with one hand they worked at the construction, and with the other hand they held the weapon. Everyone one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built” We Christians have the Sword of the Spirit and need to keep it on us as we build the kingdom. There is no other truth as what we are to contend for is “once for all delivered to the saints”. There is “No other name that can be named that is given save Jesus Christ”!

 

Vs. 4 The urgency of the change in the message by Holy Spirit given through Jude to these fellow believers can best be understood when we read the characteristics of these false teachers. As we see four things about them: “For certain men”:

  1. “Have crept in unnoticed”: For Jude notes the tactics of these apostates: They HAVE CREPT . That means that the danger was present not future has their penetration into the Church had already begun. The Greek word “crept in” means to enter alongside as they came in the side door and the believers were unaware that they had apostates among them. They had slipped in and were now teaching lies from the pulpits. These like their father the devil appear as “angels of light” from the outside but are like their father full of lies! They perhaps used the same words as God’s Word but established different meanings to these words to deceive people from following the truth.
  2. “Ungodly men”: Jude uses a play on words as he says these false teachers had a “calling” on their lives, but it wasn’t from God the Father it was from the father of lies as they were “ungodly men”. Here we note that these false teachers had strong convictions but for lies instead of truth. Their piety was away from the things of God, and they didn’t share in the godly characteristics.
  3. “Who turned the grace of our God into lewdness”: They twisted truth and started with the grace of God and turned the grace of God into a license to continue in bondage to sin. They didn’t restrain the flesh instead they indulged the flesh calling in grace!

“And deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ”: Lastly they corrupted the character and nature of the Son of God Jesus! They disowned the Jesus of the Bible and instead created their own Jesus!