Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jude 1 vs 3, King James Version
History of Jude
Greek – Judas; English – Jude; Judah – Praise was common among the first – century Jews, and at least eight different persons of that name are mentioned in the New Testament, including two of Jesus’ disciples (Luke 6:16)
Brother of James/half-brother of Christ: Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3. There are arguments for and against Jude being the half brother of Jesus but those for are superior.
Jude was not a believer in Christ until after His resurrection (John 7:5; Acts 1:14).
The Book of Jude was not accepted as part of the scriptures until about AD 200 because of his quote from the non-canon books like the writing of Enoch.
The Book of Jude has only 1 chapter with 25 verses and 613 words.
When and Where Written: A.D. 67 or 68, probably in Jerusalem.
Outline of Jude
- Salutation (vv. 1,2)
- Purpose of the Letter (vv. 3,4)
- Denunciation of False Teachers (vv. 5 – 19)
- Three Examples of Divine Judgement on the Ungodly (vv. 5 – 7)
- Arrogance of the False Teachers (vv. 8 – 10)
- Three Examples of Those Who Led Others into Sin (v. 11)
- Depravity and Danger of the False Teachers (vv. 12,13)
- Enoch’s Prophecy of Judgement (vv. 14,15)
- Proud Words of the False Teachers (v. 16)
- Apostolic Prophecies of the Mockers (vv.17 – 19)
- Positive Exhortations (vv. 20 – 23)
- Concluding Doxology (vv. 24,25)
Things to look out for
Key Verse: 24
Key Word: Kept
Key Phrase: Earnestly contend
Key Thought: Present faultless
Spiritual Thought: He is able
Christ Is Seen As: The only wise God (vs. 25)
Called: This is the expression of God’s sovereign and gracious initiative in effectually summoning to salvation those whom He has chosen (Romans 8:29-30).
Sanctified: That is, God has “set-apart” for His special care and use those whom He has called.
Preserved in Jesus Christ/Kept for Jesus Christ: The elect will persevere in faith because God preserves them (John 10:27-30; 1 Peter 1:5).
Mercy, peace, and love: Jude fills a traditional Jewish greeting (“mercy and peace”) with profound Christian meaning by adding “love.” God’s mercy to undeserving sinners and the peace that results are grounded in His love manifested in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
I found it necessary: Instead of the doctrinal treatise (the common salvation, which is the primary need of man for all have sinned as in Romans 3:23) he had intended to write, Jude feels compelled to address the problem of false teachers.
Contend earnestly for the faith: Here “faith” indicates the content of the message taught by the apostles and held in common by all Christians, rather than the personal exercise of trust by a believer. Christianity includes an authoritative body of belief given by God to the church through the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Luke 18:8). Together with the Old Testament (Ephesians 2:20), this apostolic witness, as found in the New Testament, is the standard for the church. (2 John 9-10).
To contend for the faith when it is under attack means more than opposing fake teachers with words, it involves a positive life faithful to the gospel. When apostasy arises, when false teachers emerge, when the truth of God is attacked, it is time to fight for the faith. Only believers who are spiritually “in shape” can answer the summons.
Antidote for Apostasy: Believers must live faithfully to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, grow in grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18) and have sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 4:2-3).
Certain men … crept in unnoticed. The troublemakers apparently have come from outside the church Jude addresses, perhaps posing as itinerant (visiting) prophets or teachers (2 John 10,11).
Turn the grace of our God into lewdness. Jude’s opponents were guilty of antinomianism – the belief that Christians are under no obligation to follow the moral law as a rule of life. Such teaching was a persistent problem in the early church (Romans 3:8; 6:15; 1 Corinthians 6:12-15; Galatians 5:13), especially where Paul’s emphasis upon justification by grace through faith was misunderstood and perverted.
Deny … Lord God … Lord Jesus Christ. By their godless and immoral behavior, the false teachers deny Christ. The designation of Christ as “Lord” recognizes Christ’s deity.
Summary of the Book of Jude
- Purpose of Jude (vv. 1-4). Jude addresses his letter to believers who are “called,” “sanctified,” and “preserved,” and wishes for them the threefold blessing of mercy, peace, and love (vv. 1-2). Grim news about the encroachment of false teachers in the churches has impelled Jude to put aside his commentary on salvation to write this timely word of rebuke and warning (vv. 3-4). In view of apostates who turn “the grace of God into licentiousness” (wanton disregard of laws, rules, or moral norms) and deny Christ, it is crucial that believers “contend earnestly for the faith.”
- Description of False Teachers (vv. 5-16). Jude begins his extended expose of the apostate teachers by illustrating their ultimate doom with three examples of divine judgement from the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) (vv. 5-7). Like unreasoning animals, these apostates are ruled by the things they revile, and they are destroyed by the things they practiced (vv. 8-10). Even the archangel Michael is more careful in his dealings with superhuman posers than are these arrogant men. He compares these men to three spiritually rebellious men from Genesis (Cain) and Numbers (Balaam and Korah) who incurred the condemnation of God (v.11) Verses 12 and 13 succinctly summarize their character with five highly descriptive metaphors taken from nature. After affirming the judgement of God upon such ungodly men with a quote from the non-canonical Book of Enoch (vv. 14-15), Jude catalogues some of their practices (v. 16).
- Defense Against False Teachers (vv. 17-23). Up to this point, Jude’s letter has been exposing apostate teachers (vv. 8,10,12,14,16), but now Jude directly addresses his readers (“but you, beloved, remember” v. 17). He reminds them of the apostolic warning that such men would come (vv. 17-19) and encourages them to protect themselves against the onslaught of apostasy (vv. 20-21). The readers must become mature in their own faith so that they will be able to rescue those who are enticed or already ensnared by error (vv. 22-23).
- Doxology of Jude vv. 24-25). Jude closes with one of the greatest doxologies in the Bible. It emphasizes the power of Christ to keep those who trust in Him from being overthrown by error.
Be blessed.
That Christian Next Door 