Pastor Jerry Rockwell The Epistle of Jude

Pastor Jerry Rockwell

THE EPISTLE OF JUDE

Introduction: The Epistle of Jude is the fourth smallest book in the New Testament. 2 John, 3 John, and Philemon are smaller. It contains 25 verses with 295 words. The “Pericopes” of the book are vss. 1-2; vss. 3-4; vss. 5-16; vss. 17-23; and vss. 23-25. These can provide an outline of the book. For instance:

1. Jude 1:1-2, an identification of the author/writer and a greeting to the followers of God the Father and Jesus Christ.
2. Jude 1:3-4, an exhortation to “contend for the faith,” and a warning about the danger of false teachers.
3. Jude 1:5-16, a reminder of things from the Old Testament that illustrate the need to be diligent and watchful.

1. Vs. 5, God saved the people of Israel coming out of Egypt, yet God destroyed those who “believed not” (see Numbers 14:22-23).
2. Vs. 6, God dealt with the angels “which kept not their first estate” and reserved them for judgment (2 Peter 2:4).
3. Vs. 7, Sodom and Gomorrah and other cities around them, went after “strange flesh” will experience “vengeance of eternal fire” (Genesis 19).
4. Vs. 9, Michael the archangel is shown as disputing with the devil over the body of Moses, and did not try to accuse him, but told him “The Lord rebuke thee,” speaking to the devil.
5. Vs. 11, in this verse there are three Old Testament characters mentioned. One is Cain of Genesis 4, Balaam of Numbers 22-24, fame is discussed briefly, and the mention of those who “perished in the gainsaying of Core.” The Old Testament word for “Core” is “Korah” and the story is in Numbers 16:1-35.
6. Vss. 12-13, considered to be “false” teachers who invaded the churches of the first century.
7. Vss. 14-16, the prophecy of Enoch, the seventh from Adam, Genesis 5:18-23.

BOOK PROFILE

One commentary gives an excellent overview and profile of the book of Jude. They suggest:

“• The recipients of the letter are not known. References to Old Testament people, places, and events suggest that they were Christian Jews of Palestine (the land west of the Jordan River).

• The date of the epistle is uncertain. Most commentaries estimate the date to be between a.d. 67 and 80.

• Written to warn of false teachers and to encourage true believers to defend the faith

• Warns against denying Christ’s lordship, following fleshly desires, rejecting authority, being divisive, and living for self

• Encourages the faithful to contend for true faith against the false teachers who have crept into the church

• Refutes false teachers who perhaps suggested that spirit was good, and flesh was bad (Gnosticism). Therefore, since the spirit and flesh were opposite, they—in a twisted turn of logic—felt free to indulge the desires of the flesh.

• An intense letter that, while brief, is important and powerful.”

AUTHOR. The writer of this book, Jude, has been given credit to be, one, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ and two, Jude, one of the apostles.

1. Jude, the half-brother of Jesus. The first verse of the book has the statement, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.” In the scripture, there are two by the name of Jude compete for authorship of the book. There is a “James” and “Jude” in the list of Apostles/Disciples of Jesus Christ (Luke 6:14-16). Also, Jesus had four half-brothers according to Matthew 13:55. This verse reveals that there was a James and a Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but Judas is often shortened to Jude). Jude is considered a name that is often known as Judas, a derivative of Judah. There were many young men given the name Judas because of its popularity as well as its relationship with the name “Judah” the family that was the kingly line also understood as the “son of David” as Jesus was often called (Matt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9 et al). When you explore Judas, there are three who answer to this name.

1. One, is the brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). In these two references, the name is “Judas.” This must be distinguished from “Judas Iscariot. 
2. Two, is the apostle “Judas” the brother of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), not Judas Iscariot? There is something interesting about this Judas/Jude. The two passages above, Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 have the statement, “And Judas the brother of James. . .” The phrase “the brother” in italics in both passages. The words in italics are suggested to be not in the original Greek and the new translations translate it as “Judas the son of James.” Their translation is based on the “Critical Greek Text” while the KJV is based on the Textus Receptus (TR). There is no difference in the Greek of the two translations. It is worth noting that the KJV translates Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 as “Judas the brother of James.” This makes a great difference. The men who worked on the King James translation understood the Judas under consideration was the “brother of James” who was an apostle, which makes Judas/Jude an apostle as well. Many modern scholars follow the “Critical Greek” and make Jude the “son of James” and thus an apostle. Therefore, it the author of Jude was the “brother of James” it could not be the Jude of the apostles, but the “half-brother” of Jesus. The Luke 6 passage gives a list of the twelve disciples/apostles. The entire problem exists as a result of the differences in a Greek text.
3. Three, Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus to Rome (Matt. 10:4; 26:14; Mark 14:10; et al). This can be discounted as the writer of Jude because of the nature of who he was.

1. Jude, the author of the book by the same name. The previous discussion points out the controversy over the authorship of the book of Jude. There are two options:

1. Judas, the brother of Jesus. This position is held by many of the commentators, and it is part of the tradition. The book of James is also ascribed to James, the brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3) as is the book of Jude considered the author of the book.
2. Judas, the brother of James. The two brothers who were disciples, James, and Judas, who were listed with the apostles, is considered, by some, to be the author of the book of Jude.
3. Judas of Galilee, Acts 5:37, has this verse to give his biography. He “rose up”  and led an opposition of “much people” who joined him and protested about “taxing” and the verse indicates that he perished and his followers “were dispersed.”
4. Judas, surnamed Barsabas, is mentioned in Acts 15:22 along with Barnabas, and Silas, as “chief men among the brethren” (the church at Antioch). They traveled to Jerusalem at the request of the apostles and elders of the church there. The purpose was to settle the controversy initiated by the problem caused by the ones who had gone to Antioch and stirred up the congregation about circumcision. The problem is stated in Acts 15:1 (KJV) And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

1. Apostolic Authority. Paul noted in Ephesians 2:19-20 (KJV) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. In addition, consider Ephesians 3:5 (KJV) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. These two verses substantiate that God “revealed” His word through the “apostles and prophets by the Spirit.”
2. James, the Half-brother of Jesus. He was not an apostle. There are some interesting passages about Judas and James, the half-brothers of Jesus, in the gospels. Look at Mark 6:3 (KJV) Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. Here is the verse that dispels the false teaching of the “perpetual virginity of Mary” since it is clear by this verse that Jesus had at least four half-brothers, James, Joses, Juda (Judas), and Simon as well as sisters (note the plural) of which the number is not stated. Please notice that this verse indicates that the entire family of half-brothers and sisters were “offended at him” speaking of Jesus. There is an interesting prophecy in Psalm 69:8 (KJV) I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children. The passage in the Gospel of John has an interesting story about the relationship Jesus had with His family. In John 7:2 it is pointed out that the “feast of tabernacles was at hand.” John 7:3-4 says “³ His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go unto Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. ⁴ For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things shew thyself to the world.” The next verse reveals something that is interesting. John 7:5 (KJV) For neither did his brethren believe in him. Here is two incidents indicating that there was a great deal of skepticism among His family. It is evident that when the people gathered in the “upper room” (Acts 1:13) prior to the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when the Holy Ghost came upon them, the people listed as being there includes the eleven apostles and “Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14). When they began to believe on Jesus is not known except James, the brother. In the accounts of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:7 it says, “After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.” Some speculate that it was after the crucifixion and resurrection. There is little evidence that James, the brother of Jesus was qualified as an apostle, much less chosen to be one. The phenomenon is that he became the lead pastor of the church in Jerusalem, probably after Peter left for another place after escaping the prison where he was to be killed by Herod as stated in Acts 12:17 (KJV) But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. Some believe Peter was the pastoral head of the church in Jerusalem, and James, the brother of Jesus, was given that responsibility as pastor, although it is not stated in scripture. The verse that most consider to be an assumption is Galatians 1:19 (KJV) But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. Paul described the result of his visit to Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18).
3. Authorship of Jude Conclusion. The evidence is confirmed because of two Greek manuscripts of the New Testament with different readings. The “new” translations (NIV, ESV, NASB, RV, et al) make the Jude of the apostles to be the “son of James” and not the author of Jude. The Greek text used for the translation of the KJV has that the Apostle Jude was the “brother of James” one of the apostles. For the book of Jude to have apostolic authorship, the brother of Jesus would not fulfill this requirement. The same is for the book of James in the New Testament because the same problem exists for the person of James, the half-brother of our Saviour does not fulfill the requirement for apostolic authority.

Some notes:

Simon Peter is always mentioned first in all lists. Peter, James, and John were somewhat the “inner circle” and are listed in that order in Matthew and Mark, but John is listed fourth in Luke’s list while Andrew is listed second in Luke’s list. Judas the brother of James (No. 11 in Matthew’s list) is not listed in the other two lists, thus it is assumed that Thaddaeus (Mark’s list) and Labbaeus (Matthew’s list) are the same as Judas.

JUDE, THE DEFENCE OF THE FAITH

Jude 1-4

Introduction: The last study established Jude to be the “brother of James” which was the apostle James and not James, the “brother of Jesus.” This is not the popular view and there are problems with either view. This study takes the position that it was Jude, the brother of James and both were apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ and part of what the Bible sometimes calls the “twelve” (Matt. 10:1-2, 5; 11:1; Mark 6:7 et al). These were referred to as “apostles” or “disciples” and they all followed Jesus for most of the three and a half years of His public ministry. The major reason for this decision is that Paul spoke of the Bible as being, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph. 2:20). We believe that the foundation of the “apostles and prophets” was given to us to keep us on track with the things of God. The importance of having a copy of the words of the Lord which are “pure words” (Psa. 12:6; 119:140; Prov. 30:5) cannot be overlooked. We stand on the Bible which we believe contains the “pure words” as the King James Version of the Bible without apology. This is an important position to be sure there is sound doctrine being taught in these premises (Titus 1:9; 2:1). The Apostle Paul warned Timothy about the problems he would encounter in 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears (see 1 Tim. 1:9-11).

These things take us to the examination of the book of Jude. There are some preliminary things to consider before launching into the instruction given to the church about some instructions Paul again gave to Timothy, his son in the faith and pastor. He told him in 2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. We are definitely in these “last days.” God’s clock has been ticking for 2,000 years and according to Hosea telling the Jewish people he ministered to that, After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight (Hosea 6:2). With God, “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pet. 3:8). If that is the way God keeps time, we historically are at the end of the two days that Hosea told the people when they would be converted and turn to God. That is counting from the resurrection and ascension of Christ (Acts 1:9-11) at about 33 ad to 2024 would be nine days (years) from the return of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:11ff) when Israel is converted. The thing that should be considered before launching into the text is the people being addressed with this brief epistle.

The book of Jude is found in the last part of your Bible surrounded by Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-2-3 John, and Revelation. They are often called the “General Epistles” and at one time called the “Catholic Epistles.” The last nomenclature has been dropped by most because these are not books of the Bible written by the Roman Catholic church nor are they addressed to them. The word “catholic” originally meant “general” (1300-1350 ad) but has taken on the meaning of “universal.” This group of books of the Bible has more of a general application. The books of Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter are specifically addressed to the nation of Israel or Jewish people. Hebrews of course has a Jewish application with many references to Old Testament subjects and the title gives a more specific application. James 1:1 states “. . .to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. . .” The word “scattered” is translated from the Greek word “diaspora” (διασπορá) which means “a scattering” or “dispersion.” It has been made into the English word “diaspora” which primarily applies to the people of Israel who have been scattered since 70 ad. Peter uses the word “scattered” in 1 Peter 1:1 which has the same application as Jude 1. Many hold the view that these “General Epistles” have a message directed to the people of Israel. Robert Gromacki makes the following application to Jude. He says, “Jude had originally planned to write a treatise on salvation (e.g., justification by faith) to his readers, probably Jewish Christians, quite possibly the same readers as mentioned in James and the Petrine Epistles.” It is the conviction of this study that these “General Epistles” were written to the Jewish Christians of the first century but have a larger application to those Jews who find themselves in the throes of persecution stemming from the ”anti-Semitism” that flourishes even today and the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 2;22; 7:14). With this introduction let's launch into the content of the biblical book of Jude. B. H. Carroll, an early leader in the Southern Baptist Convention, considered that the book of Jude, “. . .is by far the strangest of the New Testament books, whether we consider the external evidence of it, its canonicity, or the subject matter.” Most do not feel this book to be as “strange” as Dr. Carroll did, but it deals with some matters that should be addressed by believers who live in the period of the “last days” and beyond.

THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE

“Contending for the Faith”

Jude 1-2 (KJV) ¹ Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: ² Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

1. The Security of a Believer, Jude 1. This verse initially introduces the writer, the “brother of James.” This has been discussed earlier. He then addresses his message to “them that are sanctified by God the Father,” and then “and preserved in Jesus Christ,” then the single word, “called.”

1. Sanctified by God the Father through the word of God. Sanctification is an elusive word for many believers. The word “sanctify” has the meaning of “to set apart.” The first time the word is used in the Bible is in Exodus 13:2 (KJV) Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. The “firstborn” was “sanctified” or set apart for God. The verse indicates that the “firstborn. . .is mine.” Sanctification is the will of God for every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. One writer says, “In regeneration, your nature was changed. In justification, your standing was changed. In adoption, your position was changed. Now, in sanctification, your CHARACTER is changed.” Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit and the word of God. Jesus said in John 17:17 (KJV) Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. The word of God will work in a believer’s life and change their thoughts, their behavior, and their desires. It says in Ephesians 5:26 (KJV) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. The church (Eph. 5:25) is set apart by the washing of the water by the word. The same principle was stated by Jesus when He said in John 17:17 (KJV) Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. This makes the Bible an important part of your daily life and works in the process of conforming you to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). Dr. Charles Ryrie gives some insight into this process by saying, “Regeneration and sanctification serve to renew the believer according to the image of Christ, to whose image we shall someday be perfectly conformed (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18).”

In addition, the Holy Spirit is involved in your sanctification. Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV) But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God to bring you to a place where you will reflect the image of Christ. Another verse that is significant in this subject is 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sanctification is the process of bringing you to holiness. Note Hebrews 12:14 (KJV) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. God is in the process of sanctifying us every day, if we pay attention.

1. Secure in Jesus Christ, Jude 1. Jude now takes the subject matter to security of the believer. If there is anything in the Christian life that plagues many Christians, it is the matter of “security of salvation.” Many believers will come to a point in their life as a Christian that they wonder if they are really saved. One of the important aspects of the church age is this doctrine of the believer’s security in Christ. Jude uses a strong word when he says “Preserved in Jesus Christ. . .” (Jude 1). The word “preserved” means “to keep a particular quality, feature.” It has the meaning of “to retain in custody, keep watch over, guard.” There are a couple of passages that speaks loudly to this subject of the Christian being secure in Christ. Look at John 10:28-30 (KJV) ²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰ I and my Father are one. If we as Christians are “kept” by the hand of the Father and the Son, there is no reason to think a person is not secure, “preserved” as believers. There is another passage that addresses this subject. Go to 1 John 5:11-13 (KJV) ¹¹ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. ¹³ These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. If a person has eternal life through Jesus Christ, they have security in Him. Note vs. 13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life. . .” The written part is the word of God. If God said we are kept by Him, what is there to doubt about?
2. Saved by grace, “called.” There is a word here that has caused a lot of consternation which means “a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay” and that is the word “called.” There is a doctrinal position called “Calvinism” which gives a meaning to this word that is not biblical. One of our theologians of Eastland Baptist Church  has defined this belief. He says that Calvinists believe that, “God, by a sovereign, eternal decree, has determined before the foundation of the world who shall be saved and who shall be lost.” This is a fair assessment of Calvinism. Those who hold to the view of Calvinism that emphasizes the word “called” or “chosen” will use a verse like Matthew 22:14 (KJV) For many are called, but few are chosen as a “proof text” of their doctrine. To make this verse mean that “called” and “chosen” applies to a Christian’s salvation, the Calvinist must add to the verse “to salvation” for the meaning they are looking for. This verse is in a parable that has application to the second coming and the marriage of the Lamb to the bride, the church (Rev. 19:9). The word “called” is used in this passage (Rev. 19:9). There is an interesting aspect of the difference between the King James Bible (KJV) and the “modern” (new) translations of the scripture. They translate this verse in Jude to support their view of Calvinism. The English Standard Version (ESV) translates the last part of Jude 1 as “. . .To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” Note at least two things about this translation. One, the word “called” in the KJV is at the end of the verse. Second, the word “sanctification” is missing, and three, the word “preserved” is missing. The KJV says that “we are sanctified by God” which is not the same as “beloved in God the Father” (ESV). In addition, the ESV says, “. . .kept for Jesus Christ” while the KJV says “preserved in Jesus Christ.” These two translations are not saying the same things. The New International Version (NIV) translates this verse “. . .To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.” At least the last phrase in the NIV has the word “by” instead of “for” (ESV) speaking of Jesus Christ.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

1. Salvation and Contending for the Faith, Jude 3-4. Jude tells the recipients of the epistle in the first part of Jude 3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation. . .” Yet the rest of the verse indicates he saw the urgency of what was happening with opposition to the truth in the rest of verse 3, “. . .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. [Emphasis added.] If we analyze what is taking place in the churches of the 21^st Century, we could say the same thing. This makes the book of Jude an extremely relevant and urgent book to study. The rest of the content of the book of Jude is a clear explanation of how false doctrine can derail a person or church away from sound doctrine and the danger of false teachers, “certain men” who twist the scripture and deny the truth. There is a passage that addresses how these false teachers have a way of getting into the fellowship of believers and seeking to corrupt their beliefs. Go to 2 Corinthians 11. Here the Apostle Paul gives some instruction to the church in Corinth that is vital to any congregation who seeks to hold the truth without compromise. In vs. 3, the church is warned about how “the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Then in vs. 4 he becomes specific with his warning and says, “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” Note the three things that this false teacher has would be a false trinity, because there are three of them, a “another Jesus,” “another spirit’ (note lower case spirit), and “another gospel.” There are three major cults that would fit this description, Jehovah’s (false) Witnesses, Mormons, and Muslims not to mention several offshoots of these. Some of the Charismatic movements could be placed in this group such as Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes, Bobby Schuller (who took over for his dad Robert Schuller, and the program, The Hour of Power) who taught false doctrine, primarily about the gospel and salvation, along with others in abundance. Even Rick Warren of the Southern Baptist church Saddleback Church in California has recently been known to teach false doctrine. His book, The Purpose Driven Church has brought problems for many churches.

When you look further in 2 Corinthians 11 it is discovered how Satan infiltrates churches. Look at vss. 13-15, ¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. Satan is very subtle with his strategy of infiltrating churches and denominations to influence the practices and beliefs they hold. False doctrine is also being taught on the internet via YouTube, Facebook, and others.

Jude’s warning to the churches to “earnestly contend for the faith” (vs. 4) should not be overlooked or under-emphasized. We see churches departing from the faith and practice that has been a foundation of churches for centuries, but the new mentality of the church is making many of them either close their doors or make cults of their position doctrinally and practically. 

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH, Part 2

Jude 3-4

Introduction: In the last study of Jude 3-4 the matter of the “diaspora” (scattered) of the Jews was addressed. The epistles of the Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter are all addressed to the “twelve tribes” (James 1:1) or those who are “scattered” (James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1). These two verses are indicators that the content of the three books, James and 1-2 Peter are addressed specifically to the people of Israel, the “twelve tribes.” Historically the books of Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-2-3 John and Jude have been considered the “General Epistles.” This suggests they are not in the same nature of the epistles Paul produced, which were addressed to a church (as in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Phillipi, Colosse, and Thessalonica, seven churches and nine epistles) and pastors or an individual (i.e., 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon). All of Paul’s epistles were either giving “church” doctrine or church policy (Timothy and Titus). 

The group of General Epistles includes Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-2-3 John, and Jude. These are considered to be “transition” epistles which bridge the gap between the church age and the end times period of the Tribulation. These books contain material that fits in the church age and material that fits in the Tribulation period of prophetic history. The sole prophetic book in the New Testament is Revelation. From Revelation 4-22, all the material is future. Revelation contains material that fits the church age to some degree in chapters 1-3. There are some commentators/scholars who believe that Revelation, 2-3 could be prophetic or at least in the same status as the General Epistles. Regardless of one’s position on the content of these books, they do pose some difficulties in applying them to the current church age. It is important to understand the church age is unique in biblical doctrine. One of the significant items unique to the church age is the “indwelling Holy Spirit.” It is stated in Ephesians 1:13 that the believer in the present period of the church age is “. . .sealed with the holy Spirit of promise (cf. 2 Cor. 1:22). Not only is the “seal with the holy Spirit” for the believer in the current period, but the period of this “sealing” covers a specific period stated in Ephesians 4:30 (KJV) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. That would be when the believer in the church age is taken out via the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 4:1) and this present church age comes to an end before the pending Tribulation. There are two other “transition” books in the New Testament, Matthew, and Acts. The Old Testament ends with Malachi followed by a 400-year period where there was no special revelation (scripture) from God. This period is called the “400 Silent Years.” The book of Matthew comes on the scene following the 400 years and becomes a statement of transition between the Old Testament Law and the advent of Grace, realized in Jesus Christ and the church. The Bible states in John 1:17 (KJV) “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” When the people of Israel rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ, the church age was initiated by the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1 which signaled a sign that God was working and they were given one last opportunity to receive their Messiah. This occurred when Stephen delivered his lengthy sermon to the leaders of the synagogues of the Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicia, and Asia (Acts 6:15-7:53) and these men could not “resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he [Stephen] spake” (Acts 6:9). The lengthy sermon to these men concludes with them rejecting the offer made of their Messiah and the initiating the death of Stephen by stoning (Acts 7:54-60). The next verse, Acts 8:1 introduces the reader to a man by the name of “Saul” who was “consenting to his [Stephen’s] death. This is not an accident. This Saul would eventually become Paul and his calling and assignment is stated in Acts 9:1-31. This one, Saul/Paul, became the person God would use to reveal the material that would establish church age doctrine (Romans – 2 Thessalonians) to the Gentiles. Paul as designated by God to be the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Acts 9:10-16). 

This brings us to the book that precedes Revelation which has a lot to say about the similarity between Jude’s day and ours. To understand Jude, one must understand this matter of a “transition.” Jews will be a major focus of the Tribulation and they will be saved at the end of the Tribulation (Zech. 12:10-12; 13:1, 6,8-9). Jude addresses the people of Israel with a warning about the things that would be a hindrance to their spiritual development. It gives teaching to help the transition to the Tribulation. 

1. Jude 1-2. Two Principles of a Believer’s Relationship with Jesus Christ.

1. Sanctified by God the Father, vs. 1. Set apart for God’s work and ministry.
2. Preserved in Jesus Christ, vs. 1. Secure in Jesus Christ for eternity.

2. Jude 3-4. The Diligence of the Common Salvation.

1. Contending for the Faith, vs. 3. Jude begins this verse with “beloved” which is a common expression by other writers (Rom. 1:7; 12:9; 1 Cor. 4:14; Eph. 5:1; James 1:16, 19; 2:5; 1 Pet. 4:12; 1 John 3:2, 21). These verses demonstrate the relationship they had with the believers they ministered to with the word of God. The study of Jude 1-2 gave reason for the believer to have the assurance of their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father. Jude 3 reveals Jude’s initial goal of writing when he said,    “. . .I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation. . .” His goal was to discuss their security in Christ and the salvation that God the Father has provided through His Son, Jesus Christ. The circumstances that actually burdened Jude though, were the current conditions that the believer in Christ faced, which he deemed were far more urgent to the recipients. What he saw as urgent was the matter that they should be burdened to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3). The next verse states why this was urgent to Jude in his writing, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). This was a critical point in the life of believers and especially to those Jude was writing. Jude 4 will be examined later, so for the present it is important to explore what it means to “contend for the faith (vs. 3).” 

The word “contend” has the dictionary meaning of “to struggle in opposition” or “to strive in rivalry” (www.dictionary.com). It can have the meaning of “to exert intense effort on behalf of something.^”  Jude is trying to emphasize to the people the “urgency” of the situation. To Jude, it was (and is) a serious matter to consider. When considering the current age and condition of the world we live in, the urgency is just as important now as it was in the day of the writing by Jude. We live in a period when Bible doctrine is no longer the important issue before the preacher and church, but the motivation to build a large church with little commitment to Jesus Christ and what the Bible teaches. There are several doctrinal issues at the forefront of the church and Bible doctrine that signal a major drift away from biblical principles in the U. S. With the matter of doctrine and its importance, it should be our goal to understand why this might be a priority to God and should be to us. The first time the word “doctrine” occurs in the Bible is in Deuteronomy 32:2 (KJV), “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.” Two things about this verse. One, God says “My doctrine shall drop as the rain. . .” When rain falls it gets everything wet. Second, God says, “. . .my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb. . .” God’s “speech” to the believer should be understood as “His word.” The point here is that we should be as serious about what God has said as He is. 

The sad part of this story is that many churches are embracing things that God’s word condemns. For instance, welcoming Sodomites and allowing them to be members of churches, hold positions of leadership, and even hold teaching positions in churches that recognize sodomy as a non-sinful activity. Paul warned the church in Galatia about the problem with false teachers. It says in Galatians 2:4 (KJV) “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.” The word “unawares” is used in Galatians 2:4 and in Jude 4. It is important to note that Galatians 2:4 indicates the “false brethren” were “brought in” while in Jude 4, they “crept in” to the fellowship of believers. Both verses speak of the same problem yet with different sources of entry. If a false teacher/believer is “brought” in, it suggests that the person responsible for their entering would agree with the false teaching or be ignorant of the false doctrine they taught. The second one, Jude 4, indicates they “crept” in which means they came in by stealth or with false credentials and beliefs to contaminate the doctrine and commitment of the church. Either way, it could pose a major problem.  

2. Cognizant of the “Unawares” in the Congregation, Jude 3-4. Salvation and Contending for the Faith, Jude 3-4. Jude tells the recipients of the epistle in the first part of Jude 3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation. . .” Yet the rest of the verse indicates he saw the urgency of what was happening with opposition to the truth in the rest of verse 3, “. . .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. [Emphasis added.] 

If we analyze what is taking place in the churches of the 21^st Century, we could say the same thing. This makes the book of Jude an extremely relevant and urgent book to study. The rest of the content of the book of Jude is a clear explanation of how false doctrine can derail a person or church away from sound doctrine and the danger of false teachers, “certain men” who twist the scripture and deny the truth. The next statement takes us to the point about “unawares” in Jude 4 (KJV) “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” The subtlety of Satan cannot be overlooked. There is a passage that addresses how these false teachers have a way of getting into the fellowship of believers and seeking to corrupt their beliefs. Go to 2 Corinthians 11. Here the Apostle Paul gives some instructions to the church in Corinth that are vital to any congregation who seeks to hold the truth without compromise. In vs. 3, the church is warned about how “the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Then in vs. 4 he becomes specific with his warning and says, “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” Note the three things that this false teacher has and it would be a false trinity because there are three of them, “another Jesus,” “another spirit’ (note lower case spirit), and “another gospel.” Three major cults would fit this description, Jehovah’s (false) Witnesses, Mormons, and Muslims not to mention several offshoots of these. Some of the Charismatic movements could be placed in this group such as Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes, Bobby Schuller (took over for his dad Robert Schuller, and the program, The Hour of Power) who taught false doctrine, primarily about the gospel and salvation, along with others in abundance. Even Rick Warren of the Southern Baptist church Saddleback Church in California has recently been known to teach false doctrine. His book, The Purpose Driven Church has brought problems for many churches. 

When you look further in 2 Corinthians 11 it is discovered how Satan infiltrates churches. Look at vss. 13-15, ¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. Satan is very subtle with his strategy of infiltrating churches and denominations to influence the practices and beliefs they hold. False doctrine is also being taught on the internet via YouTube, Facebook, and other digital information sites. Note the process of these importers:

1. They “crept in unawares.” Jude is not suggesting that these people were “merely hypothetical,” they were already present and a real threat to the truth. These people slipped in and the people were not aware of what they were doing. Peter had a similar problem and addressed it in a similar way. He said in, 2 Peter 2:1 (KJV), “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Jude and Peter are warning their congregations to be “aware” not “unaware” to the danger in “false teachers.” The only way to avoid that is to know Bible doctrine. This is the purpose of “Discipleship.” Illustration: Church in Sulphur, Louisiana. 

1. They were “ungodly men. . .” Note the two areas they deceived people, or at least taught. They were men “who privily shall bring in damnable heresies” (vs. 4b). This point could go in many directions. Most Christians have had an encounter with “false teachers” such as Mormons, Jehovah [false] Witnesses, or some other cult. These people go house to house with their heresy and eventually convince some of their false teachings. A friend of mine who helped me as I was starting as a pastor/preacher told me that most of the cults are filled with Baptists who did not know sound doctrine and fell for the false teaching of the cult. That is very true.
2. They were men who turned “the grace of our God into lasciviousness. . .” The word “lasciviousness” has the meaning of “lack of self-constraint which involves one in conduct that violates all bounds of what is socially acceptable, self-abandonment.” This describes where the society of the United States is today. There are no bounds socially or sexually. Everything goes with no boundaries! This is often manifest in the “Grace” movement that has captured many churches and believers. They take the liberty found in Christ and misuse verses like Galatians 5:1 (KJV) “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” They call “bondage” legalism. We are free, but not to do anything we want to do. This has been used to justify drinking alcoholic beverages, swapping wives, and many other abuses of lifestyles that are not allowed by the scripture. 
3. They were men who were “denying the Lord that bought them.” The cults mentioned above, have a view of the Lord Jesus Christ that is way below what the Bible declares. They have to make Jesus Christ, just another man and not God in the flesh. This is one of the “cardinal” doctrines. Now do not get out of sorts with this word. It is an interesting one. The word can mean “red” as a bird named “Cardinal.” To the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) is is one of the highest positions and all Popes come from the rank of Cardinals. It is also used as the first or primary. The origin of the word is very interesting. It was first used in 1130 ad, and is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the word cardinal goes back to the Latin adjective cardinalis, which meant ‘serving as a hinge.’” With this meaning we can conclude that the “deity” of Jesus Christ is an important doctrine. The Bible is clear in this statement. The primary passage is John 1:1 (KJV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” One of the major cults translated this verse, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” [Emphasis added.] Do you see the difference? Look at John 1:14 (KJV), “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” The “Word” was/is God in John 1:1. One more verse, 1 Timothy 3:16 (KJV), “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

3. THE DESTRUCTION OF FALSE TEACHERS, Jude 5-7. “I will therefore put you in remembrance,” Jude 5. This will be next week’s study. 

1. FAULTY FAITH, Jude 5.
2. FALLEN ANGELS, Jude 6.
3. FORNICATING FOOLS, Jude 7.