THE BOOK OF JUDE
Jude is concerned with apostasy. Even in his day, the church was already being infiltrated by religious Quislings, men who posed as servants of God but who were actually enemies of the cross of Christ. Jude’s purpose is to expose these traitors and to describe their ultimate doom.
PROLOGUE
Authorship. In the normal manner, this author identifies himself in the salutation as Jude, the brother of James. This means that he was also the brother of our Lord (*Mt 13:55 ; **Mk 6:3). He preferred not to mention the family relationship to Jesus directly; perhaps the mention of James, who was a leading figure in the church in Jerusalem, was enough to give weight to his identity. His boast, like that of Peter and Paul, was that he was a “slave” of Jesus Christ.
*(Mt 13:55: “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” Two of these brothers, James and Judas (Jude) wrote New Testament epistles and played an important role in the early church.
**(Mk. 6.3) “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.”
At one time, Jude was listed as a disputed book; this means only that there were some who did not accept it. However, external evidence for this book is strong. It was quoted by several early church Fathers (Polycarp, Clement of Rome, etc.), and is listed in the second-century Muratorian Canon.
The outstanding reason for disputing the authenticity of Jude in ancient and modern times has been the fact that Jude quotes from the apocryphal Enoch, evidently accepting that he is the seventh from Adam. Another problem is the amount of duplication from II Peter, although there could have been a common oral or written source behind both. There is no real reason for not accepting the traditional canonical status of Jude.
Occasion and purpose. Jude, like Peter, writes to encourage believers to continue to hold to the faith against the diabolical attack of false teachers. The Old Testament Scriptures and the common apostolic preaching are the authorities which predict both the presence and the doom of the scoffers. His letter has the stated purpose of encouraging his readers to contend for the faith (vs. 3). The letter assumes an existing danger of apostasy into immorality and deep sin because of the influence of shrewd and greedy teachers. Jude writes to correct this.
Date and place of writing. Whether before or after II Peter, Jude is at least in the same general period. There is the possibility that both draw heavily from a contemporary oral or written source which is no longer existent. The fact that Jude is more definite in his reference to the false teachers as a present reality to his readers (vs. 4) suggests that he wrote after Peter when the problem had more fully developed.
No hint of who the readers are is given in the book, except that they are perhaps in the Palestine area so that they will know who James (vs. 1) is; they may be Jews or Gentiles. The date must then lie somewhere between about A.D. 65 and 80, perhaps A.D. 67–68. The place of writing is not indicated but quite likely is Jerusalem.
Characteristics. The book is characterized by the strongest apocalyptic condemnation of the ungodly and immoral false teachers. Jude, like Peter, refers to the Old Testament to prove his point about the judgment of God upon sin; unlike Peter, he freely refers also to the apocryphal works that were current. Of all New Testament writers, Jude is more noted for this, but he is not alone in doing it. Matthew, Paul, and the writer of Hebrews all do things with quotations which require strained explanations if we judge their literary practices by twentieth century western standards. The book is definitely in character with the other apostolic writings and there is no reason not to accept it as authoritative today.
OUTLINE
I. Introduction. 1–2.
II. Occasion of the Epistle. 3–4.
A. Change of the Purpose. 3.
B. Purpose of the Change. 4
III. The Apostate Past. 5–7.
A. Israelite Apostasy. 5.
B. Angelic Apostasy. 6.
C. Pagan Apostasy. 7.
IV. The *Apostate Present. 8–16.
A. Activity of the Apostates. 8–10.
B. Warning of the Apostates. 11–16.
V. Exhortations Against Apostates. 17–23.
A. Exhortation by the Apostles. 17–19.
B. Exhortation by Warning. 20–21.
C. Exhortation by Example. 22–23.
VI. Conclusion. 24–25.
*(Apostate) somebody who renounces a belief or allegiance.
Scripture
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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
I. Introduction. 1–2.
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:
*(called) invited (by the proclamation of the Gospel) to obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom through Christ.
Jude was almost certainly the apostle, who was *surnamed Thaddeus and Lebbeus; he was the son of Alpheus, and the brother of James the less, Joses, and Simon. Notice **Matthew 10:3; *** Luke 6:16; ****Matthew 13:55. God used a righteous Jude (or Judas, or Judah) to unmask the apostates , of whom another Jude, Judas Iscariot, was a prime example. All that we know for certain about the good Jude is that he was a *****bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James (who was well known as the leader of the church in Jerusalem). Another thing we know for sure is that he was name-sake to one of his ancestors, the patriarch, Judah—the son of Jacob, out of whose loins the Messiah came. His was a name of worth, well-known, and honored; however, he also had a wicked name-sake. There was one Judas (one of the twelve, surnamed Iscariot, after the place of his birth) who was a vile traitor, the betrayer of his and our Lord.
*(Surnamed) Somebody’s family name: the name that identifies somebody as belonging to a particular family and that he or she has in common with other members of that family; the last name.
**(Matthew 10:3) “Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;”
( *** Luke 6:16) “And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.”
(****Matthew 13:55) “Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?”
*****(bondservant) A serf: or enslaved person
St. Jude writes to all believers everywhere and not to anyone in particular or to any specific Church, that's why this epistle has been called a general epistle. When addressing the Letter, Jude gives three designations that are true of all believers. They are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ. God has called them out of the world by the gospel, to belong to Himself. Note, Christians are called to higher and better things, heaven, things unseen and eternal,—called from sin to Christ, from vanity to seriousness, from uncleanness to holiness; and this while pursuing divine purpose and grace; for whom he did predestinate those he also called, Rom. 8:30. They are set apart by God to be God’s special and pure people. And they are marvelously preserved from danger, damage, defilement, and damnation until at last they are ushered in to see the King in His beauty.
The word servant (Gr. doulos) is literally “slave” and conveys the picture of a bond slave who belonged to another person. Even though, as the brother of James, Jude was the brother of Christ, he prefers that we know him as the “slave” or property of Christ. Peter *(II Pet 1:1) and Paul **(Rom 1:1) also spoke of themselves in this way; it is a ***metaphor for complete dedication. As far as the readers are concerned, we know only that they were ****sanctified, *****preserved, and called, and that they must have lived somewhere in the vicinity of Palestine in order to know who James was.
*(II Pet 1:1) “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:”
**(Rom 1:1) “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God”
***(metaphor) all language that involves figures of speech or symbolism and does not literally represent real things; one thing used or considered to represent another
****sanctified (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words)
1) to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow
2) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God
2a) consecrate things to God
2b) dedicate people to God
3) to purify
3a) to cleanse externally
3b) to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin
3c) to purify internally by renewing of the soul
*****(Preserved) conserved, well-looked-after, well-maintained, well-preserved, well-kept-up, well-kept, unspoiled.
Now those who are called are also Sanctified: Sanctified by God the Father. Sanctification is usually spoken of in scripture as the work of the Holy Spirit, yet here it is ascribed to God the Father, because the Spirit works as the Spirit of the Father and the Son. Note that all who are effectively called are sanctified, and made partakers of a divine nature *(2 Pt. 1:4); for without holiness no man shall see the Lord **(Heb. 12:14). Observe; our sanctification is not our own work. If any are sanctified, they are sanctified by God the Father, not excluding Son or Spirit, for they are one, one God. Our corruption and pollution come from ourselves; but our sanctification and renovation are from God and his grace; and therefore if we perish in our iniquity we must bear the blame, but if we are sanctified and glorified all the honor and glory must be ascribed to God, and to him alone. The called and sanctified are preserved in Christ Jesus. “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5). The meaning is, that they owed their preservation wholly to him; and if they were brought to everlasting life, it would be only by him. What the apostle says here about those to whom he wrote, is true of all Christians. They would all fall away and perish if it were not for the grace of God keeping them. Since it is God who begins the work of grace in the souls of men, consequently it is He who carries it on, and perfects it. What He begins he will perfect; though we are fickle, he is unvarying. He will not forsake the work of his own hands ***(Ps. 138:8).Let us not therefore trust in ourselves, nor in our stock of grace that we have already received; but, instead, let us trust in him and in him alone.
*(2 Pt. 1.4) “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
**(Heb 12.14) “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” To follow (Gr dio¯ko¯) more precisely means to pursue. This is not a passive role that one just lets happen; it is an active concept that one must strive for. They must pray for a life of peace with both other believers and the world (I Tim 2:1–2); they must labor for it, too (Ps 34:14; Rom 12:18). Yet this must not be peace at any cost. We are to strive for peace and holiness, for without holiness no man can see the Lord. This holiness has been imputed through Christ to those who have made Him their Savior and Lord (10:10–14; II Cor 5:21; I Pet 2:24).”
***(Ps. 138.8) “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.”
If the view taken by Jude in this introduction to the epistle is correct, Jude maintained a close relationship with the Lord Jesus, since he, as well as James was, "the Lord's brother;" “But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:19). The reasons why he did not call attention to this fact, which would serve to designate him as a well-known person, with authority to address others in the manner in which he proposed to do in this epistle, probably were:
1) that the right to do this did not rest on his mere relationship to the Lord Jesus, but on the fact that the Lord had called certain persons to be His apostles, and had authorized them to do it; and,
2) that a reference to this relationship, as a ground for authority, might have created jealousies among the apostles themselves. We may learn from the fact that Jude merely calls himself "the servant of the Lord Jesus," that is, a Christian,
a. that this is a distinction more to be desired than would be a mere natural relationship to the Savior, and consequently
b. that it is a higher honour than any distinction arising from birth or family. Notice Matthew 12:46-50. “46While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Jude, who once doubted his brother’s teaching, finally realized the necessity of being related to Jesus by faith. Each believer has been individually called out by God. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). The Father has set believers apart from the rest of the world by providing for reconciliation with God through His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are called and set apart are also preserved or kept safe in Jesus Christ because He freely obeyed the Father’s will and endured the burden of mankind’s sin on the cross. “11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:11-12).
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Jude wishes mercy, peace, and love for his readers. The greeting is especially suited to those who were facing the onslaught from those whose aim was to undermine the faith. All our comfort flows from the mercy, peace, and love of God, all our real enjoyment in this life, all our hope for a better life. Mercy means God’s compassionate comfort and care for His beleaguered saints in times of conflict and stress. The mercy of God is the spring and fountain of all the good we have or hope for; mercy not only for the miserable, but also for the guilty. Although the word mercy is often used to describe the relationship among people, it is primarily used in the New Testament as the overriding blessing of God toward His people. Even the best men have no merit, and must receive every blessing and grace by the way of God’s mercy Next to mercy is peace, which we have from the sense of having obtained mercy. Peace is the serenity and confidence that come from reliance on God’s word and from looking above circumstances to the One who overrules all circumstances for the accomplishment of His own purposes. This is that same peace “beyond anything we can imagine” (Philippians 4:7). We can have no true and lasting peace except for what flows from our reconciliation with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. The same mercy springs from peace, so from peace springs love, his love for us, our love for him, and our brotherly love for one another. Love is the undeserved embrace of God for His dear people—a super-affection that should then be shared with others. The word used for love here is a?ap? (agape), of which the Lord God is the only source. This love is most clearly demonstrated by the fact that God gave His only Son to be the only acceptable sacrifice for mankind’s sin *(John 3:16). Such love is totally self-giving **(1 John 3:16).
*(John 3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The gospel in a nutshell. The love of God shown in action. (1) The source of love—God. (2) The extent of love—the world. (3) The sacrifice of love—He gave his only begotten Son. (4) The results of love—whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
**(1 John 3:16) “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
He wishes for these three blessings to be multiplied. Not measured out in meager amounts, but by multiplication! These things are mentioned as the choicest blessings which could be conferred on them: mercy—in the pardon of all their sins and acceptance with God; peace—with God, with their fellow-men, in their own consciences, and in the prospect of death; and love-to God, to the brethren, to the entire world.
These godly attributes are manifested in the believer through the indwelling Holy Spirit of the living God. By that same Spirit, these blessings continue to grow and bear fruit in the lives of believers.
II. Occasion of the Epistle. 3–4.
A. Change of the Purpose. 3.
3 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 had originally intended to write about the glorious salvation that is the common possession of all believers. But God’s Spirit so influenced this yielded scribe that he sensed a change of direction. A simple doctrinal essay would no longer do; it must be a fervent appeal that would strengthen the readers. They must be stirred up to contend earnestly for the faith. Attacks were being made on the sacred deposit of Christian truth, and efforts were already launched to whittle away the great fundamental doctrines. In order to combat this, God’s people must stand uncompromisingly for the inspiration, inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of God’s Holy Word.
Yet, in contending for the faith, the believer must speak and act as a Christian. As Paul wrote: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (2 Tim. 2:24). He must contend without being argumentative, and testify without ruining his testimony.
What we contend earnestly for is the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints. Notice that! Not “once upon a time” but once and for all. The body of doctrine is complete. The canon is finished. Nothing more can be added. “If it’s new it’s not true, and if it’s true it’s not new.” When some teacher claims to have a revelation which is above and beyond what is found in the Bible, we reject it out of hand. The last word has been delivered and we neither need nor heed anything else. This is our answer to the leaders of false cults with their books that claim equal authority with the Scriptures.
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you. This diligence is really “eagerness” to reveal the real purpose for him writing this Epistle. It is like saying, “Although I’ve wanted to write to you for a long time about our common salvation, I now find that there is a compelling necessity, I must write.” Common salvation is an abstract (theoretical) term like Christianity. Peter begins the first General Epistle with a discussion of salvation, as he does in his second epistle; so does Paul in all of his epistles, and Hebrews and James assume that their readers are saved. None of the epistles are primarily evangelistic; they are not like “gospel tracts,” but are written to Christians who have some specific need for correction, reproof, encouragement, or instruction. Here Jude sees that it was needful for me to write unto you. The word needful (Gr anangke¯) implies a compelling, pressing need; a serious problem has come up among the believers, and it must be dealt with. He had to write to encourage them to earnestly contend (Gr epago¯nizoman) for the faith. This word means “fight for” someone; here Jude is writing to encourage whatever “agonizing struggle” might be necessary to defend the good name of the faith. The faith is synonymous with “common salvation” or Christianity; they are to “fight for” the honor of the faith. Note that the emphasis is not on contention, but on the faith which is now described further as once delivered unto the saints. What is being promoted here is the apostolic preaching, that is, the Word of God, not an attitude of constant fighting with other believers. This is reinforced by the use of once, which is not the word for “once upon a time” assuming a considerable passage of time, but rather means “once for all,” and refers to the fact that the apostles preached this Word as a final and authoritative message which cannot now be changed by the false teachers.
Next, we must see to it that it is really the Christian faith that we believe, profess, propagate, and contend for; not the teachings of some TV evangelist, not any new age religion that stresses its own ideology instead of the inspired writings of the holy evangelists and apostles. Now observe:
I. The gospel salvation is a common salvation, that is, it is offered to all mankind; to those that the message reaches: because the commission that Jesus gave us says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:15, 16).
II. Surely God means what He says; he does not deceive us with vain words, like men do; and therefore none are excluded from the benefit of these gracious offers and invitations, except those who obstinately, unapologetically, finally exclude themselves. “Whoever will may come and drink of the water of life freely,” Rev. 22:17. "All good Christians meet in Christ the common head, are actuated by one and the same Spirit, are guided by one rule, meet here at one throne of grace, and hope shortly to meet in one common inheritance. This common salvation is the subject-matter of the faith of all the saints.
III. The apostles and evangelists all wrote to us about this common salvation. This cannot be doubted by those who have carefully read their writings. It is enough that they have fully declared to us, by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, all that is necessary for every one to believe and do, in order to obtain a personal interest in the common salvation.
IV. Those who preach or write about the common salvation should do it well: they should not allow themselves to offer to God or his people that which is not their best. They should be careful not to treat God irreverently, and man unjustly. The apostle (though inspired) gave all diligence to writing about the common salvation. What then will become of those who (though uninspired) give no diligence, or next to none, but say to the people (even in the name of God) quicquid in buccam venerit—whatever comes next, who, so that they use scripture-words, care not how they interpret or apply them? Those who speak of sacred things ought always to speak of them with the greatest reverence, care, and diligence.
V. Those who have received the doctrine of this common salvation must contend earnestly for it. Earnestly, not furiously. Those who strive for the Christian faith, or in the Christian life, must strive lawfully, or they lose their labor and run great danger of losing their crown,* 2 Tim. 2:5. Observe, those who have received the truth must contend for it. But how? As the apostles did; by suffering patiently and courageously for it, not by making others suffer if they will not immediately embrace every notion that we are pleased (proved or unproved) to call faith, or fundamental. We must not permit ourselves to be robbed of any essential article of Christian faith, by the cunning craftiness of any who lie in wait to deceive, **Eph. 4:14. The apostle Paul tells us he preached with much contention ***(1 Th. 2:2), that is (as I understand it), with earnestness, with a hearty zeal, and a great concern for the success of what he preached.
*(2 Timothy 2.5) “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”
Paul now speaks of one of his favorite subjects, that of athletics. Strive (Gr athleo¯) means to engage in athletic contests. To win the prize, he must strive lawfully (Gr nominos) or actually keep the rules of the game. To run the race of life one does not break God’s rules and get away with it. As the umpire of the game of life, God calls the fouls real close!
**(Eph. 4.14) “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
*** (1 Th 2.2) “But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
'Beloved. Beloved is an expression of strong affection used by the apostles when addressing their brethren: Romans 1:7, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ;” 1 Corinthians 4:14, “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you;” Philippians 2:12; “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”; and often elsewhere.”
when I gave all diligence to write unto you This phrase is a Grecism for being exceedingly intent upon a subject; taking it up seriously with determination to bring it to a good outcome. The meaning of the apostle seems to be this: "Beloved brethren, when I saw it necessary to write to you concerning the common salvation, my mind being deeply affected with the dangers to which the Church is exposed from the false teachers that are gone out into the world, I found it extremely necessary to write and exhort you to hold fast the truth which you had received, and strenuously to contend for that only faith which, by our Lord and his apostles, has been delivered to the Christians."
Some think that St. Jude intimates that he had at first wanted to write to the Church at large, on the nature and propose of the Gospel; but seeing the dangers to which the Churches were exposed, because of the false teachers, he changed his mind, and wrote intentionally, against those false doctrines, exhorting them strenuously to contend for the faith; some need impelled him to write at once, more briefly perhaps than he had purposed.
of the common salvation. The common salvation is the Christian religion, and the salvation which it brings. This is called common because it equally belongs to Jews and Gentiles; it is the saving grace of God which has appeared to every man, and equally offers to every human being that redemption which is provided for the whole world. There are great matters of religion that are held in common by all Christians, and it is important for religious teachers to address their fellow Christians on those common topics. After all, they are more important than the things which we may hold as peculiar to our own party or sect, and should be more frequently dwelt upon.
it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith. Jude longed to share the joys of salvation, which was the dominant theme uniting all of the Christian community, but an insidious cancer developing within the body of the believers threatened to destroy their peace and unity. Because of this, Jude saw that it was far more important to bring this battle into the open, to expose its heresy, and to encourage the believers to stand firm in the faith that had been delivered to them. Christians are not only to contend for their faith but to fight for it earnestly and wholeheartedly. The followers of Jesus Christ must be diligent, defending the faith that has been delivered to them with clarity of thought and strength of conviction in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The word faith as used here does not pertain to anyone’s personal relationship to Jesus Christ but refers to the doctrine consigned to them through the teachings of the apostles and the Scriptures. They were to forcefully uphold the true doctrine originally entrusted to them against the false doctrine infiltrating their ranks. One’s personal faith exists within the parameters of this great body of God-inspired truth. These are the teachings that must be defended against the onslaught of those who deny the authority of the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, as revealed in His Holy Word.
which was once delivered unto the saints. The saints are all Christians, holy (that is, consecrated to God) by their calling, and in God's plan.
B. Purpose of the Change. 4.
4 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.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, The nature of the threat is unveiled here in verse 4. The Christian fellowship was being invaded by subversive elements---"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" ( 2 Pe. 2.1). Certain men had wormed their way into the Christian fellowship, unnoticed; and, when in, began to sow their bad seed. It was an underground movement with stealth and deceit. Not long ago they were condemned in writing for the following reason: They are people to whom God means nothing. They use God’s kindness as an excuse for sexual freedom and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Who are these men? They are supposed ministers of the gospel. They hold positions of leadership in Christendom. Some are preachers or church council members or seminary professors. But they all have this in common—they are against the Christ of the Bible and have invented for themselves a permissive or legalistic “Christ”, stripped of glory, majesty, dominion, and authority.
Jude writes this short, powerful epistle to encourage us in the midst of this battle. He focuses our attention on a serious conflict within the body of believers between those truly called and those who only appear to be called. The latter labor within the church under the guise of the redeemed but are in truth under the penalty of death. They may look and sound good, but they are ungodly people.
who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, These false Christians were marked out for this condemnation. This seems to say that God selected these particular individuals to be doomed. But that is not the meaning. The Bible never teaches that some are chosen to be damned. When men are saved, it is through the sovereign grace of God. But when they are finally lost, it is because of their own sin and disobedience.
This expression, “who were before of old ordained to this condemnation,” teaches that the condemnation of apostates has been determined long beforehand. If men choose to fall away from the Christian Faith, then their condemnation is the same as that of the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness, the rebel angels, and the Sodomites. They are not foreordained to fall away, but once they do apostatize by their own choice, they face the punishment predetermined for all apostates. The text says these men were ordained to live under condemnation for this offense against the church of Jesus Christ. This simply means that all persons who falsely pervert the truth of the gospel are included in this judgment. Unfortunately, in our current age, there are many who serve our churches and espouse a doctrine that comes straight from Satan. They deny the only Lord God and the inerrant truth of His Scriptures. They affirm that the only criterion is sincerity. They commend other forms of religion that deny the true God. This is perversion because every man has sufficient evidence of Almighty God, so when he rejects the truth, he is without excuse. “From the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse. They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness” (Romans 1:20-21).
What was before . . . ordained was also "forewritten," namely, in Jude’s prophecy--"But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.” (Jude 1:17, 18). And in Paul's before that--"(1 Ti 4.1) “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” And--"(2 Ti 3.1) “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” The last days includes the whole church age. Paul stated these conditions would be prevalent in Timothy’s day, for he said to him, “from such turn away” (vs. 5). Perilous times are evident today as well; and by implication in the judgments which overtook the apostate angels. The disobedient Israelites, Sodom and Gomorrah, Balaam and Core, and which are written "for an example" *(Jude 1:7 , and Jude 1:5, 6, 11). God's eternal character as the Punisher of sin, as set forth in Scripture "of old," is the ground on which such apostate characters are ordained to condemnation. Scripture is the reflection of God's book of life in which believers are "written among the living." "Forewritten" is applied also in **Ro 15:4 to the things written in Scripture. Scripture itself reflects God's character from everlasting, which is the ground of His decrees from everlasting. BENGEL explains it as an abbreviated phrase for, "They were of old foretold by Enoch (Jude 1:14), who did not write his prophecies), and afterwards marked out by the written word."
*(Jude 1. 7, 5, 6, 11) “7Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.5I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”
(Ro 15.4) "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
ungodly men. Two prominent features of these ungodly persons are their depraved conduct and their corrupt doctrine. By their behavior, they turn the grace of God into vulgarity. They twist Christian liberty into license, and pervert freedom to serve, into freedom to sin. In their doctrine, they deny the only Lord; God and our Lord, they deny Jesus Christ. They deny His absolute right to rule, His deity, His shocking death, His resurrection—in fact; they deny every essential doctrine of His Person and work. While professing an unrestrained liberality in the spiritual realm, they are rigidly and fiercely opposed to the gospel, to the value of the precious blood of Christ, and to His being the only way of salvation.
Ungodly men live without God in the world, and have no regard for God and their own conscience. They perverted the truth of the gospel and in so doing undermined the grace of God. They are to be dreaded, and consequently they should be avoided, not only those who are wicked due to sins of commission, but also those who are ungodly due to sins of omission, who, for example, inhibit prayer before God, who dare not reprimand a rich man, when it is their duty to do so, for fear of losing His favor and the advantages they hope to obtain from him, and who do the work of the Lord without taking due care and attention. In the Bible all such persons, false doctrines, and impure practices, have been forbidden and condemned; and in the following verses the apostle immediately produces several examples, namely, the disobedient Israelites, the unfaithful angels, and the impure inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. The punishment of such men was also written down in the Bible: “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” (2 Peter 2.1).
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, Turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness— refers to making the grace and mercy of God a covering for crimes; insinuates that men might sin safely who believe the Gospel, because in that Gospel grace abounds. But perhaps, what is meant here is the goodness of God, for I cannot see how they could believe the Gospel in any way, and yet deny the Lord Jesus Christ; unless, which is likely, their denial refers to this, that while they acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah, they denied that He was the only Lord, Sovereign, and Ruler of the Church and of the world. There are many in the present days that hold the same opinion.
As discussed previously, the false teaching of Gnosticism taught that the spiritual realm and the physical realm were totally separate and incompatible. These imposters within the church believed that the Lord God ruled the spirit world but did not concern Himself with the things of the earth. Therefore, it was possible to pursue the special knowledge required to gain access to the spirit world while simultaneously indulging in the excessive pleasures of the flesh. Since one did not affect the other, the Gnostics did not perceive this as inconsistent with Christian teaching, although the early church quickly identified it as heresy. Jude cautioned his audience to be vigilant against these terrible fallacies that dilute and destroy the truth *(Ephesians 4:14).
e children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” God desires that we be stalwart Christians with doctrinal stability, spiritual perception, responsibility, and direction toward the goal. Too many are content to remain in weakness and immaturity, spiritual infancy. Tossed to and fro. Cast about as driftwood on the waves of the sea. This is a picture of instability, helplessness, and restlessness. Carried about with every wind of doctrine. Christians should not be whirled around in circles by every shifting wind of false doctrine. If not anchored in Christ, Christians are at the mercy of these ever-changing winds which blow unstable souls in every direction. By the sleight of men. By the deceit and dishonesty of the religious quacks. And cunning craftiness. These unscrupulous, scheming frauds stop at nothing to ensnare fickle souls by their clever deceit and treacherous trickery. Whereby they lie in wait to deceive. By deliberate planning and scheming deceit, they wrestle, twist, and pervert the Word of God (Acts 13:10; Gal 1:7; II Pet 3:16). The Christian’s only hope is to “search the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).
the grace of our God—A phrase for the Gospel especially sweet to believers who appropriate God in Christ as "our God," and so rendering the more loathsome the vile *perversity of those who turn the Gospel state of grace and liberty into a ground of **licentiousness, as if their exemption from the law gave them a license to sin.
*perversity--stubborn unreasonable behavior: being perverse, especially willfully persisting in actions that seem contrary to good sense or your own best interests
**licentiousness: sexually immoral: pursuing desires aggressively and selfishly, unchecked by morality, especially in sexual matters.
and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. These words may be translated, ‘Denying the only sovereign God, even our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Such imposters as we have here deny the Lord Jesus Christ. They do not deny the existence of Jesus but simply reject that He is Lord, the Christ, the Anointed One. They deny that He is God and that He is coming again. They deny that He paid for sin on Calvary, that He is Messiah and Savior, or even that they need a Savior. However, denying any or all of these facts does not alter the truth about them. One day, everyone will stand before Almighty God and acknowledge Who He is. In human terms, such people may be very moral, but from God’s perspective, they are immoral and spiritually bankrupt.
The remainder of Jude’s letter issues warnings and judgments against these kinds of people. They have always endeavored to destroy the work of Christ and will do so until Christ comes again. In the meantime, we are charged “to continue your fight for the Christian faith that was entrusted to God’s holy people once for all time.”
III. The Apostate Past. 5–7.
A. Israelite Apostasy. 5.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, *afterward destroyed them that believed not.
*Afterward: Greek, "secondly"; in the next instance "destroyed them that believed not," as contrasted with His in the first instance having saved them.
Like the Jews in the wilderness, the fallen angels, and the evil cities of the plain, these false Christians reject the authority of God. Their words are defiant and defiling. Like Cain (Gen. 4), they have no saving faith, but they do have religion. Like Balaam (Num. 22–24), they use religion as a way to make money; and like Korah (Num. 16), they defy the Word of God and the authority of God’s chosen servant.
I will therefore put you in remembrance. The believers to whom Jude was writing had already believed the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were also aware of the fact that a number of ungodly people had infiltrated their congregations and were a threat to the peace and security of the church. Because of this budding cancer, Jude was compelled to remind them of the ancient history of the Jewish people; specifically, of how God speaks judgments on sinners; the first example is recorded in *Deuteronomy 13:1–11, and it supports this verse.
*( Deuteronomy 13:1–11) “1If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. 5And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
6If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; 8Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: 9But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 11And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.”
Now what are these things which we Christians need to be put in remembrance of? There are four examples given in this passage. The first is found in this verse; the destruction of the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness. Paul reminds the Corinthians of this, *(1 Co. 10.1-10). No one, therefore, ought to presume upon their privileges, since many who were brought out of Egypt by a series of amazing miracles, eventually perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Let us not therefore be high-minded, but fear; "That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do not become haughty, but stand in awe" (Rom. 11:20). "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Heb 4:1: KJV). They had miracles in abundance: they received their daily bread; yet even they perished in unbelief. We have greater (much greater) advantages than they had; let their error (their so fatal error) be our awful warning.Let us therefore fear. God's promises are conditional. A rest is promised, but we must take heed that we do not come short of it by failing to keep the conditions.—People's New Testament, The
*(1 Co 10.1-10) “1Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”
though ye once knew this, St. Jude is to be understood as saying; I will therefore put you in remembrance, even though ye are THOROUGHLY instructed in this. That is, you were formerly made acquainted with these things, though they may not now be fresh in your recollection. The thing which seems to have been in the mind of the apostle was an intention to call to their recollection, facts with which they had formerly been familiar, and about which there was no doubt. It was the thing which we often endeavor to do in an argument—to remind a person of some fact which he once knew very well, and which bears directly on the case.
The Jewish people had often experienced the saving hand of the Lord Jehovah. However, that did not preclude His judgment on those who disobeyed Him within the context of His covenant.
how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, The bearing of this fact on the case, before the mind of Jude, seems to have been this—that, as those who had been delivered from Egypt were afterward destroyed for their unbelief (see footnote 23), or as the mere fact of their being rescued did not prevent destruction from coming on them, so the fact that these persons seemed to be delivered from sin, and had become professed followers of God, would not prevent their being destroyed if they led wicked lives. It might be inferred from the example of the Israelites that they would also be destroyed if they led wicked lives.
The Lord -- The oldest manuscripts and versions read, "Jesus." So "Christ" is said to have accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness; another example of how perfectly Jesus is one with the God of the Israelites.
Saved -- brought safely, and into a state of safety and salvation.
Saved the people. Delivered them from the Egyptian bondage.
*afterward destroyed them that believed not. First, those who believed not were destroyed--“I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.” (Num 14:35). That great tragedy in the wilderness before they entered into the Promised Land, you will remember, was called the “day of bitterness,” or “day of testing--"Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD" (Numbers 14:29, 37) . The greatest responsibility for that tragedy falls upon those “spies” or scouts who brought the “evil report.” They not only disbelieved themselves, but they caused the people of God to despair and disbelieve the Word of God. The result was that they were destroyed, because they neither believed His word, nor were obedient to His commands. This is the first example of what was mentioned in Jude 4 (see Numbers 14:22-37, for the story).
“Afterward,” (the second); that is, the second thing in order of occurrence. The expression is unusual in this sense, but the apostle seems to have fixed his mind on this event as a second great and important fact in regard to the Israelites. The first was that they were delivered; the second, that they were destroyed.
As the apostle Paul warns, this history provides an example of the judgment upon those who disregard the salvation that has been offered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Such judgment is reserved for all those who faithlessly reject the salvation that was purchased at such a great price. They may participate in the fellowship of the body of Christ, but they are frauds.
B. Angelic Apostasy. 6.
