Please follow along in your Bible as we read the book of Jude together as a church. We also encourage you to take notes and ask questions. If you’re not part of a small group, this is a great opportunity to join one.
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1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day– 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.
14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. —The Epistle of Jude
I. Introduction to Jude
- A. Overview
B. Author: Jude
- Self-identification
a. Servant of Jesus Christ
b. Brother of James Identity considerations
a. Jude is the English version of the Greek name Judas, which translates the Hebrew name Judah
b. Two possibilities- The Apostle Jude
- Jude, the half-brother of Jesus
c. Rationale for Jude, the half-brother of Jesus
The Apostle Jude can be ruled out because he was the son of, not the brother of, a man named James (Luke 6:16)
and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. —Luke 6:16
The writer of Jude refers to the Apostles as if he is not one of them (v. 17)
But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. —Jude 17
The fact that he does not mention he is the half-brother of Jesus is similar to James, another half-brother of Jesus who wrote the book of James and was the head of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15)
- Self-identification
- C. Uniqueness of Jude
- There are no indicators for the date of writing, other than an indication that Apostolic age is in the past (v17)
- There is no particular church or group identified as the recipient, but internal evidence would indicate his intended audience was Jewish believers
- Arguably one of the strongest voices of denunciation of false teachers shares the same name as the most notorious apostate, Judas.
- D. What can we expect to learn?
- Understanding our
- Contending for the faith is not
- One of the biggest enemies of the Church is not the world but the
- Spiritually we are kept by God, but we are also responsible for
- Understanding our
II. Critical consideration for contending for the faith (our identity) – Jude 1
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: —Jude 1
A. Called
- In Greek grammar, this is the main word but it is last grammatically
- Grammatically the next two phrases are in apposition to this word
- It reflects God’s past action in calling us to salvation and setting us apart – II Timothy 1:8-9
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, —II Timothy 1:8-9
B. Beloved in God the Father
- Beloved is a perfect passive participle meaning God’s love for us in the past continues in the present and into the future
- It is out of this love that God’s protection for His people flows
C. Kept for Jesus Christ
Kept is also a perfect passive participle meaning that we are under guard either for or by Christ - John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. —John 10:27-28
The passive aspect indicates that our keeping is not of our power; however, we should note our responsibility in v. 21
keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. —Jude 21
We need not
Small Group Questions
What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.
What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind?
Do you feel prepared to contend for the faith? If not, what steps do you need to take to get ready?
Do you see any perversion of the truth taking place in the modern church? How can we battle it?
Why is understanding our identity so crucial to our readiness to contend for the faith?