JUDE

TRUE VS FALSE CHRISTIANITY

Author: Jude; His name means praise; The Hebrew version of his name is Judah; the Greek version of Jude is Judas.

• Most commonly accepted (due to Eusebius, an early church historian, held this view) that

• Jude was a brother to Jesus & James –

o Mk. 6:3 – Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda [Jude], and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?... (Matt. 13:55)

o This is the most commonly accepted author, because of Jude 1.

• Others believe he was Jude, the son of Alphaeus, brother of James in Acts 1:13 and Lk. 6:16.

Date: Probably between 67 – 80 A.D.

• It is believed that Jude wrote from Jerusalem, though this is not certain.

• Jude quotes directly from 2 Peter 3:3 in Jude 17-18

o v.9, 14-15 – initiates a peculiarity in this epistle that has caused its authority to be called into question: quotes from apocryphal writings.

o Origen (early Church Father) said that “Michael” here mentioned is from the Jewish work The Assumption of Moses.

 Others refer it to Zech. 3:1,– Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. - There is nothing there about Moses’ body, or Michael disputing its burial.

o Enoch’s writings are also quoted from in v. 14b-15.

 This book was known to the early church fathers, but had become lost except for a few fragments.

 The Book of Enoch was found in its entirety in 1773 in an Ethiopic Bible, was trans-lated into English by Archbishop Lawrence in 1821

 Enoch contains 5 parts: 1) Fall of the angels and a tour by an angel through heaven and earth; 2) Parables concerning God’s Kingdom, the Messiah, and the future; 3) Astronomical and physical matter; 4) Two visions of the history of the world to Messianic completion; and 5) exhortations of Enoch to Methu-selah and his descendants. (This book contains no Christian influence.)

Background: Written when Christianity was under severe political attack from Rome, with aggressive

Spiritual infiltration from false teachers purposely sowing doctrinal error.

1. Contending for the Faith – v. 1-4 – (v. 3 is central to and the key to True Christianity)

• Jude opens by commenting on his intention to write concerning “the common salvation,”

• However he was constrained by the Spirit to write concerning a different matter. V. 1

o He reminded the believers who they are in Christ: “called; sanctified; preserved.”

• All believers must earnestly /sincerely contend for the faith in the midst of apostasy.

• False teachers had crept into the church body, denying the faith and giving birth to apostasy.

o Apostate teachers are those Believers who have forsaken the faith, its truth and principles, for some other religion

• Warned to expose those teachers by revealing their character:

o V. 4 come into a group of Believers to settle in alongside without revealing their unscriptural beliefs – stealthy; secretive.

o Ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into lewdness – “greasy grace" comes to mind!

o Lewdness refers to unbridled lusts and passions – giving in and making excuses for their sinful conduct.

o V. 18-19 – Mockers

• Reminded – v. 5 & 17-19 – of God’s mercy and deliverance both by Moses and by our Lord Jesus.

2. Recognizing Apostasy from the faith: - v. 16-19

• Murmurers – someone who perpetually grumbles discontentedly. A murmur is a quiet utterance.

• Complainers – these blame fate, are querulous in their complaining because nothing satisfies them.

• Walk after their own desires – they long for what scripture forbids (past sins, addictions, lifestyle, etc.)

• Speak great swelling words – they are extravagant in their speaking – overly flattering; overly boastful; overly knowing more than others, etc.

• Admire those of advantage – they take advantage of a person’s position to benefit themselves; or wealth, or influence, etc., all for the benefit of themselves.

• Mockers scoff at the truth of scripture, holding it in derision to make excuses for their ungodly desires and pursuits. – “Well, I don’t interpret that verse/passage to mean what you think it does.”

• These actually give in to doctrine of men and of demons (v.6-8)

o Dreamers – Jer. 23:26-27, 32 – READ

 Rejecting authority and speaking evil of dignitaries - Jude 8

• Sensual persons who cause divisions – v. 19 – because they do not have the Spirit!

• II Peter 2 compares with Jude in dealing with apostacy and erroring hearts – stating its invasion, giving examples, exposing its activities, and warning of its dangers.

o All the unrepentant ungodly will be brought to eternal judgment by fire.

3. Keeping the Faith – v. 17-25

• God is always faithful to keep His elect from.

• Build yourself up on your most holy faith by:

o Praying in the Holy Spirit – this means speaking in tongues as well as being directed by the Holy Spirit in how to pray!

o Prayer includes worship as well as requests and intercessions.

• Keep yourself in the love of God by guarding your heart, your attitudes and motivations!

o Look for God’s mercy – partner with Him in showing mercy to others remembering your own need of His mercy.

o Have compassion on others while keeping yourself from whatever thing they are dealing with - in other words, compassionately help but avoid jumping into their sinking boat!

o Pull some out of the fire – with God’s loving compassion with II Tim. 3:16-17 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Final Thoughts – v. 24-25 – this should realign your heart and thoughts to our Wise God who holds all power and authority to keep us from stumbling and to present us faultless before Him!