Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying the book of Jude as a continuation of our study in 2 Peter warning against false teachers and false doctrine infiltrating the church.
Jude, is a powerful and urgent message that deserves our attention. Written by Jude, a half-brother of Jesus, this short letter is a fiery call to believers to contend for the faith against false teachers and heretics who were infiltrating the early church.
Jude's epistle serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of spiritual complacency and the importance of vigilance in maintaining our Christian convictions. Through vivid imagery and powerful warnings, he urges believers to stand firm against those who would undermine the truth of the gospel.
In this Bible study, we will delve into the key themes and messages of the Book of Jude. We will explore the nature of the false teachers, the warning signs of their destructive influence, and the practical steps believers can take to resist their teachings. By understanding the context and content of this epistle, we can gain valuable insights into how to navigate the challenges of our own spiritual journeys and remain steadfast in our faith.
Let us embark on this journey together, seeking to understand and apply the timeless truths found in the Epistle of Jude.
We are using for our study Be Alert (2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude): Beware of the Religious Impostors
Jude is the shortest book in the New Testament, yet it packs a powerful punch.
Since the author of this epistle was the brother of James, this would make him the half brother of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:1 NIV [1] Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
Mark 6:3 NIV Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
It's important to note that while Jude isn't explicitly mentioned in Mark 6:3, there's strong evidence elsewhere in the New Testament that he was indeed Jesus' brother.
The Epistle of Jude, for example, clearly identifies the author as "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James."
Ultimately, the exact reason for Jude's omission from Mark 6:3 may remain a matter of scholarly debate. However, the overall biblical narrative clearly establishes him as a close family member and a follower of Jesus.
John 7:5 NIV For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
It’s interesting that Jesus' brothers and sisters in the flesh did not believe in Him while He was ministering, but after the resurrection, James was one of the people Jesus appeared to
1 Corinthians 15:7 NIV[7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
We can assume that James convinced his brother that Jesus was who He said He was and that he too believed and was saved.
Acts 1:14 NIV They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
So much for the identification of the author. Why did Jude write this letter? To warn his readers that the apostates were already on the scene! Peter talked about this in the letter we just finished
2 Peter 2:1-3 NIV [1] But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. [2] Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. [3] In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Apparently Jude wrote to the same believers who had received Peter’s letters, intending to stir them up and remind them to take Peter’s warnings to heart.
1 Peter 1:1 NIV [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
There are a number of parallels between Jude and 2 Peter as we will see as we study this fascinating letter.
The exact date of the Book of Jude's writing is uncertain. However, based on its content and style, most scholars place it between the mid-60s to the early 80s AD.
Here are some factors that contribute to this estimate:
Similarities to 2 Peter: The Book of Jude shares many similarities with the Second Epistle of Peter, leading many to believe they were written around the same time.
References to false teachers: The letter addresses false teachers who were infiltrating the early Christian church, suggesting a time period after the death of Jesus but before the widespread persecution of Christians.
Jude's Greeting
Jude 1:1-2 NIV [1] Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: [2] Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Jude is writing to a people who have been called out or set apart through the salvation offered through the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Who does Peter call these people?
1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV [9] But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Because they are set apart and preserved, they (we) are the recipients of God’s choicest blessings: mercy, peace, and love.
[2] Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
God in His mercy does not give us what we deserve. Instead, He gave our punishment to His own Son on the cross.
Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV[4] Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. [5] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
The unsaved person is at war with God and cannot please Him
Romans 8:7-8 NIV [7] The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. [8] Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
Because of Christ’s work on the cross, believers enjoy peace
Romans 5:1-2 NIV[1] Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
The Christian also experiences God’s love. The cross is God’s demonstration of love
Romans 5:6-8 NIV [6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Certainly those who know Christ as their Savior enjoy a unique position. They are called by God to be set apart for God that they might enjoy love with God. While their fellowship with the Father might change from day to day, their relationship as children cannot change. They are “preserved in Jesus Christ.”
Identifying the Enemy
Jude 1:3-4 NIV [3] Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. [4] For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
Jude set out to write an encouraging letter about “the common salvation.” But the Spirit of God changed his mind and led Jude to write about the battle against the forces of evil in the world. Why? Because it was “needful” for the church.
Jude is in effect declaring war on the apostates who were and are false teachers. Here is the definition of an apostate. The formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous religious beliefs. What did we say was the worst heresy?
2 Peter 2:1 NIV [1] But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
The first thing he does is to describe and identify them.
They were ungodly they might have “a form of godliness,” but they lacked the force of godliness that lives in the true Christian
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV [1] But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. [2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, [4] treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— [5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
They were deceitful (v. 4c). They “crept in unawares.” The Greek word means “to slip in secretly, to steal in undercover.” In other words they were wolves in sheep's clothing.
Galatians 2:4 NASB2020 Yet it was a concern because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy on our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.
Peter warned that these men were coming.
How could false brethren get into true assemblies of the saints? The spiritual leaders in the churches had grown complacent and careless. This explains why Jude had to blow the trumpet to wake them up.
They were enemies of God’s grace . Why did they enter the churches? There plan was to turn the doctrine of God's grace into To attempt to change the doctrine and “turn the grace of our God into a license to satisfy the human desires for pleasure
Galatians 5:19-21 NIV [19] The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Peter had already warned these people that the apostates would argue, “You have been saved by grace, so you are free to live as you please!”
2 Peter 2:13-14, 19 NIV [13] They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. [14] With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!
[19] They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”
The apostates, like the cultists today, use the Word of God to promote and defend their false doctrines. They seduce young, immature Christians who have not yet been grounded in the Scriptures. If nobody mentors them they will become spiritual dropouts.
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