A REVIEW OF THE LETTER OF JUDE

INTRODUCTION-- Jude 1-2 "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied."

1. (NOTE: Clarke surmises that the inspired author is "Probably Jude the apostle, who was surnamed Thaddeus and Lebbeus.") (See lists below.)
   
   1. Matthew 10:2-4 "(KJV) Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him." (ASV drops the name Lebbaeus.)
      
   2. Luke 6:16 "Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor;"
      
   3. Acts 1:13 "And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were abiding; both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James."
      
2. Jude is called a general letter to all Christians, Jew and Gentile.
   
3. They are "called, beloved in God, and kept for Jesus Christ."
   
4. Jude's theme is Faithfulness, in view of the infiltration of "ungodly men."

LESSON--

1. Jude states his purpose in writing. Vs. 3-4 "Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
   
   1. Jude's expression, "common salvation," equates Peter's "like precious faith," 2 Peter 1:1
      
   2. His expression, "contend earnestly for the faith," equates Paul's "fight the good fight of the faith." 1 Timothy 6:12
      
   3. "The faith....once for all delivered to the saints" equates with Paul's rebuke in Galatians 1:6-9 "I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; 7 which is not another gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema."
      
   4. Why should we contend for the faith, earnestly? Jude answers in Vs. 4. "For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
      
      1. They turned grace (the favor of God) into lasciviousness (unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence). Take your choice!
         
      2. They denied Jesus as the only master and lord. Compare......
         
         1. 1 John 2:22-23 "Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also."
            
         2. 2 Peter 2:1-2 "But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of."
            
2. Unfaithfulness is punishable. Jude gives three examples in Vs 5-7. "(1st) Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 (2nd)And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 (3rd) Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire."
   
   1. Example #1 is compared to 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 "For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and did all eat the same spiritual food; 4 and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ. 5 Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness."
      
   2. Example #2 is compared to 2 Peter 2:4. "For....God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;"
      
   3. Examples #3 is compared to 2 Peter 2:6. "....turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly;"
      
3. Jude's description of the ungodly men who "crept in privily" fits the pattern of all who are unfaithful. Vs. 8-16 "Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities. 9 But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed. 11 Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved forever. 14 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage."
   
   1. They "defile the flesh."
      
      1. This includes more than carnal lust. Mark 7:18b-23 "(Jesus said) ...... .......whatsoever from without goeth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, and goeth out into the draught? This he said, making all meats clean. 20 And he said, That which proceedeth out of the man, that de-fileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 covet-ings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: 23 all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man."
         
      2. We are to cleanse our defilements. 2 Corinthians 7:1 "...beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
         
   2. They "set at nought dominion," or do not respect authority. (See Paul.)
      
      1. 1 Corinthians 14:37 "If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord."
         
      2. 2 Thessalonians 3:14 "And if any man obeyeth not our word by this epistle, note that man, that ye have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed."
         
   3. They "rail at dignities."
      
      1. Vs. 9-10 gives an example of this. "But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed."
         
      2. Compare Zechariah 3:1-2. "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. 2 And Jehovah (in the form of an angel?) said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?"
         
   4. Cain, Balaam, and Korah are their "role-models." Vs. 11 "Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah."
      
      1. Cain = jealousy.
         
      2. Balaam = avarice.
         
      3. Korah = ambition.
         
   5. Jude then uses some metaphorical comparisons. Vs. 12-13 "These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shep-herds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wan-dering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved forever."
      
      1. Here, Jude applies a prophecy of Enoch, the 7th from Adam. Vs. 14-15 "And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
         
      2. This was an oral tradition, perhaps, but its veracity is preserved here by an inspired writer. Compare Hebrews 11:5 "By faith Enoch was trans-lated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing unto God:"
         
   6. Jude's final indictments are in Vs. 16. "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage."
      
      1. "Murmurers." Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and questionings:"
         
      2. "Complainers." Colossians 3:12-13 "Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:"
         
      3. "Walking after their lusts." 1 Peter 4:1-2 "Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God."
         
      4. "Speaking great swelling words." 2 Peter 2:18 "For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error;"
         
      5. "Showing partiality for the sake of advantage." James 2:1-4, 9-10 "My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing; 3 and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool; 4 Do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? .........9 but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all."
         
4. Forewarned against the intrustions of such men, we have two tasks---to save ourselves, and to save others. Vs 17-23 "But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 That they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have mercy, who are in doubt; 23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."

CONCLUSION-- Jude ends his short letter with praise to God for His guardianship. Vs. 24-25 "Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, 25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen."