The Book of Jude

Written by the half brother of Jesus Christ around AD 70-80.


The thrust of his message: Beware of pretenders who

1. pervert the grace of God into license to sin (v 4).
2. partake of the Lord’s Supper without fear (v 12).
3. are deceptive flatters (v 16).
4. are causers of division (v 19).

The false teachers taught that salvation by God’s grace allowed them to sin without condemnation. Jude countered by using three examples:
(i) Unbelievers were destroyed after their delieverance from Egypt (v5).
(ii) Sinning angels were kept in eternal bonds to await judgment (v6).
(iii) Sodom & Gomorrah were judged by fire (v7).

These pretenders were described in a three-fold term (v8,11):
(i) Defile the flesh (promote loose living) – way of Cain (he had a carnal attitude when he killed Abel).
(ii) Reject authority (truth is not absolute; everything is relative) – rebellion of Korah (rejected Moses' authority).
(iii) Revile angelic beings (no fear of God) – error of Balaam (went ahead despite angelic intervention).

The challenge for the believers is to contend earnestly for our faith (v 3). We are to
(i) fight for sound doctrine on the major issues of faith.
(ii) build ourselves up in our faith by praying in the Holy Spirit (v 20).
(iii) keep ourselves in God’s love (v 21).
(iv) save others from the error of their ways (v 23).

Are you contending earnestly for your faith or do you allow the things of this world to get a hold of you?