Fight the good faith and expose heresy (Chap.1.)
Introduction and purpose: (1:1-4)
Although Jude is one of the most neglected books in the New Testament, its message is ever relevant and needs to be heard by the Church today.
The name “Jude” is literally “Judas.” But to avoid connection with Judas Iscariot, the infamous man who betrayed Jesus, most English translators have used the name “Jude.”
There are six people named “Judas” mentioned in the New Testament, but the best evidence is found in (Matt.13:55, Mk. 6:3) : Jude, the half-brother of Jesus. Jude like the other half-brothers of Jesus (including James), didn’t believe in Jesus as the Messiah until after the resurrection of Jesus (Jn. 7:5;Acts 1:14).
Jude’s initial desire was to write about our common salvation. But something happened – Jude found it necessary to write a different letter. The letter of Jude is essentially a sermon. In it, Jude preached against the dangerous practices and doctrines that put the gospel of Jesus Christ in peril. In other words, the letter of Jude is like a surgeon wielding the sword to cut the cancerous tissues which are trying to spread the entire body.
Jude exhorts all the Christians to “contend earnestly for the faith” (1:3) which means:
-
- Believers struggle is continuous.
- Believers must give an unflinching witness, strengthen the hands of faithful pastors and missionaries who honour the Word of God and preach to the world.
- Believers must withhold support and encouragement from those who compromise the faith, when we speak out against the preaching of another gospel, or speak out against a manner of living that contradicts the message of the gospel.
- All believers must live in order to build the ‘body of Christ.’
6-examples of God’s judgement: (verses 5-7,11, 14-15)
- Delivered from Egypt but failed to reach the promised land: Jude reminds us of what happened in (Num.14:30 ff). God redeemed the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. They all left Egypt with great joy but when they came to a place called Kadesh Barnea, on the threshold of the Promised Land the people refused to trust God and go into the Promised Land of Canaan. With the result none of that generation entered into the Promised Land except Joshua and Caleb. The people had many blessings from God along the way. But they did not endure to the end, because they did not believe God’s promise of power and protection.
- The fallen angels (1:7): Jude looks to what had happened from the details given in the “Book of Enoch” in the Apocrypha (Apocrypha is not a part of the Bible). About 200 fallen angels seduced women and on the Mount Hermon and their horrible intercourse produced ghastly hybrid creatures called Nephilim also known as giants. God has His order of life, angels having sex with human beings is as offensive to Him as human beings having sex with animals. The result of this behaviour was that violence filled the earth, and perverted sex and occultism were rampant. For this reason God was grieved for creating man. So God’s people did not escape judgement, even the angels did not escape judgement when they sinned.