Jude: The Fight for the Faith

Scripture: Jude 1:1-25 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified (term trans. “beloved”) by God the Father, and preserved (term trans. “kept”) in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and (THEME) exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ (could also be translated - “and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ”, both have the same referent - It’s JESUS!). I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference (better translated - who are doubting, the Greek word: diakrinw, refers to the questions one would pose when they are unsure of something) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh (better trans. “save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh”). Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling (also trans. stumbling), and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Book Background:

John MacArthur NASB Study Bible Notes (MacArthur)

Named for the author, one of Christ’s half brothers - Mt. 13:55, Mk. 6:3

Use of the phrase “Brother of James” gives real insight into who this is - James, the leader at the Jerusalem council and of the Jerusalem church would have been well-known to the hearers

Believed to be written from Jerusalem before its destruction at the hands of the Romans in AD 70, primarily b/c not mention of the destruction - to a primarily Jewish audience given his OT allusions

Vulnerable time for the church as it was under attack externally from Rome and internally from apostates and libertines - called to fight!

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (TBKC)

Content:

MacArthur

9 obvious OT allusions

“The Acts of the Apostates”

Only epistle devoted exclusively to confronting apostasy - defection form the true, biblical faith

Written to condemn apostates and urge believers to contend for the truth

TBKC - Beware of the apostates

“Here, in an undeveloped form, are all the main characteristics which went to make up later Gnosticism - emphasis on knowledge which was emancipated from the claims of morality; arrogance toward ‘unenlightened’ church leaders; lasciviousness” - Michael Green, The Second Epistle General of Peter and the General Epistle of Jude, p. 39

Gnosticism declared that the spirit was good and the material was evil - feed the spiritual with freedom to pursue its good inclinations; felt free to give vent to the desires of the flesh, the heart of this apostasy was that it turned the grace of God into license and lasciviousness

Jude wrote to warn of this dual apostasy of wrong conduct and false doctrine

Application: All believers need to avoid the pitfalls of denying Christ’s lordship, promiscuously following the fleshly desires, rejecting authority, being divisive, and living for self

Jude gave seven commands to believers:

Earnestly contend for the faith (v. 3)

Remember the teaching and warning of the apostles (v. 17)

Build yourselves up in the most holy faith (v. 20)

Pray in the Holy Spirit (v. 20)

Keep yourselves in the love of God (v. 21)

Look for the mercy of the Lord to bring you eternal life (v. 21)

Show mercy to Christians who are doubting, snatch unbelievers from the fire, and cautiously show mercy to the corrupt (vv. 22-23)

Outline:

Introduction: V. 1-2

-Who is the author?

Jesus Christ’s bond-servant (doulov)

Brother of James - the well-known leader of the Jerusalem church

TBKC - the most probably identification is the half brother of Jesus

-Who is the audience?

TBKC - The calling is the active work of the Holy Spirit; the love emanates from the Father; and the keeping work is the ministry of the Son - the entire Godhead is included in Jude’s salutation

Called - those who’ve answered God’s call to salvation

TBKC - reflects on the past-God’s sovereign call to salvation in His electing grace

Beloved in God the Father

TBKC - refers to the present, the verbal form of “loved” indicates that God’s love was manifested in the past but also continues in the present

Kept for Jesus Christ

MacArthur - God not only initiates salvation but He also completes it through Christ, thus preserving or keeping the believer secure for eternal life

Greeting

MacArthur - Mercy and peace was a common Jewish greeting; love was added to make this distinctively Christian

Mercy

Peace

Love

Theme: V. 3-4

-Initial Theme: V. 3 Our Common Salvation

-Present Theme: Contend Earnestly for the faith, for some ungodly characters are in your midst; or Fight for your faith as apostates abound

MacArthur - Jude wrote this urgent imperative for Christians to wage war against error in all forms and fight strenuously for the truth, like a soldier who has been entrusted with a sacred task of guarding a holy treasure

The Faith - the whole body of revealed salvation truth contained in the Scriptures; call to 1) know what you believe, 2) discern truth from error, and 3) willing to confront and attack error

Once for all handed down to the saints - speaks to the completeness of the Scripture, we need not add anything to Scripture for it is complete, stricter even still not to take away from it for it is complete

TBKC - contend: agonize earnestly

Characteristics of the ungodly

TBKC - These apostates were not followers of Christ who had erred, but intruders who did not belong and who sought to wreck the believers’ faith

RWP - Slip in secretly as if by a side door

*Long beforehand marked out for this condemnation

MacArthur - Apostasy and apostates in general were written about and condemned many centuries before - their doom was pre-written; these are found in this position because they have chosen the ungodly lifestyle and are therefore deserving of His judgment, marked down in the Scriptures before they came on the scene

Ungodly

MacArthur - lack of reverence for God was demonstrated by the fact that they infiltrated the church of God to corrupt it and gain riches from it people

Turn God’s grace into licentiousness - unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence

MacArthur - shameless lifestyle of one who irreverently flaunts God’s grace by indulging in unchecked and open immorality

Deny our Master and Lord - Jesus Christ

Only Master - the word from which we get Despot, an absolute ruler

MacArthur - Sovereign Lord

Lord - note how Jude freely uses this Title for Jesus, any reference to Lord in this passage refers to Jesus!

MacArthur - Honorable Lord

Warnings to and about the ungodly: V. 5-19

-The Warnings of History to the ungodly: V. 5-7

Warning to the ungodly unbelievers

Ye once knew this - (NASB: “though you know all things once for all”); this group has heard God’s Word before - they are familiar with the message, this is a reminder

MacArthur - In response to God’s miraculous deliverance, the nation of Israel did not believe, doubted, and defected form faith in God even to the extent of worshiping an idol of their own making, as well as murmuring against God (Nu. 13:25-14:4, Ex. 16:7-12)

Warning to the ungodly who follow after their ungodly lusts

Angels who did no keep their first estate - they refused to submit to God’s leadership and chose to follow their own desires

John Gill’s Expositor (GILL) - “strange flesh” meaning not other women besides their own wives, but men; and designs that detestable and unnatural sin, which, from these people, is called sodomy to this day; and which is an exceeding great sin, contrary to the light of nature and law of God, dishonourable to human nature, and scandalous to a nation and people, and commonly prevails where idolatry and infidelity do

MacArthur - Judgment ... great day - final judgment when all demons and Satan are forever consigned to the lake of fire, Rev. 20:15

Eternal fire - only a preview of the fire than can never be quenched in eternal hell

-Warnings of the Upcoming Judgment to the ungodly V. 8-16

MacArthur - [Dreaming] refers to a confused state of the soul or abnormal imagination, producing delusions and sensual confusion

TBKC - As dreamers, they are unrealistic in thinking their ways will bring satisfaction

By dreaming - defile flesh

By dreaming - reject authority

By dreaming - revile angelic majesties

GILL - this is to be understood either of angels, those glorious creatures, called thrones, dominions, &c. or ecclesiastical governors, who are set in the first and highest place in the church, and are the glory of the churches; or else civil magistrates, as before, who are the higher powers, and sit in high places of honour and grandeur

Narrative of dispute between Michael and the devil about the body of Moses

MacArthur - Can be found in pseudepigraphal Assumption of Moses wherein Michael buries Moses’ body to thwart some unknown diabolical purpose of the devil’s

Account gives us the illustration of how Christians are to deal with Satan and demons - seek the Lord’s intervening power against them

TBKC - The apostates’ slandering of celestial beings stands in arrogant contrast to the chief angelic being, Michael, who would not dare slander Satan, chief of the fallen angels

Revile what they don’t understand

MacArthur - lit. Blaspheme

Follow destructive impulses

The Way of Cain - rebellion against proper Worship

MacArthur - Cain openly rebelled against God’s revealed will regarding sacrifice

TBKC - this may mean they like Cain 1) disobediently devised their own ways of worship, 2) were envious of others, or 3) hated others with a murderous spirit

Error of Balaam, for pay - leading others into error for profit

MacArthur - Balaam devised a plan for Balak, king of Moab, to entice Israel into a compromising situation with idolatry and immorality which would bring God’s judgment

Perished in rebellion of Korah - rebellion against God-appointed authority, probably the church

MacArthur - Korah in addition to 250 Jewish leaders rejected the God-appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron in an attempt to impose his will upon God and the people

Hidden reefs in your love feasts

MacArthur - Hidden reefs-either hidden rocks or stains, the apostates were dirt spots, filth on the garments of the church

Love feasts - regular gathering of the early church to partake of the bread and cup, plus share a common meal

GILL - the design of which was to maintain and promote brotherly love; to refresh the poor saints, that they might have a full and comfortable meal now and then: their manner of keeping them was this; they began and ended them with prayer and singing

Feast with you (the church) without fear, caring for themselves

Robertson’s Word Pictures (RWP) - Shepherds that feed themselves (εαυτους ποιμαινοντες). "Shepherding themselves."

GILL - these were like the shepherds of Israel, who fed themselves, and not the flock

Clouds without water carried by the wind

MacArthur - apostates promise spiritual life but are like empty clouds who bring the hope of rain but in turn delivers nothing but dryness and death - they preach a false gospel leading only to hell

GILL - Now these false teachers looked like clouds, that promised rain, boasted of Gospel light and knowledge, but were destitute of it, wherefore their ministry was uncomfortable and unprofitable.

Fruitless Autumn trees, doubly dead and uprooted

TBKC - Dead condition of apostate leaders was indicated by two things: 1) didn’t bear spiritual fruit in others and 2) were without spiritual roots themselves and thus faced judgment

Wild waves casting up their shame like foam - promise of power and dynamics but produces shameful works

MacArthur - promise of a dynamic ministry but are exposed as workers of worthless shame

Wandering stars for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever

MacArthur - a meteor or shooting star which has an uncontrolled moment of brilliance and then fades forever into nothing; Apostates promise enduring spiritual direction, but deliver a brief, aimless, and worthless flash

TBKC - shooting stars move across the sky, shining briefly and then vanish without producing light or giving direction; fixed stars help guid navigators, but wandering stars are useless to them; apostate leader ... lead unwary followers astray, pretending to be what they are not

These apostates ... were impostors who would be judged according to their evil deeds

Enoch’s Message

The Lord, in the ultimate display of strength, will judge all and convict the ungodly in word and deed - the final judgment

MacArthur - four-fold use of the term “ungodly” indicates the core problem: failure to reverence God

TBKC - [Apostates are] Vocally discontented, sinfully self-centered, extravagantly egotistical, and deceptively flattering

Grumblers

MacArthur - this word was used in the LXX to describe to describe the murmurings of Israel against God

Barnes - The sense is that of repining or complaining under the allotments of Providence, or finding fault with Gods plans, and purposes, and doings.

Finding fault

Clarke - persons whom neither God nor man can please

Follow their own lusts

MacArthur - commonly used to describe the unconverted, meaning that these individuals do not know Christ

Speak arrogantly

Flattering others to gain something

MacArthur - they tell people what they want to hear for profit

-The Warnings of the Scripture about the ungodly to the godly: V. 17-19

Remember the words of the apostles

In the last days there will come mockers who follow their own ungodly lusts

They cause divisions

Worldly-minded

TBKC -natural instincts

Devoid of the Spirit

The Present Activity of the godly: V. 20-23

-Relationship with Jesus (V. 20-21)

Building yourselves* up on most holy faith

Praying in the Holy Spirit

MacArthur - a call to pray consistently in the will and power of the Spirit

TBKC - “praying out of hearts and souls that are indwelt, illuminated, and filled with the Holy Spirit” George Lawrence Lawlor, Translation and Exposition of the Epistle to Jude; praying in the power of the Holy Spirit

Keep yourselves* in the love of God - fellowship!!!!!!

MacArthur - establishes the believer’s responsibility to be obedient and faithful by living out his salvation while God works out His will; remain in obedience to God where He can pour out His love on you

Waiting anxiously for Jesus’ mercy unto eternal life

-Relationship with others (V. 22-23)

Mercy on those doubting

Save others, snatching them out of the fire

RWP - Firemen today literally do this rescue work. Do Christians?

Mercy with fear, hating the garment polluted by the flesh

MacArthur - Thoroughly polluted by apostate teaching; give them the true Gospel with great fear lest the deliverer be contaminated also; defiled garment pictures the apostate’s debauched life, which can spread its contagion to the well-meaning evangel

Conclusion: V. 24-25

-Who is Jesus?

Able to keep us from stumbling

RWP - sure-footed as of a horse that does not stumble

Able to make us stand in the Presence of His Glory, blameless and with great joy

RWP - right down before the eye of his glory

-Our Great God

Only God

Our Savior

To Him, through Jesus, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority - eternally!

RWP - As complete a statement of eternity as can be made in human language.

Profile of an Apostate: Thomas Nelson 1997c Ungodly (v. 4) Grumblers (v. 16) Morally perverted (v. 4) Fault finders (v. 16) Deny Christ (v. 4) Self seeking (v. 16) Defile the flesh (v. 8) Arrogant speakers (v. 16) Rebellious (v. 8) Flatterers (v. 16) Revile holy angels (v. 8) Mockers (v. 18) Dreamers (v. 10) Cause division (v. 19) Ignorant (v. 8) Worldly minded (v. 19) Self-destruction (v.10 Without the Spirit (v. 19)