Do We Need to Defend our Faith?
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Intro
Intro
When Jude sat down to compose his letter, he wanted to write about salvation, but felt compelled to caution his audience about false teachers who had slipped into their congregation (v. 3–4). His descriptions paint a scathing portrait of these spiritual charlatans. Stealthy and crafty, they presented themselves as bearers of the good news. Defensive walls wouldn’t have helped the community Jude addressed, because these leaders were already inside.
Jude, like most New Testament letters, was written to an entire church (or several churches). It would have been read aloud to the gathered community. Reading the letter aloud (or listening to someone read it) helps you experience it in the same way as its original recipients.
Think about Jude’s purpose in writing the letter. What groups does he identify? What does he say about them?
What is the relationship between the two instructions Jude gives in Jude 21 (compare 1 John 4:9)?
In Jude 20–21, Jude refers to all three members of the Trinity (“the Holy Spirit,” “God,” and “Lord Jesus Christ”). What features does Jude attribute to each one? How often do you think about each member of the Godhead?
Jude lists three ways of reacting to others in Jude 22–23. What are the ways? What does it mean to “have mercy on those who doubt”? How does that differ from showing “mercy with fear” to others?
Jude suggests an antidote for spiritual lethargy and false teachings: We can build ourselves up in the faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves and others in the love of God, and looking forward to the eternal life we enjoy through Christ’s sacrifice (Jude 20–21). But ultimately, as Jude points out, the best protection from temptation comes from relying on God, “who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (v. 24).
Start with
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
1 Jude (short for Judas) is the brother not only of James, current leader of the Jerusalem church, but half-brother of Jesus as well (cf. ).
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
Before the Resurrection Jude did not believe in Jesus. Now, he not only believed; he defended the faith. Yet in so doing, he still considered himself a servant—a willing slave—of his older half brother.
21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
Do you think the possibility exists for false teaching to happen in our church? (informerly or formerly)
His readers are called … loved by God the Father, and kept by Jesus Christ. We take them to be Jewish Christians living in Palestine (see Book Profile). Jude was fond of presenting information in triads (threes). Called looks to the past (Rom. 1:6; 8:30; Eph. 4:4); loved looks to the present (1 John 4:8–10); while kept looks to the future (1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:5).
He wished mercy, peace and love (another triad) for his readers—a typical greeting of the culture and time. This greeting reflected a gracious concern for the welfare of his readers.
urging them to contend for the faith. Why? Because false teachers, godless people, had secretly slipped in among them.
3–4. Jude’s preference was to write a pleasant and encouraging letter on the subject of their common salvation. Circumstances pressed upon him, however, so that he wrote a brief but intense and potent warning against false teachers in the church. He jumped right to the point, urging them to contend for the faith. Why? Because false teachers, godless people, had secretly slipped in among them.
Examples of False Teachings:
believed that the spirit was good (created by God) while the flesh was bad (not created by God). The spirit was not touched by the flesh, or it would be contaminated. Therefore, they assumed that they could indulge every fantasy of the flesh, since their spirit was not affected.
They twisted the grace of God, claiming that God would overlook any sin, because sin was a product of the flesh.
The second sin they are charged with is denying Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. These false teachers might have taught that since the flesh is bad, Jesus could not be the Son of God. In their view, God could not assume human flesh without contaminating himself. They denied the true humanity of Christ and perverted the biblical truth of Jesus.
2 Peter 2:3. Others look to the prophecies of Paul in Acts 20:29–30. Some think he refers to Jesus’ teachings, such as Matthew 7:15; 13:24–25; or Mark 13:22. Still others take it back all the way to the Old Testament.
3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Biblical grace means forgiveness and power to overcome sin, not permission to act immorally.
These godless people are charged by Jude with two serious sins. First, they change the grace of our God into a license for immorality. They were the forerunners of people called Gnostics (see Deeper Discoveries, 1 John 1), who This theory resulted in flagrant immorality and perversion.
“They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (Titus 1:16). Like later Gnostics, they may have denied that the Creator God was the only or highest God, and they may have claimed that Jesus was a mere man on whom the Holy Spirit descended at his baptism but left before his crucifixion.
4 whose condemnation was written about long ago. Earlier false prophets had insisted that because of God’s special favor for his people, judgment would not come on them—a teaching that led to sin (Jer 6:14; 8:11; 23:17; Eze 13:10, 16; Mic 3:5). the grace of our God. Biblical grace means forgiveness and power to overcome sin, not permission to act immorally.
How should we today contend for the faith?
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Are you prepared to answer these questions?
Are you prepared to answer these questions?
"How do you know what you believe is true? What about other religions?"
"How do you know God exists?"
"The Bible has been changed so much and is full of contradictions"
"How can there be a loving God when evil and suffering exist?"
"The Resurrection is a hoax, a myth"
If not you need to be. How do you prepare?
If not you need to be. How do you prepare?
Move to Jude 20-23
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Jude 20-23
Comparisons
Comparisons
Compare with .) How do the two writers encourage their readers to avoid false teachings?
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
What is the relationship between the two instructions Jude gives in (compare )?
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
In , Jude refers to all three members of the Trinity (“the Holy Spirit,” “God,” and “Lord Jesus Christ”). What features does Jude attribute to each one? How often do you think about each member of the Godhead?
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Jude lists three ways of reacting to others in . What are the ways? What does it mean to “have mercy on those who doubt”? How does that differ from showing “mercy with fear” to others?
22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
How does this apply to us? How do we “build ourselves up”?
20 praying in the Holy Spirit. Presumably Spirit-inspired prayer (see note on v. 19); cf., e.g., 1Ch 25:3; see note on Eph 5:19.
To build oneself up in the most holy faith means to grow spiritually. Fundamental to such growth is to learn as much as possible of the truth of Scripture and to set one’s life to believe and obey it.
20–21. Knowing the reality of false teachers, how do we safeguard ourselves against them? The niv seems to suggest three instructions, but the Greek gives us four participles: building, praying, keeping, and expecting. To arm ourselves against false teachers, we must (1) build yourselves up in your most holy faith, (2) pray in the Holy Spirit, (3) keep yourselves in God’s love, and (4) wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
If we want to be trained in righteousness and equipped for every good work, we must make the Scriptures a central part of our lives.
The most holy faith is that which was once for all entrusted to the saints (v. 3). It embodied the teaching of Jesus and the apostles and is now recorded in the Scriptures. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). If we want to be trained in righteousness and equipped for every good work, we must make the Scriptures a central part of our lives.
To build oneself up in the most holy faith means to grow spiritually. Fundamental to such growth is to learn as much as possible of the truth of Scripture and to set one’s life to believe and obey it. The most holy faith is that which was once for all entrusted to the saints (v. 3). It embodied the teaching of Jesus and the apostles and is now recorded in the Scriptures. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). If we want to be trained in righteousness and equipped for every good work, we must make the Scriptures a central part of our lives.
Keeping oneself in God’s love does not suggest that our salvation depends on our own effort, but rather that we live in faith and obedience to God. Repeatedly in his Gospel and in his first epistle, John reminds us that if we love God, we keep his commandments (John 15:10; 1 John 3:24). So keeping ourselves in God’s love must include keeping God’s commandments from the heart (Rom. 6:17). Keeping those commandments finds its ultimate expression in love of the brothers (1 John 3:14; cf. 1 Thess. 4:10; 1 Pet. 1:22; 3:8).
To wait for the mercy of our Lord … to bring eternal life probably refers primarily to the hope of Christ’s return. Jesus might come at any moment. Titus 2:13 captures the idea: the “blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Waiting in hope infuses all of life with expectancy and the desire to do all that Jesus expects of us so we will have no shame when he returns. This expectant waiting is a fourth means of building ourselves up.
Even if Jesus doesn’t come in our lifetime, when we die and go into the presence of the Lord, we will receive his mercy and eternal life. That promise should be enough to motivate us to resist false teachers and to obey Christ by building ourselves up through prayer, love, and hope.
22–23. After we have safeguarded ourselves by building ourselves up in the faith, we are to look out for three groups of people. First, less mature Christians might begin to doubt their walk with the Lord because of the smooth and convincing false teaching they hear. Therefore, the more mature believers need to be merciful to them. Such mercy forgives the false steps of new believers and guides them to build up their own faith in Bible study, prayer, love, and hope.
Others probably refers to non-Christians, who do not doubt their faith (they have nothing yet to doubt), but who might be warned of coming judgment. If they repent, they will be snatched from the fire of hell.
The phrase to others refers to the godless people whose lives are so degenerate that their clothes smell like rotting flesh. To these people, we are to show mercy, but to do so with a very cautious attitude (mixed with fear), apparently so we do not become contaminated by their sin.
23 snatching them from the fire … clothing stained by corrupted flesh. In Zec 3:2, 4 the high priest is snatched from the fire and delivered from his filthy clothes. (In Zec 3:2 the Lord also rebukes Satan; cf. Jude 9.)
Finish with
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Compare verse 24 to . What comfort do you take from this?
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
SUPPORTING IDEA: To God, who is able to keep us from falling into the snare of the godless ones, be great glory now and forever.
The comforting affirmation that God is able to keep you from falling away from the faith. Joy permeates us when we grasp the power and glory of our Lord. False teachers, false doctrine, and false fears of failure cannot make us fall, for God keeps us. We affirm his glory, majesty, power and authority, which he works through Jesus, who will present you before his glorious presence without fault.
Final judgment has no fear. God will be our representative there. His saving work in Jesus will speak for us.
MAIN IDEA REVIEW: Defend the faith against false teachers. Strengthen yourselves, and be merciful to those who are weak.
PRINCIPLES
• False teachers are a danger to Christianity.
• False teachers are persuasive and convincing.
• Spiritual maturity is our protection against false teachers.
• Immature people may need help in resisting false teaching.
• The hope of heaven is a great motivator for life on earth.
APPLICATION
• Pay close attention to Bible teachers. They may be 95 percent accurate and 5 percent heresy.
• Commit yourself to spiritual maturity through Bible study, prayer, love, and hope.
• Be on the lookout for others in danger so you can show them mercy and help.
• Focus on your hope in heaven for strength for the present journey.
ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION
1. Describe the relationship Jude says we as Christian believers have with God.
2. How can we recognize false teachers?
3. How can we prepare ourselves to oppose false teachers?
4. Contrast the hope we have with the hope of false teachers.
5. How does Jude’s quotation of Enoch contribute to our understanding of the inspiration of Scripture?