Jude 3

Introduction

Introduction

2 Cor. 2:11 "

9 For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.

10 But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes

Ephesians 4:14

11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Eph 4:11–16.

Ephesians 6:11

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Eph 6:10–12.

Schemes: crafty, strategic plans to destroy God's people:

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

9 But resist him, firm in your faith,

We learned last week:

Satan is the enemy of God.His primary work is that of infiltration.He infiltrates the church by the deception of apostates.However, those who are God's cannot be lost to his tricks. They are protected by Christ ultimately.

To be introduced to infiltration, look at Genesis 3:

The Fall of Man

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (cf..2:16-17)

2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”

4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! (contradiction of God's Word).

5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

Satan infiltrated the mind of Eve by assaulting the commandment of God. He questioned the obvious intent and meaning of the command.His introduction into this conversation began the deception into her simple, inexperienced mind. She had never known a lie before. Satan infiltrated the meaning of Scripture with error.He changed the meaning of the command to mean the exact opposite…He did this by questioning God's motives-"He is afraid that you will be like Him."

Satan infiltrated the authority of God by introducing himself as God-v.5Satan does not describe the true God.Satan describes himself-His eyes were opened.He had the desire to become like God.He came to experience good and evil.Eve believed this as true and thus was deceived.Satan infiltrated the kingdom of Adam/God by stealing the hearts of the couple.They became like, not God, but Satan.They confessed Satan as lord in this instance.He is the god of this world.

Body

3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

3 Ἀγαπητοί, πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ποιούμενος γράφειν ὑμῖν περὶ τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν σωτηρίας

ἀνάγκην ἔσχον γράψαι ὑμῖν

παρακαλῶν ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι

τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει.

4 γάρ

παρεισέδυσαν τινες ἄνθρωποι,

οἱ πάλαι προγεγραμμένοι

εἰς τοῦτο τὸ κρίμα,

ἀσεβεῖς,

μετατιθέντες

τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν χάριτα

εἰς ἀσέλγειαν

καὶ

ἀρνούμενοι

Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν .

τὸν μόνον δεσπότην

καὶ

κύριον ἡμῶν

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation,Jude, probably writing from Jerusalem, has it as his intention to write concerning the glories of our common salvation. What must have been on his heart to write!!

I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

"I felt the necessity" - ἀνάγκην ἔσχον "I had the necessity". Jude was compelled to write to the brethren concerning the issue at hand. This indicates that the issue was there. It was really happening in the assembly. This indicates that Jude had a genuine heart concerning this letter. It can be said that some are mean if they point out those in error. However, the opposite is true. We are loving if we identify those who have infiltrated the church with their error.

"...appealing…"

1 Tim 6:121 Cor 9:25f; Phil 1:30; 1 Tim 1:18