Jude 4a-The First Description of the Jewish Zealots

Jude 3 Beloved, although I have prepared myself with utter diligence to communicate in writing for the benefit of each one of you regarding our common salvation, I have entered into the state of being compelled to communicate in writing for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging each and every one of you at this particular time to make it your habit of exerting intense effort for your own benefit on behalf of the faith, which has been delivered once and never again for the benefit of the saints. 4 For certain people have joined all of you surreptitiously with evil intent. Specifically, those who long ago are written about beforehand with regards to the same type of judgment I am about to describe, who are ungodly who are exchanging experiencing the grace of our God for practicing criminal behavior. Consequently, they are refusing to follow the one and only Master, namely our Lord Jesus Christ. (Lecturer’s translation)

As we noted in our study of Jude 3, this verse marks a transition from the opening of this epistle in Jude 1-2 to the body of this epistle, which is contained in Jude 3-23.

We also noted that Jude 3 is composed of a concessive clause, which asserts that although Jude was in a state having prepared himself with utter diligence to write for the benefit of the recipients of this epistle regarding their common salvation, he entered into the state of being compelled to write for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging each of them to make it their habit of exerting intense effort for their own benefit on behalf of the faith which has been delivered once and never again for the benefit of the saints.

This concessive clause implies that Jude being compelled to write for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging the recipients of this epistle to make it their habit of exerting intense effort on behalf of the Christian faith is true in spite of the fact that he had prepared himself with utter diligence to write to them concerning their common salvation.

In Jude 3, the noun pistis means “the faith” and refers to the gospel originating from and about the Lord Jesus Christ and His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father, which provided eternal salvation for the entire human race.

It was communicated by the Spirit to the apostles and asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father delivered the entire human race from eternal condemnation, condemnation from the Law, enslavement to the sin nature, Satan and his cosmic system, spiritual and physical death and personal sins.

It also asserts that this deliverance is received by the sinner through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thus, the gospel message is “good news” for the sinner.

So therefore, the articular form of the noun pistis, “the faith” here in Jude 3 is synonymous with the expression the articular form of the noun euangelion, “the gospel.”

This word means “the good news” and was used in secular literature.

For instance, the Roman Emperor proclaimed his gospel in the first century A.D.

Now, in the Greek New Testament, this word is used with reference to the content of teaching which Jesus and the apostles communicated to the world and the Christian community.

It asserts that Christ died and rose from the dead for unregenerate sinners and that through faith in Him they could receive the gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins.

Secondly, it also is used in relation to the believer and refers to the good news after the child of God’s justification that they were identified with Christ in His death and resurrection.

This good news also means that by appropriating their identification with Christ the child of God can experience victory over sin and Satan.

Lastly, the reference to the gospel also speaks of the good news that the child of God will receive rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat for faithful service (cf. Col. 1:5, 23).

Jude then describes the Christian faith in Jude 3 as having been delivered once and never again for the benefit of the saints.

In this statement, the verb paradidomi is expressing the idea that the Christian faith, i.e., the gospel originating from and about the Lord Jesus Christ and His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father being formally communicated by the Spirit to the apostles and now appears in the Greek New Testament.

The Christian faith is described as having been delivered once and never again for the benefit of the saints because Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand, which provided salvation for all of sinful humanity, has been accomplished in history.

Thus, it is finished, unalterable, permanent, final and normative.

So therefore, this concessive clause in Jude 3 indicates that Jude initially had determined to teach and remind the Christian community in Judaea regarding their so great salvation which was accomplished through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.

However, he felt compelled to exhort and encourage them through the contents of this epistle to exert intense effort on behalf of the Christian faith.

The contents of Jude 4-23 make clear that he felt the need to shift gears because those whom he describes in these verses posed a serious threat to the Christian community in Judaea.

Now, Jude 4 asserts that certain people have surreptitiously joined the meetings of the Christian communities in Judaea with evil intent.

This verse goes on to describe these individuals by asserting that they were written about long ago beforehand with regards to the same type of judgment which is described in Jude 5-16.

This verse then states that they are ungodly and that they were exchanging experiencing the grace of God for practicing criminal behavior.

Lastly, Jude 4 asserts that these individuals were refusing to follow the one and only Master, namely the Lord Jesus Christ.

So therefore, Jude 4 is actually presenting a five-fold description of these individuals whom Jude asserts pose a threat to the recipients of this epistle which the contents of this epistle indicate were the Christian community in Judaea.

As we noted in our introduction to this study of the epistle, most scholars believe that Jude was very concerned about false teachers and their heterodox teaching.

However, as we noted, nowhere does Jude tell the recipients of this letter to reject false teachers and their heterodox teaching.

I am in agreement with Herbert Bateman IV who asserts that the individuals who Jude condemns in this epistle are the Zealots or Sicarii who revolted against the Roman Empire and were attempting to persuade the Christian community to join in this revolt.

Thus, in this letter, Jude wants the Jewish Christian community in Judaea to obey the governmental authorities and reject this rebellion against Rome led by these Zealots since it would not be justified civil disobedience.

In other words, to rebel against Rome would be to reject God’s will for their lives.

As we established, Jude was written soon after the death of James and just prior to the Jews war with Rome in 66-70 A.D. and thus Jude was written somewhere between 62-66 A.D.

During the mid-60s the relationship between Rome and Judaea was deteriorating rapidly.

The Zealots or Sicarii they were called, were leading the revolt against Rome and were attempting to seduce Judaeans to rebel against Rome including attempting to persuade the Christian community to join the movement.

When Jude was written, this Judaean revolt led by the Zealots was moving into the cities of Caesarea as well as Jerusalem and stretched out into the desert regions of Judaea including the hill country as well as Samaria and Galilee.

Therefore, the epistle of Jude was attempting to prevent the Jewish Christian community in Judaean from being seduced into taking part in this Zealot led revolt against Rome.

The first description of these Jewish Zealots in Jude 4 presents the reason for the concessive clause in Jude 3.

Therefore, this would indicate that Jude entered into the state of experiencing compulsion to write for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging the members of the Christian community in Judaea to make it their habit of exerting intense effort for their own benefit on behalf of the faith “because” certain people had joined them surreptitiously with evil intent.

The reader must understand that when Jude asserts that these Jewish Zealots joined the meetings of the Christian community in Judaea surreptitiously with evil intent, he does not mean that they were not seen entering these meetings.

Rather, it means that their motivation for joining these meetings was unknown to those in this community.