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JUDE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO PROTECT from harm, to guard from attack, to
repulse enemies-for centuries rugged defenders have built walls, expending
material and human resources in the battle to save nations and cities. And with
total commitment and courageous abandon, individuals have fought for their
families. It is a rule of life that we fight for survival, defending with all
our strength what is most precious to us, from every real or imagined attack. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vital Statistics ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Purpose: Author: To Whom Written: Date Written: Setting: Key Verse: Key People: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Blueprint ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) The danger of false teachers (1-16) Jude wrote to motivate Christians everywhere to action. He wanted them to recognize the dangers of false teaching, to protect themselves and other believers, and to win back those who had already been deceived. Jude was writing against godless teachers who were saying that Christians could do as they please without fear of God's punishment. While few teach this heresy openly in the church today, many in the church act as though this were true. This letter contains a warning against living a nominal Christian life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megathemes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Theme: Explanation: Importance: Theme: Explanation: Importance: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (1) The danger of false teachers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Who did Jude say he is a servant to, who did he say is his brother, who is he writing to, and what did he say is yours in abundance?
________________________________________________________________________________ Jude's letter focuses on apostasy-when
people turn away from God's truth and embrace false teachings. Jude reminded his
readers of God's judgment on those who had left the faith in the past. This
letter is a warning against false teachers-in this case, probably Gnostic
teachers. Gnostic opposed two of the basic tenets of Christianity-the
incarnation of Christ and the call to Christian ethics. Jude wrote to combat
these false teachings and to encourage true doctrine and right conduct. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Sin and Doom of Godless Men ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2) What did Jude say he felt he had to write and to urge the believers about?
________________________________________________________________________________ Jude emphasizes the important relationship between correct doctrine and true faith. The truth of the Bible must not be compromised, because it gives us the real facts about Jesus and salvation. The Bible is inspired by God and should never be twisted or manipulated; when it is, we can become confused over right and wrong and lose sight of the only path that leads to eternal life. Before writing about salvation, then, Jude felt he had to set his readers back on the right track, calling them back to the basics of their faith. Then the way to salvation would be clearer. Saints refers to all believers. 3) Who did Jude say has secretly slipped in among the believers, what does Jude call them, what do they change the grace of our God into, and who do they deny?
________________________________________________________________________________ Even some of our churches today have false
("godless") teachers who "have secretly slipped in" and are twisting the Bible's
teachings to justify their own opinions, life-style, or wrong behavior. In doing
this, they may gain temporary freedom to do as they wish, but they will discover
that in distorting Scripture they are playing with fire. God will judge them for
excusing, tolerating, and promoting sin. 4) From where did the Lord deliver his people, later, who did the Lord destroy, who has the Lord kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day, who gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion, and what do they serve as?
________________________________________________________________________________ Jude gave three examples of rebellion: (1) the
children of Israel-who, although they were delivered from Egypt, refused to
trust God and enter the promised land (Numbers 14:26-29); (2) the
angels-although they were once pure, holy, and living in God's presence, some
gave in to pride and joined Satan to rebel against God (2Peter 2:4); and (3) the
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah-the inhabitants were so full of sin that God wiped
them off the face of the earth (Genesis 19:1-29). If the chosen people, angels,
and sinful cities were punished, how much more would these false teachers be
severely judged? 5) In the very same way, what did these dreamers do, who disputed with the devil about Moses' body, what did Michael not bring against the devil, but what did he say to the devil?
________________________________________________________________________________ Jude now links the examples of God's judgment
(verses 5-7) to the false teachers, whom he calls "dreamers." Though this word
might refer to pretensions of prophecy, it is more likely refers to their carnal
sin that leads them to live in a dream world. "In the same way" points back to
the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah (verse 7). The false teachers polluted "their own
bodies" (lit., "flesh") in various forms of sexual excess, doubtless including
homosexuality. Their rejection of authority implies that they repudiate Jesus as
Lord over their lives. Their third sin is they "slander celestial beings." How
and why, Jude does not say. Perhaps their materialistic and fleshy bent led them
to deny all spiritual forces-good or evil. 6) What do these men (the false teachers) speak abusively against, and what is the very thing that destroys them?
________________________________________________________________________________ False teachers claimed that they possessed secret knowledge that gave them authority. Their "knowledge" of God was esoteric-mystical and beyond human understanding. The nature of God is beyond our understanding, but God, in his grace, has chosen to reveal himself to us-in his Word; and supremely in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must seek to know all we can about what he has revealed, even though we cannot fully comprehend God with our finite human minds. Beware of those who claim to have all the answers and who belittle what they do not understand. 7) What way have these false teachers taken, what have they rushed for, and where have they been destroyed?
________________________________________________________________________________ Jude gives three examples of men who did whatever they wanted (verse 10)-Cain, who murdered his brother out of vengeful jealously (Genesis 4:1-16); Balaam, who prophesied out of greed, not out of obedience to God's command (Numbers 22-24); and Korah, who rebelled against God's divinely appointed leaders, wanting the power for himself (Numbers 16:1-35). These stories illustrate attitudes that are typical of false teachers-pride, selfishness, jealousy, greed, lust for power, and disregard of God's will. 8) Where are these men blemishes at, how did Jude say these men eat with the believers, who does Jude say these men only feed, and what does Jude say these men are?
________________________________________________________________________________ When the Lord's Supper was celebrated in the
early church, believers ate a full meal before taking part in Communion with the
sharing of the bread and wine. The meal was called a "love feast," and it was
designed to be a sacred time of fellowship to prepare one's heart for Communion.
However, the false teachers were joining these love feasts, becoming "blemishes"
in what should have been a time of rejoicing in the Lord. In several of the
churches, however, this meal had turned into a time of gluttony and drunken
revelry. In Corinth, for example, some people hastily gobbled food and while
others went hungry (1Corinthians 11:20-22). No church function should be an
occasion for selfishness, gluttony, greed, disorder, or other sins that destroy
unity or take one's mind away from the real purpose for gathering together. 9) Who prophesied about these men, why is the Lord coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones, what did Jude say these men are, what do these men follow, who do they boast about, and why do they flatter others for?
________________________________________________________________________________ Enoch, who "walked with God; then he was no
more, because God took him away" (Genesis 5:21), is not specifically called "the
seventh from Adam" in the Old Testament. But in Genesis 5 and 1Chronciles 1:1-3,
he is the seventh in order (counting Adam as the first). Jude here quotes the
book of Enoch, the longest of the surviving Jewish pseudepigraphical writings
and a work highly respected by many Jews and Christians. Those who wonder about
the propriety of Jude's quotation of a noncanonical book should note that he
does not call it Scripture. Paul also quotes approvingly from noncanonical
writers (see Acts 17:28; 1Corinthians 15:33; Titus 1:12). Enoch's prophecy does
not give any startling new information but is simply a general description of
the return of the Lord in judgment (cf. Deuteronomy 33:2; Daniel 7:10-14;
Zechariah 14:3; Matthew 25:31). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (2) The duty to fight for God's truth A Call to Persevere ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10) What did the apostles of our Lord say there will be in the last days, what do these men do, what did Jude say they follow, and what did he say they did not have?
________________________________________________________________________________ They must remember the previously spoken words
of the apostles. The apostles (the Twelve plus Paul) must have had a wide
ministry of which we have little knowledge, and their preaching was part of the
oral deposit of faith for the early churches. One of their prophecies was a
prediction of mockers in the last days who would live ungodly lives. So the
church must be vigilant and prepare itself for action, for that time is at hand
and the ungodly mockers are already on the scene. The "last time" is the age of
messianic salvation and judgment that culminates in the judgments of the Second
Advent. 11) How did Jude tell the believers to build themselves up, whom did Jude say to pray in, and what does he say to keep themselves in as they wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life?
________________________________________________________________________________ To "pray in the Holy Spirit"
means to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. He prays for us
(Romans 8:26, 27), opens our minds to Jesus (John 14:26), and teaches us about
him (John 15:26). 12) Who does Jude say to be merciful to, from what does Jude say to snatch others from and save them, what does he say to show others, and what does he tell us to hate?
________________________________________________________________________________ Effective witnessing saves people from God's
judgment. We witness to some through our compassion and kindness; to others we
witness as if we were snatching them from the eternal fire. To hate "even the
clothing stained by corrupted flesh" means that we are to hate the sin, but we
must witness to and love the sinner. Unbelievers, no matter how successful they
seem by worldly standards, are lost and in need of salvation. We should not take
witnessing lightly-it is a matter of life and death. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Doxology ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 13) What is the Lord able to do, where is the Lord able to present you, who does the Lord present us to, what praise does Jude give to the only God our Savior, through whom does Jude give this praise, before what, and for how long?
________________________________________________________________________________ As the letter begins, so it ends-with
assurance. God keeps believers from falling prey to false teachers. Although
false teachers are widespread and dangerous, we don't have to be afraid if we
trust God and are rooted and grounded in him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers To Jude ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) a servant of Jesus Christ...James...those who
have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus
Christ...mercy, peace, and love ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taken from the NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan Publishers |