Jude

Jude, a small epistle in the Bible, is often compared to 2nd Peter due to similarities in content. There is debate about which letter came first, or if they shared a common source. Jude quotes from Jewish books and references the Old Testament. It is believed that Jude was written to Jewish believers, but the exact location and time are unknown. The letter urges believers to contend for their faith and warns against ungodly men who twist the message of grace. Examples of apostasy from the past are given, including the Israelites saved from Egypt, fallen angels, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The importance of respecting authority is emphasized. The letter also mentions a dispute between Michael the archangel and the devil over the body of Moses, which is not found in the Bible. The writer concludes with a prayer for mercy, peace, and love to be multiplied to the readers. Hello ladies and welcome to TheAmazingBible.BookClub I am Julie Calio your host and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. By chance you want to contact me you can do that at zab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are looking at one of the smallest general epistles Jude. There are many different views on the who what when where and why of this letter and much of it comes from the similarity of chapter 2 of 2nd Peter. According to Michael Green's commentary 4 of the 25 verses in Jude no less than 15 appear in whole or in part in 2nd Peter. Yet ladies in my mind I thought it would be like plagiarism where it feels the same but for me what's clear is that it is a different writer than 2nd Peter but they do share many of the same concepts. The question arises which letter came first or did they share a different source? The truth is no one knows but there is much speculation. According to Green the main facts on this discussion are one there are only three verses in the beginning and seven verses at the end of Jude which do not have extensive parallels in 2nd Peter. Jude verses 1 through 3 and then verses 19 through 25 but he also agrees that the verbal agreement is rare which is why it does not sound the same. Number two Jude arranged his work in triplets which are broken up in 2nd Peter. Number three Jude unlike 2nd Peter explicitly quotes the Apocrypha extra books that did not make it into the Christian canon. Number four 2nd Peter usually spoke of the false teachers in future tense but Jude is in present tense. Number five linguistically Jude's Greek is less difficult and contrived than that of 2nd Peter and number six the mockers in Jude do not appear to mock at the day of the parousia the second coming of Christ like those in 2nd Peter did. According to the book New Testament Foundations a guide for Christian students volume 2 Ralph P Martin gives the comparative verses of Jude to 2nd Peter as Jude verse 4 to 2nd Peter chapter 2 verses 1 through 3. Jude verse 5 to 2nd Peter 2 verse 5. Jude 6 and 7 to chapter 2 verse 4 and 6 of 2nd Peter. Jude 8 and 9 to chapter 2 verses 10 and 11 of 2nd Peter. Jude 10 to chapter 2 verse 12 of 2nd Peter. Jude 11 and 12a to 2nd Peter chapter 2 verses 15 and 13. Jude verse 12b and 13 to chapter 2 verse 17 of 2nd Peter. Jude verse 16 to chapter 2 verse 18 of 2nd Peter. Jude 17 to chapter 3 verse 2 of 2nd Peter and Jude verse 18 to chapter 3 verse 3 of 2nd Peter. This way you can compare and see what you think. With Jude I take the traditional view and verse 1 starts Jude a bondservant of Jesus Christ and brother of James to those who are the called beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. Jude described himself as a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. Now when we read through James we discussed that he was Jesus's half-brother the firstborn of Mary and Joseph who became a believer after Jesus arose and he ended up becoming the leader of the Jerusalem church. It is believed that Jude is this James's brother which would make him Jesus's half-brother. In Matthew chapter 13 verse 55 it reads, Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? In similar passage found in Mark chapter 6 verse 3a it reads, Is not this the carpenter the son of Mary the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? Now just as Joseph and Joses are names from the same root so are Judas and Jude. With reading these two sections it looks like Jude was one of the youngest half-brothers of Jesus. As with James we know that in John chapter 7 verse 5 for not even his brothers were believing in him Jesus but then also like James in Acts chapter 1 verse 14 these all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers. So Jude believed after the resurrection. As for to whom the letter is written we know they are believers but it does not say Jewish or Gentile believers. Jude said they are called loved and kept. This is one of the writer's trios. All believers are called by God and we are loved by God the father and we are kept either by Jesus Christ or for Jesus Christ and I think it could be both. In Ephesians chapter 1 verses 13 and 14 the apostle described it as sealed with the Holy Spirit as a down payment for our inheritance until Jesus comes again. This is one of the reasons I do not believe that we can quote lose our salvation. Both words loved and kept are in the present tense which means we are continually loved and we are continually kept. Then Jude gives us another trinity with a prayer may mercy peace and love be multiplied to you. One thing that is unique with this writer is the word mercy. Mercy is when we deserve punishment because of our actions but we do not get it. Mercy begins and ends this book. It is also mentioned in verses 21 22 and 23 which we will discuss at the end of the book. Ladies we receive mercy because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. Now because the writer uses two Jewish books such as Enoch and the assumption of Moses and because he uses Jewish references to the Old Testament as if the writers understand those examples it is assumed that he was writing to Jewish believers. Where was he? Where were they? We don't know. When did he write it? It is thought that since it compares to 2nd Peter then probably around that era which would put it in the mid to late 80s 60s. He addressed his readers as dear friends or beloved but there is no other clue as to where the writer is or where the readers are. Then verses three and four read dear friends although I was eager to write you about our common salvation I found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. For certain men who were designated for this judgment long ago have come in by stealth. They are ungodly turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying our only master and Lord Jesus Christ. This answers the what and why question. Jude had been planning on writing a letter about their common salvation. Now here the writer does not mean that it is commonplace. It seems that he means it is shared by all believers. That was what his topic was going to be but now probably after hearing about what was going on in their midst he wrote to challenge them to contend for the faith. According to Edwin A. Blum the word contend has the meaning of intense effort in a wrestling match which is ongoing. Jude also said that this faith was delivered to the saints and all Christians are saints once for all. Jesus will not die again for our lives. It is finished. Jude has heard that ungodly men have come in their midst and are using the argument of saved by faith alone as an argument that they can live any way they want and they go as far as to deny our only master and Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus is the only way to salvation. Now the word ungodly is used five times in Jude. Here is the first and then Jude used it four times in verse 15. Douglas Moos said godless or ungodly translates a word that connotes a person who is without religion who fails to worship. Then verses five through seven give three examples of apostasy from the past and in verse five it seems that the reader should know these examples. The first group were the unbelievers who experienced being saved from Egypt found in Numbers chapter 14 verses 26 through 39. The angels are second that did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling. This is also listed in second Peter chapter 2 verse 4. Edwin A. Blum said apparently some fallen angels are in bondage while others are unbound and active among mankind as demons. The third group was Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them and they suffered the punishment of eternal fire. This is found in Genesis chapter 19 verses 1 through 29. Verse 8 reads nevertheless these dreamers likewise defile their flesh despise authority and blaspheme glorious beings. Here again we have a group of three. One thing to note is the importance of respecting authority which we have seen throughout our bible reading this year. The reason we are to honor authority is because God who's the supreme authority has placed those who are in authority. Keep in mind that they were not living in a quote Christian country. If it is written around the same time as second Peter then it is likely written with Nero as the emperor of Rome. He blamed the Christians for burning Rome even though it is thought he did it to rebuild it and then he persecuted Christians. The third thing Jude said is that they blasphemed glorious beings and then he went into some interesting detail that is not found in the bible. Verses 9 and 10 read yet Michael the archangel when he was disputing with the devil in a debate about Moses's body did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said the Lord rebuke you. But these people blaspheme anything they don't understand and what they know by instinct like unreasoning animals they destroy themselves with these things. Haley's bible handbook explained Michael is mentioned in Daniel chapter 10 verse 13 and verse 21 as a chief prince and in revelation chapter 12 verse 7 as leader of angels but only in this passage is he called the archangel. This story is probably found in the assumption of Moses which is an apocryphal book. The story of Moses's death and burial is found in Deuteronomy chapter 34. Dr. Alan B. Stringfellow in his book through the bible in one year a 52 lesson introduction to the 66 books of the bible had an added note about this passage. He said in Jude 9 there is a reference to the contention between Michael and the devil over the body. Why did satan want the body of Moses? Because satan wanted the body to be worshipped by Israel as a sacred relic. The he in Deuteronomy chapter 34 verses 5 and 6 is a reference to the archangel Michael the hero of this statement. Those verses read so Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor but no man knows his burial place to this day. So Stringfellow believes the angel Michael buried the body of Moses. Now it does not say that but I found it to be interesting. Verse 11 is a woe on these people and then another group of three they are compared to Cain in Genesis chapter 4 verses 1 through 16 the prophet Balaam that was bought with money found in Numbers chapters 22 through 24 and Korah and his rebellion against Moses in Numbers chapter 16 verses 1 through 35. Verse 13 of Jude has a set of five other comparisons they are like one dangerous reefs which look underneath, two waterless clouds that go where the wind takes them, three dead trees without fruit or roots, four wild waves which foam up their shameful deeds, and five wandering stars which are reserved for the blackness of darkness forever. Douglas Moo said whether by chance or not the four images Jude uses in verses 12b through 13 clouds, trees, waves, and planets correspond to the typical ancient divisions of the four regions of the earth air, earth, sea, and the heavens. In verses 14 through 16 Jude quotes Enoch who is found in Genesis chapter 5 verses 18 through 24. Enoch is mentioned in scripture but he is not given any words in scripture. The words Jude gives are from the apocryphal book of Enoch. Look the Lord comes with thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds that they have done in an ungodly way and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have said against him. Ray Summers said this is that solemn day when the creature answers to the creator for what he has done with the trusteeship of life all will answer there will be no absentees from that court session. Verse 16 these people are discontented grumblers walking according to their desires their mouths utter arrogant words flattering people for their own advantage. Then verse 17 starts but you beloved there is a contrast between the beloved believer and the discontented grumblers. They are to remember Jesus's words which were taught by the apostles which warned of scoffers in the end times. Then verse 20 begins again but you beloved. Then verses 20 through 23 Jude declared that beloved believers are to one build up their faith two pray in the Holy Spirit three keep themselves in the love of God and four expect mercy from our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Then with regards to their relationship with others they are to one have mercy on some who doubt two have mercy for others by snatching them out of the fire and then three on some have mercy with fear hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now this may be in reference to Zechariah chapter 3 verses 1 through 7 which discussed Joshua the high priest and if you remember as Christians we are also priests we intercede by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and through prayer and sharing the good news of Jesus. Ray Summers said in summary one counsel for the doubters two compassion for the unsaved three caution for the contaminated. Honestly the text for this third group is ambiguous many commentaries do not try to interpret it. Then Douglas Moos said Jude concludes his letter with one of the greatest ascriptions of glory to God that we find in the Bible verses 24 and 25 now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless and with great joy to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory majesty power and authority before all time now and forever amen. Ladies our salvation is grounded in the one who is able he can keep us from stumbling from false teachers he is able to make us stand in his glorious presence due to the blood of Jesus and his sacrifice we can stand blameless and with great joy this is why he alone is worthy of glory majesty power and authority with three eras before all time now and forever. The writer of Hebrews calls the now today today if you hear his voice ladies please don't harden your hearts and grumble and arrogance instead let's be women who grow in our faith pray and are merciful to others because we have been blessed with God's mercy until next time and thanks so much for listening.