The book of Jude commentary

Jude is the brother of James who wrote the epistle that bears his name. Judas or Jude was Jesus’ half brother according to the flesh. Jude like James did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah until he rose from the dead (John 7:5; Acts 1:14; I Corinthians 15:7).

Jude begins his letter by stating, “those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.”

The word called is from the Greek Kletos which means to call, invite, welcomed, appointed. Those who are the elect and chosen of God. The inward, effectual call that produces saving faith within the sinner.

The word sanctified in the Greek is the word Hagiazo which means to set apart and holy unto God. When God saves, he instantaneously sanctifies or set apart the believer and plants within him his Holy Spirit as the promise or guarantee of his current redemption spiritually and his physical redemption in the future (Ephesians 1:14; Philippians 1:6).

The word preserved is from the Greek word Tereo which simply means to keep an eye on, watch, and hence to guard, keep, obey.

Figuratively meaning to keep in safety, preserve, maintain.

The word kept is in the perfect tense, passive voice meaning that the act was performed at some time in the past with results continuing in the present. The subject is currently being acted upon – i.e. the believer. God’s preservation of his saints is an infinite provision.

This is clearly an address to Christians exclusively, not to unbelievers. The letter is actually an ardent rebuke against the worst of unbelievers; mainly false teachers.

Jude was initially going to write about our regular salvation but was compelled rather to encourage readers to contend earnestly (fight with vigor) for the faith was once delivered to them due to the infiltration of false teachers in the church (vs. 3-4).

Jude describes the false teachers in four rebukes:

First rebuke

a.       Ungodly men – vs. 4

b.      They pervert the grace of God into lewdness – vs. 4

c.       They deny the Lord Jesus Christ proving they are not born again – vs. 4

d.      They defile the flesh – vs. 8

e.      They reject authority – vs. 8

f.        Speak evil of dignitaries (may make reference to angels) – vs. 8

Because of them, many will be led astray, and doomed to hell like they are. Although they sit and eat with you does not mean they are with you at heart. These false teachers are out for gain; how they may take advantage of the gullible and unsuspecting (vs. 12).

Jude continues to describe these false teachers:

Second rebuke

a.       They have gone in the way of Cain meaning they are self righteous – vs. 11

b.      They have gone in the way of Balaam who was a prophet for hire and desired Israel’s enemy to

 to curse God’s people. They love money – vs. 11

c.       They have also followed the way of Korah who spoke against Moses’ leadership and was swallowed up by the earth – vs. 11

d.      These are spots in your love feasts. Eating with you with all pretense instead of being afraid knowing they’re hypocrites amongst the real Saints – vs. 12

e.      Clouds with no water – vs. 12

f.        Late Autumn trees with no fruit. Speaks of bareness and lifelessness – vs. 12

g.       Twice dead, plucked up by the roots. These apostates first of all have no good deeds which speaks of death. Also they have no root which speaks of a second and final death spiritually. There is no hope for them at all.

h.      Raging winds of the sea foaming up their own shame – vs. 13

i.         Wandering Stars – Ultimately they have no purpose for living – vs. 13

These vivid descriptions clearly teach us that these imposters are doomed for eternal damnation with NO hope of redemption ever!!

Jude said Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied their demise in a non biblical source. Jude was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so we can conclude that although Enoch’s prophecy doesn’t appear in the Canon, we know it to be true (vs. 14).

Again Jude pronounces more woe on these apostates:

Third rebuke

a.       Grumblers

b.      Complainers

c.       Walking after their own lusts

d.      Mouthing off big talk to soothe, and bewitching many so as to take advantage of them – vs. 16

Jude reminds his readers that the Apostles warned of this day (Read 2 Peter 2)

Jude gives his final imprecatory upon the enemies of the cross:

Fourth rebuke

a.       Sensual persons who cause divisions – vs. 19

b.      They are devoid of the Spirit of God proving they are not born again – vs. 19

We as believers must persist in prayer according to the will of God. Keep ourselves in God’s love, and look for the mercy of God unto eternal life, keeping our focus on the Lord’s salvation. It’s the only way we can have a ready defense against the enemies’ attacks (vs. 20-21).

We also must be on a rescue mission as well by saving some  from the corruption of these false teachers with love. We need to pull them aside and keep them separate from these defilers due to their immaturity in Christ. Their discernment skills are not exercised enough where they can stand on their own to defend themselves against the assaults of pervasive heretical doctrine that has drawn them into falsehood (vs. 22).

Others are so deep in the sins of the false teachers that they need to snatched from their hellish grip and doctrine with earnest and fear lest they become a hopelessly damned proselyte, sharing the fate of these irreligious leaders who inoculated them. Their soul is so contaminated that their outer garments if possible would be defiled by their evil speech and conduct. These individuals spiritual lives hang in the balance! They MUST receive the power of the true gospel so that they would be cleansed and saved (John 13:10;17:17) vs. 23. The alternative is hell.

Jude ends his letter with a doxology. He reminds the Saints of God that they will be brought before the Lord’s presence without fault. This speaks to the preservation of the Saints. True believers are forever protected from eventually falling away to the degree that we fall from God’s grace finally and perish without hope unlike the false teacher Jude describes.

Thank God for his magnificent grace vs. 25.