Jude 1:1-16 Lesson 467

Jude 1:1-16
Lesson 467

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

"The General Epistle of Jude"

"Keep yourselves in the love of God." (1:21)

Authorship:

There were two men named Judas (Greek for Jude) among the original twelve disciples.  One was Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus (Matthew 26:47-49; Mark 14:43-46; Luke 6:16; 22:47-48), and the other was the "brother of James" (Acts 1:13; 1:1), the author of this epistle. Jude was also called Juda, or Judas Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:3).  Galatians 1:19 tells us that James was Jesus' half-brother; therefore; so was Jude (Acts 1:13).  In all, Jesus seems to have had four half brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55).  At first, Jude doubted that Jesus was the Messiah (John 7:5), but eventually he became a believer.  Some Bible scholars believe Jude founded the church in Edessa, in Upper Mesopotamia (modern-day southeastern Turkey).  The Palestinian historian Eusebius of Caesarea records that the Roman Emperor Domitian ordered the arrest of Jude's grandsons in AD 96 as part of his persecution of Christians.  Little else is known about Jude, but it is believed he wrote "The General Epistle of Jude" sometime between AD 65 and 68.

Additional note:

Although the author tells us he was the "brother of James" (1:1), there is a minority opinion that the author of this epistle was not Jude, the half "brother of James" at all, but a different Jude. Indeed, there were seven Jude's and numerous
James' mentioned in the Bible. Some Bible scholars believe that verse 1:17 implies that this Jude was not one of the original disciples. If he wasn't an original disciple, then the skeptics are right, this is a different Jude. But that is unlikely.  Jude is the twenty-sixth book in the New Testament and the last epistle. Regardless of which human hand wrote it, it was inspired by God.

Purpose and Theme:

Unlike some of the other epistles, Jude wasn't written to a particular person or church. Instead, it is an open letter to Christians of all generations, hence the name "General Epistle." In Jude's day, libertines in the church taught that God's forgiveness was a license to live however they wanted. Jude was written as a warning against these false teachers and apostasy, a familiar theme throughout the Bible. God considers the threat of deceitful, greedy, or false ministers so
dangerous that He sounded the alarm over and over in book after book.  Jude describes the false teachers of his time in such terms that His readers could quickly identify them. Not much has changed through the centuries; false prophets are still preaching for money and fame.

Jude also reminds us of the importance of keeping and building our faith while combating heresy. He encourages us to maintain our grace by building our lives around God (1:20-21). A short but powerful book, Jude has many similarities with 2 Peter (especially the second chapter). We will point these out as we go.

Jude is broken down into two main segments:

1) 1:1-16 - (Warning against false teachers 1:3-16) - Opening salutation (1:1-2); Defend the faith (1:3); False teachers (1:4-13); Jude quotes Enoch, "The Lord cometh." (1:14-16).

2) 1:17-25 - (Encouragement 1:17-25) - Warning from the apostles (1:17-19); Encourage Christians and fight for truth (1:20-21); Jude's advice, hate the sin but show mercy to sinners (1:22-23); Doxology (praise) to God (1:24-25).

Study Tip:

Writers use repetition to emphasize key points.
Whenever you see themes repeated in the Bible, it is a clue God considers them important.
Hover over these passages a little longer to fully grasp their meaning.

The General Epistle of Jude

The King James Bible

Jude 1:1-16
A history lesson

1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

Margin notes:

"To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." (1:1) - "To those who are blessed by God, and called and maintained by Jesus Christ." A similar opening to 2 Peter 1:1.

"Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." (1:2) - This is very similar to 2 Peter 1:2.

"When I gave all diligence." (1:3) - "While I was eager."

"Exhort you." (1:3) - "Encourage you."

"Saints." (1:3) - "Believers."

"Certain men crept in unawares." (1:4) - These people were not sincere in their faith.

"Who were before of old ordained to this condemnation... (1:4) - This means the fate of false teachers was determined long ago. Notice that Jude is reinforcing Peter's message in 2 Peter 2:3.

"Ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness." (1:4) - Many false prophets taught that since God Forgives sinners, Christians were free to sin.  In fact, some taught that sin was good because it magnified God's glory by giving Him more chances to forgive sinners (Romans 6:1; 15).

"Denying the only Lord God." (1:4) - Re-emphasizing the message found in 2 Peter 2:1. See "Today's Question" below.

"I will therefore put you in remembrance." (1:5) - "I will therefore remind you."

"Having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (1:5) - This is the fate of people who rebel against God. After being rescued from Egyptian slavery, the Israelites lost their faith and turned against God (Numbers 14:26-39). They were left to wander in the wilderness for forty years while they searched for the Promised Land.

"The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation." (1:6) - "The angels who didn't keep their original state but left their place with God." A second example of rebellion against God.  Second Peter 2:4 also speaks of angels defying God.

"The judgment of the great day." (1:6) - The Final Judgment.

"Sodom and Gomorrha." (1:7) - Two ancient cities from the Old Testament whose names are synonymous with wickedness. They were located in the "vale of Siddim" on the southeast shore of the Dead Sea (Genesis 14:2-3). God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with "brimstone and fire" (Genesis 19:24) because of their citizen's rebellious and immoral lifestyle (Genesis 18:20-19:29), their pride, idleness, and disregard for the poor (Ezekiel 16:49-50). Jesus mentions the two cities' demise in Matthew 10:15. Their destruction was so complete, that even today, no trace of the cities can be found.  Jude 1:7 and 2 Peter 2:6 remind us of Sodom and Gomorrah's fate.

"These filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." (1:8) - 2 Peter 2:10 also condemns the godless and deluded (filthy dreamers) who "walk after the flesh," "reject government (despise dominion)," and "speak evil of (heavenly) dignities."

"Defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." (1:8) - Means live immoral lives, hate (religious) authority, and slander angels.

"Michael the archangel." (1:9) - A high-ranking angel who helped Daniel in Persia (Daniel 10:13) and protected Israel (Daniel 12:1). Also, "Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (Satan)... and his angels" (Revelation 12:7-9). In this verse, Jude is referring to the non-biblical Jewish book, "The Assumption of Moses" (aka "The Testament of Moses"), where Michael argued with Satan over the body of Moses.  Michael will be at the Tribulation (Daniel 12:1) and Jesus' side when He returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

"Moses." (1:9) - Moses was a Jewish prophet (Deuteronomy 34:10-12), the author of the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch), a revered Jewish icon, and a great leader, who, with God's help, led as estimated 3.000,000 Israelites out of Egyptian bondage to form a new Jewish nation. The son of Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), Moses was born a Levite Jew in 1571 BC when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt (Exodus 1:13-14).  Afraid that the growing population of Jewish slaves would someday turn against their Egyptian masters (Exodus 1:10), Pharaoh Rameses ordered midwives to kill all male Jewish babies at birth (Exodus 1:15-16).  When the midwives refused (Exodus 1:17), Pharaoh ordered all male babies to be "cast into the river" (Exodus 1:22). To save her son, Moses' mother, Jochebed hid him in a basket on the banks of the Nile River (Exodus 2:3).  Pharaoh's daughter found Moses (Exodus 2:5-6) and raised him as her son.  Growing up, he received an education (Acts 7:22) and all the advantages given to the son of a king. But at the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian for mistreating a Hebrew (Exodus 2:11-12; Acts 7:23-24) and was forced to flee Egypt. Moses fled to Midian (Exodus 2:15) near Sinai, where he met and married Zipporah. For the next four decades, he lived the simple life of a Shepard (Exodus 3:1). After forty years (at the age of 80), God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-22; Acts 7:30-34). Following God's instructions, Moses returned to Egypt to liberate the Israelites. After God brought a series of ten miracles/plagues down on the Egyptians (Exodus 7:1-12:51), Pharaoh allowed the enslaved Israelites to leave Egypt a free people.   For the next forty years, the Israelites wandered through the wilderness looking for the Promised Land (Canaan). Moses, "the mediator of the old covenant," received the Mosaic Law (the First Covenant, the Ten Commandments) from God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:1-35), prophesied the coming of the Messiah (John 5:46), was likened to Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 7:37), and appeared with Jesus during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-5; Mark 9:2-4; Luke 9:29-30). Moses lived to be one hundred and twenty years old (forty years in the royal palace, forty years as a fugitive in Midian, and forty years in the wilderness).  Moses died on Mount Nebo in Moab (eight miles east of the mouth of the Jordan River) without seeing the Promised Land. In this passage, we see Satan arguing with Michael the archangel over Moses' body. Naturally, Satan lost the argument and God buried Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5-7). The story of Moses can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

"Durst not bring against him a railing accusation." (1:9) - Despite being a high-ranking angel, Michael never railed against Satan. He let God rebuke him. Jude paraphrases this from 2 Peter 2:11.

"But these speak evil of those things which they know not." (1:10) - Means they speak of things they know nothing about and destroy themselves with their blasphemes. Notice the similarities between this verse and 2 Peter 2:12.

"Cain." (1:11) - The firstborn of Adam and Eve and a farmer (Genesis 4:2). Cain believed in God and made sacrifices to Him, but he belonged to Satan (1 John 3:12). Showing his shallow faith, Cain offered God "the fruit of the ground" as a sacrifice. Cain's bloodless sacrifice and weak faith displeased God. Meanwhile, Cain's younger brother Abel made a sacrifice that pleased God. In a jealous rage, Cain killed Abel (Genesis 4:8; 1 John 3:12), making him history's first murderer. God proclaimed a curse on Cain and the land he farmed (Genesis 4:11-12). Cain fled to Nod, east of Eden (Genesis 4:16), and built a city he named after his oldest son, Enoch. You can read more about Abel and Cain in Genesis 4:1-17.

"Balaam." (1:11) - The son of Bosor (Beor), Balaam was an Old Testament sorcerer and pagan prophet from Pethor, a city in Mesopotamia near the Euphrates River. As Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness, the Moabit king Balak paid Balaam to lay a curse on them (Numbers 22:5-6; 23:5-7). Balak wanted to prevent them from entering the Promised Land.  Although not a Jew, Balaam acknowledged that his power as a prophet came from their God. At first, Balaam refused to curse the Israelites (Numbers 24:12-14). Be he succumbed to greed (Jude 1:1) and vindictive pride (Numbers 22:29) and tried to lure Israel into sin (Numbers 25:1-3; 31:16; Revelation 2:14). But God intervened via Balaam's donkey (Numbers 22:21-28), and the curse became a series of blessings for the Israelites (Deuteronomy 23:4-5; Joshua 24:9-10; Nehemiah 13:2). Balaam was eventually killed in a war with Israel (Numbers 31:7-8). This passage and Second Peter 2:15-16 compare the greed of false teachers to Balaam's greed.  You can read more about Balaam in Numbers 22:1-24:25.

"Gainsaying of Core." (1:11) - "Rebellion of Core." Core, usually called Korah, was an Israelite who led a rebellion of "two hundred and fifty princes" against Moses. As a member of the Levi tribe (a Levite), he had the honor of assisting in the daily operation of the Holy Tabernacle, but his greed led to discontent and rebellion. As punishment, he and his co-conspirators were "consumed" by fire (Numbers 16:35). For more information, read Numbers 16:1-40.

"These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear." (1:12) - Feasts of charity (love) were meals served to the congregation after church services. This verse, like 2 Peter 2:13, describes false teachers as "spots" and "blemishes" at the meals. They filled themselves with food and drink while others went hungry (1 Corinthians 11:20-22).

"Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead." (1:12) - These are two metaphors describing false teachers as people who promise much but deliver nothing. See also 2 Peter 2:17 for a similar metaphor.

"Wandering stars." (1:13) - Stars with unpredictable obits. Sailors and travelers used dependable stars to navigate by.  Trying to get your religious bearings from a false teacher will leave you spiritually lost, just as surely as following a wandering star.

"Enoch." (1:14) - The son of Jared (Genesis 5:18), father of Methuselah (Genesis 5:21; Luke 3:37), and an Old Testament prophet (Jude 1:14) who lived to be three hundred and sixty-five years old (Genesis 5:23). Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:22; 5:24), and as we learn in this passage, he was "translated" (taken to heaven) without dying (Hebrews 11:5). Most Bible scholars teach that Enoch is one of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3. The prophesy referred to here appears in the non-biblical book of Apocrypha called the "Book of Enoch" (circa 100 BC). There is no other mention of it in the Bible. Not to be confused with Enoch, the eldest son of Cain. You can read more about Enoch in Genesis 5:18-24.

"Adam." (1:14) - The Hebrew name for "man," specifically the first man. The father of mankind (Genesis 1:26-28).

"The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints." (1:14) - Jesus will return with thousands of angels, as He promised in Matthew 25:31.

"To convince all that are ungodly." (1:15) - "To convict all who are ungodly."

"Hard speeches." (1:15) - "Harsh words."

"These are murmurers." (1:16) - "These are grumblers, complainers."

"Their mouth speaketh great swelling words." (1:16) - "Their mouths speak boastful words."

"Having men's persons in admiration because of advantage." (1:16) - "Using flattery to gain an advantage."

To read how Paul rebuts false teaching, see Romans 6:1-23.

New Living Translation

Jude 1:1-16
Greetings from Jude

1 This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.

2 May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love.

The Danger of False Teachers

3 Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.

4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.

6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.

7 And don't forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God's judgment.

8 In the same way, these people-who claim authority from their dreams-live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.

9 But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses' body.)

10 But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.

11 What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.

12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord's love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.

13 They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.

14 Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, "Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones

15 to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

16 These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. How does Jude describe the false members in church?

Study the Bible every day; it has much to teach us.

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. Jude describes the false members in the church as godless people who deny Jesus (1:4). They are dreamers who reject the church's authority (1:8). They are clouds without water, trees without fruit (1:12), raging waves, and lost stars (1:13). They are complainers who boast about themselves, follow their lusts, and flatter others to get what they want (1:16).

Application thought for the day:

For the next couple of days, ponder how to best apply the lessons about sin and the judgment of sin into your life.

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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