1:1Jude’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. This letter warns against false teachers—in this case, probably Gnostic teachers (see the note on Colossians 2:4ff for a description of the Gnostic heresy). Gnostics 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.
Life Application Study BibleJudeChapter 1
Jude 1
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 2162, 2163, 2164
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1Jude 1
1MEGATHEMESTHEMEFalse Teachers
Apostasy
1. The danger of false teachers
Greetings from JudeThis 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 yousafe in the care of Jesus Christ.*
2May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love.
The Danger of False Teachers
33Dear 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. 4I 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. 5So 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. SAnd 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. 7And 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. 8In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.* 9But 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.) 10But these people scoff at things they donot understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11What 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. 12When 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 auturnn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. 13They 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.
14Enoch, 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 ‘Sto executejudgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly thingsthey have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’*‘These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. Theybrag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.8 Greek at glorious ones, which are probably evil angels. 9 Greek Michael, the archangel, 12 Or they arecontaminants among you; or they are stains. 14-15 The quotation comes from intertestamentat literature:Enoch 1:9.God's presence, some gave in to pride and joined Satan to rebelagainst God (2 Peter 2:4); (3) the cities of Sodom and Gomor-fah—the inhabitants were so full of sin that God wiped themoff the face of the earth (Genesis 19:1-29). If the chosenpeople, angels, and sinful cities were punished, how muchmore would these false teachers be severely judged?“1:7 Many people don't want to believe that God sentencespeople to “eternal fire” for rejecting him. But this is clearlytaught in Scripture. Sinners who don’t seek forgiveness fromGod will face eternal separation from him. Jude warns all whorebel against, ignore, or reject God.1:8 The “supernatural beings” here are probably evil angels.Just as the men of Sodom insulted angels (Genesis 19), thesefalse teachers scoffed at any authority. For information on thedanger of insulting even the fallen angels, see the note on2 Peter 2:10-12.1:9 This incident is not recorded in any other place in Scripture.Moses’ death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34. Here Jude may‘have been making use of an ancient book called The Assumptionof Moses.1:10 False teachers claimed to possess secret knowledge thatgave them authority. Their “knowledge” of God was esoteric—Mystical and beyond human understanding. The nature of Godfs beyond our understanding, but God, in his grace, has chosento reveal himself to us—in his Word and supremely in JesusChrist. Therefore, we must seek to know all we can about whathe has revealed, even though we cannot fully comprehend Godwith our finite human minds. Beware of those who claim to haveall the answers and who belittle what they do not understand.1:11 Jude gives three examples of men who did whateverthey wanted (1:10): Cain, who murdered his brother out ofvengeful jealousy (Genesis 4:1-16); Balaam, who prophesied' Out of greed, not out of obedience to God’s command (Numbers
2. The duty to fight for God’s truth
A Call to Remain Faithful
1717But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our LORD Jesus Christ said. 18They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. 20But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,* 21and await the mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. 22And you must show mercy to* those whose faith is wavering. 23Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others,* but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.*
A Prayer of Praise
2424Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our LORD. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.
Textual footnotes
- Christ; one reads God Christ.
- categories of people: (1) those whose faith is wavering and therefore need to be snatched fram the flames of judgment,
- and (2) those who need to be shown mercy. 23b Greek with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.
- 1:1 Or keeps you for Jesus Christ. 5 As in the best manuscripts; various other manuscripts read {the} LORD, or God, or
- 1:20 Greek pray in the Holy Spirit. 22 Some manuscripts read must reprove. 22-23a Some manuscripts have only two
Life Application Notes 15 notes
1:1Jude was a brother of James, who was one of the leaders in the early church. Both of these men were Jesus’ half brothers. Mary was their mother, and Joseph was their father. Although Mary was Jesus’ true mother, God was Jesus’ true Father.
1:3Jude 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. “His holy people” refers to all believers.
1:3How do ordinary Christians “defend the faith” today? Think about these ideas: (1) We can defend the faith by knowing the truth. We do that by studying the Bible. Don’t ever imagine that pastors and semi- Nary professors hold a monopoly on this task. Without study, you cannot know what to defend. You must understand the basic doctrines of the faith so that you can recognize faise doctrines and Prevent wrong teaching from undermining your faith and hurting others. (2) We can defend the faith as we grow personally with Christ. While knowledge is important, your personal relationship with Christ is essential. Through that relationship, God has given you the Holy Spirit as ateacher. Unattached to God, you may know everything, but understand nothing. Attached to Christ, you are given spiritual understanding as well as experiences with Christ that underscore your faith. (3) We can defend the faith by remaining unified on the essentials. While Christians can certainly disagree on many nonessentials (music in worship, methods of worship, methods of outreach), we must always defend the truth of the basics of our faith as found in God's Word.
1:4Even some of our churches today have false (“‘ungodly”) teachers who have “wormed” their way 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 discaver that in distorting Scripture they are playing with fire. God will judge them for excusing, tolerating, and promoting sin.
1:4Many first-century false teachers were teaching that Christians could do whatever they liked without fear of God's punishment. They had alight view of God’s holiness and his justice. Pat! refuted this same kind of false teaching in Romans 6:1-23. Ever. today, some Christians minimize the sinfuiness of sin, believing that how they live has little to do with their faith. But what a person truly believes will show up in how he or she acts. Those who truly have faith willshow it by their deep respect for God and the'r sincere desire to live according to the principles in his Word.
4:5-7Jude gives three examples of rebellion: (1) the nation of Israel—who, although they were delivered from Egypt, refused to trust God and enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:26-39) (2) the angels—although they were once pure, holy, and living in
1:17Other apostles also warned about false teachers. See Acts 20:29; 1 Timothy 4:1, 2; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-3: 2 John 7.
1:18The “last times” is a common phrase referring to the time between Jesus’ first and second comings. We live in the last times.
1:21John warns his readers to live close to God and his people, not listening to false teachers who would try to pull you away from him (John 15:9, 10).
1:22,23Bringing people to Jesus saves them from God's judgment. We can do this through compassion and kindness. 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 tightly—it is a matter of life and death.
1:23In trying to find common ground with those to whom we witness, we must be careful not to fall into the quicksand of compromise. When reaching out to others, we must be sure that our own footing is safe and secure. Be careful not to become so much like non-Christians that no one can tell who you are or what you believe. Influence them for Christ— don’t allow them to influence you to sin!
1:24As 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.
1:24To be sinless and perfect (“without a single fault") will be the ultimate condition of the believer when he or she finally sees Christ face to face. When Christ appears and we are given our new bodies, we will be like Christ (1 John 3:2). Coming into Christ's presence will be more wonderful than we could ever imagine!
1:25The audience to whom Jude wrote was vulnerable to heresies and to temptations toward immoral living. Jude encouraged the believers to remain firm in their faith and trust in God’s promises for their futures. This was all the more important because they were living ina time of increased apostasy. We, too, are living in the last days, much closer to the end than were the original readers of this letter. We, too, are vulnerable to doctrinal error. We, too, are tempted to give in to sin. Although much false teaching is around us, we need not be afraid or give up in despair—God can keep us from falling, and he guarantees that if we remain faithful, he will bring us into his presence and give us everlasting joy.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 2162
IMPORTANCE We must staunchly defend Christian truth. Make sure that you avoid leaders and teachers who distort the Bible to suit their own purposes. Genuine servants of God will faithfully portray Christ in their words and conduct. Those who do not seek to know the truth in God’s Word are susceptible to apostasy. Christians must guard against any false teachings that would distract them from the truth preached by the apostles and written in God’s Word.
EXPLANATION Jude warns against false teachers and leaders who reject the lordship of Christ, undermine the faith of others, and lead them astray. These leaders and any who follow them will be punished. Jude also warns against apostasy—turning away from Christ. We are to remember that God punishes rebellion against him. We must be careful not to drift away from a faithful commitment to Christ.
Study feature · page 2163
22-24); 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. 1:12 When the LORD's Supper was celebrated in the early church, believers would eat a full meal before taking part in Communion with the sharing of the bread and wine. The meal was called a “fellowship meal,” and it was designed to be a sacred time of fellowship to prepare one's heart for Communion. 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 while others went hungry (1 Corinthians 114:20-22). 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. 1:12 The false teachers were “doubly dead.” They were useless “trees” because they weren't producing fruit. They weren't even believers, so they would be rooted up and burned. 1:14 Enoch is mentioned briefly in Genesis 5:21-24. This quotation is from an apocryphal book called the book of Enoch. 1:14 Jesus is also mentioned as coming with angels (“holy ones”) in Matthew 16:27 and 24:31. Daniel 7:10 speaks of God judging humanity in the presence of ten thousand times ten thousand angels.