Written by Jude the brother of James, and apparently the same person as the apostle JUDAS. The Epistle is addressed to “the called ones, beloved in God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ.” Apostasy had set in, and the saints are exhorted to contend for the faith divinely delivered. Ungodly ones had crept in, who abused the grace of God, and denied their only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.
Three instances are produced to show how apostasy had been punished:
1. Some of those saved out of Egypt were yet destroyed.
2. Fallen angels are kept in eternal chains for judgment.
3. Sodom and Gomorrha, which lie under the abiding effect of the judgment on them. Then the railers are put to shame by the conduct of Michael the archangel, who when rightly contending with Satan about the body of Moses did not rail against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke thee.”
Three stages of departure from the way of truth are mentioned, with a woe upon those who are found in them:
3. The gainsaying of Core—opposition to the royalty and priesthood of Christ (compare Num. 16). Such were doubly dead, by nature and apostasy, and are reserved for eternal darkness.
Enoch prophesied of the judgment on the ungodly when the Lord comes with His holy myriads. See ENOCH. The saints had been warned against some who separated themselves, as being superior to others, whereas they were only natural men, and had not the Spirit. The saints were to build up themselves on their most holy faith; and by prayer in the Holy Spirit to keep themselves experimentally in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. They were to try to save others. The Epistle closes with a full ascription of praise to Him who is able to keep His saints from stumbling and set them with exultation blameless before His glory.