Jude; Epistle of

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

Concise Bible Dictionary:

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.

Bible Handbook:

Jude gives a fearful description of apostates — of those who had turned away from the profession they had made in association with the saints; judgment would surely fall on such. The saints are counselled what to do amid such a state of things, and are reminded of One who is able to keep them from falling.
A great deal has been written concerning the prophecy of Enoch, on account of its not being recorded in the Old Testament, and because there is an apocryphal book bearing the name of Enoch from which Jude is supposed to have quoted. There are many conjectures as to the date and the writer of this apocryphal book, some dating it after the writing of the Epistle of Jude, and supposing the author to have copied from our Epistle. Where the inspiration of the Scripture is fully held, nothing is simpler than to see that the Holy Spirit could reveal to Jude the prophecy uttered by Enoch, though it may never have been written down before.
Jude, bondman of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the called ones, beloved in God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ: mercy, peace, and love be multiplied.
Jude desired to write of the salvation common to all Christians, but it was needful that he should exhort them to contend earnestly for the faith originally delivered. For ungodly men had crept in unnoticed, who abused the grace of God, and denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Instances of apostasy are cited from the Old Testament.
They were to remember that after the people were saved out of Egypt, those who believed not were destroyed.
Angels have also fallen and are kept in eternal chains for the judgment of the great day.
Sodom and Gomorrha, and other cities also lie under the judgment of eternal fire (the abiding effect of the judgment on them).
Michael the archangel, when disputing with the devil concerning the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a railing judgment against him; but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these rail against things they know not; and corrupt themselves in things they do know.
Three forms of evil found in Christendom are pointed out.
Woe to them who (1) have gone in the way of Cain (natural religion and hatred of that which is true: see also 1 John 3:1212Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. (1 John 3:12)), and (2) for reward have given themselves to the error of Balaam (ecclesiastical corruption, Rev. 2:1414But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14)), and (3) perished in the gainsaying of Core (opposition to Christ’s royalty and priesthood, Num. 16:1,1Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: (Numbers 16:1) etc.). Such were doubly dead, by nature and by apostasy, to whom has been reserved the gloom of eternal darkness. Enoch also had prophesied of the judgment that would be executed upon them when the Lord comes with His holy myriads.
These apostates exalt themselves and admire persons for their own profit. The apostles had forewarned the saints that there would be mockers, walking after their own lusts of ungodliness, and setting themselves apart (as superior), but they were natural men, not having the Spirit. Those preserved from the evil are to build up themselves on their most holy faith, and, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep themselves (practically) in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
They were to distinguish between the erring: to have compassion for some, and to snatch others out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jude closes the Epistle with a full ascription of praise to Him who is able to keep us from stumbling and to set us with exultation blameless before His glory.

Related Books and Articles:

The Epistle of Jude
Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 29min
The Epistle of Jude
Remarks on the Epistle of Jude
Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 3min
Lectures on the Epistle of Jude
Narrator: Ivona Gentwo
Duration: 4hr 30min

Ministry Nuggets:

• Peter speaks of sin, and the reward of unrighteousness, and Jude distinctively of apostasy. "If God spared not the angels that sinned" says Peter; but Jude speaks of them as {v.6} "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation." (“Reflections on the Epistle of Jude: Part 3, The Faith We Have to Contend For”)
• Jude looks at grace. There is nothing like grace, but what if grace be abused? What if grace be abandoned? What if grace be turned to licentiousness? Now that is what Jude takes up. (“Jude 1” by W. Kelly)
• That which is peculiarly striking in the Epistle of Jude is that he pursues the corruption of the assembly from the creeping in of some unawares on to its final judgment, showing withal that it is not arrested but passes through its various phases to that day. (“JUDE” by J.N. Darby)
• Peter, as pointed out, it is sin-sin working indeed in gross forms-in the bosom of the Church; in Jude it is moral apostasy, though those who are guilty of it still retain their place inside (v. 12); while in John the apostates have gone out. "They went out from us, but they were not of us," etc. (1 John 2:19). (article #86561)