Jude 1

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

1:1 Jude means “praised”. It is the same name as Judah in the Old Testament and Judas in the New Testament. There are several men named Judas or Jude in the NT. This one, it seems sure, was a half brother of the Lord Jesus (Matt 13:55; John 7:3). Before the death and resurrection of Jesus Jude did not believe in Him, but afterwards we see him among the believers in Acts 1:14; 1 Cor 9:5.⚜

2 May mercy, peace, and love be ever increasing toward you.

The reason for writing

3 Dearly loved ones, while I was fully prepared to write to you about our common salvation, necessity drew me to write to you and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For there are certain men who have crept in secretly, who were long before this marked out for this condemnation. They are ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into uncontrolled lust, and denied the only Master, our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

1:4 Here was the danger Jude saw. A terrible heresy had been introduced among Christians. That false teaching was this: since salvation comes entirely by God’s grace and does not in any way depend on good works, Christians may live as they please; however they live, whatever they do, grace will forgive them. Compare Rom 6:1. This false teaching still exists today.⚜

Examples of God’s judgment on evil in former times

5 So I want to remind you, for you once came to know this, that the Lord, after rescuing people out of the land of Egypt, destroyed those who did not believe.

6 And the angels who did not keep their first position but left their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

7 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, which in the same way gave themselves up to sexual immorality and went after unnatural flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Evil men in the present time

8 In a similar way also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of honored ones. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when he contended with the devil, disputing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you”.

They are spiritually ignorant

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

They follow the evil ways of 3 evil men

11 Woe to them! for they have gone in the way of Cain and for reward have run greedily after the error of Balaam, and have perished in the rebellion of Korah.

They are leaders in churches

12 These are blots in your love feasts, when they feast with you, looking after themselves without fear. They are clouds without water, carried about by winds; trees whose fruit wither, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Their end will be terrible

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

Enoch prophesied about them

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these people, saying, “Look, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his saints, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all the ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all their hard words which ungodly sinners have spoken against him”.

1:14-15 Gen 5:18, 21-24. This quotation is not from the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired Jude and gave him words spoken by Enoch thousands of years before. (There is a book called the “Book of Enoch”, but it is not inspired by God and it contains some ridiculous legends. It cannot be proved that Jude used it for this quotation). Apart from Jude we would not know that Enoch was a prophet. Ungodliness was exceedingly common in Enoch’s day, as it is in ours. So he condemns it very strongly.⚜

Their character

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking after their own lusts. And their mouth speaks great swelling words, flattering people for the sake of getting some advantage.

1:16 There are five marks of these godless men given in this verse.⚜

Christ’s apostles warned about them

17 But, dearly loved ones, remember the words which were spoken previously by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 how they told you there would be mockers in the last time who would walk after their own ungodly desires. 19 These are those who separate themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit.

How believers should behave

20 But you, dearly loved ones, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

1:20 Jude now shows how believers can be safe from apostasy and apostates.⚜

21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

1:21 Christ keeps believers in a state of salvation (v 1). Believers must keep themselves in God’s love. This can be done only by obedience to His Word – John 14:21, 23; 15:9-10.⚜

22 And have compassion on some people, making a distinction;

1:22 Do not be hard and unsympathetic toward them. Try to understand them and help them to believe.⚜

23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Benediction

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 to God our Saviour, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

1:24-25 One of the greatest doxologies in the Bible.⚜