Jude 1-4
“Introduction”
• Vs 1 Who is Jude? Jude or Judah (Heb.) form of Judas (Greek)
• 2 Possibilities
o Judas, the Apostle, also called Thaddaeus (Luke 6:16)
o Judas, the half brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55)
• It was not the apostle, vs. 17; he would have identified himself as an apostle and not separated himself.
• The authority by which this epistle was written means it was authored by someone who would have been greatly respected within the church; this makes Jude, the brother of Jesus, the brother of James, the writer.
• Time Period: I believe written shortly after 2 Peter (2 Peter 2:1)
• Audience: Jewish-Christians in and around Jerusalem.
• “Servant” is better translated bondservant.
• Past Present Future
↓ ↓ ↓
called beloved(sanctified) kept(preserved)
↓ ↓ ↓
saved being saved will be saved
↓ ↓ ↓
1Pet. 3:18; Heb 9:26-28 Phil. 2:12 1 Peter 1:4
• Vs. 2 Mercy – God’s mercy to sustain them in difficult times. Peace— God’s peace to create calmness in the midst of adversity. Love – God’s love that can cover a multitude of sins.
• Vs. 3 Jude wanted to write this epistle to these believers about salvation; however there was something more pressing happening in the church to cause him to change subject matter.
• “Earnestly contend” has the idea of a physical struggle or fight.
• What Jude was telling these believers was that it was time for them to stand up and fight for the faith, or better the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• 1 Timothy 1:18
• What do we need to fight against right now, how is the gospel of Christ being attacked right now in 21st Century American Christianity?
• “once delivered to all the saints” meaning God’s truth is unchanged.
• Psalm 119:160
• Vs. 4 We know what to do, now what do we look for?
• “they crept in unnoticed” they didn’t knock down the front door and force their way in.
• Jesus warns us in Matthew 13:25 that the enemy will come in and sow tares among the wheat.
• The real danger was that there were some teaching others to turn God’s grace into a license for living a self-fulfilling life.
• For us today that same danger is if we allow the thinking to persist that you can call yourself a Christian (Member of FBC) and look, talk and act like the rest of the world.
