Jude
The book of Jude is a rather unique one in that it cites from the Assumption of Moses (ca. AD 20) and the book of Enoch (1st century BC), both belonging to the corpus of Jewish Pseudepigraphy, but the book itself was accepted into the Canon quite early by the Christian Church. A good part of the book appears in part or whole in 2 Peter (Jude 3-19; 2 Pet. 2:1-3,10).
The author is the earthly half-brother of our Lord Jesus (Matt. 13:55), and he writes passionately against the false teachers with a sense of great urgency. The recipients are likely the churches of Asia Minor, those to whom 2 Peter was also directed before AD 70.
1-2—Greetings
(1) Why doesn't he call himself the brother of Jesus, but, rather, the brother of James? (Mk. 6:3)
(2) How does Jude address the recipients of his letter?
(3) What would your life be like if you had “mercy, peace and love in abundance”?
3-16—The Problems Facing the Church
(4) What is the purpose of his writing? (v. 3)
(5) Godless men have secretly slipped into the church (v. 4)
a. They are changing God’s grace into a license for immorality. What does it mean?
b. They deny Jesus Christ. Why does such a sin amount to denying Christ?
c. Can you think of contemporary examples of this?
(6) Examples of God’s judgment (vv. 5-7)
a. The people of Exodus in the wilderness (v. 5):
- What was their sin?
- What judgment did they face? (Num. 14:29, 33)
b. The fallen angels (v. 6):
- What was their sin? (see 2 Pet. 2:4)
- What judgment have they suffered?
c. Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 7)
- What were their sins?
- What judgment did they face? (Gen. 19:23ff)
- In this particular case, what does their judgment exemplify?
(7) Marks of the godless men (vv. 8-10)
a. What are their marks? (v. 8)
b. The sin of slandering (vv. 9-10)
- How unrestrained are their slanders?
- By contrast, how did the archangel Michael demonstrate his restraint and why? (Jude is quoting from the Assumption of Moses.)
(8) Analogies of their wickedness (vv. 11-13)
a. Biblical precedents (v. 11)
- The way of Cain: What exactly is the way of Cain? (Gen. 4:6-8; 1 Jn. 3:12)
- The error of Balaam: What is his error? (Num. 22-23; see comment in Deut. 23:4)
- The rebellion of Korah: Why did Korah and his people meet with such a horrible judgment, that of being swallowed by the earth? (Num. 16:1-3, 31-35)
b. Analogies of their wickedness (vv. 12-13): What does each of the analogies seek to highlight?
- Blemishes at love feasts
- Shepherds who feed only themselves
- Clouds without rain
- Trees without fruit
- Wild waves?
(9) Their coming judgment (vv. 14-16)
a. What fate will they face? (Jude is citing from the book of Enoch.)
b. What kinds of wickedness are highlighted?
c. Given all of the above (from v. 4 onwards), can you describe in your own words who these false teachers are?
Vv. 17-23—Call to Persevere
(10) What have the apostles foretold about the “last times”? (vv.17-18; see 2 Tim. 3:1ff; 2 Pet. 3:3)
(11) What will their impact be on the church? (v. 19)
(12) Are they true believers? (v. 19b)
(13) How then shall we live in these “last times”? (vv. 20-21)
(14) How should we deal with those who are weak in faith? (v. 22)
V. 24—The Doxology
(15) Use this doxology to end your time of devotion.
“To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 24-25)
(16) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” (Jude 3)
“The insightful words of Eugene Peterson in his introduction to the book of Jude (The Message, page 604) deserve our undivided attention:
‘Our spiritual communities are as susceptible to disease as our physical bodies. But it is easier to detect whatever is wrong in our stomachs and lungs than in our worship and witness. When our physical bodies are sick or damaged, the pain calls our attention to it, and we do something quick. But a dangerous, even deadly, virus in our spiritual communities can go undetected for a long time.’
"Drawing on that word picture, just as we need accurate and honest physicians to diagnose our physical condition when we’re sick, we need diagnosticians to examine us spiritually. Jude’s letter is precisely that—an accurate and forthright diagnosis we dare not ignore.
"In light of that, the time has come for you and for me to look deep within and ask ourselves some penetrating questions. As we evaluate our willingness to stand with Jude in contending for the faith, I wonder if his words cut into our hearts. I wonder if, in the process of these last number of years (or maybe even months), there has begun to be an erosion in your faith, maybe a slow, almost imperceptible hardening of your heart, a weakening of your commitment, a loosening of your lifestyle. How’s the quantity and quality of your time with God in prayer and fellowship and in the Word? How teachable is your spirit, how contrite is your heart? How are you doing in showing mercy and caring for the hurting? Is your thought pattern a wholesome one? Do you still cultivate a heart for God? I say those things to myself, as well. As we honestly appraise our lives, may the words of Jude burn within us with a renewed intensity: ‘I ...urge you to contend for the faith’ (verse 3). Are we doing that?”
(The Living Insight Study Bible, 1388)