Jude - Contend for the Faith - Pt 6

 

It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. (Jude 14–16 ESV).

 

Our reading today mentions another little-known prophet, Enoch. It is another example of Jude, knowing his first readers not being inclined to give any supporting details. We can be sure, however, that the Holy Spirit’s inspiration included that in His plan for future audiences. So, we should begin with what we know historically. We do know that the period of time between the Old and New Testaments was marked by a great deal of international upheaval. The Maccabean revolt (ca. 164 BCE) ended the tyranny of Antiochus IV who defiled the Jerusalem temple. Israel subsequently enjoyed independence from foreign rule. This continued until 63 BCE when the Roman general Pompey made Palestine a part of the Roman empire.

 

Though prophets were silent during the intertestamental period, the Jews continued to produce many religious works. These works came to be known as the deuterocanonical books, and many of them, such as 1 and 2 Maccabees, are included in the canon of the Roman Catholic Church. However, many other works were produced at this time and were never recognized as inspired, even though they may have been used as devotional aids by some Jews.

 

One of these is known as the Testament of Moses and is the likely source for Jude’s description of the fight over Moses’ body (cf. v. 9). Jude’s reliance on an uninspired source immediately raises concerns for us. These concerns are only compounded by today’s passage. In verses 14–15, Jude quotes 1 Enoch, a pseudepigraphal (falsely attributed) work written between the third and first centuries BCE. This book is based on the enigmatic “Enoch” of Genesis 5:18–24, and was a favorite of the Dead Sea sect.

 

It is natural for us to then consider whether Jude viewed the aforementioned works inspired? If so, then we need to add to our Old Testament canon. If not, maybe Jude ought to be disqualified as an apostle for quoting an uninspired work as if it were inspired? Indeed, many in the early church had problems accepting Jude as canonical because of his use of these sources. But we need not resort to such a thing, for Jude’s use of this material does not mean he recognized these works as a whole were inspired. While operating under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Jude was led to include portions of these sources in his inspired letter. The apostle could distinguish the truths from the errors in these apocryphal books, and thus his use of a non-canonical writing is perfectly in keeping with the inspiration and inerrancy of his letter.

 

All truth finds its origin in God Himself. Therefore, we should not be dismayed that Jude quotes from sources not inspired by God. We can be sure Jude, under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit, was able to sift the wheat from the chaff in these non-canonical sources. Thus his letter, like all of Scripture, remains authoritative. Thank the Lord for giving us His Word and study it so that you may apply its truth to your life.

 

The message is clear. Jesus is coming and He will judge the living and the dead. Those that Jude singles out (“… the grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage”) will face the wrath of the Sovereign Lord. Take care to stay away from such people! Contend for the one true faith!

 

Jude - Contend for the Faith - Pt 5

 

But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 10–13 ESV).

 

It should be understood that although our knowledge of the author and circumstances surrounding the epistle of Jude is more limited than our knowledge of other books of the Bible, we can be fairly certain that his original audience was made up of Christians from a Jewish background and therefore understood the references he has made much better. Jude’s use of Old Testament imagery and language in order to warn his audience about false teachers and predict their judgment reveals that his congregation would have been well-schooled in the Hebrew Scripture.

 

Today’s reading offers a further example of this. Jude begins by pronouncing a woe on the teachers troubling his audience. These woes were common ways of announcing judgment in the prophetic literature of ancient Israel (cf. Hosea 7:13). Of course, it is natural to think that this letter must be of little value since they speak only to that church of the first century. We would be greatly mistaken to miss the contemporary application in our present world. J. Godon Machen’s quote in the attached image summarizes our present plight quite well:

 

“Me love to be encouraged by false hopes; the world is full of quack remedies for sin.”

 

Jude faced similar “quacks, and compares these teachers to well-known Old Testament sinners in order to demonstrate they will meet the same fate. The example of Cain (Genesis 4) is used elsewhere in the New Testament (1 John 3:11–15) to warn Christians about their doctrine and behavior. Balaam, like the false teachers, saw visions and was later judged by God (Numbers 22–24; Joshua 13:22). Korah led a rebellion against the authority of Moses (Numbers 16), and Jewish tradition viewed Korah as the archetypal antinomian. He is thus a fitting example for Jude to use because the false teachers he deals with flaunted God’s law and denied apostolic authority. The horrible end of all these old-covenant heretics foreshadows the eternal judgment that is the fate of all false teachers and their disciples.

 

Our reading today also speaks of the way these teachers feasted on Jude’s audience — most likely a reference to the unbridled greed that would have motivated their teaching (vv. 12-13). His comparisons of the teachers to “waterless clouds” and “fruitless trees” demonstrate that despite their claims to the contrary, these men offered nothing of value to the church. Significantly, Jude calls these teachers “twice dead” (v. 12), referring to their eventual, physical death and eternal spiritual death. This death, experienced forever in the “gloom of utter darkness,” is reserved for all who pervert the grace of God (v. 13).

 

Few of us would overtly rise up against godly leaders like these men did by preaching false doctrine. Yet how many of us subtly disobey the authority of the pastors and elders in our churches by speaking ill of them or grumbling about their decisions? “Roast preacher” as a Sunday staple is all too common in our churches today. As others try to persuade you to murmur against godly church authorities, remember your responsibility to submit to the leaders God has appointed. If you have been divisive, do what you can to make amends. Of course it is also true that we should measure our leaders by the truth of Scripture, and if they are indeed peaching/teaching heresy, we must get out from under their influence and find a Scripturally grounded and focused ministry.

 

 

Jude - Contend for the Faith - Pt 4

 

Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude 8–9 ESV).

 

As is true in other parts of this short letter, Jude gives us a unique insight into the spiritual realm. In our reading today he mentions the Archangel Michael as he “contends” with the devil over the body of Moses. Now, the relative lack of detailed information about angels in Scripture when compared to other topics has not prevented theologians and Bible teachers from speculating about these supernatural creatures. Western art is filled with paintings and poems about angels. Hollywood tells stories on TV and in movies about angels. Several modern Christian best-selling novels have purported to pull back the curtain and let us see the spiritual warfare between angels and demons that is on-going in the unseen realm. So, it is common that many Christians have their view of angels more informed by these nonbiblical sources than by the Scripture.

 

When it comes to our my personal angelology (our study of angels) I do my best to avoid the extreme of speculating too much about what angels look like and what they do. At the same time, we must avoid the other extreme of not being aware of the angels at all. When God made the universe, He also directs and sustains all that is in it according to His eternal decree (cf. Ephesians 1:11; Hebrews 1:1–4). Yet, He does not do this apart from the decisions and actions of His creatures, including human beings and angels. While His eternal plan governs all that happens, angels also act in creation and are secondary causes through whom God brings His purposes to pass. God is not the only supernatural being who acts in creation. The angels also do things.

 

We have seen the role angels play in the worship of God, but they also have been key actors in miracles such as the resurrection. Remember we are told that an angel rolled the stone away from the tomb of Jesus (Matthew 28:1–10). Angels also seem to be active in guiding the course of human history, with particular angels assigned to nations and territories. For instance, the Scripture says that the angel Michael is the “great prince” with charge over Israel (cf. Daniel 12:1). And we also see Daniel refer to a battle between Michael and “the prince of Persia”—apparently an evil angel or demon (cf. Daniel 10:12–14). Michael intervened in the fight between another angel and this demon to give the angel a clear path to deliver the interpretation of a vision to Daniel.

 

Michael is identified in our reading as an archangel, indicating that he has some kind of leadership role in the angelic hierarchy. He and the other holy angels go to battle for the people of God as part of their assignment as ministers to believers (cf. Hebrews 1:13–14). Our Lord has created a vast angelic army to fight for us and to battle against the devil in order that His kingdom will advance.

 

God shows His tender care for His people in giving His angels to us to minister to us and to do battle for our sakes. We do not know how often the angels intervene to protect us, but we do know that their intervention under the direction of the Lord has done more for us than we can imagine. This certainly should prompt us to be thankful for these spiritual allies. And we should take great care not to fall into the trap of thinking that what we can see is more real than the supernatural beings whom we cannot. They are there! Thank God for His assignment on our behalf!

 

Jude - Contend for the Faith - Pt 3

 

Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 5–7 ESV).

 

I must confess that our reading today feels as if it is describing a vengeful, hateful deity. Of course, we know that is not the case. The love of God has been shown in so many ways throughout the Scripture we are hard pressed to honestly come to that conclusion. Never-the-less we should give careful consideration to the consequences of a life of sin. In his commentary on Jude, John Calvin interpreted these verses (vv. 5–7) as an urgent warning that experiencing God’s initial grace or covenant privilege does not grant a license to sin or exempt anyone from divine judgment. There are four distinct principles Jude calls attention to as examples of the way we are called to live as believers.

 

First, he uses the unbelieving Israelites (v. 5). Reformers, like Calvin, have emphasized that Jude is saying that a miraculous or public deliverance from Egypt (such as the Red Sea crossing) does not save a person if they lack true, living faith. God destroyed the disobedient in the wilderness, showing that unbelief and a rejection of God's authority are the root of ruin. Calvin warned believers "not to glory carelessly in his grace, but on the contrary, to walk watchfully in his fear". This is a word for us to hear as well. We must emphasize grace, however, God’s grace does not exempt us from the consequence of sinful choices and actions.

 

Jude also points to the apostate angels (Verse 6). The Reformers viewed the fallen angels as a stark example of pride and rebellion. Having abandoned their proper domain and designated rank (principatum), they were bound in darkness for the judgment of the great day. This underscored that high status or spiritual proximity offers no protection when creatures reject divine order.

 

Next the stepbrother of our Lord uses Sodom, Gomorrah, and the "Strange Flesh" (v. 7) as a clear example of the destructive practice of sin and disobedience. Calvin and subsequent Reformed commentators treated the destruction of the "cities of the plain" by eternal fire as a type and permanent example of divine vengeance against moral perversion, unrestrained lust, and the rejection of natural/divine limits; however, these are not the only practices of sin that will bring about the ultimate judgment of God.

 

Jude is also very clear in his call to reject Antinomianism. You may not be familiar with this theological belief. Antinomianism means “against the law" (from the Greek “anti” meaning against and “nomos” meaning law). It is a theological belief that Christians are freed from the obligations of moral law, church-prescribed behavioral rules, or the Old Testament law through divine grace. Reformers like Calvin and Martin Luther invoked these three classic types (Israelites, angels, Sodom) to combat the antinomian errors of false teachers in their own day—individuals who abused the doctrine of grace to justify immorality while outwardly claiming association with God's people.

 

In summary, Jude is simply calling for strong vigilance in the application of our grace in leading us to obedience of the will and purpose of God in our lives. The Apostle Paul writes to the Roman Church in this way:

 

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:1–4 ESV).

 

We must contend for the faith! Nothing else is sufficient!

 

Jude - Contend for the Faith - Pt 2

 

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 3–4 ESV).

 

Jude begins the body of his epistle by calling his readers beloved. This word should immediately refer us back to the first verse as he identifies his intended recipients as “believers.” However, it is also a reference to the familial relationship he has for them. This was a common use of the word in that day. A father would often refer to his child as beloved. We should note that since we are called slaves of Christ, we are also beloved in God the Father. With our common status as being loved by God, Christians are family, calling one another beloved. And, the entirety of this letter is written out of the overflow of Jude’s love for his brothers and sisters in the faith. He is not going to use hard words simply to be shocking, rather he is going to tell them difficult truths out of love.

 

Notice Jude says he was “very eager” (v. 3) to write to them. Jude’s purpose for writing was not to call out and condemn the false teachers in their midst; instead, he wanted to write a letter about salvation. He admits that he was very eager to write about this topic, but necessity dictated that he write concerning other matters. He does identify the topic as “our common salvation.” This phrase could also be translated as our common security. As such, Jude is subtly nodding at a common Roman idea of his day. During the first century, the Roman Empire was still expanding, and this expansion led to new enemies facing the empire. Thus, many politicians would write about the conquests being necessary for the common safety of Rome. The degree of its usage is likely similar to “national security” in our present day. Thus, Jude is saying these things he will write are essentials to the correct Christian concept of salvation.

 

And, of course, none of us would argue with the importance of the essence of our message. It is the gospel, which is the only answer to the problem of sin. Though we were created to live in sinless communion with God, our sin destroyed that hope. The good and holy God can only look upon sinful humans with judgment and wrath (cf. Romans 3:23). But by the grace of God, the Son of God was made flesh, lived a sinless life, and died in our place. The shorter version so often stated is that Jesus paid the price I could never pay; and, died the death I deserved! That is our gospel!

 

He quickly pivots to the presence of these false teachers within the church who were teaching something other than the gospel. His pastoral heart for the people being deceived led him to fight on their behalf. He says that he writes “appealing” to them.  Jude is not simply fervently asking believers, as some might interpret the word “appeal”. Instead, this appealing is an exhortation, a call to action. He is pleading for his beloved to make modifications to their behavior in response to the circumstances that he is bringing before them.

 

So, “to contend for the faith” is the very heart of Jude’s letter. The concept of contending in Greek was often used for high intensity challenges, such as sports, warfare, personal growth in virtues, and debates. The usage of faith here is to be taken as referring to the basic principles of Christianity. Faith is fundamentally the placing of one’s confidence in something, but in this case, it refers to what we are placing our confidence in, namely the atoning work of Christ. The gospel is too important to not defend with all our might. Of course, contention within Christianity must never be done physically or violently. The follower of Christ will never seek to defend by the sword but rather by the Word. Instead, we battle by building one another up in the true faith (Jude 20), seeking to rescue the deceived (Jude 23), and disavow the wolves (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13).

 

To “contend earnestly for” (epagonizesthai) is an expressive compound infinitive which appears only here in the New Testament. The simple form of the verb (agonizomai), which appears as ‘agonize’ in its English form, was commonly used in connection with the Greek stadium to denote a strenuous struggle to overcome an opponent, as in a gladiatorial match. Then he says this gospel was “that was once for all delivered to the saints”. The truth of God was delivered by the divine revelation of God. The fact that it was delivered emphasizes that its truth is not of man but of God. One of the hallmark characteristics of false teaching is that they introduce a new teaching or new thought in addition to the sacred tradition of Scripture. The truth of Scripture was given once for all, and any addition to it is not Scripture. This is the only basis for which we know the foundation of the gospel. Anything else must be held up by measuring it against what has been given to us in the Scripture. It is the only final word!

 

If ever there was a time to contend for the Scripture it is now. It is assailed on many fronts. False teachers seek to subtly modify the Scripture to fit their goals and desires. That is ultimately destructive to faith!

 

Jude - Contend for the Faith - Pt 1

 

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. (Jude 1–2 ESV)

 

Most of the time once I have finished a short series, I am torn a bit in consideration of where I want to go next. This is not the case with the series we begin today. For the next few days, we will be looking into the Epistle of Jude. It is the second-to-last book of the New Testament, consisting of a single, powerful chapter. The author is identified as Jude (Judah), he calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James, and traditionally regarded as a half-brother or relative of Jesus. The core purpose of this short is to urge believers to "contend for the faith" and warn against ungodly false teachers who had slipped into the community, perverting God's grace into a license for immorality.

 

We will see that he uses vivid examples of divine judgment from the past—including unbelieving Israelites, rebellious angels, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah—and uniquely quotes from early Jewish apocalyptic literature like the Book of Enoch. Each of these references have given theologians much to debate through the years. In fact, Martin Luther held a highly critical view of the Epistle of Jude, placing it into a secondary group of New Testament books known as the antilegomena (disputed books) at the end of his 1522 German translation. He famously stated that Jude "…need not be counted among the chief books which are supposed to lay the foundations of faith." There has been much disagreement about that view and of course it is one of the canonized books of the New Testament.

 

The letter concludes by encouraging Christians to build themselves up in their faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep themselves in God's love, and show mercy to doubters. I think it will not only be of great interest for us to look at this epistle, but it will serve as a great encouragement in today’s cultural struggle all believers face. I hope you will read it and begin to jot down some of the questions you have for further examination. Send them to me and I’ll answer as many as possible.

 

Today, commit yourself to truly contend for the faith!

 

Seven Letters to Seven Churches - Pt 10

[Jesus said] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:20–22 ESV).

 

We dare not leave these chapters without a look at one of the most well-known and misused passages in the book. Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (v. 20). While I certainly do not believe that I have a better understanding of the great reformer, John Calvin, I can understand in contemporary culture how this verse is better understood in terms of believing churches rather than lost seekers. Indeed, while Calvin did not write a commentary on the Book of Revelation, he famously confessed that he could not make sense of most of it. Calvinism approaches these verses very succinctly. Within Reformed and Calvinist theology, this passage is interpreted through the broader framework of God's sovereign grace rather than an autonomous human "free will" decision. I tend to agree with this approach.

 

These verses, especially verse 20, as an address to the lukewarm, apostate-leaning church of Laodicea rather than an evangelistic invitation to unregenerate non-believers. The imagery of Christ knocking is understood not as a helpless God waiting outside a sinner's self-locked heart hoping to be let in, but as Christ’s covenantal call and discipline (connected directly to verse 19: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten").

 

It is an effectual calling. When Christ truly calls or knocks on the heart of His elect (cf. John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice"), the grace is effectual—meaning God supplies the very ear to hear and the will to open the door, rather than standing passively outside. We have often used the word “quickening” to describe this work of the Holy Spirit. It is at the heart of what Jesus tells Nicodemus when He says, “You must be born again: (cf. John 3). Just as our natural birth is not a result of our doing, so our spiritual birth is not initiated by us. It is a work of God (cf. Ephesians 3:8-9).

 

Jesus’ promise is one of overcoming by grace (v. 21): The promise to the one who "overcomes" aligns with the reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, where true believers endure because God preserves them through union with Christ. That is good news indeed! If we depend on our effort, we are doomed. By God’s grace we have the work of the Holy Spirit and the promise of God that we will never be separated from Christ. Once that is settled, we can be set free to overcome our apathy and share this good news with others in ministry and service.