The Book of Jude is one of the shortest books in the New Testament, containing only 25 verses. Yet it contains a powerful message warning believers about false teachers and exhorting them to contend for the faith. Jude identifies himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. This likely refers to Jesus’ half-brother Jude, who became a leader in the early church. The audience of this epistle seems to be all believers, as Jude refers to them as “dear friends” (v.3).
Jude gets right to the point in verse 3, stating that he felt compelled to write to them about their “common salvation” and encourage them to “contend for the faith”. This urgent tone continues throughout the letter as Jude warns of godless people who have secretly slipped in among the believers. He compares them to Cain, Balaam, and Korah from the Old Testament – three men who rebelled against God and caused trouble for His people. Jude highlights the dangerous teachings of these infiltrators and their immoral lifestyle. They are shepherds who only feed themselves and clouds without rain. Jude condemns them strongly, stating that for them “blackest darkness has been reserved forever” (v.13).
In contrast to the deceivers, Jude calls believers to remember the words of the apostles who warned that mockers would arise in the last days. He exhorts them to build themselves up in the faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep themselves in God’s love, and wait for the mercy of Christ unto eternal life (vv. 20-21). One of Jude’s most memorable exhortations is verse 3, imploring believers to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” This speaks to the importance of fighting for sound doctrine and guarding the deposit of truth found in Scripture.
Jude offers hope amidst the warnings by pointing to God’s love and Jesus Christ’s ability to keep believers from stumbling. He concludes doxologically in verses 24-25, praising God’s majesty and glory. He reminds readers that it is God who is able to keep them from falling and will present them blameless before His glorious presence. Jude’s constant focus on Jesus Christ and a right view of God is meant to anchor believers in the truth so they will not be led astray by the destructive heresies of impostor teachers. While a sobering book, Jude equips the church for discernment and perseverance in the faith.
Here is a summary of the key sections in Jude:
Salutation (vv. 1-2)
Jude identifies himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. He addresses his letter to those sanctified and called by God.
Purpose for Writing (v. 3)
Jude had wanted to write about salvation but instead was compelled to urge believers to contend for the faith entrusted to them because certain men had secretly slipped in among them with dangerous heretical views.
Profile of the False Teachers (vv. 4-19)
Jude gives a harsh condemnation of the character and conduct of these infiltrators. He compares them to Cain, Balaam, and Korah. He highlights their immoral lifestyle, greed, divisiveness, disrespect for authority, and reliance on dreams/visions. He pronounces woe upon them and says they are destined for blackest darkness.
Exhortations for Believers (vv. 20-23)
In contrast to the deceivers, Jude urges believers to build themselves up in the faith, pray in the Spirit, keep themselves in God’s love, and wait for Christ’s return. He tells them to show mercy to doubters, save others by snatching them from the fire, and keep hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Doxology of Praise (vv. 24-25)
Jude concludes by praising God’s majesty, glory, power, and authority. He reminds believers that God is able to keep them from stumbling and will present them blameless before His glory.
Overall, Jude serves as a warning about the dangers of false teaching threatening the church. By highlighting past judgments against apostasy and immorality, Jude hopes to wake up believers to contend for true doctrine. His constant focus on Christ and relying on God’s power and ability equips the church to stand firm. While containing harsh words towards deceivers, Jude is pastoral in his desire to keep believers steadfast in the faith.
Contending for the Faith
One of the main themes in Jude is the importance of contending for the faith in the midst of false teaching. Jude says in verse 3 that he wanted to write about salvation but the dangerous views of the infiltrators made it necessary to urge believers to contend for the beliefs they had been given. The Christian faith is the revealed truth about Jesus Christ given to His followers through the apostles. It refers to the core doctrinal truths regarding who Jesus is, the gospel, and sound doctrine. Jude is saying that believers must fight to protect these essential truths from being distorted or corrupted.
Jude uses harsh language when referring to the ungodly people who have crept in “unnoticed” (v.4). He calls them ungodly, licentious, and denies of Christ. He says they are hidden reefs that threaten to shipwreck believers’ faith (v.12). Jude gives these strong warnings because he recognizes the destructive nature of false teaching. If wrong doctrines take root in the church, they can spread quickly and lead believers astray. This could have eternal consequences for those who are misled. Jude’s call to contend for the faith reflects the severity of this threat.
What does it look like to contend for the faith? Believers are exhorted to grow in biblical and theological knowledge in order to detect error and rebut false teaching (Titus 1:9). Church leaders must be vigilant to keep false doctrines out of the church and only allow teachers who are sound in the faith. Every believer should study the Scriptures diligently (2 Tim 2:15) so they will recognize truth versus deception. Contending for the faith means holding firmly to biblical truth when secular culture promotes values that contradict it.
Jude points believers back to “the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (v.3). This reminds his readers that the true gospel is not something new but has been handed down from the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). It cannot be changed or improved. God has revealed His truth through His Word. So one of the best ways believers can contend for the faith is by upholding, living out, and proclaiming the truth of Scripture. This guards against doctrinal error and maintains purity in the church.
Warnings Against False Teachers
Much of the Book of Jude is devoted to warning believers about the false teachers that have crept into the church. Jude wants to wake up the church to the seriousness of this threat. He describes these deceptive imposters using very strong language, calling them:
- “ungodly” (v. 4)
- “denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 4)
- “licentious” or sexually immoral (v. 4)
- “blasphemers” (v. 8)
- “grumblers” (v. 16)
- “faultfinders” (v. 16)
- “following their own evil desires” (v. 16)
- “boastful” (v. 16)
- “flatterers” who “[butter] people up for their own advantage” (v. 16)
This reveals the self-centered motivations of these false teachers. They are not serving Jesus Christ or focused on sound doctrine. Jude says they “follow their own ungodly desires” (v. 18) rather than upholding biblical truth. Their smooth words deceive innocent people in order to benefit themselves. Jude makes it clear that their judgment – condemnation and separation from Christ – is certain (v. 4).
Jude wants believers to be aware of these dangerous imposters in their midst. He points to Old Testament examples of people who led others away from God’s truth and were judged severely for it (vv. 5-7). These include:
- Cain – Genesis 4 – murdered his brother Abel and was driven from God’s presence
- Balaam – Numbers 22-24 – prophet who was greedy and tried to curse Israel for money
- Korah – Numbers 16 – led a rebellion against Moses’ authority and was swallowed up by the earth
- The people of Sodom and Gomorrah who were destroyed by fire for sexual immorality – Genesis 19
Additionally, Jude condemns the false teachers for rejecting authority and slandering the glorious ones (likely meaning angelic beings, v. 8). He pronounces woe on them for being like “clouds without rain” – promising much but delivering nothing (v.12). He calls them “fruitless trees” that will be uprooted for their lack of fruitfulness (v.12). Their end is “blackest darkness” because of their wickedness, rebellion, and leading others away from Christ (v. 13). These vivid metaphors and comparisons to past judgments show that God detests those who distort His truth and mislead His people.
While Jude has incredibly harsh words for these ungodly men, his purpose is to warn the church and equip them to stand firm. The Christian faith is under attack in every generation. Believers must rely on Scripture to test all teachings, be wary of smooth-talking false teachers, and turn away from doctrines that contradict God’s Word. Only by remaining anchored in the truth can the church avoid deception. Jude’s warnings are meant to stir believers towards vigilance, discernment, and perseverance in sound doctrine.
Remembering the Words of the Apostles
After his lengthy condemnation of the deceivers who have infiltrated the church, Jude shifts to exhorting believers on how they should respond. In verses 17-19, he appeals to them to remember what the apostles predicted about false teachers arising. The Scriptures contain many warnings about false prophets and wrong doctrine emerging, especially as the end times draw closer (Matt 24:4-5, 11; 2 Tim 3:1-9; 2 Pet 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 7-11). The appearance of apostates who twist God’s Word is inevitable.
Jude reminds his readers that the apostles “said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires'” (v. 18). This refers to prophecies that ungodly people will arise who mock and abandon biblical truth, like those mentioned in 2 Peter 3:3. Jude is calling believers to recollect these warnings and remain on guard against any teaching not aligned with the doctrine passed down from the apostles. Remembering Scripture arms Christians to expect deception and resist it.
Jude also mentions that the apostles described these imposters as those “who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit” (v. 19). Some key characteristics of false teachers according to these verses are:
- Causing division and discord rather than unity among believers
- Living according to the flesh/worldly passions rather than being led by the Spirit
- Not having the Holy Spirit guiding them (this implies they are unsaved)
Holding to Scripture prevents division and grounds believers in God’s truth. The Holy Spirit guides followers of Christ into all truth and shows them where deceivers contradict sound doctrine (John 16:13). Remembering the Spirit-inspired words of the apostles equips Christians to discern truth from error.
How to Remain Firm in the Faith
After warning extensively about false teachers, Jude shifts to pastoral exhortation about how believers can remain firm in the faith. He gives a series of rapid-fire imperatives urging them to:
- “Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” (v. 20)
- “Keep yourselves in God’s love.” (v. 21)
- “Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.” (v. 21)
- “Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire.” (vv. 22-23)
- “To others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (v. 23)
Believers must take deliberate action through spiritual disciplines to strengthen their faith and avoid being led astray. Some important applications from Jude’s exhortations include:
- Pursue spiritual growth and learning through studying Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and listening to sound preaching.
- Rely on the inner prompting and wisdom of the Holy Spirit who guides into truth.
- Remain in Christ through ongoing relationship and obedience.
- Eagerly hope in the return of Jesus who will bring eternal salvation.
- Be compassionate towards doubters but uncompromising on truth.
- Refute false teaching while gently pleading with those who have been deceived.
- Flee from sin and even that which promotes it.
Jude gives believers powerful instruction on how to stand firm amidst deception. Anchoring themselves in Jesus Christ and sound teaching protects followers of Christ from stumbling. Knowing the Scriptures, relying on the Spirit’s guidance, clinging to the hope of eternal life, and showing grace and mercy are ways to withstand false doctrines. This requires great discernment, courage, and compassion.
Kept by God
After such an intense letter filled with warnings and exhortations, Jude ends on a beautiful high note. His closing doxology offers great encouragement to believers in the midst of spiritual warfare and apostasy. Jude says:
“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 vv. 24-25)
Even though followers of Christ have a responsibility to contend for the faith, avoid falsehood, and persevere by God’s strength, salvation is still God’s work. Believers do not keep themselves – God keeps them through His sovereign power and grace!
Jude reminds Christians that ultimately it is Christ who will make them stand blameless before Him by His blood. Salvation depends upon God’s faithfulness, not man’s. This brings Jude’s letter full circle back to the “common salvation” he first mentioned in verse 3. Despite the dangers of deception, God remains in full control.
Jude ends by praising God’s majesty and glory revealed through Jesus Christ. Grounding oneself in a right view of God’s greatness empowers believers to stand unwavering against false doctrines and the deceiver’s schemes. Fixing one’s eyes on Jesus enables Christians to finish the race with endurance (Heb 12:1-3). What a powerful encouragement and hope!
Key Themes and Applications
Though brief, Jude packs in many important themes and applications for the church today. Here are some key points to take away from this epistle:
- Contend earnestly for sound doctrine – Do not casually accept teaching but test it carefully against Scripture
- Remain vigilant against deceivers – False teachers threaten eternal souls; their judgment is sure
- Remember apostolic warnings – The Word equips us to discern between truth and error
- Ground yourself in Christ – Only through dependence on Jesus can believers stand firm
- Flee from sin – Even slight indulgence can begin leading people astray
- Have mercy and compassion – Gently and patiently turn even those deceived back to the truth
- God keeps His children – Our salvation depends fully on His power, not our effort
The Book of Jude equips Christians for the spiritual battles they will face until Christ returns. By clinging to sound doctrine, remaining watchful, and keeping themselves in God’s love, believers are able to persevere. Jude’s stark warnings against falsehood make it clear there is no room for compromising core biblical truths. Yet his ending emphasis on God’s faithfulness gives followers of Christ hope and confidence to stand firm. Christians must stay anchored in the faith that was “once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 3).