Jude
The name is literally “Judas.” But to avoid connection with Judas Iscariot, the infamous man who betrayed Jesus, most English translators have used the name “Jude.”
There are six people named “Judas” mentioned in the New Testament, but the best evidence identifies this as the one mentioned in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3: Jude, the half-brother of Jesus.
Jude, like the other half-brothers of Jesus (including James), didn’t believe in Jesus as the Messiah until after the resurrection of Jesus (John 7:5 and Acts 1:14).
Knowing this, what kinds of things would you say about Jude from this first line? Jude 1a
Who is the target audience of Jude’s letter? Of all the books we have studied, do you feel like this one applies better to our times? Why/not?
One commentator noted that Jude wished blessings upon you multiplied – not just added.
It also notes about having a common faith: “In the 1980’s a survey poll found that 70% of Americans who go to church say that you can be a good Christian without going to church. This doesn’t match with Jude’s idea of a common salvation.” In Greek the word is ἐπαγωνίζομαι: to exert intense effort on behalf of something—‘to struggle for.’ Like the athletic term for a team struggling / contending together (continuously).
There is a lot of earnest contention in the world but usually not for the right things. The faith once for all delivered to the saints is something worth contending for. “The faith” doesn’t mean our own personal belief, or faith in the sense of our trust in God. The phrase the faith means “The essential truths of the gospel that all true Christians hold in common.” The faith is used in this sense repeatedly in the New Testament (Acts 6:7, 13:8, 14:22, 16:5, 24:24; Romans 1:5 and 16:26; Colossians 2:7, and 1 Timothy 1:2 are just some of the examples).
V4: “Satan knows right well that one devil in the church can do far more than a thousand devils outside her bounds.” (Spurgeon) Calling people good Christians when they are not? When you evaluate if a person is Christian or not, what measures do you use? List them, rank order them?
The idea behind the ancient word lewdness/immorality is sin that is practiced without shame, without any sense of conscience or decency. Usually talking about either sexual or doctrinal sins, and in this case probably both.
How can you change grace into a license for immorality?
V5: Pop Quiz: how were they destroyed?
“It is not too much to say that the New Testament no where else presents so many strange phenomena, or raises so many curious questions within so narrow a space.” (Salmond, Pulpit Commentary)
Dave’s doctrinal rule of thumb: If only one verse talks about something with no there reference anywhere else in the Bible, say “that is interesting” and do not bother arguing about it. Do NOT make a mountain out of a mole hill, and with only one verse, that is hardly even a mole hill!
That said… If you take a step back from the story being referenced, what is Jude actually trying to say?
Angels: Genesis 6:2, Luke 10:18, Other? Trying to get a clear understanding of angels from old and new testaments is pretty hard. Daniel 10:13, etc. What we do know is that humans often think them to be superior, and even God when they see them. Humans also have a hard time distinguishing good ones and bad ones, including Satan (Ruler of the Kingdom of the Air, Lucifer (Light Bearer in Isaiah), Ruler of this World and God of this Age).
Today, our culture encourages us to reject authority and to recognize self as the only real authority in our lives. We can do this with the Bible, by choosing to only believe certain passages. We can do it with our beliefs, by choosing at the “salad bar” of religion. Or we can do it with our lifestyle, by making our own rules and not recognizing the proper authorities God has established.
Michael must be as powerful or more so than Satan. The argument? Deuteronomy 34:5-6
No one knows, and the only guess of it being an
The Assumption of Moses is known from a single sixth-century incomplete manuscript in Latin that was discovered by Antonio Ceriani in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan in the mid-nineteenth century and published by him in 1861.[2] But there is no text to actually read about that. Others say Jude may have used Moses instead of Joshua, referring to Zechariah 3, because Joshua and Jesus are the same root word and meaning and it would have been confusing to write about Jesus and talk about the passage in Zechariah to make his point. This keeps protestants within the protestant canon and not having to read or accept Apocryphal writings.
The other book that may play a role in this passage was the book of Enoch. Three books are traditionally attributed to Enoch, including the distinct works 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch. None of the three books are considered to be canonical scripture by the majority of Jewish or Christian church bodies. The older sections of 1 Enoch (mainly in the Book of the Watchers) are estimated to date from about 300–200 BC, and the latest part (Book of Parables) is probably to 100 BC.[3]
But for Jude, the main point isn’t why Michael was disputed, but how he disputed with the devil.
Balaam was guilty of one of the greatest of sins: deliberately leading others into sin. Worse yet, he did it for money.
Should we trust the Book of Enoch? Commentators say: Jude’s quoting of the book of Enoch doesn’t mean that the whole book of Enoch inspired Scripture – only the portion Jude quotes. In the same way, when Paul quoted a pagan poet, he didn’t mean that the entire work of the poet was inspired by God.
Summary: Christians have faced trials many times over the centuries, and have believed that the end of the world was close. Many believe that same thing to day, for good reason. Will you allow evil to be called Christian? Will you contend for the faith? Will you be humble in this contention or will you be arrogant and sin while battling spiritual forces? And can you live into the blessing from Jude?
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/jude-1/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_Moses
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Enoch