Thirdmill Study Bible on the book of Jude Chapter One.

Greeting. – Jude 1:1-2

This greeting is a typical letter salutation. Jude identified himself as the author and addressed his audience.

Jude . . . brother of James – Jude 1:1

Jude. . . brother of James ” servant …  A servant in the first century had no status or authority of their own, only that of the master. called God’s first move to sovereignly draw those whom he has graciously chosen to salvation. beloved The root of God’s gracious call is his love for his people. (Rom. 8:28-39; Eph. 1:4-5). kept God not only takes the initiative in the salvation of the elect, but he also preserves them in faith (v. 24; John 10:27-30; 1 Pet. 1:5).

Mercy, peace and love – Jude 1:2

mercy and peace and love Jude added love to a standard early Jewish greeting. He grounded God’s mercy to sinners, and the resulting peace between God and men, in the love of God himself. …

Purpose of the Letter – Jude 1:3-4

Here we find the thesis statement of the letter. Jude wrote to encourage the believers to recognize and reject false teaching and its moral effects.

Although . . . I felt I had to write – Jude 1:3

write We do not know whether Jude ever wrote the letter he had hoped to write concerning their “common salvation,” but this statement clearly distinguishes between the intended audience of the letter (those who possess “salvation”) and the false teachers. struggle earnestly for the faith “Faith” here does not mean either trust or fidelity. It refers to the message of the gospel and the godly lifestyle to which it leads (Gal. 1:23; 1 Tim. 3:9). To “struggle earnestly” for this faith means to resist both the doctrine and the lifestyle of the false teachers. See esp. v. 20. entrusted From the earliest days, the divinely-revealed message of the gospel has remained the same and has been authoritative for God’s people (2 John 9-10). This message is given in the OT (see 2 Tim. 3:14-17) and, by the witness of the apostles, in the NT (1 Cor. 15:3-8).

Certain men . . . slipped in among you – Jude 1:4

slipped in secretly

 The false teachers are the reason Jude’s readers must “struggle earnestly” for purity of life and teaching. Again, Jude sharply distinguished his readers from the false teachers. These false teachers were outsiders, possibly travelling from one city to another, and were common in the early church (cf. 2 Cor. 11:1-5; 2 John 7, 9-11). marked out

 for condemnation

 The false teachers did not take God by surprise. The inevitable judgment of the wicked was predicted (see verses 5-23), and God’s justice is sure. God knows and decrees his judgment against the ungodly before it occurs (see esp. Prov. 16:4). ungodly

 Jude’s preferred description of the false teachers. It encompasses not only their false doctrine but also their immoral lives. changed the grace . . . into sensuality The false teachers thought that God’s favor on believing sinners meant that obedience was unnecessary. Some may even have taught that immoral or sensual behavior by believers glorified God by offering more opportunities for grace (Rom. 6:1; 1 Cor. 5:1–2; 6:12–20). deny . . . Master and Lord The false teachers probably did not deny major theological truths about Jesus. Rather, the disobedient behavior of the false teachers is a rejection of Christ’s lordship and mastery over their lives. Both Master and Lord are applied to God in the Septuagint/Greek translation of the OT (e.g., Gen. 15:8; Job 5:8; Jonah 4:3; Isa. 1:24; Dan. 9:15) as well as to Christ. They imply the necessity of obedience.

Condemnation of False Teachers – Jude 1:5-16

Jude condemned the false teachers. He explained how God’s judgment will surely fall on their lifestyle. He applied both examples and prophecy to the false teachers to demonstrate their condemnation and dissuade believers from following them.

God’s Judgment on False Teachers. – Jude 1:5-10

Jude provided examples of God’s judgment against the ungodly (vv. 5-7). Then, he applied those examples to the false teachers (vv. 8-10).

Examples of God’s Judgment. – Jude 1:5-7

Three examples show that God’s judgment on the ungodly is inevitable.

Destroyed those who did not believe – Jude 1:5

who did not believe

 In this first example, God judged a generation of Israelites for their unbelief by causing them to wander in the desert for 40 years (Num. 13:25–14:38). Even members of God’s chosen people are judged for unbelief.

Angels – Jude 1:6

6 angels 

The second example of God’s judgment that Jude gives is the fallen angels. These angels abandoned the boundaries of authority God had given them. Jude is likely alluding here to Gen. 6:1-4, a text that is elaborated frequently in non-canonical Jewish tradition, in which the “Sons of God” leave heaven to have illicit relations and produce offspring with human women (1 Enoch 6–19, 21; Jub. 4:15; T. Reu. 5:6–7; T. Naph. 3:5). WCL 13; 113. Day 

The examples of God’s judgment that took place in history are only small pictures of the ultimate judgment that will take place at the second coming of Christ. God has appointed a day to judge the world in righteousness through Christ (Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16; 2 Pet. 2:9) Indeed, the Father has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42). WCF 8.4; 32.1; 33.1; WLC 19, 86, 88.

Sodom and Gomorrah – Jude 1:7

just like

 This is the third example of God’s judgment whereby Jude continued with the theme of sexual immorality. The prideful rejection of God’s order by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah is similar to the angels’ rebellion in the previous verse. sexual immorality

 This sin includes homosexuality (Gen. 19:4-9) as well as other perversions of God’s order for the world. examples

 Sodom and Gomorrah are commonly used in Scripture as examples of God’s judgment against sin (Deut. 29:23, Isa. 1:9; Jer. 49:17-18; Luke 17:29-30; Rom. 9:29). WCF 3.7; WLC 27.

Application of Examples to False Teachers. – Jude 1:8-10

Just as surely as God judged these well-known instances of ungodliness, God will also judge the false teachers troubling Jude’s readers.

Dreamers – Jude 1:8

dreamers

 The false teachers may have claimed to have visionary experiences or to have received revelation. They may have added to or changed orthodox Christian doctrine to allow for their own immorality. pollute

 … bodies

 These false teachers prompted a lifestyle that likely involved some kind of sexual immorality, maybe homosexuality in particular (see vv. 4 and 7). rejectauthority

 Rebellion against God’s order and commands is common to all of Jude’s examples so far. This disobedience is synonymous with a rejection of Jesus’s Lordly authority. WLC 151. say slanderous things

 against the glorious ones This charge suggests again that the false teachers were rebelling against God’s proper order for creation. In light of the next verse, perhaps they were usurping judging authority only God can grant his people (1 Cor. 6:3). WCF 23.4; BC 36.

The archangel Michael – Jude 1:9-10

To expose the false teachers’ pride, Jude drew on a story from The Assumption of Moses. This non-biblical Jewish work adds to the story of Moses’s burial (Deut. 34:5-6). In this story, the archangel Michael argued with the devil over possession of the body of Moses. Even Michael, a leader of the angels, did not presume to judge even the devil himself, who was clearly guilty of slander. Instead, he appealed to the authority of God. Michael the archangel is a leader of the angels. He guards God’s people (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1), and he leads the armies of heaven against the devil (Rev. 12:7). The false teachers may have claimed a higher spiritual understanding. However, they were actually ignorant of spiritual things. The one thing they really “understood” was likely sexual desire. Their perversion will lead to their destruction in God’s judgment.

The Ungodly Influence of False Teachers. – Jude 1:11-13

Jude added three more examples of ungodly lives (11). He then showed how such lives lead to ruin (12-13).

Examples of Ungodly Influence – Jude 1:11

Jude appealed to three famous examples from the OT of God’s judgment on ungodly leaders and those they lead astray. Cain The first example of ungodly influence comes from the story of Cain, which is recorded in Gen. 4:3-12 (cf. Heb. 11:4; 1 John 3:12). In the book of Genesis, Cain stood at the head of a long line of unrepentant rebellion against God. To “walk in the way” of someone means to follow their example (1 Kgs. 15:26; 2 Kgs. 8:18; 2 Chron. 11:17). According to Jewish tradition, Cain also directly led others to sin, much like the false teachers (Josephus, Ant. 1.52–62; Posterity of Cain 38-39). Balaam’s error Jude mentions Balaam as the second example of ungodly influence. In Num. 31:16, Balaam was associated with advising the Moabites to lead the Israelites into the sexual sin and idolatry of the Ba’al Peor incident (Num. 25:1-3). for profit In Deut. 23:4 and Neh. 13:2, Balaam performed his divination for money, and Jewish tradition implied that his advice to the Moabites (Num. 31:16) brought him personal gain. Korah’s rebellion The third example of ungodly influence comes from the story of Korah who was a Levite leader (Exod. 6:21). In Numbers 16, Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. This rebellion brought Korah, the other leaders, and 250 Israelite men into sudden divine judgment. Likewise, Jude indicated that God’s judgment will fall on those false teachers and on those whom they lead into error.

Application of Examples to False Teachers – Jude 1:12-13

Jude described the false teachers themselves. They may have appeared helpful, but like the previous examples, they only brought harm.

Blemishes – Jude 1:12

hidden reefs In later Greek, the word used here can refer to a “stain” or “blemish.” Here, though, Jude referred to the unseen danger of obstacles hidden under seemingly safe water. Similarly, the false teachers were all the more dangerous for the church because they may have appeared helpful. love feasts These feasts are the most common early church meetings which consisted of both a common meal and an observance of the Lord’s Supper (see 1 Cor. 11:20-34). feast . . . feed themselves The love feasts were times for the church to care for one another and to share prophecy and teaching (Acts 20:7, 11). So, Jude condemned the false teachers for serving themselves with their teaching rather than building up the community in truth. clouds without rain . . . trees without fruit These images, like hidden reefs, illustrate the deception of the false teachers, who may seem helpful but disappoint. twicedead Not only are the false teachers dead in the sense that they bear no fruit; they are also destined for ultimate destruction in divine judgment (cf. Matt. 7:16-20).

Wandering stars – Jude 1:13

. . . foaming out their own shame Jude drew this image from Isa. 52:20. The false teachers, like the waves, made a lot of noise but left behind nothing but worthlessness. wanderingstars

 Refers to planets, and possibly meteors and comets. They do not have a predictable course, so they are not trustworthy guides. Likewise false teachers will lead followers only towards the blackest darkness. In some Jewish apocalyptic writings, like 1 Enoch, these “wandering stars,” since they were not fixed in place in the skies, were thought to be controlled by disobedient heavenly beings.

Prophecy of Judgment on False Teachers – Jude 1:14-16

At this point, Jude turned his focus to a prophecy of divine judgment from the Jewish literary tradition. Jude applied this prophecy to the ungodly false teachers to demonstrate their ultimate condemnation and destruction.

Enoch’s Prophecy of Judgment. – Jude 1:14-15

Jude referred to a prophecy from a non-canonical Jewish tradition concerning the impending universal judgment of God on the ungodly.

Enoch, the seventh from Adam – Jude 1:14

Enoch

 An “Enoch” is mentioned in Gen. 5:18-24. He was a member of the seventh generation from Adam by inclusive count. Jude quoted from one of the most famous works in early Jewish literature, the Book of Enoch, also known as 1 Enoch. Jude did not imply either that the book is inspired or even the historical Enoch was its author. Rather, the words of the prophecy express Jude’s point well—Enoch was a well-known and regarded work—so Jude took advantage of this source to further his condemnation of the false teacher. prophesied

 Jude apparently thought of this prophecy as an accurate prediction of the future divine judgment. The truthfulness of the prophecy is confirmed by many OT prophecies (e.g., Dan. 7:9-10; Zech. 14:5). The OT is clear that God will decisively judge the ungodly among whom are the false teachers who deceived Jude’s readers. Jude was therefore correct to apply this prophecy to the false teachers. holy ones

 On the last day, the Lord will come with an army of angels to pour out his judgment upon the ungodly (Zech. 14:5; Matt. 25:31).

Ungodly – Jude 1:15

ungodly

 Jude’s preferred description of his opponents. Their rebellion was primarily against God himself, and their teaching did not encourage godliness or submission to God’s authority (cf. vv. 4, 18). WLC 88; BC 37.

Application of Prophecy to False Teachers – Jude 1:16

Jude applied this prophecy to the false teachers by charging them with ungodliness in three accusations.

Grumblers and faultfinders – Jude 1:16

grumblers and complainers By using these words, Jude compared the false teachers to the Israelites in the wilderness. The Greek words used here remind the reader of the stories of God’s people “grumbling” against his authority (cf. Num. 14:27; 16:11; 17:10; Deut. 1:27; Ps. 106:25). Like the Israelites, the false teachers are rebelling against the authority of God over their lives and influencing others to do the same. flatter others The false teachers likely molded their teaching to receive favor from the rich or influential in the church (cf. Jam. 2:1-9). WLC 145.

Encouragement to Believers – Jude 1:17-23

Jude appealed to apostolic teaching that confirmed God’s destruction of the wicked. Jude also exhorted his readers to pursue a godly life by relying on God’s mercy in Christ Jesus.

Encouragement to Persevere Against Ungodliness – Jude 1:17-21

The church should be comforted that the presence of ungodly people is not a surprise to the Lord. Both their presence and their destruction is part of God’s decree. Believers are to be encouraged and remain steadfast.

Remember what the apostles . . . foretold – Jude 1:17

apostles

 Jude was not an apostle, according to this statement. But this statement does not imply that he was not a member of their generation, as some have argued.

Last times – Jude 1:18

lasttime

 This phrase refers to the period between Jesus’s first and second comings (Acts 2:17; Heb. 1:12). mockers

 The false teachers were defiant toward the authority of God and perhaps especially toward the reality of their own judgment at his hands (cf. 2 Pet. 3:3–4). ungodlydesires

 This is the core of Jude’s charge against the false teachers.

Divide you – Jude 1:19

cause divisions

 The false teachers likely taught things that were pleasing to some, perhaps the rich, but not to others (v. 16). They also built themselves up. Division is a sure result of such teaching. They may have even encouraged divisions within the church that would have benefitted them. In doing so, these false teachers were acting against the work of the Spirit and in disobedience to the Scriptures. Instead, they followed their own natural evil desires.

Build . . . holy faith – Jude 1:20

build

 . . . holyfaith

 The believers are to be vigilant to resist the teaching of the ungodly among them. They should base their lives on the trustworthy message of the gospel. Jude’s language suggests that the “faith” is the foundation on which the believers should be built up. Here, “faith” refers to the changeless content of the gospel message delivered by the apostles and prophets (Gal. 1:23; 1 Tim. 3:9). pray in the Holy Spirit The false teachers obeyed their natural desires, but the believers should be led by the Spirit in their prayers. WCF 16.3; WLC 75.

Keep yourselves in God’s love – Jude 1:21

Keep

 yourselves Jude’s direct encouragements to the believers in vv. 20-21 suggest that real effort is required on the part of the believers to resist the false teaching of the ungodly among them. God is “able to keep” them (v. 24), but he does so by means of their own obedience to these very exhortations. The godly life that Jude is exhorting his readers to pursue is only attainable through the work of the Triune God. In vv. 20-21, Jude exhorts his readers to “pray in the Holy Spirit,” “keep yourselves in God’s love,” and “wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Encouragement to Help Others Persevere – Jude 1:22-23

Encouragement to Help Others Persevere Jude made the point that for different situations, different pastoral approaches are required. For those who doubt, a more tender approach is appropriate. Those who are falling prey to the false teachers need more immediate, direct action.

Mixed with fear – Jude 1:22-23

merciful Unlike the false teachers who do not have mercy on others, believers are called to show mercy just as they have been shown mercy in Christ. Far from being merciful, the false teachers seek to harm others by their destructive teachings and ungodly lifestyle. fear

 A more tender confrontation of sin presents the danger of falling prey to the same temptation. Vigilance is required. (cf. Gal. 6:1) garmentstained

 by the flesh

 The Greek word Jude chose here refers to a long shirt worn directly next to the body. Again, caution is required when believers deal with the ungodly among them. They too risk being influenced by the false teachers unless they heed Jude’s encouragements to be careful (1 Cor. 5:11; 2 John 10-11). WCF 30.3.

Closing Benediction – Jude 1:24-25

In sermonic fashion, Jude ended his letter with praise of God. God is able to keep his people from the dangers of the false teachers and preserve them to the end. He alone deserves glory. keep

 you from stumbling

 Jude had repeatedly warned of the sure destruction of the false teachers and those under their influence. This beautiful final doxology expresses Jude’s confidence that God will not fail to preserve his people through the dangers of the Christian life. Believers can keep themselves in God’s love only because he keeps them. WLC 195. onlyGod

 There is only one God, who is our Savior

. This salvation is available and accomplished through JesusChrist

. God deserves to be recognized as having glory

 (the honor due to him), majesty

 (his greatness above all others), dominion

 (his rule over all), and power

 (his authority and right to rule over his creation). before all time

, now, and forevermore. Jude’s use of “before all time” suggests that time itself began at creation (2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 1:2). This doxology is appropriately ascribed to God from eternity past to eternity future.

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