Pg.1
fair Warning
Opening Prayer, Father God, help us in this study as we continue in our efforts to know more of Your will for our lives. Lead our thoughts and words as we examine this letter written by a brother of Jesus. Help us in our understanding of those matters you would have us learn from this study, and to use what we learn to become better disciples for Jesus as we live day by day. Lead us now as we study The Epistle of Jude. In Jesus name we pray, amen. (Romans 13:11-14)
Jude 1:1-7 A real concern
1. Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Discussion
Jude wrote his epistle in 75 A.D. Jude identifies himself as “a bond servant of Jesus Christ” the brother of James. Jesus had a large family. Both Jude (Judas)and James are half-brothers of Jesus,as were Joses (Joseph) and Simon and at least two half sisters. (Matthew 13: 55, 56)
The purpose of Jude's epistle is to address false teachings and to illustrate a contrast between the error of heresy and the truth of Jesus Christ. Jude identifies himself and quickly delves into the dilemma of false teachings. Heresy was obviously seeping into the region, disturbing the churches, and deceiving believers. His advice is to focus on Jesus Christ and to watch out for each other so that no one is misled into error. (James 1:12-15 )
Jude writes that he is concerned about false teachers and false doctrine being brought into their midst by an ungodly people who are perverting the grace of God into a license for immorality. And these people are also denying Jesus incarnation. He then reminds his readers of what God has done for them and what can happen if they fall away again. All of what he says here is very familiar to us all, and ultimately relates to what God has done in the past to those people and even Angels who have fallen away.
Questions
1. To whom is this letter addressed? Do you think that include you? Explain.
2. What does Jude first say about why he was eager to write this letter?
3. The subject of the letter is then quickly introduced, what is the concern Jude expresses?
4. In reading this portion of scripture so far, what strikes you as familiar?
5. Who might Jude be referring to as “certain Individuals”?
6. What is the perversion of the grace of God to which the epistle refers?
7. Can anyone explain the license for immorality to which Jude refers?
8. What is it that Jude refers to as something we already know, see verse 5,6,7,?
Pg.2
The error of their ways
In a recent interview, the pope addressed nearly every hot-button issue facing the Roman Catholic Church today. Issues such as its alleged "gay lobby," Vatican bank corruption, the role of women, abortion, and homosexuality. But it was the Pope's remarks on homosexuality - the fact that the head of a 1 billion-member church said that it's not his place to judge gays - "Pope Francis's brief comment on gays reveals great mercy," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at America, a Catholic magazine. "Today Pope Francis has, once again, lived out the Gospel message of compassion for everyone," Martin said.
Like the original audiences of many of the other General Epistles, these Christians to whom Jude was writing, were facing the onslaught of false teaching. Particularly, this false teaching involved promoting sexual immorality and possibly a denial of Christ’s return. (Galatians 5:16-24)
Jude 1:8-11 Balaam's error
8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct--as irrational animals do--will destroy them. 11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.
Discussion
A desire to have what I want, and have it now, and have it my, way is always a choice one can make. We are not restricted by any law or belief, that what we want cannot be obtained.
Some 2000 years ago the Church of Jesus Christ found itself infiltrated by false teachers who used the grace of God as an excuse for wanton immorality. The task of warning the church about such individuals and calling Christians to persevere in the grace of God fell to “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James”.
Regrettably, sexual immorality issues do not cause much surprise for many Christians today. Some of the events described are common not only in newspaper headlines but also in publications covering liberal denominations, and even now in the evangelical world. The sexual immorality prevalent in our culture today is simply an indication that the world has changed the view of mans morality in such issues as pornography, homosexuality, and abortion, such temptations as could turn the head of even the staunchest Christian.
But there is a fallacy in such matters, and that is the notion that one might just begin to believe that God has it wrong, we can do whatever immorality we desire . In fact God's grace is such that he does not hold our immorality against us. His grace is such that he will always forgiv us. (Romans 1:24-27)
Questions
1. Are there certain of the commandments that God does not hold against us if we break?
2. This matter we are discussing happened 2000 years ago, how is that relevant today?
3. The rule of law governs, but in today's world are we overruling God's Law in certain matters?
4. We do realize that the world is evolving and things change, are we wrong to bring up such issues?
5. Like the pope says, It is not our place to judge, Do we have the right to condemn such issues?
6. In today’s world, anything goes just so it is not hurting others, so what concern is this matter to us?
7. What should be the Christian's position about such matters?
Pg.3
Scripture readings
Romans 13:11-14 ESV, Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
James 1:12-15 ESV, Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Galatians 5:16-24 ESV, But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ...
Romans 1:24-27 ESV, Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Closing Prayer, Father God protector of our faith, strengthen our faith as we pass through this world that we may not be drawn into temptations snare. Strengthen our faith that we may be proper witnesses to a firm faith and a Christian example in our daily life. We pray now for those of our friends and those in our fellowship of believers who need your healing touch_________ We pray for healing for those mentioned here and those still on our hearts, that you will give them strength, and hope and peace to help them in their healing process and sustain their faith in your healing power. Be with us now as we leave this place and help our faith, that we may continue in service to you until we meet again. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Amen
Pg.4
Meditation on Jude 1: 1-11
Faith was being corrupted when Jude received the commission to exhort Christians to contend earnestly for it. Jude had a desire to write about the common salvation; but the Holy Spirit wanted him to write about something else and He constrained him to do so, not in his own words but in words given by God.
The corruption of which is spoken was the contention of false teachers bringing in their apostacy of unbelief and teaching immoralities which practices they were promoting. These he spoke of were ungodly men, having taken on the Christian profession without possessing the reality of it. The evil they introduced was twofold. They turned the grace of God into lasciviousness and they denied the rights of Christ to be Lord and Master. They professed to believe in grace, but abused it so that they might indulge in their own lusts; they knew nothing of the power of godliness manifested in holy living and therefore they denied the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All apostasy starts with unbelief in what God has spoken. The angels which kept not their first estate, who left their own habitation, and who are now chained, are the same angels of whom Peter speaks, those who brought in the corruption described in the opening verses of Genesis 6. They gave up the place assigned to them. This is the next step in the progress of apostasy. Unbelief leads to rebellion against God. Sodom and Gomorrha come next. Here we find the grossest immoralities and going after strange flesh. These vicious things are still in the world, and why are they so prominent in our days? On account of unbelief. Then follows the statement, that these apostates are filthy dreamers who defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. This is lawlessness. This is the goal of all apostasy. The predicted lawlessness with which this age ends is the fruitage of infidelity. Such is the development of apostasy. Unbelief, rebellion against God and his revealed truth, immorality and anarchy. These steps may be traced in our own times.
There are three characteristics listed in Verse 11. The Spirit of God pronounces a woe upon them. The eleventh verse is of much importance. At the close of the New Testament we are reminded of Cain, the first murderer of the human race.
The first characteristic, The way of Cain, was the way of unbelief. He did not believe what God had spoken, while Abel believed. He had not faith like Abel, who offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. Cain was a religious man nevertheless, but his religion may be termed a "bloodless religion." He brought the labor of his hands, that which he had gathered from the land upon which the curse rested.
The second characteristic is that apostates go in the same way of self-will and in that way they reject the record of God concerning His Son. They have no use for the blood of redemption; the salvation they preach is the salvation of "What I want I do," by character. They rush also greedily after the error of Balaam, (Numbers 23-25). Money is the chief object with them. They teach error for reward, knowing all along that their teaching is contrary to the revelation of God. Money, honor and glory from men, self exaltation and self gratification are the leading motives of these men, and many there are today who step into this error.
The third characteristic is the sin of Korah, (Numbers 16:1-50). The sin of Korah was open rebellion and opposition against the authority of God and the priesthood He had instituted. These apostates of the last days manifest the same spirit of rebellion and defiance. They have no use for the Lord Jesus Christ as the appointed mediator, priest and advocate. The perdition of Korah will overtake them likewise. Amen
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