Jude

THE AUTHOR OF THE EPISTLE:

In the Old Testament, three persons carried the name ‘Jude’: or ‘Judas’.

  1. ‘Judas’, the brother of James, one of the twelve apostles. Some believe that he is ‘Lebbaeos’, called ‘Thedaeos’. Mentioned in (Matthew 10: 3; Luke 6: 16; John 14: 22; and Acts 1: 13).
  2. ‘Judas’ or ‘Jude’, author of this epistle, brother of the Lord (cousin, son of His aunt) (Matthew 13: 55; Mark 6: 3); also brother of ‘James’, who had a prominent position in the early church of Jerusalem, who presided on the first council, mentioned in the book of Acts (Chapter 15).
  3. ‘Judas Iscariot’ who betrayed the Lord (Matthew 10: 4).

WHEN, AND FOR WHOM IT WAS WRITTEN?

  1. It was written before the desolation of Jerusalem; Otherwise the author would have mentioned it together with the desolation of Sodom and Gomorrah, as an example of God’s judgment on the
  2. It was written to the believers, converted from the Jews or the
  3. Because of the strong resemblance between this epistle and the second epistle of Peter, both of them talking about the same false teachers, some scholars believe that it was written between the years 68 and 70 D.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS EPISLE:

Despite its small size, yet it is both important and enjoyable for the following reasons:

1.  It reveals the faith in the Holy Trinity.

The author talked about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, not in the language of theoretical philosophy, but in that of the practical life; as the believer experiences the work of the Holy Trinity and perceives His possibilities in himself.

  1. In God the Father we are called saints (sanctified) (1); for He is the Holy One who embraces His children to experience His holiness in them.
  2. In Jesus Christ we become preserved (1); Although the war is extremely intense, yet we are not involved in it; for it is a war between our Christ and the devil. If we hide in Christ our Savior, we stay preserved.
  3. Praying in the Holy Spirit (20); If we are even unable to pray, the fiery Holy Spirit kindles our hearts with love, and lifts them up to the throne of Grace, to stand before the Heavenly One, and talk to Him with no hindrance. This is our faith in the Holy Trinity who edifies the soul “Build yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (20).

2.  The author confirms the ecclesiastical life:

As the epistle presents a serious battle between God and the devil, the believer should perceive that he is a conqueror by God his Savior, preserved in Him (verse1), yet not in negativism, slothfulness, or negligence, but by building himself up on the most holy faith (20); working, not alone, but together with his brethren, being a living member in the (catholic) church.

The author confirms the ecclesiastical life as a strong support in our spiritual strife; saying: “I was diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation” (3). “The faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (3).

In your repentance you support your brethren; and in the repentance of your brother he supports you. Any perversion in your life, will destroy the life of your brethren. 
Our life with the Holy Trinity is a personal, inner, and a secret life; yet, at the same time, it is a mutual ecclesiastical life, and not an individual one, cut off from the other members of the one body.

3. The evangelical life: (according to the Holy Scripture)

In this single chapter, the author referred to the Old Testament; as our salvation is set upon evangelic thought, without separation between the Old and the New Testaments. He referred to the following events in the Old Testament to instruct us:

  1. The Lord rebukes Satan (9; Zechariah 3: 2)
  2. The rejection and denial of faith by Israel (5; Numbers 14: 12-29; 26: 64, 65).
  3. The desolation of Sodom and Gomorrah (7; Genesis 19: 24; Deuteronomy 29:23)
  4. Hiding the body of Moses (9; Deuteronomy 34: 5, 6).
  5. The wickedness of Cain (11; Genesis 4: 5)
  6. The error of Balaam for profit (11; Numbers 22: 7-21)
  7. The rebellion of Korah against Moses and Aaron (11; Numbers 16: 1-3)
  8. Enoch, the seventh from Adam (14; Genesis 5: 18)

4. The existence of the angels (6), the archangels (9), and also the demons (6, 9).

5. The ultimate judgment (6 – 7; 13 – 15, 24) is terrifying and dark for the wicked, but glorious and joyful for the children of God (24).

6. The ultimate coming of the Lord Christ with tens of thousands of His saints

7. It is the only book that wrote about the dispute between the archangel Michael and the devil, concerning the body of Moses (9); and that mentioned the prophecy of Enoch (verses 14, 15).

8. He refers to three eternal issues: the eternal life verse (21). The everlasting chains (6), and the eternal fire (7).

EXAMPLES OF APOSTASIES:

If the Lord Christ has told us ahead about the apostasy, which will precede His ultimate coming, as the last attempt by the devil to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Matthew 24: 1-35; Mark 13: 1-31; Luke 21: 5-33). The apostasy is a continuous war which started before the creation of man, when angels rebelled against God. Then that movement got stronger and stronger along the eras, until it reaches its climax in the days of the antichrists.

Here, the book presents six movements of apostasy:

  1. By angels (5): through not keeping the grace – pride.
  2. By Israel (5): through lack of faith.
  3. By Sodom and Gomorrah (7): through abomination and corruption. 
  4. By Cain (11): through rebellion (self-will).
  5. By Balaam (11): through love of profit.
  6. By Korah (11): through love of authority and rebellion against priesthood.

A    COMPARISON    BETWEEN    THE    BELIEVERS    AND    THE APOSTATES:

The believers

The apostates

Experience the work of the Holy Trinity

(1, 20 – 21)

Practically reject the Sun of Righteousness

(13 – 14)

Experience the ecclesiastical life (3)

Disappear from the church (4); lost (13)

Anticipate the coming of Christ (14,15,

20)

Dreamers, fanciful (8)

Praying people (20)

Slanderers (10)

Compassionate (22)

Profit lovers (11)

Hope for the salvation of others (23)

Lack the water of grace and the fruit of the

Spirit (12)

Pure (23)

Lustful (15, 19)

 

Murmurers and complainers (16)


THE KEY WORD OF THE BOOK:

The key word of this book is the word “preserved”, which came five times:

  1. “We are preserved in Jesus Christ” (1)…. We are the members of His body.
  2. Our responsibility is “to preserve the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (3), to gain the common salvation. 
  3. “The angels who did not preserve their proper domain, but left their own habitation, He has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day” (6).
  4. The apostates who do not preserve the practical living faith, are kept under darkness as stars lost to the Sun of Righteousness.
  5. We preserve ourselves in the love of God, anticipating the coming of the Savior, to gain the eternal life through His mercy.
  6. The Almighty God will preserve us against the offenses of the heretic apostates.

THE DIVINE WORK AND OUR POSITIVE ROLE:

St. Jude does not separate the holy faith from the spiritual strife; For it is God who sanctifies us and preserves us. As to our role, he says:
“Build yourselves” (20).
“praying in the Holy Spirit” (20).
“Keep yourselves in the love of God” (21)
“Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (21)
“Have compassion” (22).
"Strive for the sake of the salvation of every soul" (23).
“Hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (23)                                                                   

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