January 14, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Jude? Here’s today’s reading:
Jude (NIV)
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.……Continue Reading
Jude 1
This is an interesting book. Jude or Judas was mentioned many times in the Bible but it wouldn`t be the same person but mostly different people. For example this Jude has brother named James. We also know that Jesus had four brothers. They were James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. [ Jude] It also gets complicated for out of the 12 disciples there was two James, two Judas or Jude, two Simons [ one who became Peter]. So apparently these names were common. Little is actually known of this Jude. The source that I have which is. [ All the Men of the Bible] says that he along with the author of James were half brothers of Jesus. In Acts there is a Jude listed as a brother to James but I don`t think that the Jude mentioned there was Jesus brother for he is listed with the other remaining disciples minus Judas Iscariot. And we know as was mentioned before that Jesus brothers or sisters were not believers until after the Resurrection. We also know that little James had a brother named James and another brother Joses. If I remember right. Looking at two other sources. Both [ The Bible Knowledge Commentary] and [ Holman Bible Dictionary] agree that most likely this Jude was the half brother of Jesus. For more look up the source [ The Bible Knowledge Commentary]. Also this source says. [ The tone of the letter demonstrates that the original recipients may have been Christian Jews of Palestine who were gathered into local fellowships.] In other words people who were identified with understanding the Old Testament and those mentioned in it. God bless us all.
Jude gives warnings about ungodly men that found their way into the church. Here is a statement from [ The Bible Knowledge Commentary]. [ The incipient Gnostics against whom Jude warned were denying the Lordship of Christ, verse 4, exercising sinful license verses 4,8,16, rebelling against authority verses 8,11,18, giving in to their own desires verses 16,19, being concerned only with gain for themselves verses 11,12,16 being divisive verse 19, fault finding verse 16, and boasting verse 16. Gnosticism declared that the spirit was good and the material was evil. Therefore the spiritual was to be cultivated and fed, with freedom to pursue it`s good inclinations. In addiction Gnostics felt free to give vent to the desires of the flesh. Thus the heart of this apostasy was that it turned the grace of God into license and lasciviousness. Jude wrote to warn of this dual apostasy of wrong conduct and false doctrine.] I hope this helps the rest of us as it did me. God bless us.
Can you imagine finally realizing your brother was God. So was it with James and Jude. At one time thought he was nuts. Now God in flesh. Jude does an awesome job talking of false prophets. As he states. They are dead twice. No fruit at all. They are selfish. Full of pride. Lust for power. Easy to spot if the Holy Spirit lives with you. Always found it interesting Jude talks about an argument with Michael and Satan. Moses body. Where is that written? To think to mock angels. There’s a battle constantly going on above us that we really don’t know too much about. But one thing is clear. Don’t take this lightly. Love verses 22-23. and the doxology at the end. What a great prayer. Had it memorized at one point. Need to refresh. Love my church family
Jude
Jude in this short book describes things that had happened, present in his time and the end times. About certain angels leaving heaven and their latter judgement in the end times. And also the Lord coming with 10,000 of His saints to execute judgement upon all. And that in the last time their will be mockers who will follow their own ungodly lusts. Jude also encourages believers of all times to keep in the love of God and building up one`s self in the holy faith, and praying in the Holy Spirit. The result would be to have compassion on some making a difference and others pulling them from the flames of Hell being saved from it. In this book we find out more information about Enoch. That he not only walked with God and went to be with God never dying as we learned in Gen. but that he prophesied of the judgement of God in the end times. He was warning people of the judgement to come so even those that heard him preach during his time should have repented and turned to God. But they didn`t. There is an interesting blood line here with Enoch for he was the great grand father of Noah. Methuselah was the grandfather. I think this should encourage us as we seek to pray for our children and grand children. Peace to us all.
Reading Jude I can’t help but think of some, in and out of the church, that by these standards are grossly lost. The church is infiltrated (and other elements of society) vs. 4. He refers to physical sins performed by spiritual beings vs 5. Jude is probably the most explicit in describing certain sins: fornication, strange flesh, filthy dreamers, defiling the flesh….the way of Cain (murder), the error of Balaam. Also “acceptable” sins (but not): murmuring, complaining, swelling words (boasting?) which we can all fall into without a thought. It’s hard not to read and think of our dark world. It is good that he bookends with encouragement to “contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the Saints” and “keep yourselves in the love of God” and reminding that there are still souls to be saved, “on some have compassion, others save with fear….pulling them out of the fire.”
Jude
Jude expresses how easy we let straying away from the things of God happen and how vigilant we must be to “contend earnestly for their faith”. A commentary I read said that contend is an athletic word used in wrestling to agonize. We need to struggle to keep up the standards this world so easily wants to throw away. The sins that we are slowly making acceptable and part of normal life. I suppose when we no longer feel uncomfortable in this world we will know that we are letting things go that we should be fighting against.
There is a certain measure of watchfulness we should have against those who would come in and try to corrupt the message of Christ either through legalism or licentiousness. Jude addresses more of the latter who justify wickedness and are arrogant to even curse heavenly beings. They are also greedy and divisive. All the things a leader/teacher shouldn’t be, and yet there are those that are just that and smiling all the way. They are deceived and they deceive others as well. But isn’t it good that through the Word, the Spirit and prayer we can be guarded against such. We can also rely on each other as we get our conviction and direction from the Word, to sharpen each other and protect each other from their kind. It is good reminder of the deception that Jesus says will come in the end. May we not be swept up in it.
Jude
Only God can keep us from falling into the trap of the ungodly who try to justify their corrupt way of thinking by using empty words and false doctrine. Thank God that Jesus redeemed us so he will be able to present us before his Father without fault and with great joy. Praise him now and forevermore, Amen!