June 13, 2020
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 1 (ESV)
Greeting
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you..........Continue Reading
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Jude writes to Jewish believers in Jerusalem and originally thought to write a general letter of encouragement. However, he is led by God to ‘contend earnestly for the faith’.
I wonder, what does it mean to contend for the faith. The site https://gotquestions.org.contend-for-the-faith.html says “[t]he Greek word Jude chooses, translated “contend earnestly,” usually describes an athlete striving with extreme intensity to win the victory in a physical competition.”
The faith here is not the type of faith that indicates our confidences in another person or object, but is a system of doctrine as is indicated by the phrase “that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
This type of contending for the faith, for the system of doctrine that led us to Christ, is what keeps us steadfast in Christ. It falls in line with the five core items that Pastor has been teaching on in Romans 12:1-2. “We have to recognize the influence that this world has on our behavior”. What Paul is describing in the verses is essentially the same as what Jude is saying, ‘contend earnestly for the faith’.
We contend for the faith by the following:
• Worship – vs 24-25
• Word – reading God’s word – vs 17-18
• Prayer – vs 20
• Fellowship – spurring one another on to love and good deeds, iron sharpens iron, etc.
• Service?
This letter includes many extra-biblical references. The YouTube video by #BibleProject helps give some context to these references that explain that even though they are extra-biblical does not mean that they are not important or true.
Overview: Jude
My link for the YouTube video did not copy through from my OneNote application 🙂
https://youtu.be/6UoCmakZmys
That should do it.
Well said, Dan!
It is unfortunate that along with and at times amongst those who are faithful are those who are not true to the faith. So we contend for the faith by building up our own lives in the faith as well as spurring the influence of those who are deceptively bad influences. History and Scripture has been full of them and Jude is not wanting for examples of those who in their pride have lived unto themselves and have shaken their fist at whatever authority might challenge them. We have to be careful of these tares amongst the wheat and seek the discernment to call them out as Jude does here.
But amongst the work of those opposed to Christ are those who are faithful to Him. And hence the encouragement at the end…to not only look out for ourselves and our own growth, but also lifting up others, both believers and unbelievers. All need to be lifted up from a life lived for self to a life lived for our glorious God and Savior, Jesus Christ!
There is so much in this little book. When we studied it for women’s bible study, not too long ago, it was very interesting to research all the references that Jude makes to drive home his point….which I believe is: believing in Jesus isn’t just a one-shot, altar-call, seal-the-deal relationship, like getting married in Vegas and never seeing each other again. Jude talks about contending for the faith, an ongoing battle, and those that might stand in the way, lead others astray, or just mingle in the midst of them (us!) and cause division!
Made me think of the consistent encouragement in the Bible of persevering in the faith, overcoming the world, being more than conquerors, being steadfast in the faith, etc. that would be quite the word study.
And I am always in need of instructions on how do we implement and follow this in our lives –
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
4 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.