Jude 1
1. Who was Jude? Who was Jude's brother James? Answer
2. What is odd about Jude 1:3 - 4? Answer
3. When was "the faith which was once delivered" received? Answer
4. What is the purpose of contended for "the faith once delivered" (verse 3)? Answer
5. What are the two characteristics Jude warns to look for in those who pretend to be true Christians? Answer
6. When did the angelic event mentioned in verse 6 take place? Answer
7. What is the "strange flesh" mentioned in verse 7 and how is it linked to fornication? Answer
8. What is the overall point being made in verses 5 to 7 as well as 13 to 15? Answer
9. What is the meaning of verse 8? Answer
10. Where did Jude get the information he writes about in verse 9? Answer
11. What is the way of Cain? Answer
12. What is the error of Balaam? Answer
13. What was the gainsaying of Korah (Core)? Answer
14. What are the "feasts of charity" in verse 12? Answer
15. Where did Jude get the quote from Enoch found in verses 14 and 15? Answer
16. What does verses 18 and 19 confirm? Answer
17. How do we keep ourselves in God's love (verse 21)? Answer
18. What do verses 22 and 23 mean? Answer
19. What is promised in verse 24? Answer
Jude 1 Answers
1. Jude is one of the four half-brothers of Jesus Christ. He is called Judas in the King James version of Matthew 13:55 and Juda in Mark 6:3. Although during Jesus' life he was an unbeliever (see John 7:3 - 5), Jude was among the 120 people who gathered in Jerusalem to pray and await the Day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. (Acts 1:13 - 14).
[What Was the Jerusalem Conference?]
James, the brother of Jude, was also a leader in the early church. The Bible states he was one of the last people to see Jesus alive before his ascension into heaven (1Corinthians 15:5 - 7). He also presided over the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15, Galatians 2:1 - 9) and wrote a New Testament book named after him.
2. Jude states in the first part of verse 3 that the reason he wrote his epistle was to discuss "the common salvation" available to all Christians.
Jude, however, then changes the subject mid-sentence to encourage believers to contend for "the faith which was once delivered to the saints." He then spends the rest of his epistle not discussing salvation but warning against false teachers infiltrating the church!
3. The "faith once delivered" (Jude 1:3) was the one Jude and many others personally heard starting on Pentecost, May 28 in 30 A.D. (Acts 1:13 - 14). It was the teachings and doctrines taught by Jesus' twelve apostles.
[Who Were Jesus' First Disciples?]
4. The purpose of pursuing the "faith once delivered," meaning the teachings of Jesus' apostles, was to combat false Christians and their teachings that were secretly infiltrating the church (Jude 1:4).
5. Jude warns true Christians about those who turn God's grace into lasciviousness. The Greek word from which "lasciviousness" is translated, aselgeia (Strong's Concordance #G766), means unbridled lust, excess, wantonness and shamelessness.
Part of God's favor and love is (usually) to not immediately punish people for their sins. Our Father is longsuffering (patient) with us (see 1Corinthians 13:4, Galatians 5:22, 1Peter 3:20, etc.), withholding judgment for a time to give us a chance to repent and change our ways.
[What Is God's Amazing Favor?]
Those who stealthily were entering Christian communities were using God's mercy as a justification to indulge in sin. The Lord's patience was twisted to mean he either approved of the sin or, based on a perverted view of his love, would not ultimately judge and punish it. Believers were therefore encouraged to pursue the lusts of their human nature and the way which seemed right to them (the easy way) as opposed to God's way (the hard way of righteous character).
The second characteristic of false teachers Jude lists was that they deny Jesus Christ (verse 4). This means, in part, to deny Jesus his role as Savior and his authority within the church, as well as rejecting (or perverting) his teachings (see 2Peter 1).
6. The event in Jude 1:6 took place after Lucifer, through vanity and lust, turned himself into Satan the devil. After becoming God's greatest adversary He successfully deceived all the angels under his supervision to also rebel against their Creator. Their rebellion and sin turned them into demons.
[Why Did the Devil Attack God?]
At least some of the demons who rebelled have retained a degree of freedom for the time being. The casting out of demons was a big part of Jesus' ministry (Matthew 4:23 - 24, 12:43 - 45, Luke 6:12 - 18, 8:2, 26 - 33, etc.). Others, however, have been restrained in a spiritual prison (2Peter 2:4) until the day when they, and all demons, will be judged.
[What Will Happen on Judgment Day?]
7. Jude 1:7 refers to those in Sodom and the surrounding area who fornicated (had sex) with "strange flesh." This flesh is "strange" because it is unnatural. It is not the God-approved sex between a man and a woman in marriage.
The type of sin referenced in Jude verse 7 includes sex between men (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:24, 27 - 28) or between women (Romans 1:26). It also includes sex with animals (Leviticus 18:23).
8. The point of Jude 1:5 - 7, 13 - 15 is that, although God is longsuffering, there does come a time when he will judge and punish all those who do not repent of their sins and change their ways!
9. Jude 1:8 refers to the behavior of those who are false Christians and false teachers. They defile themselves with perverse behavior and reject those who are given spiritual authority by God. They also speak evil and rebel against other authorities (see 2Peter 2:10).
10. Biblical commentaries can only speculate where Jude possibly got the information about the devil wanting Moses' body and archangel Michael thwarting his attempt. Such an event is not described or even hinted at in the Old Testament. It is possible Jude got this information through some oral tradition or possibly from an unknown ancient writing.
[Why Did the Devil Want Moses' Body?]
11. God, by virtue of his power and ownership of all things, has the right to dictate how he should be worshipped.
Cain's sacrifice was deemed unacceptable because he did it his way instead of God's (Genesis 4:5 - 12). Instead of following God's instructions on what was acceptable, Cain determined for himself how God should be worshipped and then got angry when it was rejected!
The way of Cain, mentioned in Jude 1:11, is determining for oneself what is right or wrong instead of accepting and believing in what God says is good or evil. Determining for oneself what is right and wrong is what caused Adam and Eve to sin and be cast out of paradise.
12. Jude 1:11 states that the false teachers, because they are greedy, zealously commit the same error as Balaam in order to pursue a reward. 2Peter 2 states the following about Balaam.
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of (money and benefits generated from) unrighteousness (2Peter 2:15, KJV).
Balaam, a Midianite prophet, pursued cursing ancient Israel for money in spite of God warning him not to do so (Numbers 22). God, six times, thwarted Balaam's attempts to curse Israel by forcing him to bless instead. Undeterred, the prophet recommended to Israel's enemies that they entice the people to sin by having them marry pagan Moabite women (Numbers 25).
Balaam's error (Jude 1:11), therefore, is leading other people to sin for personal gain.
13. Korah led a group of Israelites to challenge the authority of Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16). The group accused the two men of arrogantly elevating themselves to the highest positions of power among the people. The truth, however, was that it was God who called both men and gave them the authority they possessed.
Korah's gainsaying (Jude 1:11) was to unrighteously challenge the authority God gave to the people he chose to use for his own purposes.
14. The false Christians and teachers infiltrating the church freely mingled with others during the church's "feasts of love." These feasts were primarily God's seven annual Holy Day periods such as Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and so on. God's people are commanded to assemble during these special periods in order to worship the Lord and learn of his ways.
[Overview of God's Feast Days]
15. The quote Jude uses in verses 14 and 15 is not found in the King James Old Testament or in most other translations. Biblical commentaries believe that Jude is quoting from the apocryphal book of Enoch which existed in the first century A.D.
[Should Enoch's Book Be in the Bible?]
16. Jude 1:18 - 19 confirms warnings given by the Apostle Paul (Acts 20:29 - 30, 1Timothy 4:1, 2Timothy 3:1 - 5), Peter (2Peter 2:1 - 3, 3:3 - 4) and others. These warnings concern false Christians and false teachers infiltrating the church with the express purpose of taking advantage of it as well as splitting and otherwise destroying it.
17. Jude admonishes us in verse 21 to keep ourselves in God's love. Jesus makes it abundantly clear that to keep ourselves in God's love we must obey him by keeping the letter and spiritual intent of his laws and commandments!
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him . . .
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:21, 23, KJV).
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept MY FATHER'S COMMANDMENTS, and abide in his love (John 15:9 - 10, KJV).
18. Jude 1:22 - 23 is made in reference to those who may have been adversely affected or deceived by false Christians entering the church.
Jude recommends treating such brethren with compassion and mercy. Wisdom is also required to determine which of those deceived have hardened their hearts and which can be saved by leading them back to believing God's truth.
19. According to Jude 1:24, God promises to those who are Christians, who obey and trust in him, that they will ultimately be preserved in their faith. This preservation will lead to the believer being able to stand before God faultless (blameless) with joy!