Introduction to Jude

Jude was written by the brother of James and the half-brother of Jesus.  Both James and Jude had rejected Jesus during His ministry on earth but after the crucifixion and resurrection they became convinced that their brother really was Messiah.  That had to have been a staggering discovery for both of them.  Once they were convinced of this truth; they both became vital leaders in the church and human authors of Scripture.  It is exactly this type of transformation that Satan wants nothing more than to destroy in the lives of men.  The transformation of the souls of men through the Gospel of Christ is something that Satan would like to be able to thwart at all costs.  Jude continues the theme of fighting false teachers that we have seen in several of the previous books.  Jude quotes 2 Peter so it seems that it was written shortly after this from Jerusalem to believing Jews and believers in general who are coming under attack from false teachers.

DEFEND THE FAITH: Jude calls believers to stand up in defense of the faith.  We cannot be passive with false doctrines.  The world that is lost in sin and lives in total rejection of God is not nearly as dangerous to us as those who claim to come in the same of Christ, but they twist the truth and deny the doctrines of Scripture.  They look like believers and their speech is eloquent.  They tend to be very intelligent and can easily convince those who are not well grounded in the Word or those who are only beginning to be exposed to the Word that their false teachings are from God.  The truth is that their teaching is straight from the pit of hell.  All true believers who love the Word of God must stand up in defense of our faith.  We must not tolerate their teachings in our churches and seminaries.  This is a wakeup call that we must attend and rally the troops to defend the truth.

DENOUNCE THE FRAUDS: Jude makes no qualms about calling these false teachers out and exposing them for the frauds that they are.  He warns them that they are destined for the destruction that God has repeatedly demonstrated His willingness to bring upon those who try to destroy His truth.  Men, angels and entire civilizations have been destroyed and/or judged because of their attempts to subvert the truth of God.  These are people who are out to promote themselves and have no interest in the people to whom they “minister.”  They are arrogant, selfish, greedy and deceptive.  It is our job to expose them for whom and what they are.  Too often we stand on the sidelines watching a battle rage but never step onto the field.  It is time to lift our voices and confront these false teachers with the truth of God’s Word, warn them of their impending destruction and if they do not repent they must be thrown out of the fellowship of believers as the frauds that they truly are.  It is vital that we warn our brothers and sisters in Christ of the dangers of false teachers and clearly point out who these false teachers are, denouncing them as frauds.

DEPEND ON THE FATHER: We have a sure and steady Word that will help us stand firm in the face of the false faiths that are being promoted all around us.  The Father has sent us true messengers in the form of apostles and even His own Son so that we might know and believe the truth.  We must cling to Him and the truth of His Word, knowing that it is the source of our strength, the foundation of our faith and our hope for heaven.  God in the power and person of Jesus Christ is able to keep us from falling into the false faiths.  We can depend upon Him, walk according to His Word and trust in the truth that He has revealed to us through His Son and His Scriptures.  Only as we depend on the Father, denounce the frauds and defend our faith will we be able to provide help and hope to the many people around us who may be sucked in to the trap of false teachers.