Jude 1-4
Contend for the Faith
“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Jude 1-4
Introduction
There’s a story from the early church of a man named Nichomachus of Troas. He was arrested on the charges of being a Christian. The man was given a choice: sacrifice to the idol Venus, or suffer. After refusing to sacrifice, he was hung by the wrists, flames were lit under him, and red-hot pincers were used to rip the flesh from his body. In those miserable moments, he cried, “Let me down! I will sacrifice to Venus!” The moment he hit the ground, it's said that he was seized with madness, and passed away. Upon this tragic sight, a young Christian girl in the crowd declared out, “O wretched man! For one hour’s relief, he now endures an eternity in hell!” Upon hearing this, she too was then arrested and executed.
Apostasy can be simply defined as the abandonment or renunciation of previously held religious belief. Apostasy is rampant in our generation, and will only increase as we come closer to the end of the age; this could be one of the reasons that Jude is such a neglected book of modern preachers. Jude has been called by some preachers, The Acts of the Apostates. To begin, Jude is a strange book. Jude quotes from the book of Enoch and refers to The Assumption of Moses (extra-Biblical/Apocryphal writings), and deals with topics that frankly go over the heads of most readers. The tone of Jude is what a modern Westerner would deem aggressive and intolerant. The Church today emphasizes love, acceptance, and all the things which warm the hearts of those who don’t want to be challenged. Although Jude does contain some of the most encouraging and hope-inspiring passages I know of, it is primarily a letter about false teachers, apostates, and the judgments to follow.
There’s a scene in one of my favorite movies which takes place in a medieval war. The hero of the film called upon one of the nobles of his country to aid him in battle. When that battle came, the hero fought with all his might, expecting the nobleman to arrive in their greatest hour of need. However, in the heat of battle, when the hero ripped the helmet from an enemy soldier, he saw the face of the very nobleman who promised to help. That lie and that betrayal debilitated him more than every challenge he had faced up to that point.
We need to keep in mind that it's not the outward enemies of Christianity which pose the greatest threat. It’s the wolves in sheep’s clothing, the enemies within the church, which can cause the greatest harm. Jude didn’t want to write this letter, he wanted to write a happy letter talking about the common salvation we share (v. 3), but he was compelled to call us to contend. Many pastors often find themselves in this situation. We want to preach happy sermons, but we find ourselves compelled to speak of more sobering realities. Like a good preacher, Jude doesn’t ramble on! The best sermons cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. In the 25 verses of this book, we find a survey of God’s timeline as it relates to apostates in the Church; ranging from the fall of satan, to Sodom, Balaam, and the Judgment which will come at the return of Christ. Like the hydra of old, when one head is cut off, another takes its place; so Jude doesn’t spend his time refuting various heresies, for another would spring up the second he cast one down. Jude spends his time calling out the various lifestyles associated with all apostates in every generation.
Those of you familiar with your Bibles will also notice the similarities between Jude and 2 Peter. There’s much debate regarding which book was written first, or if both books drew from an oral tradition. I believe Jude was written after 2 Peter. Like Jesus, Peter warned against the coming arrival of false teachers. In Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, He said the false prophets would be judged by their fruits when they came. Likewise, Peter’s warnings were in the future tense; “there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies” (2 Peter 2:1, emphasis added). In contrast to this, Jude doesn’t say false prophets are coming, he says, “They’re here! It’s time to defend!”
I also think it’s intentional that Jude is placed between 1-3 John and Revelation (Two books authored by the Apostle John), because it emphasizes the need to defend the faith as we get closer to the end times. In 1 John 2:18 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, we learned about the timeline to the end of days. The Antichrist is one figure who will deceive the nations before Christ’s return, but even now, there are many antichrists at work spiritually all around us. As the number of antichrists increase, and the spirit of antichrist grows in power, we will know that the Antichrist will soon arrive. As 1 John tells us antichrists are in the world, and Revelation tells us how the Antichrist will be destroyed, Jude tells us to fight for the truth during the days in-between. I believe with all my heart that if Christians would obey the exhortations of this book, and take its warning seriously, we would see the tide turn against the widespread apostasy and deconstruction we’re currently living in. As we begin this study on the book of Jude, I’d like to just cover its author, audience, and central message.
The Author of the Book, v. 1(a)
Jude translates in Hebrew as Judah. In Greek, Jude translates as Judas. It’s extremely interesting that the one book of the New Testament which is completely dedicated to the subject of apostasy also bears the name of the greatest apostate in human history. However, this Jude is not the Judas who sold Christ for thirty pieces of worthless silver. Jude identifies himself here only as a slave of Jesus, and the brother of James. In Matthew 13:55, we read, “Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? [emphasis added]” The historical accounts we have, for the most part, agree that this Jude the brother of James, is the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ (half-brother because Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father).
The evidence we have suggests that Jude did not decide to follow Jesus until after the resurrection of Christ. In Mark 3:31, we read that the brothers of Jesus tried to pull Jesus from His ministry, and John 7:5 plainly states, “neither did his brethren believe in him.” However, in Acts 1:14, we read that Jesus’ brothers were present at prayer leading to the great day of Pentecost. 1 Corinthians 9:5 even describes the brothers of Jesus as missionaries/itinerant preachers; this is likely the path Jude took after he became a follower of Jesus. There’s something about the power of the resurrection that changes the hearts of even the staunchest skeptic. Jude would have viewed Jesus as any ordinary sibling of his boring family; but, when the Father vindicated the life and ministry of Christ by raising Him from the dead, Jude understood his half-brother was no ordinary man. Like Jude, may we too come to know Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Savior of the world.
The Audience of the Book, v. 1(b)
Three things identify Jude’s audience in this epistle: those who are called, beloved of the Father, and preserved in Christ. Jude writes to true believers, and I can’t think of a better way to define a true Christian than those three marks. First, we are called: We are those who heard the outward call to come to Christ through the preaching of the gospel who were then inwardly called by the Holy Spirit when we were convicted to repent of our sin and believe in Christ alone for salvation. Second, we are those who were adopted into the family of a perfect Father who loves us more than eternity can tell. God is not merely Creator and Judge to us. Nor is God merely our Savior who forgives sin and means to have nothing else to do with us. God redeems sinners by transferring them from the kingdom of satan and seating them at the table of His sons and daughters. We are the apple of His eye, the most precious part of the created order; we are the children of God.
Lastly, Chrisitans are those who, as the KJV reads, are “preserved in Jesus Christ.” As those who have been outwardly and inwardly called to Christ by the preaching of the gospel and conviction of the Holy Spirit, as those who are loved by a perfect heavenly Father, we hold a position of eternal security. In this book, Jude calls us to persevere in the midst of a wicked apostate world. However, at the outset of this epistle, he emphasizes the protection of the Christian in Christ. Where do we find strength to persevere in faith and holiness? The preserving grip of Jesus Himself. In other words, Jude says, “Christians you need to wage war against the destructive influence of antichrist, but know at the outset of this war that you cannot lose your salvation in the fight. If you are truly saved, it is impossible for you to become MIA or KIA in this fight. Even if you lose your physical life, you win in eternity!” This book will paint a dark picture of the world we’re up against, but you must keep this in mind as we read: If you’re born again, then you are loved by the Father and you are safe in Christ, so you must not despair.
The Message of the Book, v. 3
Verse three is the thesis statement for the book of Jude, it calls us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” “The faith” referred to in this verse needs to be understood differently from my faith, or your faith, as individual Christians. Faith is the empty hand which lays hold of Christ for salvation. Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). Faith is the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). However, “the faith” spoken of here refers to a collected body of truth, a set of doctrine which defines the Christian religion. The faith is the full counsel of God we’ve been given in Holy Scripture; it’s the saving revelation of God to His creation; it is the reality that Christ came, died, rose, ascended to heaven, and is coming back soon!
First, notice the exclusivity of the faith. “The faith” is singular. Christianity is not one of many ways to God, it is the only way to God. Before Keith Green became a famous Christian singer, he was a lost hippie desperate for truth. He heard all the eastern gurus say Jesus was a wonderful teacher, so the lost hippie boy he was, Keith decided to make Jesus his guru! Keith was convicted to the core when he began to read the words of Jesus, and found that while all the eastern mystics said Jesus was one way, Jesus was the only one who said He was the only way. That was what led him to leave behind his life of sin to follow Christ.
Several leaders in the fad of “pop atheism” have argued, “You Christians deny the existence of thousands of gods, I just believe in one less god than you! Why don’t you just take one more little step, and believe in one less god?” However, if that step away from God is just a little thing, then why doesn’t it work the other way? If it’s not a big deal for a Christian to step away from one less God, then it shouldn’t be a big deal for them to step toward one more God; but they can’t do it! That step they call “one less god” is the difference between heaven and hell for a human being, it is the greatest step a person can take. The old-timey preacher used to say, “Christianity is not a comparative religion, it is a superlative religion!” Christianity is the only faith which brings salvation by grace alone through faith alone in a single God who condescends to redeem fallen humanity; the only faith which in a generation could conquer the Roman Empire and stand the test of time, forcing all who encounter it to enter the valley of decision.
Second, notice the sufficiency of the faith. The words “once delivered” come from the Greek, te hapax which translates to “once for all” or “once forever.” These words tell us that all we have and need to live the Christian life has been provided by God. We are not called to change, add to, or reinvent the faith. The faith is sufficient for giving us a true knowledge of God, humanity, and how to be made right with our Creator. No preacher is allowed to be the originator of new revelations, dreams, or visions. Our God has spoken, we are to receive His words from our Christian forefathers, uphold the faith in our day, and hand it down to our children after us so they can do the same. Beware the man or woman who preaches what has never been taught before.
When I was in high school, I heard someone say, “The Bible is all we need, it is sufficient!” and it rubbed me the wrong way. To me, it sounded like they were saying, “You could get an A+ on the test, but a B- would be enough/sufficient to pass the course.” It seemed like such a copout excuse for lazy thinking. It wasn’t until I matured that I realized the people trying to teach me that the Bible was enough were really saying “The Bible is all we have to be right with God!” It’s not that I could’ve gotten an A+ plus if I went beyond what was sufficient, it’s that the assigned text book is the only sufficient source of knowledge for even taking the test in the first place. If you and I go beyond the Bible for a relationship with God we will be led astray every time, no matter what.
We live in a generation of apostates who either deny the Bible outright, add to it, or seek to improve it in various ways to make it easier on the modern mind. Those who deny Scripture have told me they don’t care what the Bible says about marriage and gender roles. I’ve heard some say, “Paul was a bigot, and that was just his opinion when he said homosexuals go to hell. That was then! This is now!” The ones who want to add to or improve the Bible manifest themselves in various different ways. Some think culture defines truth more than Scripture. They believe in God, and retain their Bibles, but when it says women can’t be pastors or that without holiness no one will see heaven, they assume times have changed. Others genuinely believe all the Bible is inspired and inerrant, it’s just not all the inerrant truth we have for spiritual life; so, they seek new revelation via dreams, visions, and prophecy. Jude even addresses these individuals (v. 8), but we’ll discuss that later.
In all the aforementioned cases, they all have one thing in common: they aren’t content with the faith God has delivered. They seek more than what has been given, and they will be punished. I understand the Bible doesn’t sound nice to our “woke” post-modern perverse generation. However, this is what God has given us. People say, “You don’t want to be on the wrong side of history!” To them, I say, “You don’t want to be on the wrong side of eternity!” Judgment Day is coming, and the faith once delivered is the only way we have to be right with God.
Lastly, notice the excellency of the faith. Jude uses as powerful a word as language can produce, epagōnizomai. This word translates to “contend.” To contend for something in this sense means we are to agonize in its defense. We are to stand our ground on the eternal and unmoving stonewall of Scripture and fight the antichrists to the death in defense of the truth. W.A. Criswell said this war we fight is “not a cold war, it’s an armageddon!” Our faith possesses an excellency which surpasses all this world can provide. It is worth living and dying for, and that’s what we are called to do.
A shocking documentary recently aired about the corruption and abuse prevalent in the famous Hillsong Church. In the documentary, they asked multitudes of people what they knew about Hillsong and what the church is known for. The answers tell us everything we need to know. They would answer, “Hillsong is contemporary, they’re fresh, they make Christianity easy!” In other words, Hillsong was known for everything but their defense of the one faith delivered to the saints. For that reason, 9 of Hillsong’s 16 churches have closed in the last two weeks. Compare that to the ministry of Charles Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, or John MacArthur. These men have been known for one thing: preaching the Word of God. None of these men were considered contemporary or innovative in their generations; but, because they stood on the timeless Word of God, defended it in their day, and passed it down to the next generation, God still uses their works to edify the Church.
Conclusion
The faith is the only way to be right with God, it’s all God has given, and it’s worth living and dying for. Jude calls us to fight for the faith, because there are multitudes who want to pull you away, and they are in your midst even now. This faith was the promise to Israel, the glory of the Apostles, the hope of the Patriarchs, the lifeblood of the Reformers, and the cry of the Revivalists. Christ came, died, rose, ascended, and is coming back soon. Are you ready? Do you believe this faith? If you’re a Christian, are you contending for it? Or, are you disregarding it, wishing it was different, less offensive, or more to your liking? As we begin this study of Jude, may we take our post of Christ’s stonewall, and contend for the faith!
References:
Schreiner, Thomas R. 1 & 2 Peter and Jude. Holman Reference, 2020.
