Epistles Part One

Epistles

E 01 Jude 1-4
November 6, 2016
Part 1

Epistle of Jude-

Greeting

Judgment on False Teachers

Benediction

NKJ Jude 1:1-4

1Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:
2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

NKJ Jude 1:1 Greeting
Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ,

The word metaphor, conveys the overarching abstract idea of one who gives himself up to another's will, one who is devoted to the interests of another, one having a relative disregard of one's own interests, one whose service is used by Christ in extending and
advancing His cause among men.

Notice that within the working-out of the idea of a servant or bond-slave, there is the implication of a practical lesson of “personal sacrifice”; namely, that those of us who really know Christ as our Lord should not live in constant expectation of always doing exactly
what we want to do; nor necessarily asking “what would Jesus do?”, but giving the most consideration to the question, “what would Jesus have me to do?”

and brother of James,

The brother of James, by implication makes Jude the half-brother of Jesus.

Jude (Judas ) is not so bold to capitalize on the fact of his familial relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Would we have been so wise and humble?

Nevertheless, he does manage to name-drop on his brother James who was well-known as one of the main leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem.

To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

Most translations present these words in a dry, somewhat clinical manner as compared to the original intent of the writer; namely, this expression in the original Greek offers much more drama in terms of definition and dynamic in its syntax (word order) and use of information-rich participles:

In the first 4 verses alone of this epistle, the author makes good use of 8 colorful participles.

To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

“To the ones who were not only once but continue to be the objects of love by God the Father and to the ones who continue to be kept safe from harm by Jesus Christ-‘called ones;’”

These two perfect-passive-tense participles are forms of to love and to keep, supply the dynamic content and the definition of the term until it is revealed at the very end of the sentence.

That term “called ones” is a verbal substantive adjective of which serves as the final capstone located at the most emphatic location, at the end of the sentence.

These inform and enrich our understanding and give us a definitive term in the form of an adjective that is used as a noun, which brings out the verbal idea of itself, “called ones.”

So, what is the full meaning of the term “called ones?

We are blessed ones who before the beginning of creation, were God-loved and continued to be so, moreover He provided us with a Mediator who also in a continuous and positive way- guards over us, watches over us, pays attention to us, and maintains us in that
wonderful blessed state to which He called us, in terms of relationship to God, to which we have been brought in Christ “by” the love of our Father.

Then at the very end of the sentence, the whole big idea of this is summarized into a single profound term that serves to identify us, and that echoes its blessing throughout time eternal: we are “called ones,” and we are among the number of those who were the intended readers of this epistle written by Jude.

2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Compassion to you (pl.) and peace and Christian love I wish it multiplied (optative aorist passive).

to multiply, literally to rush in and fill up

This wish is for a quick and immediate setting in of the motion of an in-filling gift from God of an awareness of His compassion, His peace, and His love to each true believer to whom Jude is writing. From his wording, we properly glean a sense of urgency in Jude’s voice, which is soon confirmed in his very next sentence:

Judgment on False Teachers (4 -13 cf. 2 Peter 2.1-17)

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation,

Beloved ones, I am making all hastiness in our mutual behalf (middle voice) to write to you concerning the salvation we hold in fellowship,

I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.I had a strong compulsion to write to you while encouraging you to struggle in behalf of the consecrated faith having once been handed over to us.

I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

“I had a strong compulsion to write to you”…from as a necessity or compulsion of any kind, outer or inner, brought about by the nature of things.

Without a doubt Jude was distressed having learned of the details of the calamitous situation in the church to which he had been writing.

I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.The implication is that this new epistle had to be written at once and could not be prepared for at leisure, apparently not like the one Jude had previously
contemplated. With this letter, the gravity of the problem demanded an immediate response, as time was of the essence.

I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. “while encouraging you to struggle in behalf of the consecrated faith”Jude presents an interesting contrast with his encouragement to urge a solution, when compared with the method that was used by the enemies of God to initiate the problem, which is something you are about to discover.

I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Jude uses meaning to console by extending encouraging words from a position coming alongside of the troubled ones.

This is a word that describe the speeches of leaders and of soldiers who urge each other onward. Such is the description of words which sent fearful, timid and hesitant soldiers and sailors courageously into battle.

“to struggle in behalf of”

The idea is to exercise great effort and exertion to struggle in behalf of something that belongs close to you (middle voice).

This word was used of athletic contests and the struggle and effort of the athletes in their games.

The preposition in compound denotes direction, as the idea “to bring something on someone.”

I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

We might say “let’s bring it on.”

The words following that are dependent on it are in the dative case and indicate for the most part either the one against whom one is fighting, or the person or thing upon which one depends for support in a fight.

In this instance, the item which depends on the support of the fight is clearly defined…

I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

“in behalf of the consecrated faith having once been handed over to us.”

…it is the holy faith, specifically referring to the body of truth from God handed over to faithful ones, the Christian apostolic tradition that is normative for the true people of God.

4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

For certain (unnamed) men had slipped in alongside of others, unnoticed, ones about whom it has been written in God’s book of judgment long beforehand, and about whom we have presently come to have knowledge of, for the purpose of entering into the condemnation, the
ones who are distorting the grace of our God into indecent sensuality, even the one Master God and Lord of us Jesus Christ, while to their own detriment- denying.

Although their names are not here mentioned, these deplorable men had eventually become notorious and apparently represented a powerful political force within the church; so much so that to come against them presently would be considered a contentious action that also would require a serious struggle in order to be rid of them from the midst of those of stark contrast, the godly of the congregation to whom Jude is writing.

“they had slipped in alongside of others”

…from an uncommon verb consisting of several morphs, which gives it the literal sense of setting down power (influence) by entering into from a vantage point alongside of, as in slipping in undetected; having strongly defined ulterior motives and entering under false pretenses; these ideas are clearly implied here.

“ones about whom it has been written in God’s book of judgment long beforehand, and about whom we have presently come to have knowledge of, for the purpose of entering into the condemnation”

This highly informative participle is no doubt a reference from Jude to his knowledge of the report given by Enoch, the prophet of God, speaking of the book in heaven upon which are written all manner of things, including entries of those who have been called out by name by God for the condemnation (, that which was already decided upon) doomed to punishment as enemies of God; not that Jude actually knew their names, but that he knew about their type according to God’s description.

The perfect tense indicates the continuing authority of that which was written.

“the ones who are distorting the grace of our God”

Jude is telling us that these stinkers were acting as cosmic change agents in the worst way possible.

Whereas we know that God the Holy Spirit acts as the cosmic change agent working out the Father’s will to bring metamorphosis (change in form) to some of creation, these ungodly guys were working in the opposite direction, actively striving to, literally “to change the place of the grace of God into a place where , a general sensual quality might prevail, especially referring to sexual excesses, with the implication of perversions and probably a long catalogue of vices.

…from to deny; to disown, to renounce; to refuse, to disdain; literally, “I never knew you from the beginning.”

The middle voice brings out the idea that this is something that they bring upon themselves.

Compare this to Peter’s experience of thrice denial!

Many will be surprised on the Day of Judgment when they discover that it was just as the Word of God says; only the righteousness of Christ is able to save you.All men are sinners and no one can save himself. God is just, so He must punish sin; but He is also merciful, moreover gracious, and offers His Son as the perfect sacrifice in order to purchase a place for you in heaven, which He offers to you as the free gift of eternal life.

Jesus is God Incarnate

In order to pay the debt of our sins, He came from Heaven, having been sent by the Father, where He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father even unto the shameful death upon the cross in order to pay the debt of your sins.This gift must be received by faith, believing that Jesus’ perfect life and Cross Work was His complete and necessary Atonement for your sins, in your behalf.Faith is a gift that comes by the Power of God the Holy Spirit working in a person’s innermost being. The Holy Spirit has the authority and power to quicken your dead spirit, to make it come to life. If you have not done so before this moment, ask Jesus to forgive you your sins, tell Him you’ve stop trying to be your own savior, and ask Him to come into your life right now, and to give you eternal life. Then, in faith believing, thank Him for the gift that He is giving you, the one He paid for in full in your place, in Jesus’ name,AMEN