It was laid on my heart to study the book of Jude. Yes, Jude—you know, that short book of the New Testament just before Revelation. Many may often overlook this book, because it may not be as “popular” as Genesis or Revelation or others in between, but it packs a spiritual punch we should not neglect as God’s breathed Word.
My Bible titles Jude 1:3-16 “Judgment on False Teachers.”
First, it appeals to the believers to which Jude was writing to “contend for the faith.” In proper context, Blue Letter Bible (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon and Vine’s Expository Dictionary) shows the text states “contend earnestly,” and the meaning of the original word used—epagōnizomai—is “to contend for a thing… to contend about a thing, as a combatant. The word ‘earnestly’ is added to convey the intensive force of the preposition.” This original word is a verb, which conveys taking action. Per Merriam Webster, to contend means “to strive in debate; maintain, assert; to struggle for (as in to fight for), to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties.” And the word faith—pistis—here is “the substance of Christian faith or what is believed by Christians.” So, it can quite literally mean fighting for what Christians believe.
Second, it warns that people (with ungodly, perverse motives) are creeping in among genuine believers. These people, per verse 4, pervert the grace of God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Breaking this down even further, the sensuality spoken of here is also translated licentiousness. The original word used is aselgeia, and it means “unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence… of gluttony and venery” (BLB) Some of these are words that we don’t throw around in everyday language, so I wanted to make sure I understood what each meant specifically.
Per Merriam Webster, here is a breakdown:
Sensuality – relating to or consisting in the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of appetite : FLESHLY… deficient in moral, spiritual, or intellectual interests : WORLDLY… SENSUAL may apply to any gratification of a bodily desire or pleasure but commonly implies sexual appetite with absence of the spiritual or intellectual.
Unbridled Lust – (Unbridled) Unrestrained. (Lust) usually intense or unbridled sexual desire. An intense longing (craving, not necessarily sexual). To have an intense desire or need.
Licentiousness – immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society. Having a strong sexual desire.
Lasciviousness – the quality or state of being obscene. Depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society. Having a strong sexual desire.
Wantonness – disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others. Depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society. Having a strong sexual desire. A person who playfully shows another amorous attention (flirty).
Outrageousness – exceeding the limits of what is usual. Violent, unrestrained. Deficient in propriety. Going beyond all standards of what is right or decent.
Shamelessness – having no shame (no guilt, regret, contrition, repentance) : insensible to disgrace.
Insolence – insultingly contemptuous in speech or conduct. Exhibiting boldness (as in cocky, arrogant, disregard of others) or effrontery, impudent.
Gluttony – greedy or excessive indulgence (not just limited to food and drink, but in every area)
Venery – the pursuit of or indulgence in sexual pleasure.
So now that we have an understanding of what “sensuality” in proper context means—mostly sexual, but not confined to sexual sin alone, we can see that the perverse people sneaking in misuse God’s grace as such wickedness. In other words, they are using “saved by grace” as a license to sin— something that is confronted in Romans 6.
The second part to verse 4 claims that these people also deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now, upon first look, we may think this means that they merely deny Jesus. Perhaps one may think this could point to denying Jesus as God in the flesh, God’s one and only Son. Something along that line. But, what’s interesting here is that both Master and Lord are used. It doesn’t simply state they deny Jesus, but instead emphasizes “our only *Master* and *Lord*.” So, to my discernment, this passage is pointing out that those who creep in, the ungodly, have not allowed Jesus to be their Master and Lord. A frienda of mine has repeatedly pointed out, if we rent a house, we have a landlord. That landlord is the owner of that property, thus he can dictate what we can and cannot do and we must comply. Likewise, slaves have masters who do the same. These masters give orders for their servants to follow, and good servants follow their command. The masters provide for their servants, meeting their basic needs. When we make Christ our Master and Lord, He becomes the full owner of our lives (emphasis on full). He then has the right to tell us what to do and the righteous way to make that happen, and we, as genuine and faithful servants comply. As Scripture identifies multiple times, when we choose Christ (GENUINELY), accepting His free gift of salvation and surrendering our lives to Him fully (repenting and turning from sinful living and turning fully toward Him), we become slaves to righteousness (walking no longer by the flesh but by the Spirit, sanctified [holy, set apart, pure]) and are set free from slavery to sin. Sin is no longer our master. However, these wicked people Jude speaks of, those infiltrating the church, walking amongst fellow believers, are not genuine. They are still slaves to sin. They are not contrite. They are not true converts. They have not allowed Christ to be their Master and Lord, but deny Him that way.
Moving on through Jude, we see that Jude reminds the recipients of the letter what happens to those who refuse Him and remain slaves to sin. Verses 5-6 are fairly self-explanatory in this:
“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—“
There is judgment and punishment. Every sinful behavior and disobedient act has a consequence, temporary and eternal.
It is incredibly interesting to me that while Jude is addressing these wicked infiltrators, and touches on the sin of “sensuality,” he then addresses the judgment on and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah due to the sexual immorality and unnatural desires (homosexuality) in which they indulged. He reminds his readers that such cities serve as an example of eternal punishment. Again, this was interesting to me, because there are many in the church today who try to progress Christianity wrongfully, even to the point of claiming that what Scripture has deemed as sin is acceptable in the eyes of God. Namely homosexuality. They’re either in support of this particular sin, or they are silent altogether. But this warning should serve as that example to the modern church that Scripture cannot be twisted, nullified, or neglected. What God has proclaimed as sin remains sin timelessly.
As I continue through verses 8-10, these wicked people of whom Jude is speaking also defile the flesh (this also piqued my interest because the word used here is the verb miainō, which in this context means “pollute, contaminate, soil…in a physical and moral sense,” but it also means “to stain, to tinge or dye with another color” [BLB]—makes you think twice about what I’ve written on bodily alterations), reject authority, and blaspheme (revile) the glorious ones—or “the majesty (glory) of angels; speak(ing) contemptuously of God or of sacred things” (BLB). They blaspheme all they do not understand (the supernatural), and are destroyed by all they understand instinctively (the natural world). Jude warns “woe to them!”
Then, jumping down to verse 12, I broke down how Jude continues describing ungodly people, false teachers. He says they (are):
feast with you (genuine believers) without fear—they openly enjoy themselves with you boldly in shamelessness, no concern for who they are and what they are doing.
Shepherds feeding themselves—selfishness, caring only for themselves and not the sheep to which they tend.
Waterless clouds—promise to water, to nourish, but fail. Not productive.
Swept along by winds—carried away from the path of righteousness, perhaps easily swayed by false teaching (as seen in Ephesians 4:14), immature. Fruitless trees—their works do not attest to their claimed faith. They fail to produce works of righteousness and the spiritual fruit as found in Galatians 5:22-23.
Twice dead—the tree that bears no fruit is dead, like faith without works is dead, therefore, spiritually dead, leading to eternal death.
Uprooted—destroyed, corresponding with passages such as Matthew 15:10-20 and John 15.
Wild waves, casting up foam of their own shame—fierce, impulsive, restless, tossed about by untamed obsessions leading to disgrace and dishonor. They stir up (shameful ways—Philippians 3:19).
Wandering stars— strayed off course and wander about in their own will, but also, they mislead others (in false teaching/guidance).
Reading on in verses 14-15, we see that when the Lord returns, these will be the ones (all unbelievers and those false converts who proclaim Christ yet haven’t genuinely surrendered and live as previously described) who will receive judgment. The second time Christ comes will be as a judge ready to convict the ungodly of their evil deeds and continued separation from God. What a warning we should certainly heed, friends! A crucial reminder that while Jesus came to offer grace, as mediator—the only way of reconciliation—between sinful man and holy God, the Lord is a very just judge.
Jude follows up with an extrabiblical prophesy of Enoch about what ungodly people look like: grumblers, malcontents, follow sinful desires, loud-mouthed, boasters, and show favoritism to gain advantage. Yet, he follows with saying “BUT you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
*While some extrabiblical material, such as apocryphal writings (like seen here), has sprinkling of truth, it is also full of false, historically inaccurate information, which is why it isn’t considered canon. Perhaps, and this is my discernment, Jude is saying, even this erroneous document sees ungodly people for what they are (because works of the flesh are evident to all—Galatians 5:19-21), BUT you, my brothers and sisters, need to look to what the Apostles of Christ have said and predicted.
This next section of Jude is labeled “A Call to Persevere” in my Bible.
Jude continues with those warnings and reminders from the Apostles, that there will be scoffers, following ungodly passions. Jude adds to this, expounding those sinful attributes of the ungodly scoffers: Those who cause division, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. He goes on to offer encouragement and exhortation on how to reduce and avoid the influence of the ungodly: Build yourselves up in the most holy faith (this follows in direction to be sanctified—holy, set apart, pure), and praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of Jesus which leads to eternal life.
In verse 22-23, Jude offers three exhortations. (1) He exhorts believers to have mercy on those who doubt (the apostate). These are those who separate themselves (unbelievers) and have fallen into apostasy. Show them mercy, having pity and compassion, leading them back to faith in Christ. (2) He then urges to save others by snatching them out of the fire—those near God’s judgment and the consequence of eternity in Hell. To do so means warning them that what they are doing is sinful and will lead to those eternal consequences and revealing there is a Savior—essentially, sharing the Gospel and offering truth in love. (3) Finally, Jude warns to show mercy to others with fear. Fear in this context is phobos. It means “with anxious heed lest ye be defiled by the wickedness of those whom ye are rescuing” (BLB). This can correlate with Scripture found in Galatians 6:1, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” When we are working to snatch others from the fire, working to help them see sin for what it is (that we are all naturally born with sinful nature) and escape from willfully living in sin (being reborn by the Spirit), we can possibly be tempted to indulge in the same sin. It’s often easier for others to pull us down than it is for us to lift others up. So we must be incredibly careful, constantly on guard and walking fully in the Spirit when we try to help others.
It’s good to know about each sin and its struggles to be able to help others effectively. Let’s look at one example: We can be better prepared to help someone in the Mormon faith if we know what it is, who/what it worships, and its basic beliefs. Once we are educated about such deviations from Christ and holiness, we can better help others understand its falsehoods and find true salvation. Yet, sometimes, if we are not maturing in the faith, walking by the Spirit, and submitting ourselves fully to Christ, we can begin to engage in those wrongful beliefs and sinful behaviors ourselves. Some sins are easier to fall prey to if they’ve been a struggle for us in the past, or if there’s a possibility we can adopt them easily. Nevertheless, some sins may not be as much of a stumbling block or temptation as others, so there’s not as much concern.
Another thing to note about this last of this passage in verse 23 is that when we snatch others from the fire, having mercy with fear, we are to hate even the garment stained by the flesh. Since a lot of this passage confronts sexual sin (although it does not all pertain to sexual sin, but sinfulness in general), we may be able to correlate this wording to hate even the garment which has touched the pollution of the flesh sexually. But if we are able to correlate this wording to sin in general, we could say that anything associated with sinfulness is to be abhorred. Either way, sin is sin, and anything associated with such is defiled and profane. Scripture such as Ephesians 5:11-12, Romans 12:9, and 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 can support both these lines of perception about this passage.
I urge you to read 2 Peter along with Jude, as they parallel. I also pray that each of you study on your own and apply it in your own lives as ambassadors of Christ.
References
Blue Letter Bible. 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021 from https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/jde/1/1/t_conc_1167012
All Scripture (unless otherwise noted): English Standard Version Bible. 2021. BibleHub.com and
English Standard Version Bible. 2016. Crossway
“Contend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contend. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Sensual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sensual. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Unbridled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unbridled. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Lust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lust. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Licentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentiousness. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Licentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentious. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Lasciviousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lasciviousness. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Lascivious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lascivious. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Wantonness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wantonness. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Wanton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanton. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Outrageous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outrageous. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Shame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shame. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Insolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insolent. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Gluttony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gluttony. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
“Venery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venery. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
Paraphrasing thoughts a credited to Tom Kilian