When one thinks of the epistle of Jude, two sections of the letter come to mind. The 1st section is found in v 4 where Jude exhorts the brethren.
Jude tells them up front that he had all intention of writing them about the salvation that they shared in Christ, but because of those who have crept in, Jude now found it necessary to write a very different letter. One in which he exhorts them to contend earnestly for the faith. The verb Jude uses for contend, means to struggle for, or to fight for. It was used to describe the strenuous, even grueling effort that Greek athletes exerted in their competitions. Jude was sounding the trumpet, the battle cry, that they should “fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.“
The other section of Jude which is very well known is the 2 verses that close out the letter, verses 24 & 25. Many churches close their service with the benediction:
In fact, it’s said to be the least preached book in the NT.
Obviously we do not agree with any of their reasoning, as the Bible affirms that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16), and that includes the epistle of Jude. While the epistle was written to a specific group by Jude, it has much to teach us today in a world that is literally filled with false teachers and false churches! We also believe that the analogies that Jude uses from the OT and from the traditional Jewish literature help us understand and follow Jude’s thinking as he lays out his case against it. |
