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JUDE – INTRODUCTION

I. THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK (1:1)

    A. “Jude”

       1. Servant or bond servant (slave) of Jesus Christ

       2. Brother of James:

   (a).  James, the Lord’s brother in the flesh, was prominent in the church in Jerusalem           (Gal.1:19, 2:9).

           (b).  Mary had daughters, and sons other than Jesus:

                  (1).  James, Joseph, Simon and Judas were brothers (Matt.13:55, Mk. 6:3)

                  (2).  Brothers were unbelievers who  turned believers in Jesus’ resurrection

         (Jn. 7:3-8, Acts 1:14).

                  (3).  Jude was probably married  (I Cor. 9:5).

II. TO WHOM THE LETTER WAS WRITTEN (1:1)

       A. “Them that are called” (2 Thess. 2:13-14)

       B. “beloved in God the Father” – love is the nature of the calling (Jn. 3:16, Rom. 5:8)

       C. “Kept for Jesus Christ” – preserved for his honor and glory

           1. Conditional: Jude 21, I Pet. 1:4, Phil. 2:12

       D. Probably written to the Christians in Palestine shortly before A.D. 70.

III. FEATURES OF THE BOOK

       A. Resemblance of Jude and 2 Peter

           1. Jude 4 – 2 Pet. 2:1-3 false teachers crept in deceptively

           2. Jude 6 – 2 Pet. 2:4 disobedient angels kept for judgment  

           3. Jude 7-10 – 2 Pet. 2:6-12 Judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah; example of Michael                 the archangel.

           4. Jude 11 – 2 Pet. 2:15 error of Balaam

           5. Jude 12, 13 – 2 Pet. 2:13-17 hidden rocks in love feasts; reservations in blackness                of darkness  

           6. Jude 16 – 2 Pet. 2:18 great swelling words, showing respect of persons being                       offered.

           7. Jude 17,18 – 2 Pet. 3:1-3 remembering words of apostles concerning words of                    mockers

           8. Jude, while inspired of God, acknowledged what inspired apostles had revealed and              written (v. 17).  

       B. The theory of Jude quoting from the apocryphal “Book of Enoch”

             1. Book discovered shortly before Revolutionary War – 1773

           2. Found in copy of Ethiopic Bible translated in English in 1821.

           3. Cannot be traced back further than 3rd. century.

           4. Jew quoting from Jude, not Jude quoting from a book.

           5. Peter and Paul knew things by inspiration, not recorded for us in Scripture:

       a. Noah was a preacher (2 Pet. 2:5)

       b. Lot was vexed in Sodom (2 Pet. 2:7)

       c. Paul knew names of Egyptian magicians (2 Tim. 3:8)

       d. Paul knowing words of Jesus (Acts 20:35)

       e. Jude knew of this prophecy of Enoch (Gen. 5:24, Heb.11:5)

       C. Abundance of triple arrangements

           1. Called – beloved – kept (v. 1)

           2. Mercy – peace- love (v. 2)

           3. Defile the flesh – set at naught dominion – rail at dignities (v. 8)

           4. Way of Cain – ran in error of Balaam – perished in gainsaying of Korah (v. 11)

           5. Make separations – sensual – having not the spirit (v. 19)

           6. On some who doubt, have mercy – on some save, snatching out of the fire- on                     some have mercy with fear, hating garment spotted by the flesh (v. 22-23)

           7. Gloryious God before time – and now – and for evermore (v. 25).

IV. OUTLINE OF BOOK

A. Introduction (v. 1-4)

    1. Salutation (v. 1-2)

    2. Purpose of Letter: Exhorting brethren to “contend earnestly for the faith which was         once and for all delivered” (v. 3)

    3. Immediate need for Letter:

a. Certain men had crept in privily.

b. Men turning the grace of God into lasciviousness

c. Men denying only Master – Lord Jesus Christ

        B. Warnings (v. 5-15)

    1. Three examples of those not escaping the Lordship and power of God (v. 5-7)

a. Unfaithful Israelites destroyed in the wilderness (v. 5)

b. Sinning angels kept in everlasting bonds (v. 6)

c. Sodom and Gomorrah with cities of the plain suffer punishment of eternal fire     (v. 7).

            2. Wicked and Good contrasted (v. 8-10)

                a. Wicked like animals without reason

                b. Unlike Michael the archangel.

    3. Three examples of individual wickedness culminating in perishing (v.11).

a. Went way of Cain

b. Ran riotously in the error of Balaam

c. Perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

            4. Analysis of the wicked men (v. 12-19)

                a. Illustrations from nature (v. 12-13)

                b. Ungodliness and condemning judgment as Enoch had prophesied (v. 14 – 15).

                c. Character exposed (v. 16, 19)

                d. Fulfillment of the warning words of the Apostles (v. 17-18)

B. Exhortations (v. 20-25)

            1. Regarding self (v. 20-21)

a. Build upon Faith (Faith)

        b. Pray in connection with Holy Spirit

        c. Keep self in Love of God (Love)

d. Look for mercy of Lord unto eternal life (Hope)

            2. Regarding the  wicked (v. 22-23)

                a. Seeking with mercy

                b. Hating the sins

            3. Regarding God – Glory (v. 24-25).