The remainder of the apostle’s letter is positive and encouraging. It is full of help and comfort for the Lord’s people. Jude offers spiritual direction for our wellbeing. Previously, in verse 17, Jude used the title ‘beloved’ to register God’s loving commitment to His church and here, again, he employs it as a reminder of God’s continuing love and faithfulness. Perhaps, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ is foremost in Jude’s mind as he goes on to speak specifically of Christ’s mercy.   Build and keep Jude’s admonition to build ourselves up in the faith and keep ourselves in God’s love does not imply creature ability in spiritual matters. Every good and perfect gift is from above and consequently there is no spiritual growth…

Jude opens our passage today with a reference to brotherly love. He reminds us of this principal feature of Christian fellowship. Our love for the Lord Jesus arises from God first loving us. Our love for the Lord, as His followers, thereafter manifests itself in our love for one another. This is spiritual union. Because the Lord loves us we love those whom He loves. We do not love as He loves, nor love as we should, but we endeavour to emulate our Saviour by loving the brethren. Beloved of God Jude does not wish to unduly frighten or trouble the Lord’s little ones. He knows that when a true child of God hears of false professors their first reaction is, ‘Is it I?’ Despite…

Enoch is said to have been seventh from Adam, that is, the seventh generation from Adam. This distinguishes him from another Enoch who was the son of Cain. Enoch was born into the line of Seth, the generations were, as recorded by Moses in Genesis; Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared and Enoch. There is no written-down prophecy of Enoch from this time. Jude may have gotten this prophecy from oral tradition, he mentions Enoch ‘saying’. A later writing bearing Enoch’s name is not authentic.  Foretelling the future It is clear Enoch was a prophet. He lived before the time of Noah and the flood. He called his son Methuselah which signifies ‘when he dies is the emission’, or the sending out of the waters.…

Jude’s criticism of the ‘ungodly men’ who entered the church and laboured to deceive the Lord’s people continues unabated. He first denounced them by linking them to examples of God’s judgment in Egypt, Sodom and upon the fallen angels. Then he likened them to some of the most disreputable characters in the Old Testament scriptures. Now he describes their barren state and self-serving actions. All who look to such men for spiritual help will be poorly served. Jude’s need to write Jude has the spiritual wellbeing of believers at heart. These verses are warnings to the Lord’s people to resist false teachers, to reject false teaching and to call-out inappropriate conduct that contradicts the true, life-changing gospel of God’s grace. The church is the society…

Jude is continuing his attack on false teachers who have infiltrated the church and who risk polluting the purity of the gospel with their doctrines and practices. Jude is certainly not vague or evasive about his concerns. His language is personal and pointed as he calls down woe on these deceivers. In our verses today the apostle employs another three notorious examples from the history of the Old Testament people and labels his targets ‘brute beasts’.  Brute beasts By using this phrase ‘brute beasts’ Jude conveys the idea of both ignorance and sensuality. He has previously called these people ‘ungodly men’, now they are brutish and beastly. They are beast-like in their teaching because they are bereft of spiritual understanding. There is a brutish physicality…

In the New Testament there really is not another epistle quite like Jude’s. Jude draws on Old Testament history, prophecy and imagery to support a strong, impassioned argument against false teachers who have infiltrated and troubled the church from apostolic days. He attaches to these ‘ungodly men’ vivid, illustrative epithets and grimly likens them to notorious characters such as Cain, Balaam and the sons of Korah. He enlists ancient writers such as Enoch and Moses to support his message. Jude’s burden is for the damage being done to the true gospel. Michael the archangel In all this, perhaps today’s reference to ‘Michael the archangel’ is the most enigmatic of all Jude’s observations and comments. Michael is not an unusual Bible name – around seven or…