Temper Judgment with Mercy Jude 1:3-25 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010 OUTLINE

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1 Temper Judgment with Mercy Jude 1:3-25 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010 Devotional Scripture: Acts 18:4-11 OUTLINE INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW AND APPROACH TO LESSON LESSON INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator MAJOR THEME ANALYSIS CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH (JUDE 1:3) Contend through a common salvation A common salvation that must be qualified for (Col 1:12) A common salvation that is obtained by a grafting by God (Rom 11:17-21) A common salvation of heirship (Eph 3:6) A common salvation obtained by a heavenly calling (Heb 3:1) A common salvation that is shared in Christ (Heb 3:14) A common salvation that is shared in glory (1 Peter 5:1) Contend through defending the faith Defending by proof through Scriptures (Acts 18:28) Defending by living a life worthy of the gospel (Phil 1:27) Defending through obedience (1 Tim 1:18-19) Defending by fighting a good fight of the faith (1 Tim 6:12) Defending by obeying sound doctrine (2 Tim 1:13) Defending by being faithful (Rev 2:10) Contend through unity of the saints Unity through the Spirit of unity (Rom 15:5) Unity through being part of the body of Christ (Eph 4:2-6) Unity through agreement (Matt 18:19-20) Unity in mind and thought (1 Cor 1:10) Unity through love (Col 2:2) CORRUPTERS OF THE FAITH (JUDE 1:4-7) Corrupters that are marked for condemnation (4) Condemnation for those who exploit others (2 Peter 2:3) Condemnation for preaching a false gospel (Gal 1:7-9) Condemnation for those who have not believed the truth (2 Thess 2:12) Condemnation for those who deceive (2 Cor 11:15) Creeping In (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) Corrupters that should expect judgment (7) Expect judgment for stubbornness and unrepentant hearts (Rom 2:5) Expect judgment because all must appear before the judgment seat of God (2 Cor 5:10) Expect judgment because it is destined for man to face judgment (Heb 9:27) Expect judgment because God knows how to punish the ungodly (2 Peter 2:9) Expect judgment because of being a false teacher (2 Peter 2:1) BUILDING UP THE FAITH (JUDE 1:17-25) Build through remembering God's Word (17) Remembering God Word spoken in the past through prophets and apostles (2 Peter 3:2) Remembering God Word and not forsaking it (Rev 2:4-5) Remembering God Word because it is righteous (Ps 119:61-62) Remembering God Word because it will prolong life (Prov 3:1-2) Remembering God Word to gain wisdom and understanding (Prov 4:5) Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 1 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

2 Build through praying in the Holy Spirit (20) Praying in the Holy Spirit helps in weakness (Rom 8:26-27) Praying in the Holy Spirit and with the mind (1 Cor 14:15) Praying in the Holy Spirit because we are a child of God (Gal 4:6-7) Praying in the Holy Spirit with all kinds of prayers and requests (Eph 6:18) Build through remaining in the love of God (21) Remaining in the love of God because nothing can separate it from us (Rom 8:37-39) Remaining in the love of God to persevere (2 Thess 3:5) Remaining in the love of God through obedience (John 15:9-10) Remaining in the love of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:15-18) Build through compassion and helping saints deceived (23) Help for deceived saints through godly sorrow and repentance (2 Cor 7:10-11) Help for deceived saints through restoration (Gal 6:1-2) Help for deceived saints through disassociation to cause return (2 Thess 3:14-15) Help for deceived saints through living in peace with holiness (Heb 12:14-15) Help for deceived saints through Christians trying to win them back (James 5:19-20) CONCLUSION AND OTHER THOUGHTS CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE NIV STANDARD LESSON COMMENTARY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR PRACTICAL POINTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR HEART OF THE LESSON FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR The struggle against false teachers (Jude 1:3-7) The victory over false teachers (Jude 1:19-21) The certainty in spite of false teachers (Jude 1:24-25) Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 2 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

3 Introduction Overview and Approach to Lesson The detail of the outline of the lesson came from a previous SS lesson dated 11/30/2003. The lesson teaches about Tempering Judgment with Mercy. The study's aim is to teach that the Church is to be strong in the faith and merciful to each other. The study's application is to demonstrate how to distinguish between faith as an attitude and the faith as a body of doctrine to be believed. Lesson Introduction and Background From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary The Church as Battlefield Although we like to think of the church as a place of peace and harmony, it is also a battlefield. Satan is the primary enemy on this battlefield. He will do everything he can to shred the church s harmony. He will use various tactics to accomplish this goal. Temptation to commit sin is, of course, the main driver behind all his tactics. When uncorrected and unconfronted sin gets into the church, the result can be a cancer that spreads until the witness of the church is completely ruined. This seems to be Paul s concern in 1 Corinthians 5. Satan especially likes to attack the church s leaders. Satan uses various approaches, and we all know of cases where church leaders exploited the sheep of the flock for devious purposes. Too many churches and Christians have been damaged by dynamic but unscrupulous and unfaithful leaders! This unfortunate pattern was already in play in the first century. It is a problem frequently addressed in the books of the New Testament. The church of any century needs strong leaders who are grounded in the Scripture, secure in their faith, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. One of the greatest voices for this need is a book often overlooked or misunderstood by Christians today. This is the 25-verse book of Jude, the source for our lesson today. Lesson Background The Gospels record that Jesus had brothers and sisters (see Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). These names are rendered into English in various ways. His brothers were named James (Jacob), Joses (Joseph), Judas (Judah, Jude, or Juda), and Simon. The third brother in the list is the one we are concerned with for this lesson. His Hebrew name was Judah, and in Christian tradition this brother of Jesus has been identified by the variant name Jude. Mark 6:3 says Judas, but we tend to shy away from that name so we don t get him confused with Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. This distinction is important, but we should remember that these two men had the same name. When Jesus was engaged in his ministry, his brothers did not accept him as the Messiah and even scoffed at him (see Mark 3:21; John 7:2 5). After his resurrection, however, they were among the believers (Acts 1:14). The oldest of these brothers, James, became the leader of the Jerusalem church. He served as the moderator for a famous meeting in Jerusalem that is recorded in Acts 15. It is likely that the other brothers of Jesus, including Jude, were at this meeting. In the greeting of the book for this lesson, the author identifies himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. This is similar to the beginning of the book of James, where James claims no family relationship with Jesus, seeing himself as simply a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1). This is probably because James was widely known as Jesus brother and the leader of the Jerusalem church. Naturally, to be the brother of a brother of Jesus is to say that Jude was also a sibling of Jesus. Jude wrote his book for believers facing the threat of false teachers within their body. The book assumes some knowledge of Jewish traditions, and it may have been written for churches that were made up largely of Christian Jews. The book was perhaps written about AD 75, which was shortly after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70. There are many parallels between the books of Jude and 2 Peter. Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 3 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

4 From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator Satan has used two primary methods of thwarting Christ's ongoing work in the world. Sometimes he has attacked the saints "as a roaring lion" (1 Pet. 5:8). He has brought terrible waves of persecution upon the church that threaten to exterminate it. The apostolic church faced persecution almost immediately, first from unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem and then from Roman rulers who perceived Christians as a threat to the stability of their empire. At other times Satan has operated more subtly, like the serpent he used in Eden (Gen. 3). Instead of attacking from the outside through fierce enemies, he uses smooth-talking professing believers to lead God's people astray. The church is made ineffective through departure from the faith in doctrine and practice. The church has passed through dark periods of apostasy. Persecution often has had the effect of purifying and unifying believers, but apostasy divides them and saps their spiritual strength. The New Testament writers therefore considered it imperative to warn the saints of impostors in their midst. As we have seen this quarter, Christians often face some tough decisions. Some of these have to do with how we live as followers of Christ. In this week's lesson we take steps to understand how we can temper judgment with mercy. Jude shows us that standing up for the truth that has been handed down to us is not without hardship. Nevertheless, we are to protect the purity of the faith even as we share the good news of the gospel with others. Christians have too often been known for killing their own not so much with guns but with slander, hate, and infighting. We certainly do not give the best testimony of ourselves as followers of Christ when we shoot our own wounded. This week Jude shows us that we ought to be characterized by the trait of mercy. We are recipients of God's mercy and thus must share the same with others. Major Theme Analysis (Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV) Contending for the Faith (Jude 1:3) 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. Contend through a common salvation A common salvation that must be qualified for (Col 1:12) 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. A common salvation that is obtained by a grafting by God (Rom 11:17-21) 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. A common salvation of heirship (Eph 3:6) 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, A common salvation obtained by a heavenly calling (Heb 3:1) 3 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; A common salvation that is shared in Christ (Heb 3:14) 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 4 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

5 A common salvation that is shared in glory (1 Peter 5:1) 5 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, Contend through defending the faith Defending by proof through Scriptures (Acts 18:28) 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. Defending by living a life worthy of the gospel (Phil 1:27) 27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; Defending through obedience (1 Tim 1:18-19) 18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Defending by fighting a good fight of the faith (1 Tim 6:12) 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Defending by obeying sound doctrine (2 Tim 1:13) 13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Defending by being faithful (Rev 2:10) 10 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Contend through unity of the saints Unity through the Spirit of unity (Rom 15:5) 5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, Unity through being part of the body of Christ (Eph 4:2-6) 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Unity through agreement (Matt 18:19-20) 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Unity in mind and thought (1 Cor 1:10) 10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 5 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

6 Unity through love (Col 2:2) 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, Corrupters of the Faith (Jude 1:4-7) 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. 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Corrupters that are marked for condemnation (4) Condemnation for those who exploit others (2 Peter 2:3) 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. Condemnation for preaching a false gospel (Gal 1:7-9) 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! Condemnation for those who have not believed the truth (2 Thess 2:12) 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. Condemnation for those who deceive (2 Cor 11:15) 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. Creeping In (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) One of the most serious enemies the early Christians faced was Gnosticism. This belief system maintained that all things fleshly were evil by their very nature. To the gnostics, this meant that Christ could not have been human. The gnostics came up with a variety of ways to deny the Incarnation, but they all came down to the same basic thing: Christ was divine but not human. A leading gnostic in the second century ad was Marcion. His father was the bishop of a church in northern Asia Minor, yet Marcion was thrown out of his home church because of gross immorality. He then moved to Rome, where he became involved with the church there. Because he was a wealthy merchant and gave considerable money to the church, he was welcomed. But when his Gnosticism was discovered, that church also threw him out and even returned all his money! Marcion is typical of the false teachers that Jude warns about. He was guilty of immorality, he tried to sneak into the church, and he even circulated an edited version of holy writings to support his doctrines. Does history repeat itself in this regard today? Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 6 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

7 Corrupters that should expect judgment (7) Expect judgment for stubbornness and unrepentant hearts (Rom 2:5) 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. Expect judgment because all must appear before the judgment seat of God (2 Cor 5:10) 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Expect judgment because it is destined for man to face judgment (Heb 9:27) 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, Expect judgment because God knows how to punish the ungodly (2 Peter 2:9) 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. Expect judgment because of being a false teacher (2 Peter 2:1) 2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them bringing swift destruction on themselves. Building Up the Faith (Jude 1:17-25) 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. Build through remembering God's Word (17) Remembering God Word spoken in the past through prophets and apostles (2 Peter 3:2) 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. Remembering God Word and not forsaking it (Rev 2:4-5) 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 7 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

8 Remembering God Word because it is righteous (Ps 119:61-62) 61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law. 62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws. Remembering God Word because it will prolong life (Prov 3:1-2) My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Remembering God Word to gain wisdom and understanding (Prov 4:5) 5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Build through praying in the Holy Spirit (20) Praying in the Holy Spirit helps in weakness (Rom 8:26-27) 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Praying in the Holy Spirit and with the mind (1 Cor 14:15) 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. Praying in the Holy Spirit because we are a child of God (Gal 4:6-7) 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Praying in the Holy Spirit with all kinds of prayers and requests (Eph 6:18) 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Build through remaining in the love of God (21) Remaining in the love of God because nothing can separate it from us (Rom 8:37-39) 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Remaining in the love of God to persevere (2 Thess 3:5) 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. Remaining in the love of God through obedience (John 15:9-10) 9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. Remaining in the love of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:15-18) 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 8 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

9 on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. Build through compassion and helping saints deceived (23) Help for deceived saints through godly sorrow and repentance (2 Cor 7:10-11) 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. Help for deceived saints through restoration (Gal 6:1-2) 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Help for deceived saints through disassociation to cause return (2 Thess 3:14-15) 14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. Help for deceived saints through living in peace with holiness (Heb 12:14-15) 14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Help for deceived saints through Christians trying to win them back (James 5:19-20) 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. Conclusion and Other Thoughts Concluding Thoughts from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Two extremes to avoid in our Christian walk are license and legalism. License is the idea that anything goes. It is what Jude fights against. The danger we face in fighting license is that we will go the other extreme and become legalists. But what is a legalist? This is not a title that people usually apply to themselves. It is always someone else whom we think of as a legalist. No one wants to be known as the Supreme Legalist or the Legalist Par Excellence. We think of legalists as uncompromising, joyless nitpickers who are always correcting our speech and behavior in the tiniest of details. The Pharisees are examples of legalists in that they crossed the line from contending for the faith to engaging in doctrinal minutiae. No human understanding of God can be perfect, so those who demand complete uniformity are chasing the wind. This does not mean, however, that just any teaching should be tolerated or even allowed to receive a hearing. The history of the church has shown that doctrine must be defended and protected or it will become corrupt, losing its original power. Who are the guardians of the truths of the church? Fortunately, we have the Bible as a fixed depository of doctrine. We can always go back to the source, the Scriptures, and check our teachings against the words of the inspired authors who wrote these books. Because we are not engaged in adding or subtracting from Scripture, we have a resource that transcends time and culture and can be applied to any human situation. The church will always need faithful, experienced teachers who have immersed themselves in the Word. The church will always require Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 9 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

10 defenders who will rescue the prey of self-serving teachers who would lead them astray. Jude knew this well, and we should not hesitate to heed his example. Concluding Thoughts from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator Our text is a call to Christian apologetics. We are to specially prepare ourselves through the study of the Scriptures, evidences, and argumentation to defend the historical Christian faith against enemies, both from within and from outside the church. In the first epistle of the Apostle Peter, we find what is usually considered the prime biblical mandate for apologetics: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (3:15). Another, more aggressively toned passage is 2 Corinthians 10:5: "[Cast] down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and [bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." The first and greatest apologist of the faith (after the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is) would have to be the Apostle Paul. All apologists since Paul have based the majority of their argumentation on the material found in his epistles. Paul's letter to the Romans, especially, is an unparalleled resource on basic Christian doctrine from Creation to salvation to the Second Coming. Paul defended the faith against Judaizers (cf. Gal. 1-5), those who denied the resurrection (cf. 1 Cor. 15:12-58), and lesser errors as well. The Apostle John would most likely be considered Paul's successor to the post of senior defender of the faith. In his epistles he combated those who denied the reality of Christ's humanity and physical body (1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 1:7). Immediately after the time of the apostles, men of faith such as Justin Martyr (A.D ), Irenaeus of Lyon (A.D ), and Origen (A.D ) defended the early church against attacks from Platonic philosophy and early forms of Gnosticism, systems that taught of a special, higher level of wisdom known only to an elite group and necessary for salvation. Later prominent apologists were Augustine of Hippo (A.D ), Anselm ( ), and Thomas Aquinas ( ). These men were instrumental in defending the doctrine of the Trinity and formulating various proofs for God's existence used in arguing against atheism. Some prominent apologists in our own day and their representative books are Walter Martin (The Kingdom of the Cults, Bethany House), Josh McDowell (Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Thomas Nelson), Cornelius Van Til (The Defense of the Faith, Presbyterian and Reformed), Norman Geisler (Christian Apologetics, Baker), and John Frame (The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, Presbyterian and Reformed). Whether just witnessing to a neighbor or debating before a university audience, every believer, on some level, is called to be a defender of the faith once delivered to the saints. Practical Points from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator 1. Contending for the faith is always necessary because apostates will always exist (Jude 1:3) 2. Apostates can be identified by their unbiblical teachings and their denial of the biblical Jesus (vs. 4) 3. All apostates, past, present, and future, will be judged and punished for eternity (vs. 5-7) 4. The ways of the apostate are carnal and contrary to the ways of the Holy Spirit (vs. 19) 5. True believers are on guard against apostasy (vs ) 6. The God who saved you can certainly keep you from stumbling into apostasy (vs ) Heart of the Lesson from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator Baseball or football teams struggle against each other until one is finally victorious. A much more serious struggle occurs in the church, where godly teachers combat those who seek to pervert the truth of God's Word. This is the conflict we see in Jude. The struggle against false teachers (Jude 1:3-7) Jude wanted to write about the truths of our salvation, and of necessity he entered into the struggle related to "the faith." He was concerned about holding firmly to the apostolic teaching. A church's leaders must hold Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 10 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010

11 to the truth, especially today, when so much emphasis is placed on tolerance. This struggle exists because false teachers corrupt the faith. They do this because they are ungodly, live immoral lives, and deny the truths concerning who our Lord is. We face the same struggle Jude faced. People claiming to be ministers of God preach in churches and deny the essential doctrines of God's Word and biblical Christianity. We who believe the Scriptures must continue to contend for them. Jude gave three historical examples that describe the way of false teachers. The delivered people of Israel were guilty of unbelief. False teachers are likewise guilty of unbelief. As bad as that is, it also leads to rebellion. Like the rebellious angels, false teachers. are in danger of judgment. Unbelief and rebellion lead to a third evil, which is immorality, as seen in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah. False teachers likewise practice illicit moral behavior. They use God's grace, which should motivate to holiness, as a license for sin. The victory over false teachers (Jude 1:19-21) Jude challenged his readers to remember the words spoken by the apostles (vs. 17). Those words are recorded for us in the New Testament Scriptures. The early Christians needed to know them and live according to them. We too must know them if we are to be victorious for our Lord in the struggle against false teachers. The way that we effectively build ourselves up in the "most holy faith" (Jude 1:20) is by diligently studying God's inspired Word (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet. 3:18). We must continue faithfully in prayer, since it has more power than any of our own logical arguments in refuting false teaching. We must also love our Lord supremely, confidently expecting His return. A crucial point is that Jude wrote to believers in local churches. Christians need to be faithful to a Bible-preaching local church and its ministry of preaching the Word so that they will grow spiritually, praying together, learning to love God, and encouraging one another in view of Christ's coming return. The certainty in spite of false teachers (Jude 1:24-25) We may struggle in contending for the faith, in maintaining correct doctrine, and in living a godly life in an ungodly society. In the midst of it all, however, we have a certain faith false teachers never know. We have a guaranteed stability because God Himself keeps us. We have a joyful assurance because God takes the responsibility to present us faultless in His presence. We have both a present and an eternal hope because our worthy God has the "glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever" (Jude 1:25). The only reason we are certain that we will reach heaven is because God Himself is the one who keeps us by His power. To this we agree with Jude: "Amen." Temper Judgment with Mercy Page 11 of 11 SS Lesson for 05/30/2010