Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
J U D E : CONTENDING A STUDY & DISCUSSION GUIDE B Y A A R O N A R M S T R O N G This guide has been freely made available to you for your personal use. You are welcome to share this document in electronic or hardcopy formats provided you do so at no cost. You can download the original file at www.bloggingtheologically.com
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 2 CONTENDING FOR OUR COMMON SALVATION... 4 CONTENDING AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS... 10 CONTENDING TO KEEP US FROM STUMBLING... 18 RECOMMENDED RESOURCES... 25
INTRODUCTION Jude, the brother of James, and half-brother of Jesus, wrote to an unknown group of Christians, eager to write about our common salvation; to share about the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus with the church. Instead, compelled by the Holy Spirit, he wrote the New Testament epistle that bears his name an urgent appeal warning believers to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered. Contending is a funny thing. The word contend is defined as: to struggle in opposition; to strive in rivalry or compete; to strive in debate; dispute earnestly; to assert or maintain earnestly Look at these definitions for a moment. They re quite powerful. Struggling in the face of opposition; striving against rivals; disputing earnestly. To contend for anything requires action. Contending is not produced by passivity. And this is especially true for the Christian faith. We live in an age where it s not popular to contend for the faith. The attitude of our day is that you don t need to defend something you love; that all we need to do is love each other. 2
After all, doctrine is divisive, so let s not worry so much about that. We ve all heard these kinds of statements before, read them on blogs or in books... But in all honesty, these ideas are just silly. If you love something or someone, you will defend it. If you re married, would you not do all you could to defend the honor of your spouse? What about your children, if you have any? What about our own reputations? If we are willing to offer defense for all of these, how much more should we be willing to offer a defense for the gospel? If we truly love Jesus and if we care about the well-being of His bride, the Church, we must contend. In 2009, I felt burdened to address this issue in the small group I led. I wanted to help our friends there build a better understanding of the necessity of contending for the faith. We began that study by first examining our common salvation of which Jude was so eager to write. It is critical for us to understand the faith once for all delivered for which we must contend because knowing what is right is critical for us to distinguish what is wrong. This was followed by an examination of what Jude says of those whom we contend against, and concluded by looking at Jude s call to persevere and show mercy to all. What follows is adapted from this study. It is my prayer that this short guide would be a blessing to you as you read it and that you would gain a desire to earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). 3
J U D E : CONTENDING FOR OUR COMMON SALVATION Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. J U D E 1-4 T H E G O S P E L O N C E F O R A L L D E L I V E R E D How would you articulate the gospel? Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, it s described in a variety of ways, sometimes with subtlety, other times with great power. Genesis 3:15 offers us our first hint at Christ s victory over Satan, sin and death, while Isaiah 52:14-53:12 provides with one of the most powerful descriptions of the work of Christ, notably: 4
[H]e was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.... [W]hen his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. I S A 5 3 : 5-6, 1 0-1 2 The Apostle Paul describes it with powerful brevity in 1 Cor. 15:3-4 and in exceeding detail in Ephesians 2:1-10. The Apostle John provides us with a striking description in 1 John 4:9-10. And an angel gives us a breathtaking vision in Rev 5:9-10 as the twenty four elders sing, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. R E V. 5 : 9-1 0 D I E D F O R S I N, R A I S E D F O R L I F E Christ died in our place, for our sins and rose again to give us new life. Every description I ve seen in Scripture indicates that where this is not stated, the gospel is not proclaimed. 5
Every gospel account illustrates that humanity has made itself the enemy of God because of our sin and that Jesus substituted Himself for us, dying so that we would live. Even the most memorized verse, John 3:16 contains this message as we continue on to v. 17-21: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. J O H N 3 : 1 6-2 1 What we see in all of these descriptions is the desperate state of humanity a hopelessness that is only overcome by the decisive and merciful act of God to send Christ into the world, to live the life we cannot live, to die in our place and to rise again and give those who believe new life. It is a hope, a new life delivered to us by God who initiates. It is God who acts. It is God the Son voluntarily laid His life down and picked it up again (John 10:18). It is a gift given to people who cannot earn it, who do not deserve it. It is a gift delivered by God. 6
C O N T E N D I N G F O R O U R C O M M O N S A L V A T I O N We contend for the integrity of this message because without it all hope is lost. Without an understanding that we are recipients of God s grace ill deserving sinners who cannot save themselves we can give people a false hope that merit salvation or can attain it through their own works. Without a clear grasp of the gospel, we are open to deception and error, unable to discern what is true and what is false and those who would seek to distort, deny, pervert and corrupt the good news of Christ s death and resurrection are allowed to run free within the church and devour God s people. That s why Jude says that he found it necessary to write appealing to [us] to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (v.3). We are to fight for the integrity of the faith, not with weapons, but with the truth of Scripture. We must protect it, guarding it as we would a precious treasure. Ultimately, if we are to contend, we must know the Truth. We must know what is right in order to distinguish what is wrong. And we must celebrate it. 7
DISCUSSION Q U E S T I O N S 1. In your own words, explain the gospel. 2. In your opinion, are there things we don t need to say when we share the gospel? Explain your answer. 3. Cite at least two examples of the gospel message from Scripture 4. What are some common elements seen in our examples? 5. Why is it important that we are able to clearly articulate the gospel message? 6. Jude says that he found it necessary to write appealing to [us] to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (v.3). What does it mean to contend? 7. Is it still necessary for us to contend for the faith? Explain your answer. 8. Suggest some practical ways we can contend for the faith this week. 8
J U D E : CONTENDING AGAINST FALSE TE ACHERS 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 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke you. But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam s error and perished in Korah s rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of 10
utter darkness has been reserved forever. It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. J U D E 5-1 6 P E R V E R T I N G T H E G R A C E O F G O D Jude verse 4 tells us that, certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. This is a pretty serious charge, isn t it? Without question. To say that some among us leading, teaching, writing books, blogging, making videos are not servants of Christ at all, but servants of Satan seeking to destroy God s Church is deadly serious. But it s a charge to which all believers must pay careful attention. I would suggest that today the ability to be deceived by false teaching is greater than in any other generation. Podcasts, vodcasts, books, blogs There s so much out there, some good, some great and some that is extremely sketchy. And quite honestly, it can be difficult to discern who is on the level and who might not be. But just because it s hard doesn t mean that we don t try. The Old and New Testaments are not silent on this issue. Virtually every book of the New 11
Testament has a severe warning against false teachers. Matthew 7:15-20; Mark 13:22; 2 Cor. 11:1-15; Phil 3:2-3; Col. 2:18-19; 1 Tim 1:2-20, 4:1-3, 6:2-5; 2 Tim 3:1-9; 2 Pet. 2:1-22; 2 John 7-11; Rev 2: 14-16, 20 These are just a few of the New Testament examples of warnings against false teaching. One of the most severe is the Apostle Paul s warning to the elders of the church at Ephesus: Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. A C T S 2 0 : 2 8-3 1 ( E M P H A S I S M I N E ) In other words, Paul tells them, Pay attention! Men are coming who will distort the truth and lead people astray and you might be one of them! He even applies this warning to himself in Galatians 1:6-9, I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. G A L A T I A N S 1 : 6-9 ( E M P H A S I S M I N E ) 12
The Old Testament warnings are equally severe. Significant portions of Jeremiah address false prophets and priests who lead the people of Israel astray (see Jeremiah 14:13-22, 23:9-40, 28:1-29:32) as does chapter 13 of the book of Ezekiel. These false prophets are called liars, their messages worthless divinations and vain hopes that are the deceit of their own minds. And God makes it clear: I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. D E S I G N A T E D F O R C O N D E M N A T I O N Beginning in verse 5, Jude begins to describe in unbelievably clear terms the authority of Christ and the judgement that awaits those who seek to lead God s people astray. Perhaps most powerful in verse 5 is that Jude emphatically states it was Jesus who freed the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Jesus is God, says Jude, who grew up with Jesus as his half-brother. And Jesus will judge the living and the dead. Jesus destroyed those who did not believe in the desert (v. 5). Jesus brought judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah for their gross sexual immorality (v. 7). Jesus chains the devil and his angels in anticipation of the judgement to come (v. 6). It is Jesus who rules over hell and will judge (v. 6-7). The Scriptures are clear: Judgement belongs to God alone and Jude makes it equally clear that Jesus is the one who will judge. This should give us pause for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31). Those who are warned about are blasphemers. 13
They rely on their own dreams, on a private word from God that they put on par with the authority of Scripture, despite the fact that it might contradict Scripture. They defile the flesh, falling into sexual immorality. They reject authority, refusing to obey godly counsel or even Scripture. They blaspheme the glorious ones, possibly a reference to flippant talk against fallen angels when even the archangel Michael wouldn t rebuke Satan, instead saying the Lord rebuke you! (v. 9). They are controlled by their base instincts and desires. They are rebels motivated by greed and self-aggrandizement. They exemplify depravity. They have no fear of the Lord. They are blasphemers. And Jesus will execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him (v. 15). These things will not go unchecked. God will not allow His name to be maligned, nor His people to be destroyed. B E S T E A D F A S T The challenge is false teachers don t usually make themselves obvious; it s not a guy who looks like Dick Dastardly with a sinister moustache waiting in the wings to snatch you. These are Christians who reject the truth; they are pastors of the serpent. They say nice words and say nice things that make us feel good but deny Scripture, sometimes overtly, sometimes covertly. They sow doubt under the guise of a conversation. Like the serpent in the garden speaking to Eve, they ask, Did God really say? 14
Looking at the Old Testament examples in particular, these are men and women who would speak as though God had given them additional revelation; as if He had left something essential out of Scripture. Their intent is always to turn us away from the God that is to the god of their imagining. The point of knowing what to look for is not to go heretic-hunting. It s to be discerning. To help us identify godly teachers and authors. To understand when God is being honored, and when He is being blasphemed. To encourage others to do the same. But it s not to go on a smear campaign or to watch-blog or declare someone a heretic if they ve misspoken. That happens far too often and is something that we must avoid. In the end, judgement belongs to the Lord. He will render all judgement. So we must be cautious in how we approach countering false doctrine and teachers that we do not ourselves blaspheme God. We are called to contend for the faith, not abandoning it for what sounds pretty but is altogether unhelpful. We are called to persevere in the face of false teaching with a holy fear of the Lord. 15
DISCUSSION Q U E S T I O N S 1. Does false teaching matter? Why? 2. How does Jude identify false teachers in verse 4? 3. Cite two or more similar warnings from the New Testament. 4. Cite two or more similar warnings from the Old Testament. 5. What practical application do these warnings have for us? 6. Examine v. 5-7. What is Jude showing us here? Why is it important? 7. Examine v. 8-13. How does Jude describe false teachers? Be specific. 8. Examine v. 14-16. What does Jude describe here? 9. Why is the warning of judgement important? 10. How should we respond to false teaching according to Jude? 16
J U D E : CONTENDING TO KEEP US FROM STUMBLING But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. J U D E 1 7-2 5 D O N O T B E S U R P R I S E D We should not be surprised that there are a great many who would seek to lead God s people astray. The serpent has been doing this since the beginning (see Genesis 3) and he is still 18
hard at work today. Among those professing to be Christians today are fierce wolves who will not spare the flock (Acts 20:29). We have been warned throughout Scripture that this would be the case. And although it can be discouraging, we must not despair because it is a sign that Christ s return is closer: As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age? And Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. M A T T H E W 2 4 : 3-1 4 Jesus warned us that the serpent s preachers would rise up, men and women who, as Jude says, are scoffers who follow their own ungodly passions (Jude 18). It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit (v. 19). But the one who endures to the end will be saved, promises Jesus (Matt 24:13). Because we know this is true, we must persevere. 19
K E E P O U R S E L V E S I N T H E L O V E O F G O D As the only sure way to keep us from falling astray, Jude admonishes his readers to keep yourselves in the love of God (Jude 21). To guard our faith and have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths (1 Timothy 4:7). Instead, through prayer and study, we building [ourselves] up in [our] most holy faith (Jude 20), or as Paul wrote, we train [ourselves] for godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). We keep ourselves in the Word of God, studying the Scriptures, seeking to better know the One to whom they testify and what He says. We seek to ground ourselves in sound doctrine. It s essential that we understand this. While there are people out there who say silly things like doctrine divides, this is anything but the case. Sound doctrine unites believers, humbles us, & grows us in our love for Jesus. It causes us to become those upon whom God will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at [His] word (Isaiah 66:2). It is as we ground ourselves in the Scriptures that we begin to work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). S H O W I N G M E R C Y T O O T H E R S But keeping a firm grasp on our doctrine isn t enough. Jude tells us that we are to have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh (Jude 22-23). This is where things can get unpleasant because it means we have to apply our doctrine. We are to have mercy for everyone, in all circumstances, even for people we don t like. And very often, this means having some hard conversations. 20
We have to share our faith with people who aren t Christians. This is not something I m good at because I m a chicken a lot of the time, but think about it we don t know when our time on this earth is up, but we do know that it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Whose that person you ve not shared the gospel with? What would happen if you shared the gospel with them today or tomorrow? It is possible that they will be one who is saved as though snatched out of the fire. Should we not then show this mercy to them? We are also to show each other mercy with fear. Do you have people in your life who are willing to call you on a sinful pattern of behavior or a strange idea you might have picked up? Can someone come to you and say, Hey, I see this in your life. What s going on? If not, I would encourage you to find them, soon. And be willing to accept that what they say might be true. We do not want to shy away from truth, and we cannot tolerate sin in our lives and the lives of those we are in community with. Whether it s gossip, pride, greed, sexual immorality, anger, harsh words... None of it is acceptable. God hates these things, and so must we. Showing mercy to others (and having mercy shown to you) is confronting these with love and fear. This does not mean that people will listen when you speak, and you may be required to break fellowship with an unrepentant brother or sister in the hopes that they will be led to repentance. H E I S A B L E T O K E E P U S F R O M S T U M B L I N G In the end, as in the beginning, Jude reminds us that it is God alone who keeps us from stumbling. Christ will save those who are His. We are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ (Jude 2). 21
It s not because of our works. We couldn t do enough to earn God s favor even if we tried. We will sin, we will be confused, we will have errors in our doctrine... But God is able to keep [us] from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy (v. 24). We will be saved and presented blameless to God because of the mercy and grace of God in Jesus Christ. It s because it brings Him great pleasure to do so. And that is something worth contending for. 22
DISCUSSION Q U E S T I O N S 1. Why should we not be surprised that there are those who scoff at sound doctrine? 2. How do we keep ourselves in the love of God (v. 21)? What are some of the ways you do this in your own life? 3. Jude tells us to have mercy on those who doubt and to save others by snatching them out of the fire (v. 22-23). What does that look like for us today? 4. Jude also tells us to show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh (v. 23). How do we do this? 5. Share an experience from your life where you ve shown mercy in the way Jude describes. 6. What do you do when you ve said all you can and it appears to go unheard? 7. Examine Jude 24-25. What encouragement can we take from this conclusion? 8. How has your understanding of contending for the faith changed? 9. What changes do you need to make in your own life as a result of this study? 23
RECOMMENDED R E S O U R C E S B O O K S O N D O C T R I N E & T H E C H R I S T I A N L I F E Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris Knowing God by J. I. Packer All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies Love or Die: Christ s Wake-Up Call to the Church by Alexander Strauch B O O K S O N S C R I P T U R E God Wrote a Book by James MacDonald Fundamentalism and the Word of God by J. I. Packer The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce B O O K S O N G O D & H I S C H A R A C T E R The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D. A. Carson 25
RECOMMENDED R E S O U R C E S B O O K S O N T H E A T O N E M E N T & R E S U R R E C T I O N Raised with Christ by Adrian Warnock Fifty Reasons why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper The Future of Justification by John Piper Death by Love by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears Pierced for Our Transgressions by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey & Andrew Sach O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S Tim Challies Challies.com The Resurgence TheResurgence.com The Gospel Coalition TheGospelCoalition.org Ligonier Ministries Ligonier.org Desiring God DesiringGod.org ESV Study Bible ESVStudyBible.org 26
AARON.ARMSTRONG9@GMAIL.COM WWW.BLOGGINGTHEOLOGICALLY.COM 2010 BY AARON ARMSTRONG