Like Sodom and Gomorrah, They Give Themselves
Up to Sexual Immorality and Strange Flesh
Jude 7 and Second Peter 2:6

Like Sodom and Gomorrah, they give themselves up to sexual immorality and strange flesh DIG: Who were those Sodomites like according to Jude? What is the point of the comparison? How does this example from history relate to the problems of unbelief, immorality, violence and rebellion? How does this example convey the certainty, severity and rightness of the Lord’s judgment?

REFLECT: How are believers supposed to react to homosexuality? Avoidance? Judgment? Love?How does Yeshua see the homosexual? Do you think you can hate the sin, but love the sinner and still keep God’s high standard? How? Why? Why not?

Like [the men of] Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, they gave themselves up to sexual immorality and went after strange flesh. They serve as an example of those suffering the punishment of eternal fire (Jude 7 NIV and NKJ).

And He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes and ruin, as a warning to those in the future who would live ungodly lives (2 Peter 2:6).

By means of the fourth triad, Jude next reminds believers of three lessons from history. For the third lesson, he brings to remembrance the example of Sodom and Gomorrah. This incident in history has made a profound impression on the Jewish people. Sodom and Gomorrah are used time and again in the Scriptures as the supreme example of the judgment of sin by ADONAI. They are even used by Yeshua Himself. The glare of Sodom and Gomorrah is flung down the whole length of the Bible (Deut 29:23, 32:32; Isaiah 1:9, 3:9, 13:19; Jeremiah 23:14, 49:18, 50:40; Ezeki’el 16:46, 49, 53, 55; Lam 4:6; Amos 4:11; Zephaniah 2:9; Matthew 10:15, 11:24; Luke 10:12, 17:29; Romans 9:29; Second Peter 2:6; Jude 7; Revelation 11:8). Sodom and Gomorrah was only a day’s journey from Jerusalem, and this divine judgment on sin was never forgotten.⁴⁷

Like the angels of Genesis 6 (Jude 7a). This verse begins with hos, an adverb of comparison, meaning in a similar way, in the same manner as, just as or like. Here it introduces a comparison showing the similarity of the angels of Jude 6 and [the men] of Sodom and Gomorrah.

[The men of] Sodom and Gomorrah (see my commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ey – Two Angels Arrived at Sodom in the Evening) gave themselves up to sexual immorality and went after strange flesh (Jude 7b KJV). However, the likeness between them lies deeper than the fact that both were guilty of committing sin. It extends to the fact that they committed the same identical sin. They both went after strange flesh. The word strange in the Greek is heteros, meaning another of a different kind. [The men of] Sodom and Gomorrah and the angels had sex that was unnatural because it went contrary to nature, or outside what was proper for them. For the Sodomites the strange flesh was other men, or homosexuality. In the case of the angels of Genesis 6, the strange flesh was sex with human women. This was flesh of a different kind. There are two Greek words for this. One word means another of a different kind, and the second word means another of the same kind. The one used here for strange is another of a different kind. Those men and those angels had gone after flesh of a different kind. Both were not merely guilty of sexual sins, they were both guilty of unnatural sexual sins.⁴⁸

Those apostates who claim that homosexuality is “normal” won’t tell you that until the nineteenth century there is no evidence of anyone being exclusively homosexual because it was unnatural. It was not less unnatural for the Israelites to rebel against ADONAI who had redeemed them. Jude uses the unnaturalness of the rebellion against God to urge his readers not to follow in the footsteps of the false teachers. Sin and the rejection of the commands of the LORD are violations of His divine order of things. It must be punished.⁴⁹

And He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes and ruin. They serve as a warning to those in the future who would live ungodly lives (Second Peter 2:6 and Jude 7c). Just as the incarceration of the fallen angels served as an example of the LORD’s judgment of sin, so the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah served as a warning. There are curious parallels between our contemporary scene and Sodom, for that city was well known for its immorality – and, of course, like most people today, they thought they had outgrown the idea of God, only to discover their mistake when it was too late. The punishment of burning sulfur on the Sodomites of Sodom and Gomorrah illustrates the eternal fire of hell, which will be experienced by the apostate teachers.

And suffering the punishment of eternal fire (Jude 7d). They, too, are now suffering the punishment of eternal fire. Suffering is hupecho, meaning to hold under, to put under, metaphorically, to sustain, and to undergo. The participle is present, showing that they are suffering to this very day the punishment that came upon them in Lot’s time. The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:22-24) is another example of the lost that are now in conscious suffering, awaiting the final suffering of eternal fire and suffering in hell.

Jude used this example of apostate Gentiles, as well as the examples of the apostate Israelites and apostate angels, to remind those who deny God’s truth and ignore His warnings. For His righteous judgment upon sin, unbelief and apostasy is always the same. His treatment of the ungodly in the past does not differ from His treatment of the wicked now. In the final reckoning, centuries of rebels will stand before Jesus Christ because the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). At that time they will receive their final, eternal sentence (see my commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment).

Genesis 19 is by no means the only text in the TaNaKh that condemns homosexuality. It is clearly prohibited in ADONAI’s commandments to the Israelites. The LORD said through His prophet Moses: Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman, that is detestable (Leviticus 18:22), and: If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death, their blood will be on their own heads (Leviticus 20:13). How much more explicit can you get?

God’s Word is crystal clear and extremely strong in the condemnation of homosexual acts. Reminiscent of the wicked Sodomites in the time of Lot (Genesis 19:1-11), an old man told the Levite, “You are welcome in my house, only don’t spend the night in the square” (Judges 19:20). But it was no use, the wicked men of Gibeah surrounded the house and demanded that the old man send out the Levite to satisfy their homosexual desires. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him” (Judges 19:22b). This verse is identical in grammatical structure as Genesis 19:5. God views those who engage in homosexual acts as being wicked (see the commentary on Leviticus Ae – The Bible and Homosexual Practice).

During the later stages of the intertestamental period, Jews frequently came into contact with the Greek world, rife with homosexual relationships, even though they were not exclusive. Confrontation with this worldview led Jews to stand up for more strongly the biblical ban on homosexuality. In fact, resistance to homosexuality remains the consistent and distinctive feature of Judaism.

But in contrast to the Jewish resistance to homosexuality, the world has recently seen the outbreak of many ancient sins and perversions. The foremost of them being homosexuality. Actually, tolerance for homosexuality has become accepted in an astonishingly short period of time. Attitudes have changed so rapidly that what would have been totally unacceptable in the past – homosexual teachers, gay and lesbian clubs on high school campuses, homosexual promotions at theme parks and sporting events, legal gay and lesbian marriages, and homosexual churches – are now accepted without question by the general public.

Believers, of course, are not immune to these changes. They affect our co-workers, our friends, our families, and in some cases our own children. Satan is still alive and at work in the world (First Peter 5:8). But the Word of God is meant to change people, not for people to distort the Word of God. For all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (Second Timothy 3:16). To apply Jude 7 to our lives, we first need to see what other New Covenant passages have to say about homosexuality. There are three such passages that condemn that lifestyle.

This is why God has given them up to degrading passions; so that their women exchanged natural sexual relations for the unnatural (so much for the “born that way” argument). And likewise the men, giving up natural relations with the opposite sex, burn with passion for one another, men committing shameful acts with other men and receiving in their own persons the penalty appropriate for their perversion (Romans 1:27 CJB). The context here is the wrath of God.

There is no recorded use of the Greek word for homosexuals anywhere in the ancient world prior to its appearance in First Corinthians around 55 AD. So Rabbi Sha’ul had to make up a word for it because one didn’t exit. He took two Greek words from Leviticus 18:22 in the Septuagint; arseno or males and koitai or bed, (implying males who share the same bed) to make the word arsenokoitai or homosexuals. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes nor homosexual (arsenokoitai) offenders, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers will inherit the kingdom of God (First Corinthians 6:9-10).

We are aware that the Torah is not for a person who is righteous, but for those who are heedless of Torah and rebellious, ungodly and sinful, wicked and worldly, for people who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral – both heterosexual and homosexual (arsenokoitai) – slave traders, liars, perjurers, and anyone who acts contrary to the sound teaching (First Timothy 1:9-10 CJB).

The bottom line is that we can expect inspired B’rit Chadashah writers to agree with inspired writers of the TaNaKh except when they explicitly indicate otherwise. The TaNaKh is clear about the nature of homosexuality: It is a sin. Nowhere does the New Covenant disagree; in fact, it validates the TaNaKh. When we add to this that Jewish teaching was unanimous in condemning homosexuality, trying to justify it is wishful thinking at best and dishonest at worst. It just doesn’t fly.

The fact that there are so few verses does not prove that homosexuality was no big deal to the human writers of the New Covenant. It simply means that they assumed the view that was prevalent in the Jewish culture. Sha’ul saw homosexuality so contradictory to ADONAI’s creative purpose that is was not worth dwelling on after stating the obvious. It seems that this matter is another instance of people trying to read current social customs into the Bible rather than letting the Bible determine those mores. After all: Yeshua Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 CJB).

But people caught in the sin of homosexuality usually seek to rationalize or justify their own conduct. They pollute their own bodies and do not consider it a sin (Jude 8). So attempts to make the Bible condone their behavior should not surprise us. The big push today is to make homosexuality “normal.” But they turn the grace of God into an excuse for blatant immorality (Jude 4). In my entire life, I have never known a homosexual that was not in turmoil. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil (Proverbs 2:12-14).

Thus, believers committed to the authority of the Scriptures must apply the teaching of the Bible on this matter. We must resolutely refuse to allow the culture to shift our values or to compromise our application of them. Homosexual behavior is sinful; in fact, it is a form of behavior that can exclude people from the Kingdom of God (First Cor 6:9-10). As stewards of the Good News, we are entrusted with this message.

But we must proclaim this message in the right spirit. We need to speak out, but we need to speak because we are concerned to defend scriptural values and also because we love those who are homosexual. The loving thing to do is not to simply keep quiet, mind our own business, and let homosexuals pursue their chosen lifestyle right to the gates of hell. The loving thing to do is to reach out with the gospel to homosexuals. Only the power of the Spirit can break through the lies that Satan has convinced them of.⁵⁰

The Angels Did Not Keep Their Positions of Authority
Jude 6 and Second Peter 2:4

The angels did not keep their positions of authority DIG: How does this example from history relate to the problems of unbelief, immorality, violence and rebellion? How does this example convey the certainty, severity and rightness of the Lord’s judgment?

REFLECT: The pride which thinks it knows better than God and the desire for forbidden things are the way to ruin in time and eternity. When has pride or lust affected your life? Has it been recently, or maybe in the distant past? How long did it take you to learn from that mistake? Did you hurt others? Have you sought forgiveness? How can you help others avoid the same trap?

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority, but abandoned their own home – these [ADONAI] has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for the great Day of judgment (Jude 6).

For God did not spare the angels who sinned; on the contrary, He put them in gloomy pits of darkness lower than sh’ol to be held for judgment (2 Peter 2:4 CJB).

By means of the fourth triad, Jude next reminds believers of three lessons from history. For the second lesson, Jude takes us from the apostasy of Israel to the sin of fallen angels the nefilim in Genesis 6:4. The early Church understood that Jude 6 referred to Genesis 6. In fact, it was not until the latter part of the fourth century that any other view was suggested. Most of the early Church fathers held the same view.⁴⁰ The ones that were the most prominent among them were Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Book IV, 36:4), and Justin Martyr, Second Apology, Ch Five.⁴¹

And the angels who did not keep their arche, or original positions of authority (Jude 6a). The first meaning of the Greek word arche means beginning. In other words, they left their original positions as angels in the beginning, to violate the natural laws of God that kept them separate from the human race. Angels are created beings and do not reproduce themselves. There is the same number of angels today as when they were created. But humans reproduce themselves. From Adam and Eve, down through the ages, the race has grown to the proportion it is today.

The second meaning of arche comes from the first: authority, sovereignty, dominion, the beginning or first place of authority. Therefore, this meaning of arche teaches that those angels did not keep their original, dignified high positions. The verb keep is tereo and actually means to guard. The verb expresses the act of watchful care. That is, those angels did not fulfill their obligation to carefully guard and maintain their beginning positions of authority for which they were created, but abandoned those limits to invade territory that was foreign to them, namely, the human race.⁴²

But abandoned their own home (Jude 6b). With Lucifer they rebelled against their created role and place. The verb abandoned is in the aorist tense and refers to a once-for-all act. They were done with heaven forever. This was apostasy with a vengeance. They had, so to speak, burnt their bridges behind them, and descended into a new sphere, the earth, and into a foreign relationship, that with the human race, foreign, because humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and angels are not.

Pride got them kicked out of heaven, and when they got to earth they had a lust for human women. When ADONAI expelled them from heaven for that rebellion (see my commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Dp – How You Have Fallen From Heaven, O Morning Star), they continued on their downward spiral to the point of taking masculine form and having sex with human women to produce a generation of little demons who could not be saved and eventually infected the whole human race (see my commentary on Genesis Ca – The Sons of God Married the Daughters of Men), thus perverting the LORD’s plan of salvation (John 3:16).

For God did not spare the angels who sinned (2 Peter 2:4a). There is no article before the word angels in the Greek. They are looked upon as a class, not individually, and the fact that they are created beings is important to Jude. The reasoning was that if God did not spare the angels, He would surely not spare human beings.

On the contrary, these He has kept in gloomy dungeons lower than sh’ol (Second Peter 2:4b CJB). The King James Version interprets this: cast them down to hell. This is a single word in Greek, occurring only here in the Bible, meaning Tartarus. The Complete Jewish Bible translates this phrase lower than sh’ol because it is underneath hell. It is the prison of the fallen angels, their gloomy pits of darkness. Tartarus is not the same as the Abyss where fallen angels other than those found in Genesis 6 are temporarily confined. Tartarus, in Greek mythology, was the place of punishment for departed spirits of the very wicked, particularly rebellious god like Tantalus. But just as Paul could quote an apt verse of the pagan poet Aratus (Acts 17:28), so could Peter make use of this imagery from Homer. Josephus does the same, and talks of heathen gods chained in Tartarus. The evil angels were in their place of torment, although they must wait until their final judgment.⁴³

Were the false teachers arrogant and prideful? Let them remember that pride had ruined the angels. Were they consumed with lust? This, too, caused the downfall of the angels. Privileged position had not saved the angels and it would not save them! Jude reinforces his lesson with a touch of savage irony. The arrogant angels had been too prideful to keep their original positions – so ADONAI has kept them in gloomy dungeons lower than sh’ol. The way Jude referred to the angels gives reason to believe that this truth was widely accepted by his readers, and thus needed no further explanation.

Bound with everlasting chains (Jude 6c). Chains is seiros and gives us the idea of the loss of freedom in a place of confinement, a fate the demons feared (Matthew 8:29 and Luke 8:31). Bound is in the perfect tense, meaning they are in a state of complete and careful guard continually. Darkness is zophos, the blackness of the densest darkness imaginable, originally used of the gloom of the underworld. Darkness was a common way of describing divine punishment in the ancient world; the Greeks used the same word that Jude uses here to describe the place of departed spirits.⁴⁴

Unlike the people of Isra’el, who were saved from Egypt, and then so many fell into unbelief, became apostate, were destroyed in the wilderness, but still had a future in the far eschatological future plan of ADONAI; these angels from the instant of their creation, had their own place, their own domain, their own glorious home with God. But because of pride they apostatized, and there is no return to the dignity and glory they once had. They are doomed for all eternity.⁴⁵

They are to be held until the great day of judgment (Second Peter 2:4b CJB and Jude 6d; also see my commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment), where they will be sent to eternal misery in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). Of course, Peter’s primary purpose here was not to get lost in the details of this account about the fallen angels, especially since his readers were apparently already familiar with it. Instead, he used this illustration to emphasize the main point of his argument – namely, that ADONAI severely judges all those who oppose Him and His truth. Like those angels, the rebellious apostates who were guilty of the same pride and lust (Jude 4) will face divine wrath.⁴⁶

The LORD Delivered His People Out of Egypt,
But Later Destroyed Those Who Did Not Believe
Jude 5 and First Corinthians 10:5-11

The LORD delivered His people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe DIG: How does this example from history relate to the problems of lack of trust, immorality, violence and rebellion? What four areas of sin will the false teachers of the end times be judged? How does this example convey the certainty, severity and rightness of the LORD’s judgment?

REFLECT: The parallel to believers today is obvious, since we too have experienced God’s favor but are liable to His judgment if we stray from Him. Are you having, or have you had, any problems with any of the four areas of sin mentioned by First Cor 10:5-11? How do you get out from under it (see 1 John 1:8-10)?

Though you already know this, I want to remind you that ADONAI delivered His people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe (Jude 5).

God was not pleased with them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” We should not test the Lord, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying Angel of the LORD. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings to us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come (First Corinthians 10:5-11a).

Jude’s preference for triads emerges again. By means of the fourth triad, he next reminds believers of three lessons from history. The order is not chronological. For the apostate Jews, Isra’el would be last. Probably Jude began with Isra’el because they were God’s people, the objects of His favor and redemption, and yet they experienced His judgment when they sinned.³¹ For the first lesson, Jude uses the example of the wilderness wanderings, but he writes of Isra’el’s sin and punishment only as it relates to the central subject of his letter: apostasy.

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you (Jude 5a). Jude issues a warning to the evil apostates who were perverting the belief and conduct of the messianic synagogues. He tells them that he is, in fact, doing nothing more than reminding them of things that they were already perfectly well aware of. In a sense, it is true that all teaching in the local messianic synagogues and churches is not so much bringing new truth, as it is confronting people with the truth they already know but have forgotten or disregarded.

To understand the first two examples that Jude gives from history (Isra’el and the angels), we must understand one thing. The false teachers who were corrupting the messianic synagogues did not regard themselves as enemies of the congregations of God. They regarded themselves as advanced thinkers, a cut above the ordinary, and spiritually elite (to see link click Ac – The Book of Jude from a Jewish Perspective: Purpose). Jude chooses his examples to make clear that even if believers have received the greatest privileges from ADONAI, they may still fall away to disaster. They cannot consider themselves safe, but must be on constant watch against mistaken beliefs and error.³²

What Jude reminds his readers is that ADONAI delivered His people out of Egypt (Jude 5b). This is the record of Exodus 6-14, the event that defined and brought into being the people of Isra’el. Through the plagues He brought on Egypt through Moses and Aaron, God forced Pharaoh to “let His people go” and the LORD destroyed the Egyptian armies in the Sea of Reeds when they tried to follow the escaping Israelites.

However, as Jude’s readers and most believers know, the people whom God delivered never got to experience the joy of the Promise Land. Intimidated by the physical strength of the people already in the land of Canaan, they failed to trust ADONAI to give them the victory. The LORD, therefore, sentenced the entire generation of Israelites twenty years old or more (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb) to wander in the desert until they had all died off (Numbers 14:32-33, 26:4 and 32:10-13).³³

But later destroyed those who did not believe (Jude 5c). This picture seems to have haunted the mind of Rabbi Sha’ul when he wrote: God was not pleased with most of them (First Cor 10:5a). Most of them, is one of the great understatements in the Bible. Of the millions of Israelites who left Egypt (see my commentary on Exodus Ca – At the End of the 430 Years, to the Very Day) only two, Joshua and Caleb, were allowed to enter the Promised Land. Even Moses and Aaron were disqualified from entering because of the rock at Meribah that was struck with Moses’ rod rather than spoken to as God had commanded (Numbers 20:8-12 and 24).

Because of disobedience their bodies were scattered over the desert (First Corinthians 10:5b). The corpses of those whom ADONAI was not pleased with were strewn all over the wilderness. The LORD had graciously blessed Isra’el greatly, but when their obedience and service was tested – they failed. They misused and abused their freedom and their blessings. In self-centeredness and self-will they tried to live on the edge of their liberty, and they fell into temptation and then into sin. Overconfidence was their undoing.

All the Israelites who put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts on the night of the Passover did so by faith (see my commentary on Exodus Bw – Christ and the Passover). They were believers when they left Egypt. In the Dispensation of the Torah, the covering for sin was only temporary. Jews had to continually bring an acceptable sacrifice to the Tabernacle for their sins to be temporarily covered by the blood of the innocent. It was a lifelong process that never ended. But over time, there were those who brought their sacrifices, but their hearts were not in it. They just went through the motions and made a mockery of God’s sacrificial system. The deeper they got into their sin the less serious they became. Rabbi Sha’ul would say to a future generation: What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means (Romans 6:1-2a). There are natural consequences to our behavior. Consequently, they became unfit for God’s service (Second Timothy 2:19-22) and were scattered over the desert like pieces of broken pottery that were no longer useful.³⁴

ADONAI disciplined the Israelites because of four major areas of sin: idolatry (First Corinthians 10:7), sexual immorality (First Corinthians 10:8), testing God’s patience (First Corinthians 10:9), and complaining (First Corinthians 10:10). Rabbi Sha’ul wrote this as a warning. The discipline experienced by the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness was an example to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did (First Corinthians 10:6). Not only will the apostates of the end times be judged for abusing these four areas of sin, but they can also bring the Lord’s discipline upon us today.

Idolatry: Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. The Israelites were barely out of Egypt before they fell into idolatry. There were no Egyptian priests or idols to lure them, but they managed to make their own idol. After Moses received the tablets of God’s commandments on Mount Sinai, the people became impatient at his delay in returning. With little effort they persuaded Aaron to make them a golden calf.

Although the calf was probably intended to represent one or more of the visible forms of the Egyptian bull-god Apis, the Israelites planned to use it to worship ADONAI. They referred to the golden calf as the god who brought them up out of Egypt (Exodus 32:4b). And when Aaron built an altar to the idol he declared a festival to YHVH, the covenant name of the God of Israel (Exodus 3:14-15). Aaron even offered the same sacrifices (the burnt and peace offerings) normally offered to ADONAI. Nevertheless, the Israelites thought they could use a pagan idol to worship the true God. They had been around idols so much in Egypt, it probably almost seemed natural to add pagan practice to true worship that God demanded. Even Aaron went along with their evil plan (see my commentary on Exodus Gr – Aaron Made an Idol in the Shape of a Calf).

As it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry. The eating and drinking refer to excessive feasting that followed the sacrifices. Pagan revelry is a euphemism for sexual play and is the same word translated caressing in Genesis 26:8. Some three thousand of the Israelites who had started the idolatrous orgy at Sinai were put to death (Exodus 32:28).³⁵

When believers worship anyone or anything besides ADONAI it is idolatry. Worshiping the virgin Mary, saints, icons, or angels is idolatry. No matter how sincerely they are meant to venerate or honor the LORD, such practices are strictly forbidden (see my commentary on Exodus Dk – You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me). There is only one God, and only God is to be worshiped. The command: Worship God, still holds true (Revelation 22:9). And John’s advice: My little children, guard yourselves from idols (First John 5:21), will be especially true in the last days as it was when John wrote it.

Of course, all idols are not physical. They do not have to be made of wood, stone or metal. Any concept of ADONAI that is not biblical is false, and if believed, venerated or worshiped, becomes an idol. Anyone who worships a man-made god may claim they worship the God of the Bible, just as the Israelites claimed their calf worship was to the LORD. But no false god has anything to do with YHVH. Basically, anyone or anything that comes between you and ADONAI is an idol. But that won’t stop the false teachers in the last days, they will worship idols with gusto.

Sexual Immorality: We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did – and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. The second major sin alluded to in the phrase pagan revelry, is treated separately here. The incident that Sha’ul describes is recorded in the book of Numbers. While in the desert, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices of their god. The people ate and bowed down before these gods (Numbers 25:1-2). Some have linked Paul’s twenty-three thousand with the three thousand who died in Exodus 32:28. But when we look at First Corinthians 10:5-10, it reminds us that Sha’ul drew all his illustrations for First Corinthians 10:8 from the book of Numbers. There in Numbers 25:9 it records how 24,000 had died in a plague as a result of God’s judgment. This figure probably records the total that had died, including the leaders (apparently numbering one thousand) who were executed (Numbers 25:4). Rabbi Sha’ul figure of twenty-three thousand refers to only those killed from those associated with Korah, and the plague (Numbers 16:49).³⁶

Idolatry and sexual immorality are closely related in every cult. This will be especially true with the apostates in the last days. They will be no more immune to immorality than idolatry. They will turn the grace of God into an excuse for blatant immorality (Jude 4). They will even engage in shameless unnatural sexual immorality and perversion, like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 7). It will be brazen immorality. They will pollute their own bodies and will not consider it to be a sin (Jude 8). They will have no shame whatsoever. Nothing will be off-limits . . . nothing.

As a result, the debauchery of the apostates will lead countless men and women into the Great Tribulation. This environment will be very difficult for believers in the last days because temptation will be non-stop. These temptations will not be passive in any way, but very blatant and aggressive. No holds barred. Yeshua said it will be like the days before the Flood when there was sex between fallen demons and women (see Ak – The Angels Who Did Not Keep Their Positions of Authority) that resulted in the world being so wicked that ADONAI had to destroy it. Believers will need to put on all of their spiritual armor to survive (Eph 6:10-18).

Testing ADONAI’s Patience: We should not test the LORD, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes. The third major sin that the apostates of the end times will be guilty of is testing the patience of God. Moses gives us the story behind this reference in Numbers 21:5. ADONAI had graciously provided manna and quail to eat and water to drink, but the people were not satisfied. They wanted a big buffet. They constantly complained, questioning the LORD’s goodness and trying His patience. Like the apostates in the last days, they will have no concern for pleasing God, only for pleasing themselves. Be assured, however, that no one will go unpunished (see my commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment).

Believers sometimes push ADONAI to the limit by seeing how much they can get by with. Ananias and Sapphira tried that and it cost them their lives (Acts 5:3-4, 9). They were trying God’s patience and risking everything. Some believers today might be saying, “This is the age of grace. We are free and the Lord is forgiving. We can’t lose our salvation, so why not live life in the fast lane?” Well, the Israelites in the desert found out the answer to that question: Then ADONAI sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died (Numbers 21:6). Believers do live under grace today, but there are limits we cannot cross without the natural consequences of our actions coming back to bite us, so to speak. The natural consequence of the false teachers who try the patience of God in the last days will be faster than the twinkling of an eye as the Church is taken up to be with the Lord (see my commentary on Revelation By – The Rapture of the Church) and the apostates are left behind to enter the destruction of the Great Tribulation.

Complaining: And do not complain, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying Angel of the LORD. The fourth major sin about which Sha’ul warns is complaining. After Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their fellow rebels were destroyed by God (Numbers 16:32-35), the next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the LORD’s people,” they said (Numbers 16:41). God was so enraged at their complaining about divine justice that He immediately sent a plague that killed 14,700 people, in addition to those who had died because of Korah (Numbers 16:49). The destroying Angel of the LORD was the same Angel who would, in response to the prayers of Isaiah and Hezekiah, destroy the entire Assyrian army that was surrounding Jerusalem (see my commentary on Isaiah Gw – Then the Angel of the LORD Put To Death a Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Men in the Assyrian Camp). Multitudes of those apostates will grumble against any godly message in the last days. Any message or teaching about the Lord will be labeled “hate speech.” It will be banned, with believers being hunted down and persecuted (opposed to what Covenant Theology teaches, the world will not be getting better and better before the Lord returns, it will be getting more and more evil).

Grumbling is dissatisfaction with God’s sovereign will for our lives and the lives of others, and is a sin that He does not take lightly, even in view of His grace. When the Lord’s people question or complain, they are challenging His wisdom, His grace, His goodness, His love, and His righteousness. Our need for contentment is not merely for our own well-being (which it is), but also for God’s honor and glory. Grumbling dishonors God, while contentment glorifies Him. Sha’ul wrote to us: Be content whatever the circumstances (Philippians 4:11b), and advises us today to have this same contentment, lest we suffer God’s discipline.³⁷

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings to us, on whom the fulfillment of the [last days] has come (First Corinthians 10:11). God’s deliverance of His people seemed to be decisive and final after the exodus, yet He still destroyed them because of their lack of faith. Jude intended this to be a warning to his messianic readers: Don’t think, because Yeshua Messiah has decisively rescued you from your sins, that you can presume on His grace and mercy.³⁸

These verses are proof that even those who have the greatest privilege can meet with disaster before the end, if they fall away from obedience and lapse from faith. Jude warns these false teachers in his day that as great as their privileges had been, they needed to change their ways or disaster would come upon them. It is also a warning that each of us would do well to heed today.³⁹

The Doom of Apostates
Jude 5-7

There is nothing new about departing from the truth of ADONAI. It is as old as the history of the human race, for Cain was an apostate. Jude uses three historical illustrations of divine judgment to show what must be the doom of all apostates. The nation of Isra’el, the angels who sinned, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are familiar examples in the TaNaKh for falling away from the LORD. We know these records well enough, but a continuous decay of knowledge demands that we be reminded of them in view of the coming apostasy from the faith in the last days.

Every believer knows the necessity of daily reading of the Scriptures. God calls upon us to meditate on His Word day and night. If we are to be on guard against spiritual apostasy, if we are to contend earnestly for the faith, we must allow Jude to take us back to the ancient inspired records. This recounting of past apostasy has a twofold purpose: they contain lessons we need to learn again and again; and to serve as a stern warning to the apostates who had begun to enter into the messianic synagogues to pervert its belief and practice.²⁹

But before we are reminded of specific cases of apostasy (Jude 11), we are asked to recall three cases of what might be called general apostasy from the revealed will of ADONAI. Jude’s strategy is obvious. By identifying the false teachers with traditional examples of notorious sinners, he moves his readers to reject these wolves in sheep’s clothing, and indeed, to regard them with horror.³⁰ The first concerns a falling away of the people of Isra’el, who were under the blood of the Passover lamb (Jude 5). The second is taken from the history of sinning angels in the invisible spirit world (Jude 6). The third is found in the story of some of the most wicked sinners in all the Bible, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 7). Here are representatives of each of the three great classes of those who have fallen away: apostate Israelites, apostate angels and apostate Gentiles.

Godless People
Have Secretly Slipped In Among You
Jude 4 and Second Peter 2:1 and 3b

Godless people have secretly slipped in among you DIG: What concerning the godless people described here, is so godless? What did Paul say about thinking that people could take advantage of God’s grace to continue in their immoral ways? What has ADONAI given the Body of Christ, or the righteous of the TaNaKh, to detect these apostate evil ones?

REFLECT: How can you detect these “wolves in sheep’s clothing?” How can you be sure? Once you know who they are, what should you do about it? There is more than one way to deny Yeshua the Messiah. They can deny Jesus in times of persecution; they can deny Messiah for the sake of convenience; they can deny Yeshua by their lives and conduct; and they can deny Christ by developing false ideas about Him. Can you detect these types of apostasy around you today? How can you combat them in your own life?

For certain people whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Yeshua Messiah our only Master and Lord (Jude 4).

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 Master who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping (Second Peter 2:1 and 3b).

Why was Jude compelled to write this strange letter that bears his name? Why was it necessary for us to contend earnestly for the faith of our fathers? Here is the answer. Apostates had secretly slipped in among the true believers. The Adversary had sown his weeds among the wheat (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ev – The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds). False teachers had poisoned their messianic synagogues, threatening the righteous of the TaNaKh.

Sound doctrine is under siege today. In fact, it has always been. It began in the garden of Eden, when Satan twisted God’s word and convinced Eve to disobey her Creator (see my commentary on Genesis Ba – The Woman Saw the Fruit of the Tree and Ate It). Ever since, the father of lies (John 8:44) has tirelessly continued his bitter offensive against divine truth (Acts 20:29-30; Ephesians 6:10-18). His goal is simple, to resist the advancement of the Lord’s Kingdom at any cost.

Jude certainly understood what was at stake; he knew wolves in sheep’s clothing were infiltrating the messianic synagogues. He recognized that a battle was brewing – a conflict that marked the devil’s latest campaign in his long war against the truth. That is why Jude wrote this letter. To alert his readers to the doctrinal dangers they faced from the Adversary’s covert agents. Like a general briefing his troops about the enemy, Jude describes these apostates for his readers.²³ The situation began with Cain; it was full blown in Jude’s day, and continues to get even worse today. The apostasy will reach its climax when in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons (First Timothy 4:1).

Certain men have secretly slipped in among you (Jude 4b). The Greek word for have secretly slipped in means to get in by the back door, or to creep in subtly. In other words, false teachers have snuck in the assembly of believers. Sha’ul gives us a good description of their tactics:  For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15a). The Greek word of most importance here is metaschematizo, which means masquerade. It refers to someone changing their outward appearance that does not reflect their true inner character. Lucifer did that after he rebelled and became a fallen angel, Satan. But the Adversary knew he could not attract humans as the epitome of evil. He must impersonate ADONAI if he expected to be worshiped as ADONAI. Thus, he masquerades as an angel of light, as do the godless men who secretly slip in among believers. In this third triad, Jude observes three things about those false teachers.²⁴

First, their condemnation that was written from long ago has been hanging over them. Their judgment has not been sleeping, their end will be what their actions deserve (Jude 4a; Second Peter 2:3b; Second Corinthians 11:15b). Although false teachers will not face their eternal judgment until death, God decreed their sentence from long ago. Throughout history, from the first pronouncement of judgment on the serpent in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:13-15), ADONAI has condemned all those who distort divine truth. There were oral prophets like Enoch (see At – Enoch, the Seventh from Adam Prophesied About These Men), and written prophets (Isaiah 8:19-21, 28:15; Jeremiah 9:6-9; 14:14-15; Zephaniah 3:1-8; Revelation 21:8 and 27), but whether oral or written, the apostates that they prophesied against were doomed (see my commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment).

Second, they are godless people (Jude 4c). We must not think that open immorality or other wickedness is necessarily the only characteristics of apostasy, but rather a lack of what is repeatedly referred to in the TaNaKh as the fear of ADONAI, and those who despise wisdom and discipline are fools (Proverbs 1:7). The Greek word used of them is asebes, meaning to be without reverence. The apostates appear to be lovers of God, but they have no reverence of the LORD, having a form of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:5), they deny the gospel of the Messiah as the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16), and they also deny the transforming power of Christ that enables a true believer to live the supernatural life called for in the New Covenant (Philippians 3:10).

These ungodly apostates may seem good in the eyes of others. They may not seem overtly wicked, criminal, or corrupt. Nevertheless, the Bible calls them godless because they lack the fear of ADONAI. Jude is not speaking of outward appearances, but of the heart (First Samuel 16:7). When their hearts do not accept all the Word as given by our LORD, the Holy Spirit labels them as godless. Apostasy always begins with the rejection of the Word of God. When something is placed above the Word, whether tradition, custom, creed, loyalty to an organization, or anything else, no matter how good it seems in itself, it leads to apostasy.²⁵ Thus the Word of God itself levels the finger of guilt against them.

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 Master who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves (Second Peter 2:1). What Peter said about the coming false teachers beforehand is the same thing that Jude now says about them who have already arrived. These godless men pervert, or turn the grace of our God into a license for debauchery (Jude 4d). Debauchery means to seduce, or lead someone astray sexually. They perverted the grace of God into an excuse for aselgeia, or the Greek word translated shameless immorality. Most people want to hide their sin; they have enough decency not to want to be found out. But the apostates are so lost to decency that they don’t care who sees their sin.

We see this all the time today.

Not only that, the verb turn is in the masculine present participle. They continuously perverted the grace of God. There was no stopping them. It was their pressing, persistent mode of operation. They did not stop their constant practice of changing the grace of God into blatant immorality. It became a habit. Like brute beasts, that’s all they knew what to do.

These false teachers were undoubtedly tinged with Gnosticism and its belief that, since the grace of God was wide enough to cover any sin, they could sin as they liked! The more they sinned, the greater the grace; therefore, they thought “why worry about sin” (Romans 6:1-2; Galatians 5:13; First Peter 2:16; Second Peter 2:19)? Thus, grace was perverted into shameless immorality.²⁶

And third, they denied, or disowned our only Master and our Lord Yeshua Messiah (Jude 4e CJB). They deny both His Person and His ministry because the apostate false teachers viewed themselves as their own masters. As a result, they refused to honestly acknowledge the absolute lordship of Jesus Christ (Psalm 89:27; Acts 7:55-56; Romans 5:1, 6:23; Ephesians 1:21-22; Philippians 2:11; Colossians 1:18, 2:10; First Timothy 6:15; Revelation 5:12, 19:16). They would not submit to Yeshua as divine Master and Lord, nor would they give Him the honor He singularly requires as God the Son and the Savior of sinners. Consequently, they deny Christ His rightful position as God (John 5:23) as King (Matthew 25:34; John 1:49-51, 12:13, 18:37), and as the Messiah (Matthew 2:4-6; Mark 8:27-29; Luke 2:25-35; John 4:25-26). In doing so, they confirm that they are counterfeit because they claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good (Titus 1:16).²⁷

If those people were Gnostics, they would have two misconceptions about Jesus. First, the common Gnostic theory was that “the aeon Christ” (see Ac – The Book of Jude from a Jewish Perspective: Purpose), descended upon the man Yeshua at His baptism and left Him before His death. They believed that since the body was evil, Jesus only seemed to have a body and was a kind of spirit ghost in the apparent shape of a man. The Greek word for to seem is dokein, and these people were called Docetists. They would deny the real humanity of Yeshua. Secondly, they would deny His uniqueness. They believed there were many stages between the evil matter of this world and the perfect spirit of God, and they believed that Jesus was only one of the many stages on the way.²⁸ The title of our only Master and our Lord Yeshua Messiah would refute both of those destructive heresies.

And this is what our Lord said of them: Whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before My Father in heaven (Matthew 10:31). Another inspired writer said: If we deny Him, He will also deny us (Second Timothy 2:12). The Ruach ha-Kodesh rebukes anyone who refuses to acknowledge the truth about these apostates: Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist – denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; however, whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also (First John 2:22-23).

John writes: Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Yeshua is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world (First John 4:1-3).

No wonder Jude was alarmed. He was faced with a situation in which false teachers had secretly slipped into the messianic synagogues, and were perverting the grace of God into a justification, even a reason, for practicing shameless immorality.

Contend Earnestly for the Faith
Jude 3 and Second Peter 1:5-7

Contend for the faith DIG: What did Jude start out to write about? But what did he end up writing about? Why the change? What are the three different kinds of love described in the New Covenant? Which one is used of God’s love for us? What does contend for the faith mean to you? What are the seven virtues required to pursue a godly life during the last days?

REFLECT: When was the last time the Holy Spirit stopped you in your tracks and had you change direction on a certain path you were going? How willing were you to change your plans? How do you contend for the faith in your own personal life? Are you always prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have? How are you doing on the seven virtues needed to pursue a godly life during the last days?

God’s beloved ones, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all passed on to God’s people (Jude 3).

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith moral excellence; and to moral excellence, full knowledge; and to full knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love (2 Peter 1:5-7).

Jude begins to explain his original purpose. God’s beloved ones (3a CJB). By using the word beloved is how he, like others, begins a new section. By calling them God’s beloved, he not only signals the beginning of a new section, but points to the fact that they are believers. Beloved is agapetoi, a plural adjective, meaning beloved ones, that are divinely-loved ones, loved by ADONAI. God’s Word is for God’s people. It will have little meaning to those who have not been born into His family, for the person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Ruach ha-Kodesh (First Corinthians 2:14).

How wonderful that we are loved by ADONAI! There are three words for love in the Greek New Covenant. The first is eros, which is a passionate love, with sensual desires and longing. It is an intimate kind of love that thinks of itself. Next is phileo, or a human, family kind of love (Matthew 10:37). Although it may be passionate and enduring, it may also be fickle and changing.

The other, higher word for love, agapao, is the one used in Jude. It is the word for divine love, never changing. It is the love of John 3:16, a self-sacrificing love that thinks of others. How much it means to be the recipients of this kind of agapao love, especially when called to pass through suffering. Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may be overjoyed when His Sh’khinah glory is revealed (First Peter 4:12). This would be an encouragement for believers in the last days of apostasy.

Jude’s original intent was to write to believers about their common salvation. Although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, or koinoneo, literally to become a partner, something happened that changed his mind. The Holy Spirit impressed upon him that he should write about defending the faith. He wrote: I felt the necessity to write (3b NASB). Like Paul, who wrote to the church at Corinth: For I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel (First Corinthians 9:16b). Jude felt the necessity, a heavy burden, to write. The Greek word for necessity, anagkazo, means to necessitate, compel, drive to, constrain. In fact, agcho, the root of the noun can be literally defined as compressed. The compulsion to write Jewish believers about their common salvation was curtailed when the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit laid upon his heart the necessity of writing in defense of their faith. What might have otherwise have been merely a letter from one believer to another became a letter by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to the whole Church, a part of the canon of Scripture.

To you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith (3c NASB). Jude could not resist appealing (parakaleo meaning exhorting or encouraging) to his Jewish readers that they should contend earnestly for the faith. The word for contend earnestly, epagonizomai, means to defend the truth continually and passionately and is found only here in the B’rit Chadashah. But the same idea is seem in First Timothy 1:18, may fight the battle well, 6:12, fight the good fight; and Second Timothy 4:7, where Rabbi Sha’ul says: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. This is where we get the English word agony or agonize. The Adversary wants to take our faith away, and it is our duty to fight so as to defend it and retain it.

The present tense of the infinitive, epagonizomai, indicates that the contending has no end. It goes on and on, during our whole lifetime. Jude develops the history of the apostasy from the earliest beginnings that crept into the midst of believers to corrupt it, down to its judgment at the Second Coming. The apostasy has come, like cancer, it reaches out and grows. The apostates continue to appear and spread their destructive heresies and deny the Lord Yeshua Messiah. The battle does not stop, it cannot stop until He returns with His holy ones.¹⁵ The defense of the faith may well be a costly thing; but that defense is a duty which falls on every generation of the Church.

It is interesting that the Greek word for appealing, parakaleo, is the verb of the noun parakletos, applied to the Holy Spirit (the paraclete) as our comforting Counselor in John 16:7. The comforting Counselor is one called alongside to help. There is, therefore, a sense in which, through this letter, Jude is called to our side to help us with counsel and advice in a time of great darkness.

There is an illustration from the TaNaKh of this twofold attitude of the believer toward the faith. When Nehemiah’s men were building the wall of Jerusalem, enemies tried to keep them from doing God’s work, just as enemies seek to keep us from doing God’s work today. Half the men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the shofar stayed with me (Nehemiah 4:16-18).

The parallel in Jude is remarkable. On the one hand, we are to be building ourselves up in the faith; on the other hand, we are to be contending earnestly for the faith. Nehemiah’s men had swords of steel. We have the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17b). As we build for ADONAI, we must defend ourselves against our great Adversary and all who are deceived by him into denying our faith. Those who labored in Nehemiah’s day were constantly alert for the sound of the shofar. We are listening for the shofar of God, which will end our struggle against the powers of darkness in this world (see my commentary on Revelation, to see link click By – The Rapture of the Church).¹⁶

Peter tells us how we are to contend earnestly for the faith. He says: Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (First Peter 3:15). The phrase, give an answer, in the Greek is a technical term for a court of law, speaking of an attorney presenting a verbal defense for his client. This is the duty of all believers. But the intensity of the defense must be adjusted to the intensity of the opposition that comes from the Adversary through the world (First John 2:15-17).¹⁷

Our contending is to be for the faith. The Holy Spirit did not use the word salvation, or the word gospel. Yes, faith concerns our salvation, and it has much to do with the gospel, but it is a more inclusive term than either. The word faith in Greek has the definite article, meaning it is the faith, emphasizing the entire B’rit Chadashah. No one passage defines it. The faith encompasses the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27 NASB).

What kind of faith was it? It was once for all passed on to God’s people (3d CJB). Consequently, any claim to further revelation in these last days is in itself evidence of apostasy. The author to the Hebrews drew a similar conclusion when he said that God has spoken definitively and conclusively through His Son in the last days (Hebrews 1:1-2). Near the beginning of the Bible, in the heart of the Word of God, and on the last page we find warnings against attempting to add to God’s revelation (Deut 4:3; Proverbs 30:6 and Rev 22:18).

The idea is that ADONAI gave the faith to believers as a deposit of truth to be guarded. It is not something that we have discovered or produced by ourselves, but it goes back to the LORD Himself who is the Giver, as implied in this context by the passive voice of the participle. It is God and God alone who has given this faith. Just as there is no other faith than this, there is also no one else to give it but ADONAI.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith (Second Peter 1:5a). Faith saves, but not if so-called “believers” are merely passive spectators of their path to salvation, for then they are barren and unfruitful and fail to make their being called and chosen a certainty (First Peter 1:8 and 10a CJB, also see James 2:13-26). Instead, they deceive themselves into thinking they are saved when in fact they are not (Hebrews 6:4-6). The Greek verb for add is epichoregeo and it is the source for the English word chorus and choreography. It literally means to gather a chorus. The only way to be certain one will be able to survive the last days of apostasy before the Lord returns to gather His chorus of believers, is first and foremost by being saved (Second Corinthians 15:3b-4), then by letting ADONAI act through you as you develop the seven virtues required to pursue a godly life.¹⁸

First, moral excellence (Second Peter 1:5b). Peter uses the word arete, which was the classical Greek term for virtue. It was an admirable expression of moral heroism, viewed as the divinely given ability to excel in courageous deeds. It came to consist of the most outstanding quality in a person’s life, or the excellent fulfillment of a duty (Philippians 4:8-9). Arete never meant a life of religious seclusion, but that which is demonstrated in the normal course of living. Sha’ul pursued such moral excellence when he said: I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua (Philippians 3:14 CJB, also see Second Corinthians 5:9; First Thessalonians 4:1 and 10).

Second, full knowledge (Second Peter 1:5b). Peter is referring to gaining full knowledge and faith in Jesus the Messiah. The more you know about Him, the more you will know Him, which will add to your faith. Thus, this virtue is related to illumination (Second Corinthians 4:6), which is having our mind accurately enlightened about the truth of the Bible (Colossians 3:10; Titus 1:1; Second Peter 1:3 and 3:18), and involves diligent study and meditation on it (Deuteronomy 11:18; Job 23:12; Psalm 119:97 and 105; John 5:39; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15), so as to acquire the mind of Christ (First Corinthians 2:16).

Third, self-control (Second Peter 1:6a). The Greek word egkrateia literally means holding oneself in (Galatians 5:23). Sha’ul identified self-control as one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23; also see First Corinthians 7:9, 9:25; Titus 1:8). Genuine knowledge of Yeshua can never exist apart from self-control (First Peter 1:14). In contrast to this virtue, the false teachers of every age are characterized by sensuality (Jude 7; Second Peter 2:2); they live for soft and comforting pleasures (2 Peter 2:13), never ceasing to think of adultery, and are enslaved by corruption (Second Peter 2:14 and 19). Due to your self-control, you will be able to add to your faith during the apostasy.

Fourth, perseverance (Second Peter 1:6b). Believers should add perseverance (hupomone) to self-control. The word perseverance or endurance often describes what believers need to exhibit (Romans 5:3-4; Colossians 1:11; First Thessalonians 1:3-4; First Timothy 6:11; Second Timothy 3:10; Titus 2:2; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:3-4; Revelation 2:2-3, 19). The need to persevere was especially important in the situation Peter addressed, for the false teachers were threatening the messianic synagogues and attracting others to follow them (Second Peter 2:2), entangling them in the heresy (Second Peter 2:20-22). Moral excellence must be combined with the full knowledge of Yeshua Messiah and self control to be able to persevere.¹⁹

Fifth, godliness (Second Peter 1:7a). At the heart of spiritual pursuit is godliness, from the term eusebeia, meaning reverence for God (Second Peter 1:3; 3:11; First Timothy 2:2. 6:6; First Corinthians 10:31). Rabbi Sha’ul instructed Timothy that such reverence toward ADONAI is the highest priority because of its eternal value. Godliness, he wrote, has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (First Timothy 4:8; also see Acts 2:25-28).

Sixth, mutual affection (Second Peter 1:7b). Flowing out of the vertical reverence for ADONAI in every area of life is the horizontal virtue of mutual affection. Peter undoubtedly recalled what Yeshua had told the religious leaders of Jerusalem: One of them, an expert in the Oral Law (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law), testing Him with this question, “Rabbi, which is the greatest commandment in the Torah?” Jesus replied: Love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two laws (Matthew 22:35-40).²⁰

Seventh, love (Second Peter 1:7c). Believer’s pursuit of mutual affection to one another flows from the highest of all virtues – love. For those who love the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, love for others (especially fellow believers) has always been inseparable from love of the LORD (John 13:34, 15:12; First Thessalonians 4:9; First John 3:23, 4:7, 21). This is the familiar agape, sacrificial, selfless love of the will (Matthew 5:43-44; Mark 10:21; Luke 6:35; John 14:21, 23; Romans 12:9, 1 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Corinthians 8:8; Galatians 5:13-14; Ephesians 1:15; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:4; First Thess 3:6; Hebrews 10:24, 1 John 4:7-12). Paul said love is the goal of instruction in the faith (1 Timothy 1:5). It is the most excellent way (1 Corinthians 12:31 to 13:13), the virtue that sums up all the others (Colossians 3:14). Anyone who loves will possess the other virtues Peter mentioned.²¹ Now Jude gives the reason why those messianic believers should contend earnestly for the faith. False teachers had crept into their midst, as we shall see next.

Aaron (a member of our Beit Knesset) owns a stunning sports car. It’s a Viper. It’s a thing of beauty. And it has a powerful engine with 10 cylinders. Most of us common folks have cars with 6 and 8 cylinders . . . but this car has TEN cylinders. I’m pretty sure it can take you anywhere you want to go as fast as you’ll ever want to go. Well, let’s say I come into some money, and I decide to buy Phil’s sports car, and he’s kind enough to sell it to me. But buying that car just about taps me out. Money gets tight and I have to start cutting some corners. And one of the places I decide to cut corners is in the oil I buy for oil changes. The oil I’m supposed to put in that vehicle begins to look a little too expensive for my budget, so I decide to go down to the grocery store and buy some Wesson cooking oil. I mean – it is oil isn’t it? Now, what do you think is going to happen to that car? It’ll turn over just once, and then that engine isn’t going to be worth much. On the outside it will probably still be a beautiful sports car but on the inside . . . the power of its engine will be destroyed. It will ultimately be unable to take me to the places I want to go. And that is what God tells us about the faith that was once for all passed on to God’s people. If I go changing the oil and putting something in the engine that doesn’t belong I might still have a good looking chassis on the outside, but on the inside . . . I’ll have destroyed the power that the Church has to help people get where they want to go.²²

The Danger of Apostates
Jude 3-4

Solomon’s warning: Buy truth, and do not sell it (Proverbs 23:23a) points to the fact that the truth is an extremely valuable commodity in the Bible. After all, ADONAI is the God of truth (Psalm 31:5; Isaiah 65:16), having magnified His Word, which is truth (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17). The Lord Yeshua Messiah, God in human flesh is full of grace and truth (John 1:14), being Himself the way, and the truth and the life (John 14:6). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), sealing salvation of those who embrace the word of truth (Ephesians 1:13). And the Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth (First Timothy 3:15), protecting and proclaiming the truth of the Gospel (Colossians 1:5). Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).

Although God’s people sometimes forget the importance of the truth, the Adversary never does. Ever since the Fall, the father of lies (John 8:44) has done everything possible to destroy, hide and distort the truth. He constantly attempts to replace the truth with deceit and deception. It seems odd, but his deadliest attacks do not come from the apostates, they come from those who profess to know the truth – but lie. The devil’s most effective agents, like spiritual terrorists, secretly infiltrate the church or messianic synagogue, where they pass themselves off as genuine shepherds, leaders or teachers. But if the truth were known, they would be exposed as imposters who claim to know Christ, but in fact reject Him. Such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ (Second Corinthians 11:13 NASB). They are men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth (First Timothy 6:5), and must be forcefully opposed and rooted out, lest they entice unstable souls and lead them to ruin (Second Peter 2:14).¹⁴

The B’rit Chadashah continually warns of the danger that apostate false teachers pose to the congregations of God. Both Jesus (Matthew 7:15) and Rabbi Sha’ul (Acts 20:29) likened their savage attacks to those of vicious wolves. Many false prophets will appear, Yeshua warned, and will deceive many people (Matthew 24:11). Sha’ul also cautioned Timothy, “The Spirit expressly states that in the acharit-hayamin, or the later times, some people will apostatize from the faith by praying to deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (First Timothy 4:1 CJB). Both Peter and John warned against these wolves in sheep’s clothing (Second Peter 2-3; First John 4:1-3; Second John 7), as did Jude.

Jude, a Bond-Slave of Jesus Christ
Jude 1-2

Jude, a bond-slave of Jesus Christ DIG: What do you know about Jude? How does he describe himself and his fellow believers? From his description, what does it mean to be one who loves the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? What comprises the first triad? What words are prominent in the second triad? How does the Lord preserve us?

REFLECT: How are you a bond-slave of Jesus Christ? What does it mean to be a servant? In what ways are you loved by God the Father and kept by Yeshua Messiah? In the first triad, which of the three words means the most to you right now? Why?

Jude, a bond-slave of Yeshua Messiah and a brother of James, to those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: mercy, shalom and love be yours in abundance (Jude 1-2).

Jude, a bondslave of Yeshua Messiah (Jude 1a). He does not call himself an apostle, as Paul and Peter did in their introductions. A bondslave of Yeshua Messiah, is probably not meant to convey that Jude was a bondslave in the sense that all believers are servants of Christ, but in that special sense in which those were bound to His service who were employed in the preaching and spreading of His Word.⁹

And a brother of James (Jude 1b). Jude was a man who was comfortable being in second place. He was not as well known as James, but he was content to be known as the brother of James. No ego trip there. In this, he was the same as Andrew, who was Simon Peter’s brother (John 6:8). He, too, was described by his relationship to a more famous brother. Jude and Andrew could have been jealous or resentful, but they had the great gift of gladly taking a back seat to brothers in whose shadow they both had to live.

The only title of honor that Jude would allow himself to be called was the bond-slave of Jesus Christ, rather than the brother of Jesus (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Fj – Isn’t This the Carpenter’s Son? Aren’t His Brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judah?). That is to say, Jude regarded himself as having only one purpose and one distinction in life – to be forever at the disposal of Jesus for service in His cause. The greatest glory that any of us can attain is to be of use to Yeshua the Messiah.¹⁰

Jude presents the first triad, which spells out what it means to be saved. Before we plunge into the terrible contents of Jude, where we read about the judgment of ADONAI upon all who turn away from the truth of His Word, we are comforted and encouraged with some of the sweetest words of assurance to be found anywhere in the Bible. In case we might fear that the apostasy and false teaching of the last days my sweep us away, the Holy Spirit assures our hearts that God has called us, that He loves us, and the He is keeping us for His Son, no matter what happens around us.¹¹

First, to those who have been called reflects the past (Jude 1c). Called translates the adjective pronoun kletos, which is related to the familiar verb kaleo, meaning to call. It is the main word in the sentence with two perfect participles describing believers. In the Greek text it is placed at the end of the sentence for emphasis. It is an adjective used to describe those who are called in the sense of being invited, for instance, to a banquet. Even as the English translation suggests, the word conveys the idea of being personally chosen or selected. It is the effectual call of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, where the LORD calls believers to Himself. He sets them apart and chooses them as His children.

Jude here is not writing about ADONAI’s general invitation to sinners (Isaiah 45:22; Matthew 11:28; Luke 14:16-24; John 7:37), a call that often times is rejected (Matthew 12:14; Luke 4:16-19, 28-30; Acts 4:13-18). More accurately, he is speaking of God’s special, internal call through which He awakens the human will and provides spiritual life – enabling once-dead sinners to embrace the Gospel by faith (John 5:21; Acts 16:14; Ephesians 2:5). It is what the Messiah referred to when He said: No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them (John 6:44). Therefore, this calling is apart from works (Second Timothy 1:8-9; Romans 1:6-7, 8:30; First Corinthians 1:1-2, 9, 24; First Timothy 6:12; First Peter 3:9; Revelation 17:14).¹²

Second, who are loved by God the Father refers to the present (Jude 1d), which is the result of being elected by God the Father. The participle is in the perfect tense, speaking of a past completed act having present and permanent results (Eph 1:4-5). We are permanent objects of the LORD’s love, not merely through the brief span of this life, but for all eternity. As Paul told the church at Rome: But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8; also see John 3:16, 13:1; 1 John 4:10, 19).

John wrote this about ADONAI’s love for believers: See how great the love of the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are (First John 3:1). The phrase how great is from potapos, which originally meant, “From what country?” It describes divine love as something that is foreign to us and outside the sphere of our understanding – the love of a different world – as if it were alien culture. We usually do not love strangers, especially our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48), yet the LORD chose to love us even when we were defiant sinners (Eph 2:1-10; John 15:13, 16; 1 Timothy 1:12-16; 1 John 4:19).

Third, and kept for Jesus Christ, expresses the most positive assurance regarding our future (Jude 1e). Here again, Jude uses the perfect tense, meaning continually kept. Yeshua preserves those who trust in Him till His Second Coming (First Thess 5:23b; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24). The word kept here is the Greek word tereo and means to guard, to hold firmly, to watch or keep. Our Lord prayed: I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I AM coming to You. Holy Father, keep (tereo) them by the power of Your name – the name You gave Me – so that they may be one as We are one (Jn 17:11b). Believers are kept!

The trinity is in view here. We have been called by the Holy Spirit, loved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ. Consequently, the knowledge of God’s calling, loving and keeping brings us assurance and shalom during times of apostasy.

Jude loves to group what he has to say into “threes.” In the first triad he described believers as being called, loved and kept. Now in the second triad he prays for his readers: mercy, shalom and love be yours in abundance (Jude 2). Jude’s prayer is that we would continually enjoy ADONAI’s blessing, no matter how tough the spiritual battle might become (First Peter 1:2; Second Peter 1:2).

The salvation the LORD provides for His children is one that is rich with blessings (Psalm 92:12-14; Matthew 6:31-33; John 10:10; Acts 20:32; Romans 9:23; Second Corinthians 9:8-10; Philippians 4:19), three of which are mercy, shalom and love. This threefold declaration occurs only here in the New Covenant.

First, ADONAI’s blessing consists of a generous supply of His mercy (Jude 2a). Whenever we commit a sin, we will always find a generous supply of God’s mercy (Mk 5:19) at His throne of grace (Heb 4:16). Rabbi Sha’ul wrote to the church at Rome that the LORD revealed the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory (Rom 9:23). The objects of His mercy are believers who continually receive the outpourings of His mercy, like cups or bowls that are constantly refilled with water.

Second, to meet the needs of every situation, ADONAI also multiplies His shalom to believers (2b). This is a peace that stems from knowing that they are forgiven. Yeshua comforted His apostles with these words: What I am leaving with you is shalom – I am giving you My shalom. I don’t give the way the world gives. Don’t let yourselves be upset or frightened (John 14:17 CJB, also see Psalm 29:11; Isaiah 9:7; Jeremiah 33:6; Luke 2:14; Romans 5:1; First Corinthians 14:33; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 3:15).

Third, God further blesses us with a constant outpouring of His love, and He wants us to have it in abundance (2c). Rabbi Sha’ul said: God’s love for us has already been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5b; also see John 16:27; Ephesians 2:4; 2 Thess 2:16; First John 4:7-10). Without a doubt, the Lord pours out His blessings on those whom He calls, loves, and keeps. But those blessings come with great responsibility, a sobering subject to which Jude now turns in the next two verses.

For us today, being kept for Jesus Christ is a very comforting thought in the midst of our troubled world. What Jude declares is true of believers is exactly what Yeshua himself prayed for (John 17:11). We naturally pay great attention to the grace of ADONAI at conversion when we are saved from our sins, and we joyfully anticipate the day when God’s grace will be displayed again at the return of Yeshua Messiah. But it is easy for us to forget about the LORD’s grace of preservation, as He is powerfully at work daily in and among us.

We read about this work of preservation in many places in the New Covenant. Peter assures believers who are being persecuted that they through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last day (First Peter 1:5). And writing to believers who were disturbed by false teachers and apprehensive about their relationship with ADONAI, John writes: We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin continually as a pattern of their life. The one who was born of God (Jesus) keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them (First John 5:18).

Believers have many reasons to be anxious today. Yeshua said: In this world you will have trouble. But one thing we do not need to worry about is God’s faithfulness in maintaining us in our faith. But take heart, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). This does not mean that we have no responsibility in the matter. Jude makes it clear that we do: Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life (Jude 21). And take notice what Peter says in the verse quoted above, that it is through faith that we are shielded by God’s power. But we begin, as we always should in our walk with the LORD, with God and His grace. He protects us from both human persecution and satanic destruction. Nothing in the physical or spiritual world can separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah our Lord (Rom 8:39).

Such reminders are important because it is easy, in the midst of depression, temptation, or crisis, for us to forget about ADONAI’s preserving grace. Yet, it is this amazing grace, as we sing in the famous hymn, that “has brought us this far, and . . . will lead me home.”¹³

The Similarities Between Jude and Second Peter

Anyone reading Second Peter and Jude will notice a great deal of similarity, which makes it obvious that one is quoting from the other. Peter wrote in the future tense, while Jude writes in the past tense. Peter predicted events that would happen in the future, whereas, Jude writes about the same events after they have already occurred. It is apparent that 2 Peter is quoting Jude (to see link click Ac – The Book of Jude from a Jewish Perspective: Date), and there are thirteen quotations from Second Peter contained in the book of Jude.⁸

Jude 3 and Second Peter 1:5

Jude 4 and Second Peter 2:1 and 3b

Jude 6 and Second Peter 2:4

Jude 7 and Second Peter 2:6

Jude 8 and Second Peter 2:10

Jude 9 and Second Peter 2:11

Jude 10 and Second Peter 2:12

Jude 11 and Second Peter 2:15

Jude 12 and Second Peter 2:13

Jude 12-13 and Second Peter 2:17

Jude 16 and Second Peter 2:18

Jude 17 and Second Peter 3:2

Jude 18 and Second Peter 3:3

The Book of Jude from a Jewish Perspective

To Antonietta, our faithful editor. She continues to love the Lord and minister tirelessly on His behalf. Her devotion to God’s Word is unceasing. Her desire for Him to be known to others in her neighborhood and around the world is her passion. She is a true warrior on the front lines for ADONAI.

The beginning of the dispensation of the Church Age, made up of Jewish and Gentile believers (Ephesians 2:14), is described in the Acts of the Apostles. The end of the Church Age is set forth in the book of Jude, which might be called the Acts of the Apostates. The first book, which can be said to contain Church history that describes the deeds and teachings of the men of God through whom the Messiah began to build His Church. This letter relates the deeds and teachings of evil men and women who will be living on the earth as the Dispensation of the Church comes to an end. Jude is the only book in all God’s Word entirely devoted to the great apostasy which is to come upon the world just before the Rapture of the Church (see my commentary on Revelation, to see link click By – The Rapture of the Church), and the beginning of the Great Tribulation. This brief message of twenty-five verses is the doorway to the book of Revelation, introducing us to the apocalyptic judgments found there.¹

Author

The New Testament lists eight men named Judas. Jude is the English form of the Greek word Judas, which translated the Hebrew name Judah. The name was tremendously popular for two reasons. First, because Judah was the founder of the tribe of Judah, and secondly, because the hero of the Maccabees revolt against the Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century BC was named Judah. Of the eight men mentioned in the B’rit Chadashah only two were associated with James (Jude 1): The apostle Jude, and Jude the half brother of James. It could not be the apostle Jude because he was the son, and not the brother, of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). In addition, if Judas the son of James were the author, he would have correctly identified himself as an apostle. But, the writer of Jude distinguished himself from the apostles in Jude 17.

The James with whom Jude identified himself was the Lord’s brother (Galatians 1:19), leader of the messianic community in Jerusalem and author of the book of James. After the martyrdom of the apostle James (Acts 12:2), there was no other James in the early church who could be referred to merely by name without being more specific. Therefore, Jude, like James, was one of the half brothers of Yeshua (Matthew 13:55). Jude is the only New Covenant writer who identifies himself by family relationship.

Ironically, the human author who wrote the most pointed condemnation of apostates in the Bible shares the same name as the most infamous of all apostates, Judas Iscariot. That may help explain why nearly all modern English translations use Jude instead of Judas.

Little is known about Jude apart from this letter. According to First Corinthians 9:5 he was married and had an itinerant ministry as an evangelist. Jude does what other biblical writers did not, he quoted from apocryphal literature. It did not mean he thought those apocryphal books were Scripture; he merely made reference to those elements in the apocryphal books that contain truths. This is similar to Paul’s quotations of Greek pagan poets and philosophers of Crete (Titus 1:12-13) and Athens (Acts 17:28). Jude 9 refers to the assumption of Moses, and Jude 14 and 15 refer to the book of Enoch. Nonetheless, Jude neither verified that everything in the assumption of Moses was true, nor did he verify that everything in the book of Enoch was true. Yet, there were true elements contained in both those books, and he authenticated only those true elements.²

According to Hegesippus, as quoted by Eusebius, Jude had sons and grandsons. Because the grandsons were members of the house of David, the Emperor Domitian viewed them as potential leaders of a revolt against Rome and had them brought before his judgment seat. But when they showed Domitian their calloused hands, proving that they were simple farmers, he dismissed them with contempt. Apart from that, Church history is silent concerning Jude.³

Date

Second Peter makes use of Jude to a very large degree (see Ad – The Similarities Between Jude and Second Peter). It seems obvious that one of these writers was borrowing from the other. It is much more likely that Peter would incorporate the whole of Jude into his book than Jude would, for no apparent reason, leave out large sections of Second Peter. The antinomian Gnostic heresy, to which Jude was responding, was beginning to make its influence felt in the first century. Therefore, Jude was probably written around 66 AD because Peter wrote his Second letter around 67-68 AD.

Original Readers

Jude was written to the same body of Jewish believers – the same messianic Jewish audience – to whom First and Second Peter were written. The reference made to the TaNaKh and the Jewish apocrypha identified the original readers as those who would understand these references with no need of explanation. The references to Egypt, Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses, Cain, Balaam, Korah, Enoch, Adam and the fallen angels of Genesis 6 all point to a people familiar with TaNaKh history and apocryphal literature.⁴

Occasion

Jude had initially planned to write an encouraging letter, celebrating the common salvation that he shared with his readers (Jude 3). But false teachers had, like wolves in sheep’s clothing, secretly slipped in among the messianic synagogues to which he wrote, threatening the salvation of truth (Jude 4), compelling him to change his strategy. Consequently, he wrote a strong indictment of the false teachers and their godless lifestyle. He warned his readers and urging them to contend for the faith that was once for all passed on to God’s people (Jude 3c-d), so as to protect the salvation that they shared (Jude 3b). The great concluding blessing (Jude 24-25) reveals Jude’s confidence that his readers would stand firm in the grace of ADONAI.

The picture Jude paints of the false teachers reveals the shocking depths of their decadence. They perverted the grace of God into a license for debauchery (4c), turning the very grace that teaches believers to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives (Titus 2:11-12) into an excuse to sin. They were so corrupt that Jude compared them to such infamous sinners as fallen angels, the men of Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam, and the rebels led by Korah (Jude 6-7 and 11). Simply put, they were like unreasoning animals (Jude 10). In their shameless audacity, they rejected authority and slandered celestial beings (Jude 8b-c), something even the powerful archangel Michael did not do. Because of their arrogant pride, those men spoke abusively against whatever they did not understand (Jude 9-10).

In short, although they infiltrated the messianic synagogues, they were not a part of it. They did not have the Spirit of God (Jude 19), and for that reason they were not saved, for anyone who doesn’t have the Spirit of the Messiah doesn’t belong to Him (Romans 8:9). The reality of their wicked hypocrisy and resulting danger they created, summoned Jude’s strongest possible condemnation and warning for the believers of all dispensations.⁵

Style

Jude wrote in a dynamic style, using many figures of speech. He thought in terms of threes. As a result, there are a total of fifteen triads:

(1) To those who have been called, loved by the Father, kept for Jesus (Jude 1:1c-d).

(2) God’s blessings consist of a generous supply of His mercy, peace and love (Jude 2).

(3) their condemnation was written about long ago, they pervert the grace of our God into a license for debauchery, and they deny Yeshua Messiah our Lord (Jude 4a, c-e).

(4) ADONAI delivered His people out of Egypt (Jude 5a), the angels did not keep their positions of authority (Jude 6a), and like Sodom and Gomorrah, they gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion (Jude 7a).

(5) they pollute their own bodies (Jude 8a), reject and despise authority (Jude 8b), and being bold and arrogant, these people slander celestial beings (Jude 8c).

(6) they have taken the way of Cain (Jude 11a), rushed [headlong] for profit into Balaam’s error (Jude 11b), and have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion (Jude 11c).

(7) They are like hidden rocks that shipwreck many (Jude 12a), counterfeit shepherds who only feed themselves (Jude 12b), they are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind (Jude 12c).

(8) uprooted trees, twice dead (Jude 12d-e), wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame (Jude 13a), and wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever (Jude 13b).

(9) Jesus Christ is coming to judge everyone (Jude 15a), to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way (Jude 15b), and to convict the ungodly of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against Him (Jude 15c).

(10) These men are grumblers (Jude 16a), and faultfinders against God (Jude 16b), they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage (Jude 16c).

(11) These are the men who divide you (Jude 19a), these are the men who follow mere natural instincts (Jude 19b), and do not have the Spirit of God (Jude 19c).

(12) And pray in union with the Spirit (Jude 20b), keep yourselves in God’s love (Jude 20c), as you wait for the mercy of our Lord to bring you to eternal life (Jude 21).

(13) Be merciful to those who doubt (Jude 22), snatch others from the fire and save them (Jude 23a), to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh (Jude 23b).

(14) To the One who can keep you from stumbling (Jude 24a CJB), and present you without defect and full of joy (Jude 24b CJB), in the presence of His Sh’khinah glory (Jude 24c CJB).

(15) To the only God our Savior (Jude 25a), all glory, majesty, power, and authority are His (Jude 25b), through Jesus Christ, our Lord, now and forever more (Jude 25c).

In addition, Jude frequently referred to the TaNaKh. He spoke of the Exodus (Jude 5), the death of many Israelites in the wilderness (Jude 7), Moses’ body (Jude 9), Cain (Jude 11), Balaam (Jude 11), Korah (Jude 11), Enoch (Jude 14) and Adam (Jude 14).

Purpose

The purpose of Jude is to warn the recipients that the prophecy of Second Peter has now been fulfilled. One thought characterizes this letter: beware of the apostates. In keeping with this warning, Jude encouraged his readers to contend for the faith (Jude 3). These were antinomians, people who believed that the moral law of the universe did not apply to them. Antinomians have existed in every dispensation. They pervert grace. Their position is that the moral law is dead and they are under grace. The restrictions of the moral law may apply to others, but not to them. They feel like they can do anything they want. Their belief is that grace is supreme, and it can forgive any sin. In fact, the greater the sin, the more opportunities for grace to increase (Romans 6). Their creed is that the body is not important; what really matters is the inward heart. They believe that all things belong to the Messiah, and, as a result, all things are theirs. And so, for them, nothing is forbidden.

Accordingly, Jude’s false teachers turned the grace of God into an excuse for blatant immorality (Jude 4). They even engaged in shameless unnatural sexual immorality and perversion, like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah did (Jude 7). They polluted their own bodies and did not consider it to be a sin (Jude 8). With their sensual ways, they were likely to destroy the love feasts of the early Church (Jude 12). They were led by their own evil desires and not by the Holy Spirit (Jude 16).

Jude makes two charges against them. In the closing triad of the book, Jude praises the only God (25a), a phrase that also occurs in Romans 16:27 and First Timothy 1:17. In addition, Jude also claims that they denied our only Master and Lord, Yeshua the Messiah (Jude 4). The recurrence of the word only is important. If Jude talks about our only Master and Lord and about the only God, it is natural to think that the apostates questioned the oneness of God, and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

First, the apostates questioned the oneness of God. In the New Covenant this kind of thinking came to be known as Gnosticism (the G is silent). Although full-blown Gnosticism was not yet in existence (and would not be until the second century), Gnostic-like ideas began in the first century. Its basic idea was that this is a dualistic universe with two eternal principles. Gnostics believe that from the beginning of time, there had always been a dualism between spirit and matter. The spirit was essentially good, and the matter was essentially evil. Then the world was created out of this flawed matter. But God is pure spirit and, therefore, could not possibly have any contact with matter because it was pure evil. Consequently, these false teachers had no qualms about engaging in a wild orgy before going to a love feast. They could sin with impunity and suffer no consequences because, after all, the flesh was evil. What could they do? In fact, they believed that the more they sinned, the more that grace could increase (Romans 6:1)!

How then was creation brought about? They believe that God put out a series of aeons or divine powers; each of these aeons was further and further away from Him. At the end of this long chain of aeons, remote from God, there was an aeon who was able to touch matter. And it was this aeon, this distant and secondary God, who actually created the world.

Not only that, but as the chain of aeons grew more and more distant from God, they grew more and more ignorant of Him – and hostile toward Him. The creating aeon at the end of the chain was both totally ignorant and hostile to God.

Having gone that far, the Gnostics took one more step. They identified the true God as the God of the B’rit Chadashah, and they identified the secondary, ignorant and hostile God with the God of the TaNaKh. As they saw it, the God of creation was totally different than the God of revelation and redemption. Jewish and Gentile believers on the other hand, believe in the only God, the one God of creation, revelation and redemption.

This was the Gnostic explanation of sin. They believe that because creation was carried out from evil matter by an ignorant god, that sin, suffering and all imperfection existed. This Gnostic way of thinking had one bizarre, but perfectly logical result. If the God of the TaNaKh was ignorant and hostile to the true God, it must follow that the people whom that ignorant God hurt were, in fact, good people. Clearly, the hostile God would be hostile to the people who were true servants of the true God. The Gnostics, therefore, turned the TaNaKh (so to speak) upside down and considered its heroes as villains, and its villains as heroes. As a result, there was a sect of Gnostics called Ophites, because they worshiped the serpent of Eden (the Greek word for snake is ophis). There were others who regarded Cain, Korah and Balaam as great heroes; however, it was Cain, Korah and Balaam whom Jude uses as terrible and tragic example of sin.

Consequently, the heretics whom Jude attacks were the Gnostics who (1) denied the oneness of ADONAI, (2) regarded the God of creation as being different from the God of redemption, (3) who saw in the God of the TaNaKh an ignorant enemy of the true God, and (4) who, therefore, turned the TaNaKh upside down to regard its sinners as servants of the true God and its believers as servants of the hostile God.

Secondly, the apostates denied the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. That is to say they denied our only Master and Lord, Yeshua the Messiah (Jude 4). According to Gnostic belief, God put out a series of aeons between Himself and the world. They regarded Jesus Christ as one of these aeons. They did not regard Him as our only Master and Lord; He was merely one among the many who were linked between God and human beings, although He might be the highest and closest of all.

But there was still one other point about those Gnostics in Jude. He describes them as men who divide you (Jude 19). The Gnostics setup distinctions within the fellowship of believers. As we have seen, they believed that there was an infinite series of aeons stretching between humans and the LORD. The aim of humans was to achieve contact with ADONAI. To obtain this, their doctrine was that their souls must cross that infinite series of aeon links. To achieve this, Gnostics alleged that a very special and secret knowledge was required (if this sounds a little like scientology, don’t be shocked). This knowledge was so deep that only very few could attain it.

As a result, the Gnostics divided people into two classes: the pneumatikos and the psuchikos. The pneuma was the human spirit, that which made human beings akin to God; and the pneumatikos were the spiritual people. The people whose spirits were so highly developed and intellectual that they were able to climb the long ladder of aeon links and reach God. The Gnostics claimed that those pneumatikos were so spiritually and intellectually equipped that they could actually become as good as God. This was similar to the perfectionism movement in the mid-nineteenth century by Charles Finley and his friends. To combat that heresy, B. B. Warfield wrote his classic apologetic book Perfectionism, contending for the faith that was once for all passed on to God’s people (Jude 3d CJB).

On the other hand, the psuche was simply the principle of physical life. All things that lived had psuche. The Gnostics believed that it was something that humans shared with animals and even growing plants. The psuchikos were common people. They had a physical life, but their pneuma was under developed and they were incapable of ever gaining the intellectual wisdom that would enable them to climb the long chain of aeons to God. The pneumatikos were a very small and select minority, while the psuchikos were the vast majority of common people, who were physically alive, but intellectually and spiritually dead. We might call them the fleshly creatures. All they possessed was flesh and blood life, but intellectual progress and spiritual experience was beyond them.

Then there were the pneumatikos, who believed that they alone were really capable of real intellectual knowledge, real knowledge of God, and real spiritual experience. They created an intellectual and spiritual aristocracy against the common mass of people. Not stopping there, they believed they were exempt from all the ordinary laws governing conduct. Ordinary people, common riffraff might have to observe accepted standards, but they were above that. For them, sin did not exist; they were so advanced that they could do anything they wanted and suffer no consequences. They are still around today.

It is clear that this Gnostic doctrine inevitably produced spiritual snobbery and pride. Once introduced into the fellowship of believers, it created the worst kind of elitism. So, the Gnostics whom Jude attacks were wolves in sheep’s clothing. They denied the oneness of ADONAI and split Him into an ignorant creating God and a truly spiritual God. They denied the uniqueness of the LORD and created class distinctions with the people of God. They limited fellowship with God to the intellectual few.⁶

For the wisdom of this world is nonsense, as far as God is concerned; inasmuch as the TaNaKh says, “He traps the wise in their own cleverness,” and again, “ADONAI knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless (First Corinthians 3:19-20 CJB).

Quoting from Extra Biblical Books

Jude quotes from several extra biblical books. They are found in:

Ao – Michael Disputed with the Devil about the Body of Moses: The Assumption of Moses. Jude’s inclusion of this event verifies only that this one incident found in the Assumption is a true statement. He is not verifying the truth of the Assumption of Moses as a whole.

As – They are Autumn Trees Without Fruit, Wild Waves of the Sea Foaming Up Their Shame, Wandering Star: First Enoch 19:14. Jude’s use of First Enoch 19:14 verifies only that this one example of the fallen angels is a true statement. He is not verifying the truth of First Enoch as a whole.

At – Enoch, the Seventh Generation from Adam, also Prophesied about These People: First Enoch 1:9 and 5:4. The fact is that Jude, a pious Jew, knew and loved First Enoch and had grown up in a community where it was regarded with respect and even reverence; and he took his quotation from it quite naturally, knowing that his readers would recognize and respect it. He did not verify the whole book, he was simply doing what all the New Covenant writers did, speaking to people in language that they recognized and understood.

Application

The book is a solemn warning to believers everywhere, since all are subject to the same doctrinal and practical errors. Though its theme regarding apostasy was specifically directed to the righteous of the TaNaKh in the first century, its message is just as applicable today. All believers need to avoid the pitfalls of denying the Lordship of the Messiah, following the desires of the flesh, rejecting authority, and living for self.⁷

The Outline of the Book of Jude

Jude, a Bond-Slave of Jesus Christ – Jude 1-2 (Ae)

I. The Danger of Apostates – Jude 3-4 (Af)

A. Contend Earnestly for the Faith – Jude 3 and Second Peter 1:5-7 (Ag)

B. Godless People Have Secretly Slipped In – Jude 4; 2 Peter 2:1 and 3b (Ah)

II. The Doom of Apostates – Jude 5-7 (Ai)

A. The LORD Delivered His People Out of Egypt – Jude 5 and 1 Cor 10:5-11 (Aj)

B. The Angels Did Not Keep Their Positions – Jude 6 and Second Peter 2:4 (Ak)

    C. They Give Themselves to Sexual Immorality – Jude 7 and 2 Peter 2:6 (Al)

III. The Description of Apostates – Jude 8-16 (Am)

A. These Dreamers Pollute Their Own Bodies – Jude 8 and Second Peter 2:10 (An)

B. Michael Disputed with the Devil – Jude 9 and Second Peter 2:11 (Ao)

C. These People Speak Abusively – Jude 10 and Second Peter 2:12 (Ap)

D. They Have Taken the Way of Cain, Rushed into Balaam’s Error – Jude 11 (Aq)

E. These People are Hidden Rocks – Jude 12a-c and 2 Peter 2:13 and 17a (Ar)

F. They are Autumn Trees without Fruit, Wild Waves of the Sea Foaming Up Their Shame, Wandering Stars – Jude 12d-e and 13; Second Peter 2:17b (As)

G. Enoch also Prophesied about These People – Jude 14-15 (At)

    H. These People are Grumblers and Faultfinders – Jude 16 and 2 Peter 2:18 (Au)

IV. The Defense Against Apostates – Jude 17-23 (Av)

A. There Will Be Scoffers – Jude 17-18 and Second Peter 3:2-3 (Aw)

B. These are People Who Divide You – Jude 19 and First Corinthians 2:14 (Ax)

C. Build Yourselves Up In Your Most Holy Faith – Jude 20-21 (Ay)

D. Be Merciful to Those Who Doubt – Jude 22-23 (Az)

V.  The Concluding Blessing – Jude 24-25 (Ba)

A. To Him Who is Able to Keep You from Stumbling – Jude 24 (Bb)

B. To the Only God our Savior are Glory, Majesty and Authority – Jude 25 (Bc)

Glossary (Bd)

Jude, Where Life and the Bible Meet . . .

1. Look at the outline (Ab), and the Introduction (Ac) before starting on the commentary itself.

2. The DIG and REFLECT questions are in bolded royal blue, and will help to give you a deeper understanding of the book and make it more personal to you. Go slowly and give yourself time to answer these questions. They really strike at the heart of the commentary. What are the DIG questions for? To dig into the Scripture “story” to find out what’s going on, to figure out the main idea, the plot, the argument, the spiritual principle, and so on. What are the REFLECT questions for? To apply the “story” in the scripture to your own life; to take personal inventory and to decide what you are going to do about it! All DIG and REFLECT questions are taken from the Serendipity Bible.

3. I would strongly suggest that you look up the references that are given in each section. Many times this will greatly enhance the background, and hence, your understanding of the scriptures that you are reading on a particular day. Take your time, read only as much as you can digest.

There are times when I refer you to either another file in Isaiah, or a file in another book of the Bible, to give you more detail on a particular person, topic, concept or theology. An example might be something like the Great White Throne Judgment (see my commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment). If you feel you already know enough about the Great White Throne Judgment, you can skip the reference and continue reading. But if it interests you, or if you don’t know what the rapture is, you can go to that file and read it first before continuing. It’s your choice. 

4. All scripture is in bold print. The NIV 1985 is used unless indicated otherwise. However, sometimes the purpose of the bold print is merely for emphasizing a certain point. When bolded maroon is used, it is for special emphasis. The words of Jesus are bolded in red.

5. When bolded teal is used, it is quoted from one of the two Jewish commentaries listed in the bibliography. This will give you the moderate Orthodox Jewish interpretation. It is useful for word studies, but its Christology is obviously entirely wrong. Where rabbinical interpretation is cited, I will add, “The rabbis teach. . .” in front of the passage. Although it is not a Christian interpretation, I think it is interesting to see how the rabbis interpret these passages.

6. Read the Scriptures for a particular day from your Bible, then skim the DIG and REFLECT questions, read the commentary and reflect on it; answer the DIG and REFLECT questions, then read your Bible again. Hopefully, it will have greater meaning and understanding for you the second time you read it. Then live it out.

 7. If you come to a Jewish word or phrase that you don’t understand, see the Glossary at the end of the book (see Bd – Glossary).

8. To download a pdf file, click on the red rectangle on the top of any page.

9. You can download anything you want from this devotional commentary but nothing can be sold for profit © 2013 but all rights are reserved by Jay D. Mack, M.Div.