Jude

(NKJV)

Summary of the Book of Jude

Author: Jude 1 identifies the author of the Book of Jude as Jude, a brother of James. This likely refers to Jesus’
half-brother Jude, as Jesus also had a half-brother named James (Matthew 13:55). Jude likely does not identify
himself as a brother of Jesus out of humility and reverence for Christ.

Date of Writing: The Book of Jude is closely related to the book of 2 Peter. The date of authorship for Jude
depends on whether Jude used content from 2 Peter, or Peter used content from Jude when writing 2 Peter. The
Book of Jude was written somewhere between A.D. 60 and 80.

Purpose of Writing: The Book of Jude is an important book for us today because it is written for the end times,
for the end of the church age. The church age began at the Day of Pentecost. Jude is the only book given entirely
to the great apostasy. Jude writes that evil works are the evidence of apostasy. He admonishes us to contend for
the faith, for there are tares among the wheat. False prophets are in the church and the saints are in danger. Jude
is a small but important book worthy of study, written for the Christian of today.

Key Verses:

Jude 3: “Dear friends, 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 for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.”

Jude 17-19: "But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you,
‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’ These are the men who
divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”

Jude 24-25: “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence
without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

Brief Summary: According to verse 3, Jude was anxious to write about our salvation; however, he changed
topics to address contending for the faith. This faith embodies the complete body of Christian doctrine taught by
Christ, later passed on to the apostles. After Jude warns of false teachers (verses 4-16), he advises us on how we
can succeed in spiritual warfare (verses 20-21). Here is wisdom we would do well to accept and adhere to as we
go through these days of the end times.

Connections: The Book of Jude is filled with references to the Old Testament, including the Exodus (v. 5);
Satan’s rebellion (v. 6); Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 7); Moses’ death (v. 9); Cain (v. 11); Balaam (v. 11); Korah (v.
11); Enoch (vv. 14,15); and Adam (v. 14). Jude’s use of the well-known historical illustrations of Sodom and
Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam, and Korah reminded the Jewish Christians of the necessity of true faith and obedience.

Practical Application: We live in a unique time in history and this little book can help equip us for the untold
challenges of living in the end times. Today’s Christian must be on guard for false doctrines which can so easily
deceive us if we are not well-versed in the Word. We need to know the Gospel—to protect and defend it—and
accept the Lordship of Christ, which is evidenced by a life-change. Authentic faith always reflects Christ-like
behavior. Our life in Christ should reflect our very own heart-knowledge that rests on the authority of the
Almighty Creator and Father who puts faith into practice. We need that personal relationship with Him; only
then will we know His voice so well that we will follow no other.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Jude.html

Greeting to the Called

1 Jude, a bondservant[1] of[2] Jesus Christ, and brother of James,

To those who are called, sanctified[a] by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Contend for the Faith

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to
write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For
certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who
turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God [b] and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Old and New Apostates

5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved [3] the people out of the land
of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain,
but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves
over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh [4], are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of
eternal fire.

8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the
archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him
a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know;
and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them!
For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the
rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

12 These are spots[5] in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They
are clouds without water, carried about[c] by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by
the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the
blackness of darkness forever.

14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with
ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all
their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly
sinners have spoken against Him.”
Apostates Predicted
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling
words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before
by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they[6] told you that there would be mockers in the last time who
would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having
the Spirit.

Maintain Your Life with God

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep
yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction;[d] 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the
fire,[e] hating even the garment[7] defiled by the flesh.

Glory to God
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you[f] from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior,[g]
Who alone is wise,[h]
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,[i]
Both now and forever.
Amen.

Footnotes:
[a] Jude 1:1 NU-Text reads beloved.
[b] Jude 1:4 NU-Text omits God.
[c] Jude 1:12 NU-Text and M-Text read along.
[d] Jude 1:22 NU-Text reads who are doubting (or making distinctions).
[e] Jude 1:23 NU-Text adds and on some have mercy with fear and omits with fear in first clause.
[f] Jude 1:24 M-Text reads them.
[g] Jude 1:25 NU-Text reads To the only God our Savior.
[h] Jude 1:25 NU-Text omits Who . . . is wise and adds Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[i] Jude 1:25 NU-Text adds Before all time.

Additional Footnotes:
[1] Jude 1:1 Or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see below)
[2] Jude 1:1 Or by
[3] Jude 1:5 Some manuscripts although you fully knew it, that the Lord who once saved
[4] Jude 1:7 Greek other flesh
[5] Jude 1:12 Or are blemishes
[6] Jude 1:18 Or Christ, because they
[7] Jude 1:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin. See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiton_(costume) for more information. See below for image.

V.1: “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,”

Note the humility of Jude. He was a half-brother of Jesus, just as James was (not the Apostle James, but James
the head of the Jerusalem church in Acts 15). But, instead of boasting about this, he calls himself a doulos or
slave of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James. Jude recognizes the sovereign majesty of Jesus. He is our King, our
Savior, our High Priest, our Mediator with the Father, and so much more! Most people would quite naturally
walk around saying something like, “My brother is the king!” but not Jude. Jude expresses a humility that should
be the example for all of us. He forsakes his relationship of brother to Jesus, and takes on the relationship of
slave to Jesus. We are all a doulos of Jesus, a slave of Jesus.

“To those who are called,” (NKJV)

“To those who are the called” (NASB)

Called, the doctrine of Election. God calls to salvation, those whom He has chosen for salvation from before the
beginning of eternity. Here Jude identifies the recipients of his letter as the Elect in Christ Jesus, “those who are
the called.”

John 10:1-5,25-30
1
“Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some
other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the
doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4
When he puts all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his
voice. 5 However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the
voice of strangers.” … 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My
Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep
listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never
perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all;
and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Romans 8:30
30
and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom
He justified, He also glorified.

Romans 9:24
24
namely us, whom He also called, not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles,

1 Thessalonians 2:12
12
so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God has
chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was
for this He called you through our gospel, that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:9
9
who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity

1 Peter 2:9
9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you
may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

1 Peter 5:10
10
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ,
will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
See also Hebrews 3:1

From the online Free Bible Commentary: “The term "called" (klētos, a dative plural; see Special Topic: Called)
is placed last in the Greek sentence for emphasis. According to United Bible Societies' new, semantical domains
lexicon (vol. 1. pp. 424-425), this term (and its related forms) was used of an urgent call to a particular task.
the office of apostle (cf. Rom. 1:1)
the life of a believer (cf. Rom. 1:6-7; Eph. 4:1)
the call to preach the gospel (cf. Acts 16:10)
in Jude the urgent call both to salvation and to live godly lives in faith, hope, and purity.

“This theological emphasis on God's call (cf. John 6:44,65) is also found in 1 Pet. 1:1 ("chosen") and often in
Paul's writings. Salvation is not simply a human choice; it is also a response to an initiation from God's Spirit.
This is why it is so important that human beings respond immediately to the "still, small voice" of God's
leadership in their lives, whether initial salvation or effective ministry or repentance. Humans are always the
responders.”

“SPECIAL TOPIC: CALLED

“God always takes the initiative in calling, electing, and wooing believers to Himself (cf. John 6:44,65; 15:16; 1
Cor. 1:1-2; Eph. 1:4-5,11). The term "calling" is used in several theological senses.
“In the OT "calling on the name" was always in a worship context (cf. Gen. 4:26; 12:8; 21:33; 26:25; Exod.
34:5; see SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH).
“Sinners are called to salvation by the grace of God through the finished work of Christ and the conviction of the
Spirit (cf. John 6:44,65; 16:8-10). The Greek word klētos (cf. Rom. 1:6-7; 9:24) is theologically similar to 1 Cor.
1:1-2 and 2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Pet. 1:10.”
Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International

“sanctified by God the Father,” (NKJV)

“beloved in God the Father” (NASB)

From the online Free Bible Commentary: “"beloved" This is a perfect passive participle (as is "kept"). The King
James Version has "sanctified" and follows the uncial manuscripts K, L, and P and the later Textus Receptus.
Many textual scholars assume this follows the wording of 1 Cor. 1:2. The grammatical forms of "beloved"
(ēgapēmenois) and "sanctified" (ēgiasmenois) are very similar in Greek. There is overwhelming manuscript
evidence against the King James translation as can be seen in manuscripts P72, ‫א‬, A, and B, which have
"beloved." The UBS4 gives "beloved" and "A" rating (certain). God the Father used this title of Jesus in Psalm
2; Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; and Eph. 1:6. It is now used for believers (cf. Jude 1:3,17,20; 1 Pet. 2:11; 4:12;
2 Pet. 3:1,8,14,17).” [http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL11/VOL11_07.html]

John 17:17-19
17
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the
world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

“and preserved in Jesus Christ”

“preserved” is the Greek word tetērēmenois Phonetic pronounciation: (teh-tee-ree-muh-no-iss) from G5083,
téreó Phonetic pronounciation: (tay-reh'-o)

Definition: to watch over, to guard, protect, kept

In Michael Bird’s “Evangelical Theology, Second Edition: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction,” we find the
following note regarding this Greek word used in Jude 1: “The perfect participle tetērēmenois “expresses the
secure state of being in God’s safekeeping” (Richard Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter [WBC; Waco, TX: Word,
1983],26).

In this same volume we also find a note referencing Warnings in the Epistle to the Hebrews, An Exegetical and
Theological Study by Alan John Mugridge where Mugridge comments on Hebrews 6:4-8 (on page 81) and says,
“Perhaps … it is possible for those who claim to have Christian faith to fall away from the faith which they
confess, but … God will keep those whose faith is genuine” (italics in original).

From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon we read, “with a dative of the person, Χριστῷ, devoted to Christ (Winer's
Grammar, 421 (392)), Jude 1:1; τηρεῖν τινα ἐν τίνι: to keep in i. e. cause one to persevere or stand firm in a
thing: ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Θεοῦ (see p. 447b bottom), John 17:11f; ἐν ἀγάπη Θεοῦ, Jude 1:21; τινα ἐκ τίνος, by
guarding to cause one to escape in safety out of etc.: ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ, out of the power and assaults of Satan,
John 17:15 (cf. Buttmann, 327 (281); Winer's Grammar, 410 (383)); ἐκ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ πειρασμοῦ, Revelation
3:10. to keep: i. e. not to leave, τήν ἀρχήν, Jude 1:6; not to throw away, τά ἱμάτια, Revelation 16:15. to hold
firmly: τήν ἑνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος, Ephesians 4:3; anything as a mental deposit, τήν πίστιν, 2 Timothy 4:7;
Revelation 14:12 (cf. Winers Grammar, 536 (499); Buttmann, 78 (68)). to show oneself to be actually holding a
thing fast, i. e.”

And this is exactly what God does, He holds fast to us, He holds us firmly in His hand, thus making it impossible
for us to fall away. Please note the following verses:

John 6:39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing,
but will raise it up on the last day.

John 10:28-30, 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My
hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the
Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

John 17:11,12,15
11
I am no longer going to be in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I am coming to You.
Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We
are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them,
and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. … 15 I am not
asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one.

2 Timothy 4:18
18
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be
the glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 1:4-5
4
to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5
who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 John 5:18
18
We know that no one who has been born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one
does not touch him.

Romans 8:38-39
38
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love
of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
v2: “Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.”
Here Jude blesses his readers, and thus provides a word of encouragement to them. This is a God glorifying
blessing when coming from a Christian.

v3. Jude expresses that it was his initial intent to write about the salvation that is common to all true believers,
something that is obviously near and dear to his heart. However, and there is an urgency in what he writes next,
something important has come up and the first order of business is to exhort believers to “contend earnestly for
the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

“to contend earnestly.” The Greek word is ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι (epagōnizesthai – ep-ag-o-nid'-zuh-thī) G1864
epagōnízomai (from G1909 /epí, "focused on" and G73 /agṓn, "a contest, competition") – properly, to contend
(literally, "struggle upon, appropriately"), i.e. with skill and commitment in opposing whatever is not of faith
(God's persuasion). Copyright © 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries, Inc.

This would include both those things not of faith within oneself, as well as those things not of faith that one is
exposed to, i.e. false teachings, false doctrines, false religions, false religious beliefs, etc. Scripture is clear we
are to oppose these things. Not just disagree with them, but committed to actively stand in open opposition to
them. This cannot be done without first being in and knowing God’s Word.

Jude presents a list of 28 defining words and illustrations to describe those false teachers and false prophets who
attack “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (v. 3).

v4. Here in verse 4 Jude explains why he is anxious to exhort believers to contend earnestly for the faith, it is
because “certain men have crept in unnoticed.” These are “ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God
into lewdness, and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude says these men were marked
out for condemnation “long ago.”

“crept in unnoticed.” The Greek word is παρεισέδυσαν (pareisedysan – par-ice-doo'-san) G3921 pareisdýnō
(from G3844 /pará, "from close beside" and eisdyō, "enter") – properly, enter alongside, i.e. secretly or under
pretense. G3921 /pareisdýnō ("enter by stealth") refers to people who appear to be true Christians, but in reality
oppose the faith. G3921 (pareisdýnō) is only used in Jude 4 of those "posing to give help." [G3921 (pareisdýnō)
means "to get in by the side, to slip in a side-door" (M. Vincent). Copyright © 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries,
Inc.

These men are posing as Christians. They profess to be Christians, they claim the name of Christian, they talk
the talk and may even somewhat walk the walk, but they are not true Christians. They are deceivers, and they are
deceiving others and oftentimes themselves. Jude says they are “ungodly men.” The Greek word here is ἀσεβεῖς
(asebeis – as-eb-ace) and it means impious, lacking in reverence and respect of God, they fail to show honor to
God, especially outwardly in the way they worship Him (which is not true worship). The examples of this in the
modern Visible Church are numerous, particularly in the Charismatic and Seeker-Sensitive Movements with
their rock bands, light shows, glory clouds, gold dust, angel feathers, and other such things.

Jude says they “turn the grace of our God into lewdness.” Some translations say “licentiousness.” The Greek
word is ἀσέλγειαν (aselgeian – as-elg'-i-an) and it refers not simply to sexual immorality as we would define the
word today, but in Scripture it refers to ignoring accepted rules and standards, outrageous conduct. They are
engaged in willful disobedience to God. In the case of these ungodly men who have crept in, they apparently
believe they can sin to their hearts content, and in doing so they are allowing God to exhibit more grace and
mercy. They think they are glorifying God in this way. They are actually abusing God’s grace and mercy by
using it as an excuse to sin. This is precisely what Paul talked about in Romans 6-8.

Jude goes on to say that these men “deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” This does not mean
they are denying the existence of God and Christ, but rather they are, by their actions, denying the authority of
God and Christ. They will also teach a god and a Jesus that is different from the God and Jesus of Scripture.
Whether they are teaching a god and Jesus who allows sin, or encourages the adoption of worldly practices, or
whatever, it is certain that what they teach about God and Jesus will not match up with what the Bible teaches
about God and Jesus, thus they are teaching a different god and a different Jesus, and in doing so they are
denying the God and Jesus of Scripture.

These people (for it is not confined exclusively to men) are false teachers, and Scripture warns about them
repeatedly (Mat.7:15; 2Pet.2:1-3; 1Tim.6:3-5; 2Tim.4:3-4; 1Jn.4:1; etc). In Matthew 13 Jesus tells the parable of
the Wheat and the Tares. In this parable Jesus talks about tares, or weeds, that end up growing amongst the wheat
in the field. In the parable, the workers leave the tares in amongst the wheat until the final harvest when the tares
are removed and tossed in the fire. The tares in this parable are figurative or metaphorical of the false Christians
in the Visible Church. 1 Corinthians 11:19 tells us that they are left in the Visible Church, alongside the true
Christians, in order to show by comparison who is true and who is not. And 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 provides us
with a very vivid description of these men who have stealthily crept into our midst: “ 13 For such men are false
apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of
righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”

Finally, Jude writes about these false teachers, that they “long ago were marked out for this condemnation.”
Jude is referring to the Old Testament passages which refer to false prophets and their certain ultimate future.
Passages such as Deuteronomy 18:20, which says, “But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My
name, a word which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that
prophet shall die.” See also Ezek.13:9; Deut.13:1-5; Jere.23:1-40; etc. This is not to say that we are to put false
teachers to death today as was done during Old Testament times, but rather that they will die spiritually. They
will spent eternity separated from God in hell, if they do not repent and come to Christ for salvation (which is
possible, but realistically not likely). See also:

“18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who
have their minds on earthly things.” –– Philippians 3:18-19

In verses 5-7 Jude demonstrates what he means by then turning to the Old Testament and referring to three
incidents that happened “long ago” (which are examples of the fate of all false teachers).

v5. “But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of
the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” –– False teachers will be destroyed as
unbelievers.

v6. “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in
everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” –– False teachers will spend eternity
in hell.

v7. “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given
themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering
the vengeance of eternal fire.” –– False teachers will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.
A note about verse 6. Some believe this refers to angels leaving heaven and cohabiting with human women, see
Genesis 6:1-4. Others believe this refers to the one-third of the angels who sided with Satan in rebellion against
God, and who were cast out of heaven. Since the passage does not specifically teach on that subject, it will not
be addressed here. Please see my notes on 2 Peter 2:4 where the subject is addressed.

Jude then goes on to continue his description of false teachers by giving several more identifiers.

v8a. “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh,” –– In Matthew 6:33 the Lord Jesus tells us, “But seek
first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” These false teachers,
however, do not do this. The “dreaming” they do is the wrong kind of dreaming. They dream/hope/desire such
things that are opposed to God’s kingdom. Because of this, their sarx, their flesh, or (human) nature (the word
means both) is defiled. It is contaminated, it is corrupt.

v8b. [They] “reject authority,” –– They atheteó ignore kuriotés Lordship, they reject the Lordship of Jesus,
they reject the Lordship of God, they reject the authority of those whom God has placed in positions of
leadership over us (Romans 13:1-7)

v8c-9. “8cand speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he
disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord
rebuke you!’” –– “Dignitaries” is the word doxa, and given the context in this passage likely refers to angels.
This would be holy angels as well as fallen angels. These false teachers are speaking evil (literally blaspheme)
the angels. This would include Satan and the fallen angels who are all still angels. But notice the example that
Jude gives of Michael the Archangel, who when contending with Satan over the body of Moses, “dared not bring
against him a reviling accusation,” but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” This is the example Jude holds out
to us that demonstrates how we should think and behave when confronted by Satan and the fallen angels. But
these false teachers brazenly against them.

v10a. “But these speak evil of whatever they do not know;” –– Again, the word translated “evil” is the Greek
word for “blaspemy.” These false teachers brazenly blaspheme anything they do not see, know, understand,
perceive. Such blasphemy includes mockery, belittlement, false witness, slander, railing, reviling, etc.

v10b. “and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.” ––
These false teachers are only concerned with those things they know naturally, according to their nature, and in
those things they behave as irrational animals filling themselves with corruption. This could be anything from
sexual immorality to corrupt beliefs. All manner of corruption.

v11a. “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain,” –– Like Cain, they defiantly approach God on
their own terms rather than God’s terms. Like Cain, they lie, they are hypocrites, they are full of hatred, and for
all intents and purposes they are unbelievers, and as unbelievers they are servants of Satan.

v11b. [They] “have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit,” –– These false teachers valued financial
gain more highly than God's will and led their followers into the path of Satan. They chose profit over integrity.

v11c. “and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” –– Like Korah, these false teachers are rebelling against God.

v12a. “These are spots in your love feasts,” –– Some translations say these false teachers are “hidden reefs.”
The principle here is that false teachers will destroy you. Whether they are spots, or blemishes in your love feasts
where they do not actually love anyone other than themselves, and they view the sheep as a means to an end, or
whether they are hidden reefs that will suddenly sink the unwary (undiscerning) ship, false teachers are deadly to
true biblical Christians. In Matthew 16:6,12 Jesus taught about the leaven of the Pharisees. These two verses
read, “6 And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” … “ 12
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees
and Sadducees.” and Galatians 5:9 tells us, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” Jude is simply
reiterating these passages. The false teaching of these false teachers will soon infiltrate its way through an entire
congregation and beyond, corrupting any who hear and listen to its teaching.

v12b. “while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves.” –– These false teachers will sit
down in fellowship with true Christians, while all the time serving only themselves. These false teachers view
their congregations and any who listen to them, as nothing more than a means to an end. That end is often
recognition, adulation, wealth, etc., and sometimes nothing more than the desire to destroy another human being.

v12c. “They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds;” –– They have no spiritual substance, and
offer no spiritual sustenance. They will often get carried away by a new false teaching, or build an entire false
doctrine on only the flimsiest of Scriptural support, often twisting Scripture to arrive at their foregone
conclusions.

v12d. [They are] “late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;” –– As a tree that does
not bear any fruit is dead, when it is pulled up by the roots it is twice dead. False teachers are the same way.
They bear no good fruit, they are twice dead.

v13a. [They are] “raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame;” –– They rant and rail, often from
the pulpit, lashing out at perceived enemies and perceived reprobates, and all to their own eventual shame (cf
Isaiah 57:20).

v13b. [They are] “wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” –– They have
no spiritual anchor, no spiritual grounding. They have a spot in hell reserved for them. They are the true
reprobate.

vv14-15 “14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the
Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh
things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” –– They are counted among those whom the Lord
will convict due to their ungodly deeds and execute judgment on.

v16a “These are grumblers,” –– a murmurer, one who discontentedly complains against God.

v16b. “complainers,” –– blaming one's lot or destiny on others, discontented, complaining.

v16c “walking according to their own lusts;” –– Following their own desires.

v16d. “and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.” –– They flatter people
with the ear tickling words simply to gain advantage over them, manipulating them, telling people exactly what
they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear.

And then Jude reminds us that we have been warned in the past about these false teachers who will come into
our midst:

vv17-19. “17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord
Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according
to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.” –– The
Apostles and Christ Himself had much to say about false teachers (1 John 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter
2:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:24), and here Jude exhorts us to remember
what they said; for they warned us about the proliferation of false teachers in the end times, that they would be
mockers and follow their own desires. Jude advises us to follow the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 16:17-
18, “17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances
contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such people are slaves, not of our
Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the
unsuspecting.”

v20-21. Jude then tells us to “...20building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21
keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” We
are to remain in prayer (1 Thess 5:16-18; Rom 12:12; Col 4:2), we are to remain in God’s Word (John 8:31), we
are to remain in fellowship with a local body of believers (Heb.10:25), and above all we are to remain firmly
entrenched in the Lord (Heb.10:23,35-36; 1Cor.15:58; 2Tim.2:15; 1Cor.4:2; Heb.3:14; 1Cor.16:13; Gal.6:9;
Jam.1:12; 2Pet.1:5-7; Is.26:3-4). Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the
faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless
indeed you fail the test?” and again in Philippians 2:12, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling.” Our life with God, being obedient to His holy Word, is to be the be all and end all of our existence.
See also:

“What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit,
but I will sing with my mind also. ” – 1 Corinthians 14:15 (ESV)

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance,
making supplication for all the saints” – Ephesians 6:18 (ESV)

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind
of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” – Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)

Praying in the Spirit is praying according to the Spirit’s leading. It is praying for things the Spirit leads us to
pray for. Romans 8:26 tells us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we
ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Therefore,
praying in the Spirit should be understood as praying in the power of the Spirit, by the leading of the Spirit, and
according to His will, not as praying in tongues. https://www.gotquestions.org/praying-Spirit.html

Jude goes on in verses 22-23 with an exhortation. He tells us in verse 22, “And on some have compassion,
making a distinction.” Meaning that while we are to have compassion on all, all do not warrant the same
amount or same type of compassion. It depends on the person and the situation. Needless to say, however, we are
to be aware of those around us and their needs, and we are to meet those needs. Jude goes on in verse 23 to say
that there are some we are to simply grab them and pull them away from the fires of hell where they are playing
around dangerously close to. This is an emergency situation where the spiritual life of a brother or sister is in
grave danger. An example would be a brother becomes involved with a Ouija Board, thinking it is nothing more
than a toy, a distraction. It would be our responsibility to first warn him, and try to convince him to give it up.
But, if all else fails, then to simply take it ourselves and destroy it. A rash move, and one that could result in
unwanted consequences. A lost friendship. Arrested or ticketed for theft and destruction of property. Scorn and
disdain from those who would have allowed him to remain playing with evil. But an action which Jude tells us
we must take if the situation warrants it.
Jude then concludes his brief letter with one of the most beautiful doxologies in Scripture, giving glory to God in
verses 24-25, and providing us with a wonderful example of how we are to view God:
24
 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25
 To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Note also: Verses 5-6: Here, Jesus is said to have been the one to save the Israelites out of Egypt, and the one
who destroyed those Israelites who did not believe, and later abandoned God, as well as the One who has
imprisoned the fallen angels. Jude equates Jesus with the God of the Old Testament. Here is another proof that
Jesus is God. ––– Question for Jehovah's Witnesses and others who deny the deity of Jesus Christ: Who saved
the Israelites out of Egypt? Who imprisoned the fallen angels? Scripture says it was God who did this. Here in
Jude, the writer states that it was Jesus!

Outline of Biblical Usage of the Greek word doulos

1. a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
1. a slave
2. metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by
Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
3. devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests
2. a servant, attendant
Ancient Greek Chiton