In Jude's epistle we see
a general appeal to contend for the faith.
Let's take it from verse 4:
Dear friends, although I was
very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled
to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for
all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain
individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly
people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny
Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
5 Though you already
know all this, I
want to remind you that
the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later
destroyed those who did not believe.
6 And the angels who
did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper
dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgement on the great Day
.7 In a similar way,
Sodom and Gomorrah and
the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion.
They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Italics,
bold and divisions mine.
It is useful to know that the word 'Hebrew' means to travel, traverse, pass through. This theme is something the Bible never stops talking about. The Greek word that describes these men entering in has 'eis' which means to enter but with the idea of 'movement into.' Jude uses the following three examples assuming the reader will fill in the blanks because they 'know these things already.'
The people travelling towards the Promised Land were in the desert, a place of faith and obedience. When they got to the proximity spies were sent in. The report from the majority was a fear filled response and because of this a generation was wiped out. Jude doesn't labour on the story and assumes the readers are familiar with the detail. If I was to say 'Calvary,' what would readily appear in a believers mind would be several factors associated with Jesus' crucifixion. It appears Jude relies on this for the reader to make sense of the three passages. God destroyed the people because they were not trusting him and thus could not enter the Promised Land. Watch for this theme of 'entry-into.'
Why did the people not believe?
Why does Jude go from the destruction of the unbelievers to the abandoning Angels? Because one of the reasons they wouldn't enter was because of Nephilim, 'giants.' Jude seems to assume the reader will connect the two because they are would readily bring to mind why they didn't enter. The Angels who left their places and their habitation may be the 'Sons of God' in Genesis 6. These Angels came into this realm and somehow impregnated beautiful women of the earth. There are several other theories but Jude's Epistle, if I am modelling this correctly, confirms the Angelic theory and subsequent Nephilim race of half breeds. This second example has a theme of entry into our realm and the pursuit of flesh not of their own, an entering-into theme.
Why did the Angels leave their dwelling places?
The third example seals it for me. It is stated 'likewise' or 'similarly.' So something about the Angels abandoning their appointed places and Sodom and Gomorrah is similar. What we find in this third story is the Homosexuals pursuing the Angels. Jude has assumed the reader has looked at the abandoning Angels example, linked it to why they abandoned it, and seen the two occasions Angels and humans are involved. The NIV fails here but the KJV tells us the homosexuals were 'going after strange flesh,' another entering-into theme.
All three examples have themes of the defilement of Divine entry that brings Judgement. Because the whole subject matter is the men 'entering into alongside believers,' Jude is showing how serious and grave the situation is. False teachers, as these men turn out to be, are described as not just wrongly applying something of God. It's not just people stuffing up... it is an abomination for them to be alongside God's blessed children at all. The examples show the intent to pursue was to sow their seed among that which was not 'of' them. Their intention towards and their being their at all are two themes here. The people in the desert were pursuing a safety and security as they approached their entry point. Unbelieving people cannot enter the Promised Land as the Promise requires faith. They were not 'of' it in their unbelief. The Angels were pursuing flesh not 'of' them. The Homosexuals were also pursuing flesh not 'of' them. In all the examples their intention was wicked
The Men who crept in among the believers 'by stealth' are not 'of' believers, yet entered anyway.
A while ago I was talking to some friends who are believers and they couldn't see why certain characters are in my 'red' compartment. I have a red / amber / green system for assessing whether someone is a false teacher or not. Red is 'danger' as you'd expect. Amber has people who are just slack in my opinion in certain areas. Green is my larder of Bible Teachers. There's a good selection in there and not all agree 100% doctrinally with me on some things. These friends have not taken seriously the threat of false teaching and lets them off the hook. Jude absolutely slams them in terms that couldn't be stronger.
It's a sign of the last days I'm afraid. In Jude v17 we have a situation that pops up now and again where what is true of Jude's day will be especially true, or of increasing measure, in the last days. Friends this is the end of days and there's more false teachers around than you think. Ask God to give you a keen discernment and eyes to seek and rout out the invaders. This is to contend.
Gary Ward
It is useful to know that the word 'Hebrew' means to travel, traverse, pass through. This theme is something the Bible never stops talking about. The Greek word that describes these men entering in has 'eis' which means to enter but with the idea of 'movement into.' Jude uses the following three examples assuming the reader will fill in the blanks because they 'know these things already.'
The people travelling towards the Promised Land were in the desert, a place of faith and obedience. When they got to the proximity spies were sent in. The report from the majority was a fear filled response and because of this a generation was wiped out. Jude doesn't labour on the story and assumes the readers are familiar with the detail. If I was to say 'Calvary,' what would readily appear in a believers mind would be several factors associated with Jesus' crucifixion. It appears Jude relies on this for the reader to make sense of the three passages. God destroyed the people because they were not trusting him and thus could not enter the Promised Land. Watch for this theme of 'entry-into.'
Why did the people not believe?
Why does Jude go from the destruction of the unbelievers to the abandoning Angels? Because one of the reasons they wouldn't enter was because of Nephilim, 'giants.' Jude seems to assume the reader will connect the two because they are would readily bring to mind why they didn't enter. The Angels who left their places and their habitation may be the 'Sons of God' in Genesis 6. These Angels came into this realm and somehow impregnated beautiful women of the earth. There are several other theories but Jude's Epistle, if I am modelling this correctly, confirms the Angelic theory and subsequent Nephilim race of half breeds. This second example has a theme of entry into our realm and the pursuit of flesh not of their own, an entering-into theme.
Why did the Angels leave their dwelling places?
The third example seals it for me. It is stated 'likewise' or 'similarly.' So something about the Angels abandoning their appointed places and Sodom and Gomorrah is similar. What we find in this third story is the Homosexuals pursuing the Angels. Jude has assumed the reader has looked at the abandoning Angels example, linked it to why they abandoned it, and seen the two occasions Angels and humans are involved. The NIV fails here but the KJV tells us the homosexuals were 'going after strange flesh,' another entering-into theme.
All three examples have themes of the defilement of Divine entry that brings Judgement. Because the whole subject matter is the men 'entering into alongside believers,' Jude is showing how serious and grave the situation is. False teachers, as these men turn out to be, are described as not just wrongly applying something of God. It's not just people stuffing up... it is an abomination for them to be alongside God's blessed children at all. The examples show the intent to pursue was to sow their seed among that which was not 'of' them. Their intention towards and their being their at all are two themes here. The people in the desert were pursuing a safety and security as they approached their entry point. Unbelieving people cannot enter the Promised Land as the Promise requires faith. They were not 'of' it in their unbelief. The Angels were pursuing flesh not 'of' them. The Homosexuals were also pursuing flesh not 'of' them. In all the examples their intention was wicked
The Men who crept in among the believers 'by stealth' are not 'of' believers, yet entered anyway.
A while ago I was talking to some friends who are believers and they couldn't see why certain characters are in my 'red' compartment. I have a red / amber / green system for assessing whether someone is a false teacher or not. Red is 'danger' as you'd expect. Amber has people who are just slack in my opinion in certain areas. Green is my larder of Bible Teachers. There's a good selection in there and not all agree 100% doctrinally with me on some things. These friends have not taken seriously the threat of false teaching and lets them off the hook. Jude absolutely slams them in terms that couldn't be stronger.
It's a sign of the last days I'm afraid. In Jude v17 we have a situation that pops up now and again where what is true of Jude's day will be especially true, or of increasing measure, in the last days. Friends this is the end of days and there's more false teachers around than you think. Ask God to give you a keen discernment and eyes to seek and rout out the invaders. This is to contend.
Gary Ward
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