Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
to them that are sanctified by God the Father,
and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Mercy unto you, and peace, and love be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write
unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you
that ye should earnestly contend for the faith
which was once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men crept in unawares,
who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the
grace of our God into lasciviousness, and
denying the only Lord God,
and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 1-4
Who is this man Jude? Little is mention of Jude in the New Testament, except in the list of apostles which state that Jude was the brother of James the less. Who was this James the less? The word "less" does not mean that James was a lessor apostle, no, it was a way to differentiate him from other men names James. The apostle James the less was martyred in Jerusalem about the time of the Passover in the spring of Nero's 10th year as emperor. We can find that James the less are to be found in the writings of Josephus, Eusebius, and Jerome. James the less was killed prior to the burning of Rome. Jude the brother of James the less writes this epistle about the year 65 A.D. and is addressed to believers. According to tradition, Saint Jude suffered martydom about 65 AD in Berirut, in the Roman province of Syria, together with the apostle Simon the Zealot. Tradition holds that Saint Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria,Mesopotamia and Libya (About Saint Jude, Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, San Franciso, Ca." Stjude-shrine.org. Retrieved August 03-2016). Jude had in mind to write to believers to characterize and condemn false teachers, and to enforce the practice of holiness. Many errors had sprung up in the early Church and many of those errors are in some so-called Christian Churches today.
Jude reminds us that we who are Authentic Christians are preserved by God in Jesus Christ, and are called, called to everlasting life. Jude then gives to us his desire for us to have mercy, and love, and be multiplied in those things. Furthermore, we are to be diligent and earnestly contending for the faith, this faith that was once delivered. Many today are attempting to deliver another gospel, another type of faith, a faith that was not "once delivered."
Some men and women have stealthily crept into the Church bringing with them a theology that is a false theology and they have done this because to our shame we have been asleep, "asleep at the wheel." The word "ordained" must be understood so that we do not misunderstand it for it means to be marked out. How were they "marked" out before they came to be in existence? It was that those who teach false doctrine have condemnation for their efforts to mislead the people of God. These men and women for their own profit mislead people and change the grace of God into licentiousness. We can see this when we hear or read of a Church allowing homosexuals into the ministry, or allow abortion, the murder of the unborn. Some so-called Christian Churches are more of a playground, a place where a person can come and shout to their hearts desire, to have a euphoric encounter, and it is not wrong to shout, it is wrong to shout when you are shouting at some false teaching, albeit that person does not see it as false teaching: they have succumbed to their own feelings above the truth. I hear of a Church, Bethel Church, here in Redding, California where the congregants are running through a "tunnel of fire" as though this was a worship to God. Oh, how we love to be entertained!
Godly living is simple: do follow the commands of God. Love your brothers and sisters in the love of God. Be charitable and be concerned for those in your congregation. Aid them, help them, clean their house if needed, to repair their car, and more.... be an Authentic Christian. Be diligent, be one who looks to serve God rather than yourself. Missionaries are almost the thing of the past for many Churches do not lead men and women, boys and girls, to consider being a full-time minister as a missionary. But there is much talk about how awful it is for those in countries where the Gospel is not preached. Where are the workers? The harvest is ripe!
Jude reminds us that Jesus Christ is God, not an angel, not a created being, but God. How? The Greek once again tells us the truth: there is not article in front of God or the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Greek word, "kai," conjoins those two nouns to be speaking of them as one. We who willing to be earnestly contending for the faith have every reason to do so for it is God, Jesus Christ who calls us into His service, to use us as the means to spread the Gospel. Will you contend or just lazily go along believing that you are saved and going to heaven no matter what occurs. Remember, you will give an account of all that you have said and done in your life. May God say: "Well done, faithful and discreet servant."
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice
of the LORD thy God, to keep
His commandments and His statutes
which are written in this book of the law,
and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God
with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Deuteronomy 30:10
Be a faithful steward for God
Richard L. Crumb
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