Jude identifies himself as “a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,” which also means he was the brother of Jesus. He wrote his letter to “those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ.” His letter sounds very much like 2 Peter 2.
Romans 1, 2 Peter 2, and Jude all seem to describe the times we are living in. Jude reminds that the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ warned that, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” They are “ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” He appeals to us to “contend earnestly for the faith,” building ourselves up on our most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
NOTE ON MY SUMMARIZING STYLE: I always want to “show my work,” like I used to have to do in school. I revere the word of God with gravity. I always want you to be able to go back to the full original source, provided by links to the appropriate daily reading, to verify my summary. I start with an outline at the bottom of the document, and then I progressively refine my summaries as I move to the top. It is an exercise that helps with my comprehension and I pray it helps with yours.
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: The apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ warned, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These ungodly persons “turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” They “defile the flesh”, “reject authority,” and revile things “they do not understand” (like angelic majesties). The “things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.” They are “grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.” They “cause divisions” and are “worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.” Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about them, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” The Old Testament serves to give testimony. God destroyed those among the Israelites who did not believe, even after rescuing them out of Egypt. He has kept rebellious angels in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah as examples in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire “since in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh.” The punishments of Cain, Balaam, and Korah are all examples. Jude appeals to us to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” Building ourselves up on our most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, we must keep ourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Have mercy on the doubting. Save other, snatching them from the fire. On some, “have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” He is able to keep us from stumbling, and to make us stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great joy.
SHORTER CHAPTER SUMMARY:
Chapter 1: “ Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” “I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude reminds that “the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.” And rebellious angels, “He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” Yet these men “defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.” Jude uses Michael the archangel as an example, “when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses.” He did not pronounce a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” “These men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them!” They have “gone the way of Cain,” “rushed headlong into the error of Balaam,” and “perished in the rebellion of Korah.” Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about them, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” They are “grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.” Remember the words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” They “cause divisions’ and are “worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.” Building “yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” Have mercy on some who are doubting. Save others, “snatching them out of the fire.” On some, “have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
LONGEST CHAPTER SUMMARY:
Chapter 1: “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’ These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
OUTLINE:
Jude 1
Introduction (v1-4):
“Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
“To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
“May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.
“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation,
“I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
“For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
“Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, (v5-7):
“after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.
“And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,
“just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”
“Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.” (v8-13):
“But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’
“But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.
“Woe to them!
“For they have gone the way of Cain,
“and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam,
“and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
“These are the men who are
hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves;
clouds without water, carried along by winds;
autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;
wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam;
wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.”
“It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying,” (v14-16):
‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’
“These are
“grumblers,
“finding fault,
“following after their own lusts;
“they speak arrogantly,
“flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.”
“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ (v17-23):
“These are the ones
who cause divisions,
“worldly-minded,
“devoid of the Spirit.
“But you, beloved,
“building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
“praying in the Holy Spirit,
“keep yourselves in the love of God,
“waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
“And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
“save others, snatching them out of the fire;
“and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”
Closing (v24-25):
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”