Jude, Vss. 3-5 – “Beloved, when I gave all diligence (a compulsion generated by the Holy Spirit)to write unto you of the common Salvation (he had at first thought to write an Epistle similar to Romans, but the Holy Spirit, although the Author of the compulsion, did not lead in this direction), it was needful for me to write unto you (the implication is that whatever was to be written had to be written at once, and could not be prepared for at leisure), and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the Faith (refers to the fact that the Saints must defend the Doctrines of Christianity with intense effort)which was once delivered unto the Saints (refers to the fact that no other Faith will be given; the idea is that God gave the Christian Doctrines to the Saints as a deposit of Truth to be guarded).
“For there are certain men crept in unawares (false teachers had crept into the Church), who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men (they came in by stealth and dishonesty; however, their methods were by no means new; they would assume an outward expression of light), turning the Grace of our God into lasciviousness (refers to the fact that ‘Grace’ had been turned to license), and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ (if we deny the Cross, which is God’s Plan of Redemption, we are at the same time denying Both the Father and the Son).
“I will therefore put you in remembrance (suggests something of anxiety and upbraiding, which may be compared to the tone of Paul in writing Galatians), though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the Land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them who believed not (unbelief destroyed the Israelites in the wilderness, and it will do the same presently).”
Jude, Vss. 3-5 – “Beloved, when I gave all diligence (a compulsion generated by the Holy Spirit)to write unto you of the common Salvation (he had at first thought to write an Epistle similar to Romans, but the Holy Spirit, although the Author of the compulsion, did not lead in this direction), it was needful for me to write unto you (the implication is that whatever was to be written had to be written at once, and could not be prepared for at leisure), and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the Faith (refers to the fact that the Saints must defend the Doctrines of Christianity with intense effort)which was once delivered unto the Saints (refers to the fact that no other Faith will be given; the idea is that God gave the Christian Doctrines to the Saints as a deposit of Truth to be guarded).
“For there are certain men crept in unawares (false teachers had crept into the Church), who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men (they came in by stealth and dishonesty; however, their methods were by no means new; they would assume an outward expression of light), turning the Grace of our God into lasciviousness (refers to the fact that ‘Grace’ had been turned to license), and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ (if we deny the Cross, which is God’s Plan of Redemption, we are at the same time denying Both the Father and the Son).
“I will therefore put you in remembrance (suggests something of anxiety and upbraiding, which may be compared to the tone of Paul in writing Galatians), though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the Land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them who believed not (unbelief destroyed the Israelites in the wilderness, and it will do the same presently).”
Not too long ago I received an E-mail that began, “Who made you guardian of the church?” The Brother was quite upset with one of my messages that addressed some of the ills of the modern church. My answer to him was fairly simple; I informed him that the Lord had made me a guardian of the church. I explained to him that every minister is a “Watchman,” assigned by God to stand on the wall and sound the alarm when false doctrine and false teachers try to slip into the church. I also informed him that actually, all true Believers are to defend the Faith as well.
Simply put, as Jude will bring out, all Believers had a responsibility to stand up for truth and to defend that which is proper doctrine.
False Doctrine
Jude’s warning and admonition had to do with the fact that false teachers had come into the church teaching “damnable heresies.” Now, if false teachers and false doctrines were present in Jude’s day, is it not the same today? Actually, it is far worse today. In Jude’s day, there were two major errors the church had to contend with:
1. The “Judaizers,” who were those trying to lead the church back to the Mosaic Law and
2. The “Gnostics,” who were teaching a so-called “deeper revelation.”
There were other things as well, but those two were by far the most prevalent. Today, however, there is so much more error and false doctrine to contend with. We have had over nineteen hundred years of one lie growing upon another, until it is almost like a tidal wave washing over the church.
I remember over 30 years ago hearing Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken saying, “There is only one God, and over 150 denominations in the U.S., and common sense tells you that some of them birds are wrong.” Never were truer words ever spoken.
False teachers and false doctrine are the bane of the church. It is poison that brings spiritual death. Never forget that all error is seductive and sensual in its nature and character.
Paul, in I Timothy 4:1 said, “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” Therefore, any teaching or teachers that present anything other than that found in God’s Word is teaching doctrines of devils, backed by seducing spirits.
Jude’s warning is similar in warning and tone to
II Peter, Chapter 2. Both deal with false prophets and false doctrine. II Peter, Chapter 2 begins, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord Who bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
So I believe the warning is quite clear that Satan is ever trying to come into the church to deceive and to lead astray God’s People. Never forget Satan doesn’t come into the church with a long tail and a pitchfork, but instead he comes in through preachers who do proclaim some truth – enough truth to seduce the Saints, and then very slyly bring in his lies.
Now let’s look at what Jude wrote under the unction of the Holy Spirit.
“I Gave All Diligence To Write Unto You”
The word “diligence” proclaims a compulsion upon Jude, generated by the Holy Spirit. It speaks of extreme importance and Divine importance. So it is clear that we are not to discard, or overlook what the Holy Spirit has to say.
“It Was Needful For Me To Write Unto You”
By the use of the word “needful,” he tells us that what the Lord wanted written, had to be written at once for there were problems that had to be addressed. If it was needful to write, then isn’t it needful that it be preached? For is it not safe to say that it is worse today, than in Jude’s day?
“That You Should Earnestly Contend”
In the Greek, “earnestly contend” is the word “epazonizomai,” and is only found in Jude’s Epistle. The word speaks of a vigorous, internal, determined struggle to defeat the opposition. In fact, our word “agony” is the English spelling of the noun form of this word. The simple verb was used of athletes contending in athletic contests. These athletes would exert themselves to the point of agony in an effort to win the contest. Jude is telling us that the Saints should defend the Doctrine of Christianity with the same degree of effort and intensity. This is the Command of the Holy Spirit that God’s Truth must be defended, and that which is false must be identified.
“The Faith”
That which must be defended is “the Faith.” The Faith which Jude is speaking of here is not faith exercised by the individual Believer, but refers to Christianity itself in its historic Doctrines and life-giving Salvation. All of what Christianity stands for is based on the foundation of Christ crucified. Calvary is not a Doctrine, but the Foundation upon which all Bible Doctrine flows from. Actually, all error can be traced back to a misunderstanding of the Cross, or deviation from the Cross.
“Which Was Once Delivered Unto The Saints”
This statement, “once and for all,” means no other faith, or other doctrine will be given. God’s Word is the only true Revelation the church will receive. The word “delivered” in the Greek is “paradidomai,” and means “to give over one’s power to use, to deliver to one something to keep, to use, to take care of, to manage.” Kenneth Wuest said, “The idea is that God gave the Christian doctrines to the saints as a deposit of truth to be guarded.”
“For There Are Certain Men Crept
In Unawares”
The word “crept” in the Greek is “pareisduno,” and means to “enter in alongside, to get in by the side, to slip in a side door, to settle in alongside.” “Unawares” means that these men profess to teach the Christian faith but, in fact, deny some of the fundamental truths.
There is a Greek word in II Corinthians 11:13-15, which describes the methods of these false teachers. The word is “metaschematizo,” and is translated “transformed.”
It refers to the act of an individual changing his outward expression by assuming an expression put on from the outside, an expression that does not come from nor is it representative of what the person is in their inner character. They disguise themselves. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, and his ministers do the same. They use evangelical terms such as: salvation, faith, regeneration, atonement, resurrection, etc. They use these words and others in order to make unsuspecting Believers think they are proclaiming truth but, in fact, place their own private meanings upon them that negate the Biblical definition. So while they may use the same words, they mean something else.
Who Is To Contend For The Faith?
Now we come to the heart of the matter. Who was Jude admonishing to stand up for the truth and reveal the false doctrine and false teachers? To answer that, let’s look at Jude, Verse 1: “Jude, the Servant of Jesus Christ, and Brother of James, to them who are Sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and Called.” The answer is found in the short phrase “and Called.” It was placed at the end of the sentence for emphasis. It is an adjective used to describe those who were called in the sense of being invited; for instance, to a banquet.
As Christians, we have been “called” first to Salvation, and then “called” to defend that which has Saved us.
So the Apostle plainly tells us that we, who are Saved, must contend for the Faith. God’s glorious Truth has been given to us for safekeeping. It is up to us to contend for the Faith.
