भाष्य सध्या फक्त इंग्रजीत उपलब्ध आहे. मराठी भाषांतर प्रगतीपथावर आहे.
Jude 1 — Contend Earnestly for the Faith
Jude, brother of James (and half-brother of Jesus), writes urgently. He had wanted to write about common salvation, but the church needs warning. Certain men have crept in unawares — turning grace into licentiousness. Examples from history of judged rebels: Israel, fallen angels, Sodom. Cain, Balaam, Korah. The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints. He keeps from falling.
“Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
— Jude 1:3
- v.1-2 Greeting
- v.3-4 The need to contend; men crept in unawares
- v.5-7 Three Old Testament warnings — Israel, angels, Sodom
- v.8-16 The character of the false teachers
- v.17-23 Build yourselves up; have compassion; save with fear
- v.24-25 The keeping power of God
Crept in unawares. The false teachers infiltrated. They did not announce themselves. They smuggled error in through the back door of the church.
Turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness. Antinomianism — using the doctrine of grace as license for sin. Romans 6:1 — Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. The same heresy persists.
A glimpse into a spiritual conflict not recorded elsewhere in the canonical Bible. Even Michael the archangel did not rail against Satan — he said The Lord rebuke thee.
The principle: spiritual warfare is not conducted by our own bluster. The Lord rebukes. The believer points to Him, not asserts personal authority over demonic powers. Zechariah 3:2 records the same formula.
A prophecy of Enoch quoted from outside the Old Testament. Jude treats the prophecy as true while not necessarily canonizing the source (the book of 1 Enoch).
The seventh from Adam — the man who walked with God (Genesis 5:24) — was prophesying about the Lord's return. Earliest Christian eschatology was already present at the dawn of human history. The same Lord who took Enoch will come for the saints.
After warnings about apostates, Jude turns to the believers' responsibility. Four commands: build up yourselves (verse 20), pray in the Spirit (verse 20), keep yourselves in God's love (verse 21), look for the mercy of Christ (verse 21).
The defense against apostasy is not just argument but spiritual vitality. A believer who is building, praying, abiding, looking — is not easily seduced.
Save with fear. Some need rescuing from genuine spiritual danger. The believer reaches into the fire to pull them out — but with appropriate fear of being scorched himself.
Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. The warning. Even while ministering to those in moral failure, the rescuer must not approve or imitate. The mission of grace is not a license for compromise.
The benediction at the end of Jude is one of the greatest in the Bible. Able to keep you from falling. Greek aptaistos — without stumbling. God Himself preserves His own.
Present you faultless before the presence of his glory. The day will come. The believer who feels his weakness most keenly is held by the One who is able. The trembling foot is steadied by the everlasting arms.
The only wise God our Saviour. The doxology unites salvation and majesty. The God who saves is the God of glory and power. We do not have a small Savior with great power — He is one Person.
A fitting close to a small book defending great truth. The contender for the faith ends not with anxious tone but with worship. Whatever the apostates do, to him be glory and majesty, dominion and power.
When grace is preached without holiness, watch closely. Some who claim Christ as license for sin have crept in unawares. Jude's instruction is not panic but watchfulness — build up, pray in the Spirit, keep in God's love, look for Christ's return. The believer rooted in these four practices is not easily moved by the loudest heresy of the day.
The closing benediction is Christ-centered: to the only wise God our Saviour — and that Savior is Christ Jesus our Lord. The same Lord who is able to keep you from falling is the One Jude is calling believers to follow. He preserves the contending; He completes the journey; He presents the believer faultless.
The faith which was once delivered unto the saints. The Greek hapax means once-for-all. The body of Christian truth is fixed. It is not being progressively delivered or revised by each generation.
Earnestly contend. Greek epagonizomai — to agonize over, to fight for. The faith is not preserved passively. It requires active contention against those who would alter it.