Epistle of Jude November 3, 2013 Bob Eckel 1 Jude 4:1-4 -“Greetings, The Faith & Ungodly Persons 1” Jude 1:1 - Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: –Roger did a thorough job last week in confirming that Jude was a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ and James. Bondservant - one who gives himself up to another's will; those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men Details?????

Epistle of Jude November 3, 2013 Bob Eckel 2 Jude 4:1-4 -“Greetings, The Faith & Ungodly Persons 1” Why didn’t Jude call himself an apostle (vv. 17,18)? –Who are those that are called? Those invited by God in the proclamation of the Gospel to obtain eternal salvation. –Rom 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. –I Cor 1:24 - …but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. But we always need to remember that God would have all come to salvation! –I Tim 2:4 - …who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. –sanctified by God the Father God’s will is to keep us all in a position to persevere and stand firm; and that position is in Jesus Christ!

Epistle of Jude November 3, 2013 Bob Eckel 3 Jude 4:1-4 -“Greetings, The Faith & Ungodly Persons 1” –Is there any other ground on which we can stand firm? –Note the perfect passive tense of all of these verbs. Jude 1:2 – “Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.” –Why mercy here not grace? Mercy – ‘is the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of Him who shows it.’ – Vine’s –Titus 3:5 - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Grace – ‘stresses the character of the "benefit," as the effect of the gracious disposition of the benefactor.’ - Vines –Eph 2:8 - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that

Epistle of Jude November 3, 2013 Bob Eckel 4 Jude 4:1-4 -“Greetings, The Faith & Ungodly Persons 1” not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, The contrast is what we deserve vs. what we don’t but receive. –A reminder for what follows? –And then there’s peace and love to be multiplied. peace and love here are God’s not man’s. –A true and comforting position of rest and trust! »What a contrast! Jude 1:3 – “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Epistle of Jude November 3, 2013 Bob Eckel 5 Jude 4:1-4 -“Greetings, The Faith & Ungodly Persons 1” –our common salvation – the simple gospel truth; no discussion here –but now the exhortation – best interpreted here as strengthen and/or encourage And it’s to contend earnestly for the faith –contend earnestly is one word »‘… as a combatant’ – Vines “The faith” (with article) here is the set of teachings of the apostles and prophets that began before the apostle Paul became a believer (Acts 6:7 uses “the faith”, but the apostle Paul did not become a believer until Acts 9), and what constituted “the faith” grew over time – Vern Peterman. –In some passages the term “the faith” is simply belief in the gospel by which one is saved, that is, that Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again (Acts 6:7; 1 Cor 15:3,4).

Epistle of Jude November 3, 2013 Bob Eckel 6 Jude 4:1-4 -“Greetings, The Faith & Ungodly Persons 1” –But in other cases “the faith” is the saving gospel plus all the other teachings of the apostles and prophets up to that time: »Eph 4:11-16; I Tim 4:6; Gal 1:23; I Tim 4:1 –Sometimes The Faith = The Truth and Sometimes The Faith = The Gospel »II Thess 2:13 –Christ typically referred to the truth not the faith – John 16:12,13 –Another manifestation of ‘the faith’ is being of one mind. »Acts 2:43-47, 15:22-33; Rom 12:16, 15:5; I Cor 1:10; Phil 1:27, 2:2 »And II Pet 3:14-16 strongly indicates that Peter knew of Paul’s letters and was on the same page, defending ‘the faith’. –Thus, ‘the faith’ here and elsewhere in scripture is more than the simple gospel message, but the doctrine!