Inspiration

Jude

Author:
In the first verse, the author calls himself “Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.” Therefore, he is most commonly thought to be Jude, the half-brother of Christ.
The only Jude it could possibly be is one of the apostles but the way he refers to the apostles in in verse 17 leads us to believe that he wasn’t that Jude.
In spite of its limited subject matter and size, Jude was widely accepted by the early church leaders and referred to often by them.

Purpose:
Jude seems to have intended to write on one subject but changed his mind when he heard about the dangerous false teachers. They had already crept into the congregation and Jude heaped condemnation on them (v.13). Their problem was that they were “turning the grace of our God into immorality (v.4). This evidently referred to a humanistic belief that God’s grace entitles believers to do whatever they want morally without having to follow God’s commandments.
The false teachers were motivated by their own sensual lust and desire for financial gain (v. 16). So, Jude wrote this letter as a warning to the believers. Not only did he attack falsehood, he encouraged these believers to stay true to the faith and to reach out compassionately to those who were tempted to compromise with the false teachers (vv. 20-22).
Jude wrote to condemn false teachers who were trying to convince Christians that they could sin because they had been forgiven and God’s grace covered them. Jude wants us to oppose this teaching with the truth about God’s grace.

Words to study

separate – to disjoin, part, separate from another; making divisions or separations

themselves – himself, herself, itself, themselves

natural – of or belonging to breath; having the nature and characteristics of the breath; governed by breath; the sensuous nature with its subjection to appetite and passion

Spirit – wind; spirit, soul, self; disposition, spiritual state; a spirit (angelic or demonic), the Spirit (Holy Spirit)

Notes:

They cannot see beyond their natural inclinations to the spiritual. They dwell on the natural, sensual, or lustful nature of humanity.

They separate themselves from the true church because it is too confining for them. They want the “freedom” to do what they want to do.

1 Corinthians 2:14, But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

James 3:15, This wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.