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Summary

Jude 1:1–2 – Called, loved, and kept

What happens: Jude greets those called, loved by the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ. He prays for mercy, peace, and love multiplied.

What it means: God secures His people in covenant love and care. The principle is confidence in God’s keeping grace.


Jude 1:3–4 – Contend for the faith

What happens: Jude urges believers to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Certain ungodly people slip in, perverting grace and denying Jesus Christ.

What it means: God’s truth is fixed and must be defended. Twisting grace into license denies Christ’s lordship. The principle is courageous, wise contending.


Jude 1:5–7 – Past judgments as warnings

What happens: Jude reminds them of Israel saved then judged for unbelief, angels who left their place kept in chains, and Sodom and Gomorrah punished for immorality.

What it means: God is holy and consistent in judgment; privilege does not excuse unbelief. The principle is to heed warnings and remain faithful.


Jude 1:8–10 – Arrogant slander rebuked

What happens: These dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. Michael the archangel would not pronounce a railing judgment but said, The Lord rebuke you. They speak evil of what they do not understand.

What it means: God honors humble restraint and respect for His order. Prideful slander exposes rebellion. The principle is humility under God’s authority.


Jude 1:11–13 – Woe to corrupt teachers

What happens: They follow the way of Cain, rush into Balaam’s error for gain, and perish in Korah’s rebellion. Jude calls them hidden reefs, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves, and wandering stars reserved for gloom.

What it means: God condemns envy, greed, and rebellion masked by religious words. Empty appearances cannot hide coming judgment. The principle is to discern and avoid destructive leaders.


Jude 1:14–16 – Prophecy of judgment

What happens: Enoch prophesies the Lord comes with thousands to execute judgment on the ungodly. These people are grumblers, malcontents, and boastful flatterers.

What it means: God will decisively judge ungodliness. Words reveal hearts aligned against Him. The principle is fear of the Lord that checks pride and complaint.


Jude 1:17–23 – Keep yourselves in God’s love

What happens: Believers remember the apostles’ warning about scoffers. They build themselves up in the most holy faith, pray in the Spirit, keep themselves in God’s love, and wait for Jesus’ mercy. They show mercy to doubters, save others by snatching them from the fire, and show mercy with caution.

What it means: God sustains His people through spiritual disciplines and mutual care. Mercy and holiness work together. The principle is steadfast hope, prayer, and rescue of the straying.


Jude 1:24–25 – Doxology to the Keeper

What happens: Jude praises God who is able to keep believers from stumbling and present them blameless with great joy. Glory, majesty, dominion, and authority belong to Him through Jesus Christ forever.

What it means: God is powerful and joyful in saving; He completes what He begins in Christ. The principle is worshipful confidence in God’s keeping power.


Application

  • Contend for the faith with humility and clarity.
  • Practice disciplines that keep you in God’s love and show mercy to the wavering.
  • Trust the God who keeps and will present you blameless through Jesus Christ.

Bible

1Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

2Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

3Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

6And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

7Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

8Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

9Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

14And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

16These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22And of some have compassion, making a difference:

23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

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