Jude 1:1-4

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Contending Earnestly for the Faith

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. The faith of the true church has been delivered once for all.

  2. The fate of the false teachers has been determined long ago.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. You may have to change your ministry plans.

QUESTIONS

  1. Who is the writer of this epistle?

  2. What was the date of the writing of this epistle?

  3. Which phrase in Jude is a proof text for the assurance of salvation?

  4. The true church must contend earnestly for the faith. What is the true church?

  5. What is meant by “faith?” (Jude 3)

ANSWERS

  1. Jude (Judas), most likely the half brother of our Lord Jesus Christ. See Mark 6:3

  2. Probably in the 70s A.D. 2 Peter, written in the mid-60s A.D., predicted that false teachers would come within the early church, and in the epistle of Jude the false teachers have already infiltrated the church.

  3. If you are a true believer in our Lord Jesus, your salvation in Christ is secure. You are kept and preserved in Him. “To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1)

  4. All true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

  5. Faith means embracing the whole body of truth as revealed truth in Scripture.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. “…contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3). This exhortation was made to the early church, but it is an exhortation for the church today as well. The first century church was suffering derision and persecution from without and an apathetic attitude from within. Thus, Jude found it necessary to write, exhorting the believers to contend earnestly for the faith (the whole body of revealed truth in the Scriptures). Where are the “Judes” today to exhort us to contend earnestly for the faith? Do you know such a “Jude?”

  2. “…certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4) The “certain men” were the false teachers of the first century. They were the Gnostics that the apostle John also denounced in his epistles (1 John and 2 John). They distorted the word of God and preached heresy that denied the full deity of Christ. God ordained the fate of these false teachers long ago. The fate of all unbelieving false teachers is eternal damnation. This is just as true today – false teachers will be dealt with by God, as He promised.

CHALLENGE

  1. Jude was planning on writing about the more pleasant theme of our salvation, but he was forced to write about the false teachers because of the urgency of the situation (Jude 3). Have you ever had the Lord change your ministry plans? Be receptive to the leading of the Lord and the urgency of a particular situation.

KEY VERSES

  • “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 delivered once for all to the saints.” Jude 3

  • “…certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation; ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 4



Jude, Talks, New TestamentDeb HarmsJude 1:1-14