Epistle of Jude

(1)  Jude, 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:
(2)  Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
(3)  Beloved, 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.
(4)  For 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.
(5)  I 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.
(6)  And 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.
(7)  Even 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.
(8)  Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
(9)  Yet 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.
(10)  But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
(11)  Woe 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.
(12)  These 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;
(13)  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
(14)  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
(15)  To 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.
(16)  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
(17)  But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
(18)  How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
(19)  These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
(20)  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
(21)  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(22)  And of some have compassion, making a difference:
(23)  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
(24)  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
(25)  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

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Study Questions

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1. What three things does the writer affirm of himself? Verse 1.

2. Since James was his brother, who was his brother also? Verse 1. (See Galatians 1:18)

3. What is “the faith once delivered unto the saints”? Verse 3.

4. What were the “ungodly men” teaching that constituted “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness” and was tantamount to a virtual denial of the Lord Jesus Christ? Verse 4.

5. What example did the writer use to remind his readers of the danger of unbelief and disobedience? Verse 5.

6. If angels who left their proper habitation do not escape God’s vengeance, what about the false teachers Jude spoke of? Verse 6.

7. What is the third example given by the writer concerning what happens to those who disobey God? Verse 7.

8. What did the “filthy dreamers” of Jude’s day do that was like the conduct of Sodom and Gomorrah? Verse 8.

9. If one of the mightiest angels refused to speak evil of the devil, what can we say about the false teachers who spoke “evil of dignities”? Verse 9.

10. In what way were these “ungodly men” like “brute beasts”? Verse 10.

11. What can you tell about the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the gainsaying of Korah? Verse 11.

12. How were these men like clouds without water and trees without fruit? Verse 12.

13. How were they like “raging waves of the sea” and “wandering stars,” and what was their ultimate fate? Verse 13.

14. About what did Enoch prophesy and who were the “saints” (holy ones, American Standard Version)? Verse 14. (See Matthew 25:31)

15. According to Enoch, what is the purpose of the Lord’s coming? Verse 15.

16. What four additional details did Jude provide about the men of whom Enoch wrote? Verse 16.

17. What leads us to conclude in this verse that Jude was not an apostle? Verse 17.

18. Can you name an apostle who said the same thing as Jude in this verse? Verse 18.

19. The original word for “sensual” is elsewhere rendered “natural.” What are the implications of the sensual, natural, or “soulish” man? Verse 19.

20. In contrast to these men, what did Jude exhort his readers to do? Verse 20.

21. Does keeping ourselves in the love of God involve human agency? Verse 21.

22. How are we to deal with honest souls who are confused and bewildered? Verse 22.

23. What precaution are we to take in pulling out of the fire those who are more entrenched in error? Verse 23.

24. How is God able to keep us from falling (stumbling, American Standard Version) and “to present us faultless before the presence of his glory”? Verse 24.

25. What four qualities are ascribed to God and for how long? Verse 25.