Jude 1:1, commentary and pictures

Jude introduces himself as servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, writing to those sanctified or set apart by God the Father and preserved or kept in Jesus Christ and called, with the prayer that mercy and peace and love be multiplied to them. The address identifies God's called, sanctified and preserved people as the recipients of the warnings that follow. Those so addressed are called to be consistent in professing their faith. The description of Christians as sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and called is directed to ministers of God as those so described, urging them to study the lesson of the life of Christ.

The greeting leads into an exhortation concerning the common salvation to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. That faith must be defended against ungodly men crept in unawares who turn grace into lasciviousness and deny God and Christ, involving defilement and rebellion. These opponents include false teachers who pretend to be godly while rejecting the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The warning is supported by examples of coming judgment: the Lord's destruction of unbelievers after saving Israel from Egypt, the reservation of the angels that kept not their first estate in chains unto judgment, and Sodom and Gomorrah suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, together with Michael's dispute over the body of Moses.

Together with Daniel's vision, the letter brings scenes in the heavenly courts into view, where angels of the highest rank take interest in human affairs and both good and evil angels take active part in matters connected with earthly kingdoms. The epistle opening with this greeting speaks of conditions to be met in the present day and is a wonderful revelation to be studied earnestly, kept constantly before the people, and made prominent in preaching in these last days, because it shows present dangers and how to avoid them. It describes the pollution of the world and the working agencies of Satan to corrupt it, written for present benefit and particularly concerning believers now. The letter warns those living in the world to come out from the world and be separate, not participating in its amusements and alluring schemes nor adopting worldly policies and practices, while laboring with all God-given ability to save perishing souls.

This separation requires holding separate and distinct from men who go on in an evil course despite definite reproof and warning and have departed from the faith, giving them no place and not opening churches to them because they will deceive if possible the very elect, receiving them only if converted to bear a different testimony. To earnestly contend for the faith means the medical missionary work of bringing men back from transgression of the commandments of God, proclaiming the gospel of Christ with earnestness and zeal as light to commandment-breakers to prepare to meet God by raising the standard of truth and magnifying the law and making it honorable where it is trampled underfoot by the disloyal.