EXORTATION & DOXOLOGY - JUDE 17-25

Exhortations
17-23

This is a new section and, except for a short doxology, the last section. The body of the letter began with the word “beloved” and this closing section does also. The exhortation has a triad. First, Jude reminded his readers of the predictions of the apostles regarding false teachers. Second, Believers should remain in the love of God. Third, Jude teaches his readers how to treat those who have been influenced by the false teachers.

Jude wanted his readers to remember that God was not caught by surprise when false teachers arose. He called them “scoffers”, those who scoff at the truth of God’s word. And, they follow their own ungodly passions. Since they want to follow their sinful passions, they scoff at those portions of scripture that condemn their actions.

But, God does not update his word or his standards to fit the mood of the times.
The Lord is righteous. (Psalm 11:7) He is the standard of what is right. He always acts in accordance with what is right. He does not change. (Malachi 3:6 - For I the LORD do not change.)

God knew false teachers and scoffers would come and he revealed that fact to the apostles so they could warn the church. (17) We are God’s “beloved”, those whom he loves. He does not leave his loved ones in ignorance. Rather, he prepared them, and us, with warnings. When we are worried about things going on in our time, we look to the predictions of the apostles and remember that the Lord knew this would happen and warned us through the apostles. It does not make us happy about what is going on, but it makes us secure in God’s knowledge and sovereignty.

These warnings could certainly have been oral warnings that were passed down. But at least some were also written down. Matthew recorded Jesus’ warning of false prophets. (Matthew 7:15-20) He said they were ravenous wolves who dressed in sheep’s clothing. In other words, they worked to look like believing teachers, but they were out for their own gain. He instructed us that we could know them by their fruits.

For example, Rick Warren, the California pastor, gives 90 percent of his income to the church. It would be hard to claim he is in ministry to make money for himself. The IRS once challenged his tax exemption for the house he lived in because the exemption exceeded the value of his house. The exemption was for $80,000. In contrast, you get research on the Internet and find the homes of television evangelists worth millions and who have net worths of many millions. You can know them by their fruits.

Paul warned the Ephesian elders of savage wolves that would attack the flock, distorting the truth in order to draw away disciples from the truth. (Acts 20:29-30)

Paul also gave warnings to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Since Jude was the brother of James, he likely heard the apostles speak and teach.

They caused divisions, as in the church at Corinth. They do not have the Spirit, so they act like lost, worldly, people. We expect sinners to sin. But when those who claim to be believers act like those who do not believe, we need to be careful around them.

The “but you” at the beginning of verse 20 is an emphatic contrast. In contrast to the false teachers, the “beloved” are to keep themselves in the love of God. There are three things listed there to do, but the only imperative (essential instruction) word is “keep”. The others are participles: building, praying, and waiting. (20) The participles tell us how to accomplish the imperative. We accomplish the instruction to keep ourselves in the love of God by building ourselves up in our faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, and waiting for the return of Christ. (21)

Notice that it is another Triad. Notice also a reference to the Trinity. We keep ourselves in the love of God the Father. We wait for the return of the Son. We pray in the Spirit.

You cannot continue strongly in the faith just by contending against false teachers. You will burn out. You must keep yourself in the love of God.

You build yourself up in the faith by continuing to grow in understanding of God’s word through study and being taught. You also grow by worshipping, participating in the Lord’s Supper, and gathering together with other believers.

You also keep yourself in the love of God by praying in the Holy Spirit. Paul similarly told us to pray in the Spirit on all occasions. (Ephesians 6:18) We pray for God’s will to be done as Jesus did in the Lord’s Prayer. We pray for God’s protection and strength to resist the attacks of the devil.

You also keep yourself in the love of God by waiting for the return of Jesus, delivering eternal life to us in his mercy. “Waiting” here has an eschatological sense. It means we live expectantly and longing for his return. As Peter showed us, living in light of the return of Jesus motivates us to stay in fellowship with him, kept in his love. In motivates us to resist the temptation to conform to the world.

Although we resist the false teachers, we show mercy to their victims, those who doubt because of what they have heard. (22) it is easy get frustrated with those who doubt, or even to be harsh with them, or to cast them aside. But Jude said we are to show them mercy, dealing with them gently to restore them to confidence in their faith.

Those who do not have mature knowledge of the Word can be led astray or pushed into doubt by those with good arguing skills. Those who are experiencing difficulties may doubt because of their suffering. These we console, nurture, and instruct in mercy.

Others are in greater danger, so much so that they need to be snatched from the fire. (23) They are in danger of judgment because they are walking away from the faith and renouncing Christ. There may be another reference here to Zechariah 3, where the high priest, Joshua, is called a burning stick snatched from the fire. (Zechariah 3:2) His sin was leading him to judgment, but the Lord removed his sin, symbolized by his dirty clothes, and forgave him, shown by giving him clean clothes. God, in his mercy, snatched Joshua from the fire of judgment by cleansing him of his sin. We, in mercy, may snatch some from the fire by showing them their error and its consequences so that they will not continue to fall under the influence of false teachers.

In showing mercy and trying to rescue those who are falling into error, we must be careful to avoid falling into their sin. Jude said we hate even the garment stained by the flesh. This again reflects Joshua and his stained robes.

We must hate sin and resist it even when dealing in mercy with those in its snare. We must remember that we are human and not impervious to temptation. We call sin “sin” and do not dilute it even while trying to rescue the sinner. And we must remain strong enough to avoid joining them in their sin and their doubt.


Doxology
24-25

Jude closed his letter with praise to God, a praise to God, praising him for his glory, majesty, dominion, and authority for all eternity. He was praising God by recognizing that all glory, majesty, and power belong to God. He had glory, power and majesty before the ages of creation even began, and will have them forevermore. We will praise him forever, now on earth and later in heaven and in the new earth.

God, whom we praise, is able to keep us from falling from the faith because of false teaching. “Stumbling” here does not mean to sin, but to fall irrevocably from the faith. He keeps our salvation for us so that we may stand before him without fault, which has been borne by Jesus, and with joy rather than fear. (25) We will be blameless. There is nothing left to blame us for.

The word translated here as “present” literally means “make you stand”. We will stand before God, secure in the faith, vindicated rather than judged, because he has kept our salvation secure.

It would be a good praise for you to add to your prayers.

And, this concludes our study of Jude!

FINAL WORDS - JUDE 14-25

Enoch’s Prophecy
14-16

In this section, Jude returns to his early theme of judgment on false teachers being prescribed by God long ago. In verse 4, he wrote that they were “designated for this condemnation”. Returning to that theme, he writes here that the prophesy of Enoch said the Lord would come with ten thousand of his holy ones to executed judgment on all the ungodly for their deeds of ungodliness and the things they have said against the Lord.

Jude was referring to a passage in 1 Enoch, which was attributed to Enoch, the seventh from Adam, who did not die but was taken into heaven because he walked with God. (Genesis 5:21-24)  He is the seventh from Adam in the list of  Adam’s descendants in Genesis 5, but some people do not believe the list is comprehensive. Instead they believe there were more men in the line, but only the well known ones were listed.

As a reminder, 1 Enoch is in the Apocrypha and is not part of the canon of scripture for the Jews and most Protestants. It was, however, a popular book in the early church.

This prophecy says the Lord comes with 10,000 of his holy ones to execute judgment on the ungodly for their actions and words.

There are also Old Testament prophecies to this effect. For example, Daniel 7:9-10 shows us God on his throne in judgment surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand angels. Zechariah 14:5 says “then the lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.”

Jesus, in Matthew 25:31, similarly said “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.” He was speaking of his return and the final judgment.

So, the point is that these false teachers will be judged and condemned at the final judgment. The implication is that, since they will be condemned by Jesus, the church should see them for what they are and resist their teaching as evil. And, we can be comforted while they persist in false teaching and immoral lifestyles that they will be held accountable on the last day. Jude tells us this with emphasis on the word “ungodly”: God will convict all the ungodly of all the deeds of ungodliness committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things ungodly sinners have spoken against God. (15)

Note that no unbelieving person escapes judgment. Jude says all the ungodly will be convicted by God. All of those who have spoke horrible and harsh things against the Lord will be convicted.

Jude finished his description of the false teachers with another triad: they were grumblers, malcontents, and loud-mouthed boasters. (16) “Grumblers” reminds us of those Israelites who complained about God in the wilderness. They complained about food from heaven and about water. They even said they wanted to return to Egypt where they were slaves! Ultimately, the refused to go into the promised land and were condemned by God to die in the wilderness.

Since the false teachers were self centered, not Christ centered or church centered, they sought to fulfill their sinful desires rather than serve others and they showed favoritism to those who would help them get what they wanted. That is why they deserved judgment.

The same type of people exist in the church today, so this word from Jude is instructive for us. There are many false teachers and their platforms today are greater than those in Jude’s time. Social media has made it possible for anyone to spread a false gospel. There are also many who manipulate and maneuver to get what they want. All of these should be resisted and rebuked, so that the body remains devoted to Jesus and his teachings.

Exortations
17-23

This is a new section and, except for a short doxology, the last section. The body of the letter began with the word “beloved” and this closing section does also. The exhortation has a triad. First, Jude reminded his readers of the predictions of the apostles regarding false teachers. Second, Believers should remain in the love of God. Third, Jude teaches his readers how to treat those who have been influenced by the false teachers.

Jude wanted his readers to remember that God was not caught by surprise when false teachers arose. He knew it would happen and he revealed that fact to the apostles so they could warn the church. We are God’s “beloved”, those whom he loves. He does not leave his loved ones in ignorance. Rather, he prepared them, and us, with warnings.

These warnings could certainly have been oral warnings that were passed down. But at least some were also written down. Matthew recorded Jesus warning of false prophets. (Matthew 7:15-20) Paul warned of savage wolves that would attack the flock, distorting the truth in order to draw away disciples from the truth. (Acts 20:29-30)

Paul also gave warnings to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Since Jude was the brother of James, he likely heard the apostles speak and teach.

They caused divisions, as in the church at Corinth. They do not have the Spirit, so they act like lost, worldly, people. We expect sinners to sin. But when those who claim to be believers act like those who do not believe, we need to be careful around them.

In contrast, the “beloved” are to do three things: (1) build themselves up in their most holy faith; (2) praying in the Holy Spirit, keep themselves in the love of God; and (3) wait for the return of our Lord, who will bestow the final mercy of eternal life upon us. (21)

Although we resist the false teachers, we show mercy to their victims, those who doubt. (21) it is easy get frustrated with those who doubt, or even to be harsh with them. But we are to show them mercy, dealing with them gently to restore them to confidence in their faith. We also instruct them so that we are, in effect, snatching them out of the fire that is reserved for the unbelieving.

While doing these acts of mercy, we avoid falling into their sin or even condoning their sin.

Doxology
24-25

Jude closed his letter with praise to God, praising him for his glory, majesty, dominion, and authority for all eternity. It would be a good praise for you to add to your prayers. 

FALSE TEACHERS - JUDE 8-13

What the False Teachers Were Like
8-13

Similar to these Old Testament people and angels, the false teachers in Jude’s time did many things that were wrong. They relied on their dreams instead of God’s word. (8) We have these claims today that people hear God tell them something that is contrary to his Word (or they just make it up).

Relying on their dreams, the false teachers commit three sins:
(1) they defiled the flesh (sexual sin);
(2) they reject authority; and
(3) they blaspheme the glorious ones. (8)

So, first, the false teachers were immoral: they defiled the the flesh, or polluted their bodies. This refers to sexual immorality. We see that in many pseudo-Christian cults today. The leaders believe they are entitled to commit sexually immoral acts with their followers. Also, some teachers teach that sexuality that is outside that permitted in God’s word is acceptable. God will hold them accountable for leading people astray.

The false teachers rejected authority. This refers to the Lord’s authority even though that is not clear in the English translation. But the Greek word used here, kyriotes, never refers to human authority. This interpretation fits in with verse 4, which says some deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

There is a reason that Jesus is called Lord. He is our master and we do what he says. It is especially grievous for one to call oneself a minister, priest, or preacher of God’s word, yet defy him by teaching other than his word says. Jesus said we are truly his disciples if we abide in his word, not if we make up our own stuff. (John 8:32)

Lastly, the false teachers blaspheme the glorious ones. To blaspheme is to insult or show contempt for deity or sacred things. In this case, the false teachers insulted or showed contempt for angels, the glorious ones. In this case, it seems to mean the fallen angels. Jude does not say why the false teachers want to insult these angels.

So, you might think that, since they are fallen, why is it bad to insult them? I think it is because they are greater than humans, at least for the time being. They are a superior level of creation than mankind. 2 Peter 2:10 also condemned those who blaspheme the glorious ones. Peter pointed out that angels who did not fall do not pronounce blasphemous judgment on the failed angels, and they are of greater might and power than humans. Peter went on to say the false teachers blaspheme about matters of which they are ignorant. So, the angels are higher beings than us and we do not know all that is involved in all of this.

As an example, Jude mentions a story about the archangel Michael dealing with the devil. It happened when Moses died. We know from Deuteronomy 34 that Moses, not being allowed to go into the promised land, died in the country of Moab and was buried there, but that no one knows where for sure.

However, the story Jude tells about Michael disputing with the devil over the body of Moses, does not appear in the Old Testament and we do not know where Jude got it. Some think it comes from a writing called the Assumption of Moses which has been lost to us.

Jude’s point, though, is that even this archangel did not show contempt to the devil, but simply said “the Lord rebuke you”, invoking the power of the Lord over Satan. That statement does have a place in Scriptures.

In Zechariah 3:1, Zechariah saw Joshua the high priest standing before the “angel of the Lord”.
stood at the angel’s right hand and accused Joshua the high priest. Joshua was guilty: his filthy garments represented his sin.

But, God forgave Joshua, as seen by his giving Joshua clean vestments and taking away his iniquity. (5) The LORD said:  “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan!”. This was a vindication of Joshua and a declared defeat of Satan.

So it appears that Satan wanted the body of Moses to prevent his proper burial, accusing him of sin. He did sin by not honoring the Lord before Israel, by striking the rock. That is why the Lord did not allow him into the promised land.

Michael, though, knew Moses was forgiven by God and, therefore, asked God to rebuke Satan and vindicate Moses. But he did not blaspheme or insult Satan.

Michael is a powerful and honored angel. He is “archangel” - one of authority and prominence.
He is one of the “chief princes”. (Daniel 10:13) He is the “great prince”. (Daniel 12:1) Yet, this great and powerful angel did not blaspheme Satan.

If he did not, we human beings certainly should not.

So Jude pronounces a judgment very similar to that in 2 Peter, saying the false teachers blasphemed what they did not understand and are destroyed.

It is important for us to observe the limits of God’s revelation to us. The Bible is sufficient- it tells us all God wants us to know & all we need to know to live the Christian life.  It is not for us to speculate or expand this revelation based on our desires, dreams or speculations. To do so risks serious error and heresy, leading to judgment.

Following this up, Jude kind of goes into a rant, comparing the false teachers first to bad characters of the Old Testament, then to unproductive things in nature. It is a blistering condemnation.

First, Just said they were like Cain, whom God rejected because he did not bring the correct offering to the Lord as Abel did. (Genesis 4) Can chose wickedness over goodness. The false teachers did the same.

They were also like Balaam, who gave himself to error for the sake of gain, meaning monetary gain. (Numbers 21 et seq)  Balaam accepted money from a foreign king to curse the Israelites. He led the Israelites into sexual sin. He was finally killed in battle, fighting the Israelites. He suffered judgment in this way, as will the false teachers who taught for financial gain.

They would have perished in Korah’s rebellion. Korah, a Levite, led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The Lord caused the earth to open and swallow them, then closed over them, in front of the whole assembly of Israel. (Numbers 16) Likewise, the false teachers would suffer terrible judgment for their actions.

Next, Jude give a long list of things to describe the false teachers; they are all dangerous or unproductive things.


They are hidden reefs (ESV & NASB) at the love feast. A hidden reef would be a danger to a ship trying to get into port & could tear the ship apart if it was grounded on the reef. It is an unseen danger. The “love feast” (including the Lord’s Supper) was a symbol of the love believers had for each other and for God. The warning is that the false teachers did not really love the believers or God and thus were a danger to the fellowship. These teachers felt no fear at eating the supper deceptively - they had no fear of the Lord.

They were shepherds feeding themselves. This is a reference to Ezekiel 34:2 - “Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?”
God promised judgment for these shepherds, leaders of Israel, that would be accountable to him. These false teachers in Jude’s time did not care about the flock; they just took care of themelves.

They were waterless clouds. (12) In a desert, a cloud with no rain is a big disappointment.
They promise much, but deliver nothing.  “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give”. (Proverbs 25:14)

They were fruitless trees. They produced no fruit as a Christian or a teacher, no good works
They were completely dead spiritually (twice dead). (12)
They were wild waves foaming their own shame. (13) While the previous example was of no works, this is an example of evil works, like a wave that washes up muck and weeds upon the shore.  “The wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.” (Isaiah 57:20)

The false teachers were like wandering stars. They did not follow the order of things prescribed by the Lord and so could not be counted on to give aid in finding your way.

The false teachers would be judged by the Lord and punished in eternity, placed in the gloom of utter darkness forever. (13) This mirrors verse 6, where rebellious angels are said to be kept in gloomy darkness until the final judgment. They will not experience the light of the glory of God.

The Promise Keeping God

THE PROMISE KEEPING GOD

After Abraham trusted God with his son, Isaac, God made a promise to Abraham. He said I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.” (Genesis 22:17)

Abraham lived a long life, but did not see the fulfillment of that promise. Yet, he believed God. And God did fulfill the promise. Hebrews 6:15 says “And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.” And Hebrews 11:12 says “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grins of san by the seashore”. You can tell the writer of Hebrews knew the book of Genesis.

Who were these descendants? Those who believe in and follow Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:29 says “and if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”

Long ago, God made a promise. He kept that promise. He kept it in his own timing and in his own way, but in a way greater than Abraham could have ever imagined. Abraham did not know how great the fulfillment of this promise would be, wrapped up in the coming of the Savior and his kingdom, but he believed and was blessed.

What does this mean for you? It means God will keep the promises he made to you as a believer in his Son. For example, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) God will give us all we need and more. He will give us eternal life, basking in him glory.

So hang in there. Abide in Christ in faith. No, you will not see all that God does when he is working. We walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7).

But he is working and he will keep his promises.

The Word

The word of God is not a trifle; it is a matter of life and death. If you treat the Scriptures as a trifle or as empty words, you forfeit life.

John Piper

JUDE: CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH (PART 1)

Today we will do something you may well have never done before: study the Letter of Jude. I am not sure I have ever heard a sermon on Jude or been in a Bible Study on Jude, although I have read it several times. That may be because it is short. Or it may be because it has some different things in it, such as quotes from the book of 1 Enoch and a reference to a writing called The Assumption of Moses.


Greeting
1-2

This is a letter rather than a book. Some call these letters epistles. This one has the classic Greek style, opening with the name of the writer, naming the recipients, and offering a blessing to the recipients.

The writer identified himself as Jude who was a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. Historically, he has been identified as one of the half brothers of Jesus and the brother of James. For example, Matthew 13:55 identifies the brothers of Jesus as James, Joseph, Simon and Judas.  Since James was the head of the Jerusalem church, as seen in Acts 15, Jude may have been trying to convey an additional sense of authority for his letter.

We do not know when Jude came to believe in Jesus. It appears from stories in that Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him during Jesus’ lifetime. When his mothers and brothers appeared outside a house where Jesus was teaching, he said his mother and brothers were those who believe. In Mark 3:21, the family went out to seize Jesus, saying he was out of his mind.

However, 1 Corinthians 15:7 says Jesus appeared to James after his resurrection. Then, in Acts 1:14, we see that when the disciples were gathered in the upper room praying, Mary and Jesus’ brothers were with them. So, it is possible that James believed upon seeing Jesus resurrected, and then led his brothers and sisters, including Jude, to believe as well.  By the time he wrote this letter, about three decades after the resurrection, he considered himself a servant, or slave, of Jesus Christ. He had also been a missionary. (1 Corinthians 9:5)

Jude wrote the letter to a church, or as a letter to be circulated among many churches. He addressed his readers as those who are called, loved by the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ.

Believers are members of the church and they were all called to to salvation. As Romans 8:28 says, they are those who are called by God according to his purpose.

Believers are loved by the Father. The are his beloved. Paul called the believers in Rome those who are loved by God and called to be saints. (Romans 1:7) He called the believers in Colassae God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved. (Colossians 3:12)

And believers are kept by Christ. Nothing can take us away from him. Jesus said no one could snatch us out of his hand. (John 10:28)

The blessing in this greeting is that mercy, peace and love would be multiplied to them. He wanted God to give them mercy, peace and love in abundance.

False Teachers
3-4

As Jude transitioned to his purpose in writing, he again referred to them as “Beloved”. Given that he has just referred to them as “beloved in God the Father”, he is probably referring to that fact again. He was writing them as those whom God loved to give them instruction. The NIV translation of “dear friends” misses that point.

Although Jude wanted to write about salvation, he found in necessary to write to them to contend for the faith in the face of false teachers. Jude wanted them to strive intensely for the faith.

He called it “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints”. (3) “Faith” here means the traditional teaching of the apostles.

The gospel was complete when it was delivered by Jesus and the apostles. It is not supplemented or corrected. It does not change. (So, any religion that purports to correct the Bible, or write other books to add to it as Scripture, must be contested.)

But there are people who want to pervert the gospel. By the time Jude wrote this letter, people had come into the church who sought to pervert God’s word. Jude said they crept in, indicating a sort of sneakiness.

The people were designated for condemnation long ago. (4) God knew they would appear and decided they would face judgment for what they did. This is in line with Proverbs 16:4, which says “The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble”.

They wanted two things: (1) to pervert God’s grace into sensuality and (2) to deny Christ as Lord.

There were those who taught that grace and forgiveness meant you had a license to sin. (4) This seems to involve sexual immorality since Jude mentioned sensuality. We know that, instead of a license to sin, we have a call to holy living.

These people also denied Jesus as our only Master (NIV says Sovereign) and Lord. They rejected his authority over their lives while still claiming to be Christians. They wanted to be free to make up their own rules for living.

Judgment on False Teachers
5-16

Jude wrote that there would be judgment for false teachers in verse 4, saying they were designated for condemnation long ago or that their condemnation was written about long ago. To prove his case, he referred to the Old Testament in three stories.

First, Jude reminded them that, after Jesus saved a people, Israel, from Egypt, he destroyed those who did not believe. He was referring to those who refused to enter the promised land and were condemned to wander in the wilderness until the whole generation died. (5) (Numbers 14)

This shows us that an initial decision to commit to Christ will not ensure salvation if one later rejects him and refuses to follow him. This would include the false teachers in Jude’s time. Commitment to Christ requires that we stand for him and we demonstrate genuine faith when we do so.  Perseverance in the faith is the sign of true faith and salvation, not saying magic words.

Second, Jude referred to angels who left their positions of authority and were kept in chains of gloomy darkness until the final judgment, when they would be cast into hell with Satan. This refers to the events of Genesis 6:1-4 when (fallen) angels took human women as wives.  God punished these angels for leaving their proper sphere and function. I do not think they are in literal chains, but they are confined and restricted, unable to enjoy god’s presence and experiencing everlasting torment.

This story is discussed in detail in the Book of Enoch, which is in the Apocrypha. Verses 14-15 also refer to this story in Enoch. Jude’s audience would have been aware of the Book of Enoch and this story, so the brief reference was enough for them to understand Jude’s point. Those who were once in God’s favor, lost it because they rebelled against him.

Third, God judged and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their sexual immorality, their pride and lack of concern for the poor (Ezekiel 16:49). Their destruction is a type of punishment by eternal fire. (7) In other words, it was a type of hell.  This story is in Genesis 19.

Jude used these three examples to show that God will indeed judge and punish those who pervert his Word.

3RD JOHN - TRUTH, HOSPITALITY, AND LOVE

Third John is a letter, as was Second John. The writer identified himself as “the elder” which was also done in Second John. Again, we believe the writer of the letter was the apostle John.

Greeting
1-4

The letter is written to a man named Gaius. John called him “beloved” and said he loved him in the truth. Therefore we know that Gaius was a Christian brother who had continued in the truth of the gospel as John had taught. And John loved him.

John prayed that things would go well for Gaius and that he would have good health, much the same as we might write to a friend today. I often begin emails with “I hope this finds you well” or “I hope you are well”. It was common in ancient letters.

John prayed for the physical well being of Gaius to go along with his good spiritual state (“as it goes well with your soul”). Gaius’ good deeds show that his spiritual life was good, that it was going well with his soul.

It appears that some brothers from John’s church in Ephesus had gone out on a preaching tour and had seen Gaius. They had reported back to John that Gaius was still walking in the truth. (3) This means Gaius was staying faithful to the truth taught by John and living accordingly.

This made John happy. He said he had no greater joy than to hear that his children were walking in the truth. “Children” would not mean young people here, but people John had led to Christ or had ministered to. Gaius was one of John’s children in this sense.

Supporting Missionaries\Providing Hospitality
5-8

John commended Gaius for extending hospitality to the brothers who had gone out preaching. He had done so much the brothers testified to it before John’s church. Evidently, Gaius had taken them in while they were in his city, and sent provisions with them for their journey when they left. He would also have vouched for them in his community.

John said it was good to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. This would mean generously and without holding back.

These brothers deserved this type of provision, because they went out for the sake of the name, meaning for Jesus, and they accepted nothing from the people who did not know Christ. John referred to them as Gentiles, meaning they were not part of the people of God. It also seems to mean that John saw the church as the new Israel, making all who were not part of the church Gentiles.

John also made the point that, when we support missionaries and evangelists, we become fellow workers. (8) We share in the work and can rejoice in the fruit of it.  Today, if we give to support the mission efforts of our church or denomination, we become fellow workers with them in proclaiming Christ to the world.

Opposition
9-10

In contrast to the generosity and support of Gaius, was a man named Diotriphes. He wanted to be in charge and did not recognize John’s authority. He liked to “put himself first”. He told lies about John. (10) That is very bold, since John was one of the Twelve. John had even written a letter to the church about it. (9) And he intended to come there personally and address it. (10) He would almost be required to do this to restore his authority.

Diotriphes also refused to help the missionary brothers. (10) He may have done this because they came from John’s church. He even went so far as to put out of the church anyone who wanted to help the missionaries.

There are those who use church to satisfy their ambitions and desire for power. There are those who do not follow the teachings of the apostles that we have in the New Testament. We must watch out for those as they do not seek the mission of the church, but their own personal missions.

Instruction and Commendation
11-12

John’s instruction was to imitate good rather than evil. The implication is that Gaius should not imitate Diotriphes, who was doing evil, even to oppose him. Rather, he should imitate good by continuing to offer hospitality to the missionaries. This is a message from the Old Testament. Psalm 34:14 says “turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it”. Because God is good, those who believe and obey him must be good. John said “whoever does good is from God. (12) Any time we use evil means, even to accomplish something good, we will bring evil into the church and it will cause harm. John said “whoever does evil has not seen God”, meaning he is not part of God’s family and in a relationship with him.

As an example, John touted the goodness of a man named Demetrius. Everyone testified to his goodness. Even John could testify to it. That is quite the commendation: everyone knows you are good.

Apparently, Demetrius was the bearer of the letter to Gaius, and this was John’s way of saying Gaius should extend hospitality to Demetrius, who was good, and who was vouched for by John himself.

Closing
13-15

As in 2nd John, John indicated he wanted to come and see them in person rather than communicate in writing. This is the same way he ended the letter of Second John.

He planned to come see them soon. They were friends of his and of those in his church.

Here are some things for you to think about this week:

1. Are you walking in the truth? 
2. Are you offering hospitality to your fellow believers?
3. Are you supporting the work of missions and evangelism? 
4. Are you obedient to the authority of your church? 

Godspeed as you think of these things, repent of any failures, and strive to love God and his church this week.