Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 3
I found the following information from the Lexham Bible Dictionary helpful as I studied the book of Jude….
The church addressed in this letter had already heard the apostles’ original message, believed it, and accepted it; however, they had not received any new revelation for some time. The church members were waiting for Jesus, but were unclear how to live through a time of great change and challenge without receiving new guidance. False teachers, who claimed to have new revelations from a higher source, infiltrated the church, causing division and conflict as they attempted to replace the original apostles’ message. These “others,” or opponents, felt they were no longer limited by the ethical side of the Jewish law and could live any way they wanted to without sinning. In essence, they preached that their new “spiritual” revelation replaced the message the original apostles had brought to the church.
In this letter, the author confronts this challenge to the true message of the apostles. The letter addresses the following questions:
• Whether the church should change with the times to take advantage of the most modern view of what it means to be a Christian or remain faithful to the original apostolic message.
• The true definition of faith and orthodoxy in a changing world.
• How the church could defend itself from a distorted message that threatened to corrupt it.
These questions are still prevalent in His church today. Regardless of when Jesus returns, we are to be a people prepared and preparing others, looking for and hastening His return, which will keep our lives holy and godly while we wait, 2 Peter 3:11.12.
If Judes letter was written to those first Christians, the return of Jesus in their lifetime was first and foremost in their expectation. With ‘delay’ there is always temptation to doubt and examine, which made them susceptible to new thought from new teachings.
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to examine everything carefully; holding fast to that which is good, abstaining from every form of evil. In the examination, #1381 dokimazo: refers to confirming ("proving") something is genuine, i.e. not overtly to disprove it. It shows something passes the necessary test (scrutiny, examination) – "to prove with a view to approve" (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 22).
We are to find the good, steering clear of any evil that would be suggested. Try to remember it’s the heart of man that allows temptation to birth sin. It’s the want to’s we carry. It’s not what we do, but why we do it. It might start with thoughts and feelings, but it touches the hearts desires.
As the church moves forward in these days, we will find much ‘new’ being offered. It’s simply the way of man. The eyes of man are never satisfied. One generation to the next seeks to be different from the last. But there is one thing that is eternal and will never change and that is Jesus, the eternal, everlasting word of God. He is the rock of our salvation, our firm foundation. We don’t add to that. We build upon it as He reveals to us His purpose, plans, times and seasons. We don’t take His words and wrestle them to our own destruction, twisting and perverting them because of our lack of understanding, 2 Peter 3:16.
Because He works through man, and man is fallible, we must examine all things and prove the good in them by looking at them through the lens of His word. He is the standard for which all things are judged, Acts 17:31.
Judes exhortation to the church to keep free from all error was to build themselves up in their most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping themselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of Jesus Christ, the Lord who leads to eternal life.
These eternal words will continue to hold us steady, faithful and true to Him while we wait.
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, though Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.