Bible Passage: Jude

“Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.” – Ephesians 4: 25

Jude’s edgy brevity communicates the urgency of his notion that false teachers needed to be condemned and removed from the church during the apostolic times. In order to get this point across, he remained very blunt and straightforward throughout this letter. He saw within the church, people and practices worthy of condemnation, including the rejection of authority and the subjection to fleshly desires.

Jude wrote this letter with only two simple purposes in mind; he wanted to expose the false teachers within the Christian community, and also encourage Christians to continue to stand firm in their faith and fight for the truth at the same time.

Jude recognized that false teachers were often at work, spreading false teachings unnoticed by the faithful. Therefore, Jude hoped to be able to heighten the awareness of the believers by writing this epistle, and describing in vivid detail just how ungodly the dissenters were.

“These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” – Jude 1: 12 – 13

However, more than simply raising awareness, Jude felt that it was important that believers stood up courageously against those working against the truth. Believers were to do this by remembering the teachings of the apostles, by building each other up in the truth and faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, and by keeping themselves under the grace of God.

In the midst of all our worldly affairs, we must know that at the foundation of it all, we are Christians who live for Christ, and hence, the truth, that is His Word. The book of Jude is the very definition of punchy and pithy proclamations, with its short commands and statements popping off the page like gun fire. Even though in this day and age, coming off so forcefully has become rude and unacceptable, and the general population prefers heeding the softer and gentler sides of the Christian faith, Jude reminds us that there will always be a right time and place to defend the truth aggressively and protect it from those who seek to tear it down.

May the good Lord always guide us and keep us.