Overview
In the introduction to these last few letters, I mentioned the negative impact of Gnosticism on the early church. These Gnostics, or false teachers, had worked their way into several congregations and were threatening "the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (v.3b). The two major characteristics of Gnosticism that John and Jude emphasize were (1) the de-humanizing of Jesus and (2) the gap between faith and practice. The Gnostics were immoral mystics with a low view of Jesus.
So Jude urges his readers to "contend for" (v.3) and "build [themselves] up in [their] most holy faith" (v.20). He doesn't analyze or systematize this faith — he assumes they know what he's talking about. In this sense it seems that Jude was more interested in arousing his readers to action than in informing them of what it was they were contending for.
Jude focuses on certain "godless men" (4b) who are immoral and who denigrate Jesus (4c). They claim to be spiritual giants but they are in fact carnal and devoid of the Spirit of God (v.19). They are more like animals than men (v.10).
He challenges his readers to remember the warnings of the apostles about scoffers in the last days (verses 17,18), and to "keep [themselves] in God's love" as they "wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring [them] to eternal life" (v.21). The letter closes with a most marvelous benediction — one which takes on great meaning in the context (verses 24,25).
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