Jude 3–4 (ESV) — 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you
about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to
contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were
designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our
God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
NOTE: Jude intends
to write an encouraging letter about their common salvation. I can imagine the
letter he would write, extolling the joys and benefits of salvation, the
freedom from the law, and the glorious hope as sons of God, and heirs to the
kingdom. [Incidentally, I like the term "sons of God" to describe
believers, because in Jewish tradition, the son received a special inheritance,
so to neutralize the gender removes the meaning of the thought -- there is no
difference, male and female are all one in Christ, but our inheritance is the
inheritance of a son.] Anyway, Jude does not write about what he intended, but
rather on a topic of need. Apparently, in the early church, certain people,
ungodly people, had crept into the church and were leading the church astray
using sensuality. And that is a slippery slope that even leads to denying our
only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Just as Peter warned in his letters, we
need to be very careful with "new" teaching. Does it make sense in
light of scripture? Does it agree with all of scripture? Does it uphold
godliness and holiness? Does it exalt Jesus Christ as the son of God? There are
probably more questions that could be asked, but these are a good starting
point. Beware teaching that does not conform to the teaching and example of
Jesus Christ.
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