Calling the previous article and this one on the Epistle of Jude a “study” would be overstating the case, no doubt. Probably a “treatment” is more like it. Once or twice over lightly.

Those who love the Word will identify with what happened to me. After penning the previous article on Jude, I found that it lingered with me. Several statements in particular would not let me sleep last night. They kept insistig that they deserve more than the light reference we gave them previously.

Let’s call this: 5 statements that describe this faith of ours, from Jude’s epistle.

1) Ours is a revealed faith. (Jude 3)

“…the faith which was once for all entrusted to the saints.”

We did not “get up” this body of beliefs. We did not concoct it, think it up, work it up, knock it together using church councils or schools of prophets. It was given us by the Almighty.

Unless we settle this up front, nothing that follows will make any sense.

In their attack on the Christian faith, some will think they have found the fatal flaw when they point out that “your Bible was written by men; you Christians seem to think it was dropped from Heaven as a finished product.”

No one believes that. We cite the Apostle Peter when he says, “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (II Peter 1:21).

God used human instrumentation. Scriptures are saturated with the fingerprints of its human authors, and far from denying it, we revel in it. We treasure the “warts and all” character of the Bible and the personal references from those used by God to pen it. “I Paul write this greeting in my own hand” (I Corinthians 16:21). “Do your best to get here before winter” (II Timothy 4:21).

2) Ours is a finished faith; it is completed (Jude 3).

“”…once for all entrusted to the saints.”

If the Christian faith in its various components was revealed from heaven by God–and it was–then it is not man-made, not a do-it-ourselves project, and not something we should be tampering with or tweaking in misguided attempts to improve on it.

This faith of ours is complete. A completed revelation, we call it.

There will be no more books added to the Bible, no additional revelation of truth which God just thought of, no after-thoughts from celestial regions.

“Blessed are you, Simon son of John. This was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:12).

Thirty years ago, in the town where I was pastoring a visiting scholar addressed a neighboring church. The newspaper reported that this “expert in Greek and Hebrew” told that body of believers the Scriptures needed updating for that generation. If he had his way, he said, he would add more commandments, prohibitions on nuclear weapons, war, and drugs. He would lessen the restraints on sex before marriage and end the branding of homosexuality as an “abomination.”

God in Heaven foresaw such foolish tendencies of mankind and peppered His Word throughout with warnings not to add to what He had written (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; and Revelation 22:19).

Students of the Mormon religion are well aware of the problem created when a man comes up with his own holy book and tries to palm it off as “a perfect revelation.” Joseph Smith, the originator of this religion, called “The Book of Mormon” the most perfect book ever written. However, being limited in knowledge–all humans are–he had left mistakes and anachronisms throughout that book which later generations of the LDS church would have to correct.

And because the Mormon religion is manmade, it set up a council of elders which can change the divine revelation any time they get a “late-breaking” word from on high that a doctrine needs updating. For over a century, that religion barred people of African descent from the priesthood. But a few years back when this became scandalous to the church, suddenly those elders had a revelation and lo and behold, God had changed his mind.

It would have been comical if so many millions were not taken in by the ruse. We outsiders shake our heads in wonder that bright, intelligent people who otherwise are scientists and educators and achievers leave matters of eternal significance in the hands of such fallible, unworthy leaders.

People who own copies of the Holy Bible and who read it and practice the faith it presents should give thanks every day of their lives for the privilege. Far from being at the mercy of men, we may open God’s Word for ourselves and read the revelation given for our faith. This is a privilege that cost the lives of many a saint through the centuries and should not be taken lightly.

If the people who publish lists of best-sellers also included the Holy Bible, it would lead the list every week of every year without fail. There is good reason for this.

There’s nothing else like it. It meets needs no other book does. This one is of God.

3) Our faith is under attack (Jude 4-19).

“…contend for the faith….”

The Greek word translated “contend” pictures a fierce contest in which people are engaged in a life-or-death struggle.

“Certain men…have slipped in among you,” Jude tells his anonymous audience. “They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” (Jude 4)

The danger comes from within.

Let an atheist publish a book on “Why Christians are Idiots” and the church ignores the tiny ripple it causes. But when a leading pastor or respected scholar from within the church comes out with “What Your Pastor Will Not Tell You” to undermine doctrines of the faith, the result is often major damage.

We Christians are often naive. We expect opposition and attacks from outside, but the work of insiders can be subtler and deadlier. Like Formosan termites destroying the most majestic trees in my city, the work is usually not obvious until it’s too late to do anything about it.

Paul told the Ephesian pastors, “From your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30).

It has always been this way, from the beginning. We must not be taken by surprise by its continuation. Each generation must contend for the faith.

4) Our faith needs defending and must have defenders (Jude 3,20-23).

“…contend for the faith….”

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (I Peter 3:15). The word “answer” is “apologia” in the Greek, and means a response. The field of apologetics is rooted in the need for the church to respond to the questioners, seekers, and critics of our faith.

My hunch is that far more believers know that verse–I Peter 3:15–than what follows. And yet, no one should seek to represent the Christian faith and defend it without obeying the end of verse 15 and all of verse 16–

“But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Clearly, not every believer is entitled or called or qualified to speak out for the faith. Those whose attitudes are bad and whose testimony could not bear scrutiny would do well to be quiet and get their own houses in order. The media loves to find that a leading spokesman for our faith was a hypocrite–having two wives and homes with each unknown to the other, embezzling funds, using drugs and alcohol, or maintaining a secret existence as a homosexual.

Such spokesmen bring only shame upon the Lord and would serve Him better by staying home, shutting their mouths and getting their lives right.

Paul had heard just about enough from the young demon-crazed woman traipsing around behind him and Silas as they ministered in Philippi. “These men are servants of the Most High God!” she called out. “They are telling you the way to be saved! Listen to them!”

What she was saying was exactly right. But she was the last person in town qualified to say it. Her recommendation was less than worthless and brought laughter from townspeople. Finally, Paul “became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit (within her), ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!'” (Acts 16:16-18)

To a certain extent every believer should become an apologist for the Christian faith. Now, no one can know everything about every alternative religion, and I’m not pushing that. What I am saying is what the Apostle Peter said: “Give the reasons why you believe what you do.”

5) Our faith is the soil in which we grow and deepen and mature (Jude 20).

“…build yourself up in your most holy faith….”

No one is suggesting that Christians sling mud–flinging the topsoil which is our faith–at our accusers and detractors. That soil is the foundation on which we stand, the nurturing environment out of which we grow. (Clearly, I’m searching for metaphors here.)

We who would defend the historic Christian faith must never neglect to keep ourselves close to the Lord ourselves, to continually seek the strength and edification that comes from a daily reading and study of the Word, and obedience to that Word.

What does it mean to build oneself up in our most holy faith? Peter answers that.

a) Pray in the Holy Spirit.

b) Keep yourselves in God’s love.

c) Show mercy to those in trouble.

–to those who doubt, be merciful

–to those who are burning, snatch them from the fire.

–being sure to protect yourself lest you be burned or corrupted.

The person who is shown to have a great prayer life, to exhibit the love of God, and to extend mercy to the fallen and needy about him or her, this one has our full respect as a follower of Jesus Christ. These good fruits arise from the great soil of solid doctrines.

We do not know what kind of pastoral epistle Jude originally had planned to write. What we have is a hurriedly dashed off message to God’s people urging them to conduct themselves well and confront the enemies from within.

In the opening verse, Jude identifies himself as “a brother to James.” Scholars are all over the place as to who he is referring to. It seems to be a clear reference to the brother of Jesus who headed up the Jerusalem church early on (see Acts 15) and was a subtle, unboastful, way of identifying himself as the earthly brother of Jesus.

If this is correct–and nothing critical is at stake here–then the writer of this epistle was the brother of James, brother to Jesus, and…brother to you and me. And a faithful one he was at that.

We’re grateful, friend Jude.