Contend For the Faith: A Study Through the Book of Jude

Jude is not only the shortest epistle in the NT, but also one of the least known and read. However, for those who read it for the first time, the Book of Jude can hit like a hammer-blow. In fact, NT scholar, James Moffat calls it a “fiery cross to rouse the churches.” Jude was written in approximately 68 A.D., when Christianity was under severe political attack from Rome and aggressive infiltration from Gnostic believers, who sowed seeds of discontent and doctrinal error in a church, already made vulnerable by the martyrdom of the apostles.

Jude had intended to write a general letter about the faith. However, he felt compelled by the circumstances facing the church to change his tact and write a letter burdened with warning and alarm. The Epistle of Jude is a “meddlesome” book–it steps on our toes, interferes, and challenges us. Instead of seeing it as just a book about godly living, we need to see it as a wartime missive from the heavenly Commander-in-Chief to His soldiers, fighting and bleeding on the front lines of a fierce spiritual battle. Paul affirms this in Ephesians 6:12; “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

In this brief epistle–1 chapter, 25 verses–Jude gives us the rules of engagement for this spiritual battle, calling us in verse 3 to; “contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” This spiritual battle that Jude (and Paul) speak about continues to this day– whether we see it or not or are engaged in it or not. And so, Jude issues this battle call to his original audience, and to us, “Fight for the truth, people of God!”

SERMONS

Sermon: The Rules of Engagement

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering

Date: Sunday, February 5, 2023

Scripture: Jude 1:1-13

Handout: Part 1. HO