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THE BOOK OF
JUDE
For some time we studied
together on the "Bible Nuggets" Page the brief Epistle of Jude.
In that time we covered every
verse in the Book. There are only twenty five!
I have here on this "Jude"
Page reproduced each of those studies. Therefore we have
here a "commentary" on the General Epistle of Jude.
If this material proves to be
a help to someone's spiritual growth ... it will be worth all
the effort involved.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
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Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth.
II Timothy 2:15
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JUDE, VERSE 1:
May I briefly mention
something to you today from the book of Jude. (Next to
last Book of the Bible) It's found in verse 1.
"Jude, the
servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are
sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ,
and called ..." (Jude 1) Now there
are several "nuggets" in this verse alone! Let's take them
one at a time.
First, the
name "Jude" jumps out at us! It is a shortened form of the
name "Judas!" It is believed that this Jude is one who was
raised in the same home as Jesus. (Mark 6:3) After
Mary and Joseph were married (and after Jesus was born ... for
His Birth was a Virgin Birth) they apparently had other
children. One of these was Jude (another was James).
What I'm telling you is common well-known doctrine in
fundamental circles. With such a background, this child
still had to carry the name Jude (Judas)! Judas is the disciple who
betrayed Jesus! Do you know any children today named
Judas? Yet .. somehow Jude did not let his name (with all
its "baggage") get him down! He overcame all that and went
on to be a godly man for Christ! (Friend, with the Lord's
help, you can do the same! Forget what's behind you!
Put it under the Blood of Jesus! Go spiritually forward
and live for God!)
Secondly,
notice that Jude calls himself simply a "servant" (doulos) of
Jesus Christ! He could have taken credit here for being
the brother (half brother, really! same mother but NOT the
same daddy) of Jesus Christ! He could have said that he
ate every meal with the young Jesus ... or that he worked with
Him in the carpenter shop ... but he just said that he was a
SLAVE (what doulos means) of Jesus Christ! Talk about
elevating servanthood! Let's forget about "status" and get
busy working for our Lord!
Thirdly,
observe what Jude says we are because of our salvation! (3
things) We are sanctified, preserved and called!
"Sanctified" (hagiazo) means "set apart!" "Preserved" (tereo)
means protected or guarded! And "called" (kletos) means
summoned or invited! When God saved you He picked you up
out of the miry clay and set you upon a rock! He brought
you out of sin and set you on the road to heaven! He
sanctified you and is sanctifying you! Furthermore when He
saved you, He also put you in His safety protection program!
He guards you every minute of every day! You are safe in
Jesus! And to get you to this place ... He called you!
He apprehended you! (Not only did He do so in the past ... but
is still doing so! Every day He nudges us to closer and
closer fellowship with Him!) Glory to God!
Lastly, did
you understand Who did the sanctifying, preserving and calling?
Each Member of the Trinity is involved! God the Father
sanctified us! God the Son preserved us! Who
"called" us, preacher? Only One Member is left! God
the Holy Spirit called us ... convicted us and drew us to Jesus
... and lives within us to daily call us to godly living!
How blessed
the Believer is! And all that is from just one verse in
Jude's great epistle! Think about these things today (and
try not to shout too loudly on the job.) You may disturb
someone!
That's
today's "nugget!" Really, I think we got into a whole
patch of nuggets, don't you!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE 2:
"Mercy unto you, and
peace, and love, be multiplied." That's Jude, verse
2!
What a verse!
One could make a good case that this is a
prayer! The mood of the verb "be multiplied" is in Greek an "optative."
That means it expresses a wish or desire (here to God)! Jude
(the Pastor) prays for his people to grow in Grace! (He
particularizes his longing in a threefold manner. He desires to
see the believers advance in mercy, peace and love!) Preacher, why not stop right now and pray for
someone in your church (or everyone in your church) and ask God
to develop them further in these graces! Notice that Jude did
not pray for their bank accounts or their gall bladders! The
most fruitful (and most mature) prayers deal with spiritual
things! Also remember (from verse 1) that these people are
already saved (called, preserved and called) ... but yet need
more mercy, peace and love!
Mercy is the word "eleos" and means
compassion (actively so). It is the outward manifestation of
pity! It assumes need on the part of the recipient! (Vines
Dictionary) I once heard a preacher put it this way: "Mercy is
for the miserable. Grace is for the guilty. Grace addresses
legal issues while mercy addresses feelings.) God KNOWS just how
you feel ... how you suffer ... what you’re going through! The
old timers called mercy "the darling attribute of Deity!" God
has plenty of Mercy! He uses the word (in the singular) 276
times in the Bible! (40 more if you add "mercies) In Ephesians
2:4 God is rich in mercy! In Psalm 103 His mercy endureth
forever! In 1 Peter 1:3 God has abundant
mercy! In 2 Corinthians 1:3 God is called the "Father
of mercies!" (Glory!) Micah 7:18 says that
God delights in mercy! (As bread
takes away hunger ... and water quenches thirst ... so does
mercy relieve misery! Man can’t do that for you!) In the Old
Testament mercy is often translated by the word "chesed." It has
the idea of covenant love! (Marriage is an example. The husband
stands by the wife because He has vowed to do so. He loves her
unconditionally! So with God’s "chesed" to us!) That Hebrew noun
also means compassion from the GREATER to the lesser! God (the
GREAT One) to me the nobody ... offers His great mercy!
Peace is Jude’s second prayer request!
It comes (Greek) from the word eirene (the English name "Irene"
is the very Greek word for peace). It means "to join." (Two
things that were at enmity ... now put together as one!) The
Hebrew word for peace is "shalom" ... and we don’t have time or
space to discuss that! Let’s just say it means blessing,
prosperity, goodness, absence of war, wholeness, etc.! There is
only one place where you can get the peace of God! That is from
the God of peace! (Philippians 4:9)
One writer called this peace the "undisturbableness" of God! D.
L. Moody once wrote in the margin of his Bible: "Worry about
nothing. Pray about everything. Thank God for anything!" Pretty
good advice! (Have you ever thought about praying for the
"peace" of others?) Jude did! But ... this peace is costly (to
God)! It cost Him His very Son! Isaiah 53:5
"The chastisement of our peace was upon
Him!" If we enjoy God’s peace today ... He can make
everything else be at peace with us as well! Proverbs 16:7 says:
"When a man's ways please the Lord, He
maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." God can
calm our very enemies if He so chooses! Our Lord is the
peacemaker!
Then comes love! The word is "agape"
and I’m sure you know what that means! It’s God’s love. It is a
love that gives ...not a selfish love that only "gets." (John
3:16) Where does that love come from? From the same Source as
every good and perfect gift! (James 1:17) Love such as this
comes from God Himself! Romans 5:5 says that when God saved us,
He: "shed abroad His love in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost." (That verb "shed abroad" is ekcheo and
means to "pour out!" God opened us up and via the Spirit poured
a big dose of His love down into our hearts!) Jude is just
asking for more and more and more! How does one get more love?
Apparently by prayer! Also Paul says in Ephesians
3:19 that this love "passeth knowledge!"
Now, if one loves God he will love other things rightly! The
believer will consequently love the Word of God (Psalm 119:47)!
He will also love the saints of God (Psalm 16:3)! He will love
mankind (John 3:16)! Also ... let me quickly add that there are
some proofs of Godly love! Psalm 97:10 says:
"Ye that love the Lord, hate evil!"
(How about that?) 1 John 5:3 thunders:
"This is love, that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS!" And Paul
in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 talks about the "labour
of love!" Love works for the Lord!
Remember that these 3 attributes are sought
for God’s people by Jude in a time of apostasy and backsliding.
Perhaps of all the godly virtues ... these three are paramount
in times of spiritual declension. How we ought to be praying for
these today in our lives!
Lastly, Jude seeks that these graces be "multiplied!"
The Greek verb is "plethuno." It means to abound ... to overflow
... to get out of the banks (as a river in flood stage)! To
increase, spread or grow! Artificial flowers do not grow.
Neither do artificial saints! One sure sign of salvation is
growth in these graces. If Jesus grew in
"wisdom and stature" (Luke 2:52) we surely had better do
so as well! One sign of the world is their covetousness. More
money ...more possessions ... more everything! One sign of the
growing Believer should be a holy "covetousness!" God give us
MORE mercy and peace and love! Remember, God is the only One who
can give this growth! It is said plants grow best when watered
by the DEW than by man-treated water! God’s graces also flourish
best when God’s DEW (SPIRIT) falls upon them!
Let me close with this. Samuel Gordon in his
great book "Jewels from Jude" (Buy one if you can find it!) says
that mercy relates properly to God! Peace concerns
our inner man! And love extends to our fellow Brethren!
He adds that mercy is the inflow. Peace is
the downflow. And love is the outflow!
The upward look of mercy, the inward look of
peace, and the outward look of love characterize this great
salutation of Jude!
By the way, it looks to me like the same
three virtues (mercy, peace and love) reappear at the closing of
this epistle of Jude. He "brackets" his whole letter with them.
This is called "inclusio" and is one way the Holy Spirit shows
us what He is emphasizing in a body of Scripture! (Without God’s
good mercy, peace and love NO ONE could survive in days of
darkness and apostasy!)
This is today's "nugget." (Or is it
more of a sermon? Do you think it's too long for this
column? It is useful in your Bible study? Could it
help your prayer life in any way?) Our website is new ...
and your advice is appreciated!
I have now (under the
Lord's leading, I believe) written on 2 verses from Jude!
Tomorrow (Lord willing) I shall write of Jude verse 3!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE 3:
Today's "Bible Nugget" looks
at one complete verse ...! It's a little longer than
usual. Stay with me! You'll learn the PURPOSE for
the Book of Jude!
Jude (verse 3) says:
"Beloved, when I gave all
diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should
earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto
the saints." What a verse!
The word "beloved" is a derivative of Greek
"agape." It means God’s love! It is the deepest, most mature
love known in the Bible! Jude loves his people not with
emotional fickle fleshly love ... but with the very love God has
"shed abroad" in his heart by the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:5) This
love is first in line as an aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit!
(Galatians 5:22-23)
The verb "gave" is a use of the Greek verb "poieo."
It means "to make or to do." It is a present participle which
just means that Jude kept on constantly trying to hold
"salvation" in front of his people! This verb actually gives us
our English words poem and poet! Jude beautifully tries to be
diligent in portraying the salvation God has so graciously given
us! Don’t ever forget that HE saved you!
"Diligence" is a neat word! It’s "spoude." It
means eagerness, or speed, zeal, effort or even earnestness.
(The "root" idea is "speed.") The modifier "all" ("pas") is in
the text also! Jude summoned ALL the speed he could to preach
the beauties of salvation to his hearers! Jude is really
exerting himself to be a good minister of Jesus Christ!
(Brethren, can we do any less?)
"To write" is Greek "grapho." It means to
engrave or to write. As a present infinitive Jude means to keep
on writing a while. Perhaps he believed his "sermon" would be
much longer than it became (only 25 verses). Maybe the great
"need" that developed (of contending for the Faith) overwhelmed
him. He HAD to fight apostasy! (And WE better do so too!) For
some reason Jude is not with his people physically at that very
moment. He has to use the medium of writing to convey the
message. (Paul did this too! In fact, without their writings we
would lack a New Testament!) This very internet ministry is the
result of sitting at a keyboard and writing to unknown (and
unseen) brothers and sisters.
His intended subject was the "common
salvation." Greek = koinos soteria! The word "common" means
"shared." (belonging equally to several) By the way anyone in
the true church who is saved ... is just as saved as anyone
else! The newest convert is just as "saved" as the oldest
believer! Brethren, we do have some things in common! We read
the same Bible (or should). We worship the same Savior! We enjoy
the same salvation! That what Jude means here. And the word
"salvation" means to "deliver" or to "rescue!" (I have been
rescued!) It’s a word picture! To save (sozo) carries these
ideas: VICTORY AFTER BATTLE! (I was under siege from the devil.
Captain Jesus came and brought me victory!) HEALTH AFTER
SICKNESS! (I was dying with an incurable sin disease ... Dr.
JESUS came and healed me!) UNITY/HARMONY AFTER SEPARATION! (I
was separated from God because of my low-down wickedness ... but
Jesus came and via His Blood brought reconciliation with the
Father in Heaven! Now, instead of being at enmity with God ...
He is my Friend!) AND FREEDOM AFTER PRISON! (I was locked up to
my sins and passions and fleshly desires ... JESUS came and via
Calvary led a jail break and set me free!) Glory to God for
these pictures all involved in the Greek word "salvation!" No
wonder Jude wanted to preach of the common SALVATION!
BUT, there was a greater need that day! God
didn’t allow the preacher (Jude) to preach his message. God lead
him to another text! He needed to encourage the believers to
fight for the Faith! (What preacher has not had that happen? God
can change our message, can’t He?) Jude says that something was
more "needful!" It "was needful" equals Greek "echo anagke." The
verb "was" is indicative aorist. Something has happened at that
moment in time that demanded a sermon! The saints MUST be
exhorted to fight for the very Faith they believed! (Something
like that happens in America every day now!) Echo (the verb
"was") means to have or to hold. Today preachers have been told
not to preach to people needs ... but to their desires, their
wants! (today’s modern philosophy) Men of God are being
encouraged to preach to folk’s "feelings and aspirations." JUDE
DID NOT GET ALL THAT. HE STILL BELIEVED HE HAD TO PRACH TO
PEOPLE’S NEEDS! That’s what we had better do also!) "Needful" (anagke)
means distresses, pressures and troubles. Jude means on a
spiritual level too! Man may not "feel" it ... but his real need
is to live godly! That Greek word gives us our English word
"ache" says Strong’s Concordance. Preach to their spiritual
hurts. Here we see a pristine example of NEEDS being used of God
to direct a preacher in his preaching! (If your people need
messages on worry ... go for it! Preach to them on the great
peace that is ours in Christ Jesus!) At least that’s how God led
Jude here.
Next we see that Jude plans to "exhort" his
people to do something! Now, that’s a great word! "Parakaleo" is
the Greek verb here. It means to call alongside. (kaleo = to
call and "para" = beside) It’s the word paraclete ("Comforter")
as used by Jesus of the Holy Spirit! He is called alongside us
to help! To exhort is to encourage! (to beseech or to intreat)
It also can mean to beg or encourage or request! It can carry
the idea ... "to stir to action!" It’s a KEY New Testament word!
Preachers, at times in our preaching we are to REBUKE, at times
TEACH, and even at times MILK FEED, but here we are to ENCOURAGE
God’s dear people! (Also here the verb is a present participle
meaning that Jude plans to continually encourage them in this
way! Hebrews 3:13 tells us to "exhort one another daily!")
"Should earnestly contend for" is all one
word in Greek. It’s "epagonizomai." If you will look into that
little verb you’ll see the letters "agoni." That’s our little
English word "agony!" The "ep" at the front of it intensifies
the meaning. It is to vigorously AGONIZE (wrestle) for the Faith
God has given unto us! It’s worth fighting for! This verb is in
infinitive form and is present middle in tense and voice. That
all means that it must be an ongoing activity (no rest)! It also
means that we must each get involved (active voice)! The
preacher can’t do it all. The middle voice means as you do so
(agonize, fight for the Faith) ... you yourself will be
impacted! It will HELP you to struggle for the FAITH against its
enemies!
Also notice that Jude says "the faith!" (Not
a faith or not even my faith or your faith ... but THE FAITH)
That means something. When THE FAITH is in view, usually the
WORD OF GOD is the subject! That’s where we get faith anyway
(Romans 10:17). To contend for the faith is to STAND UP for the
Scriptures! To fight for the revealed WORD OF GOD!
But notice something about that faith. It is
"once" delivered to the saints! The word is "hapax" and means
once and for all! The Bible is a completed project! The 66 books
are final! (There will be no 67th book of Scripture.) It has
been once and for all given to us by God! (You can quit looking
for extra-biblical revelations. There are none!) Preachers, it
would be interesting to look through the New Testament and see
what else with God is "hapax!"
"Delivered" is obviously a verb. It’s Greek "paradidomi."
It literally means to give beside! God placed the Scriptures
beside me to help me live for Him! (You can also put them "in
your heart!") It has the idea ... "to entrust!" One source says
"to hand over or to give over!" What a GIFT we have in the Bible
itself! God’s written, living Word! The time action of our verb
here is: aorist participle, passive voice. The giving of the
Word is past action and is completed ... not to happen again!
The passive voice means that man didn’t write or deliver the
Bible. That was done for him ... by an Almighty God! That proves
inspiration, doesn’t it?)
To whom was the Bible given? Primarily to the
"saints.’ The noun is Greek "hagios" and means holy ones ... set
apart ones ... sanctified ones ... dedicated, consecrated ones.
I realize that through the Word sinners can be (and are being)
saved ... but PRIMARILY the Bible is written to help the saints
live to God! (There are relatively few verses in Scripture that
tell a sinner how to get saved. With that you HAVE to agree. But
there are thousands upon thousands of verses telling Christians
how to live in this old wicked world and how to grow in Christ
and how to be faithful until we all get to Heaven!) Dear saints
(those are just believers to Jude ... and Paul and all the new
Testament writers), treat that old Bible reverently ... obey it
... and earnestly defend it in these last days!
That’s today’s "nugget." (Or is it nearly a
whole gold mine?) Its value is NOT in my comments ... but in the
fact THAT IT IS THE LIVING POWERFUL WORD OF GOD!)
If you finish this
article ... you're either a real reader or have a passion for
verse-by-verse Bible study. Is it too long? I want
the preachers to enjoy (and feed) from this verse ... but also I
want it to help everyone who chooses to visit this page!
Those of you who complete the verse, quickly drop me an e-mail
and evaluate this for me. We now have studied every word
in the first 3 verses of Jude!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE 4:
Here is today's "Bible Nugget." We've
been spending time in the great book of Jude this week.
This fourth verse describes those who come into our churches who
are in reality "enemies" to the good grace of God!
Here Jude tells us how to
identify that crowd! This verse should prove to be
exceedingly "profitable" to us in these last days! Jude, verse 4
"For there are certain
mean crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord
Jesus Christ."
"ENEMIES OF
GOD'S GRACE!"
That's what they are! And Jude insinuates
that they may be within our ranks even now! He basically talks
about this crowd and the problems they create for the rest of
his epistle!
"Certain men" are identified here. Not all
the men, praise God! (And even these "certain men" are needed
and used by God! They will help prove who in the church is TRUE
AND LOYAL AND GENUINE! Read 1 Corinthians 11:19 ---
"For there must be also heresies among
you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among
you.") Watch out for this crowd. In these last days they
seem to be especially present!
How did they come "in?" They "crept in
unawares." This Greek verb (pareisduno) is a hapax legomenon!
(That means a word used only once in the whole Bible!) It is
unique and rare. We must study it. It is really three words
fused together! Para + eis + duo! Duo is the verb that means "to
go down into." To slide into! Even as one slides into his coat!
(To be "endued" is an example!) The prefix "eis" means "into"
and just intensifies the word. And "para" means alongside! This
group of certain men slid in (deeply within) alongside us
perhaps without our even realizing what had happened! (They are
sneaky!) It is an aorist verb ... meaning the action occurred at
a point in the past. It is not going to happen ... Jude says it
has already happened! They are likely already there! (Maybe even
in your church fellowship there is one or two who deep within
their hearts will exhibit some of the traits Jude is about to
give us!) By the way, in the Greek text (textus receptus) this
verb is the first word in the sentence! That means it gets top
priority in emphasis! Notice who has slithered into the
assembly! (Birds do lodge in the branches, you know! Snakes in
the grass!)
These men did not take God by surprise
either! He knew they were coming! "Before ordained" is a verb (prographo)
which means "written of before hand!" God has described them
long ago! He wrote of them in His Word! That's a perfect
participle! It means it was written in the past ... but that
writing still has influence and impact yet today! It is true of
all the Word of God! (Usually this is the sense of time all the
verbs have when referencing Scripture! God's Word just does not
lose its power! And is it completely written. There's no more to
be added! We are enjoying doctrinal truth based upon Bible
grammar!) Way back in Moses' day: old Korah (written of a long
time ago) is a forerunner of today's apostates! (So were Balaam
and the false prophets and Judas and many more!) The verb has a
synonym in English: to "prescribe." God wrote the prescription
for these boys a long time ago!
"Condemnation" is Greek "krima" from "krino"
and means to pass sentence. The sentence of a judge or even
"penal judgment" is the idea here. One source says "to punish"
would be the force of this semantic field. This crowd of
compromisers will meet God some day. Then they will have their
just rewards!
They are "ungodly" men. The word ("asebes")
means not reverent! (no adoration) They have no reverence for
God, no Fear of the Lord! This is not yet a description of their
deeds (that's coming though) ... it's a description of their
attitudes! (No reverence for the church or the preacher or the
Bible or the God of all!) Is this ringing any bells for anyone?
Are any lights flashing? The word is only used 9 times in the
New Testament!
"Turning" is Greek "metatithemi" which means
to taanspose or to transfer. The root verb means "to place" and
the prefex (a preposition) means initially amidst or
accompaniment. They have not necessarily replaced God's grace as
such ... but have mixed in with it the lax teaching of
permissiveness towards sin! (Wow!) Watered down Grace of God! A
"cheapened" Grace! And that's exactly what's preached in many
places today! The verb is a present participle which indicates
that the action is still ongoing! (You know. That old attitude
that is soft on sin. It says, "God is soooo loving! He knows
you're human! Go ahead and sin a little. It'll be all right! God
is not a tyrant!) Church dances on Saturday nights. Hollywood
movies on Wednesday nights. Immodest dress anytime ... just come
as you are! Pulpit "cussing" allowed as well! Fornicators
welcome! No more preaching against drinking, either! Any of
that sound familiar?
Grace is God's unmerited favor! (charis) What
Jesus accomplished for us on the Cross of Calvary! It is God's
grace that brought Jesus to earth to die for our sins! It is His
grace that gives us victory over sin! (not complacency with
sin!)
But wait until you see the word
"lasciviousness." It is Greek "aselgeia" and means not (the "a"
part) plus controlled (continent) "selges." NOT ABLE TO CONTROL
ONESELF IN REGARD TO SIN! (Absence of restraint ... says Vine's
word dictionary.) Shameless conduct! Living without moral rules!
It is exactly where American society is today, isn't it? And ...
the sad thing ... it is infiltrating our churches! And where did
it come from? Certain men (it can be women as well) who have
slid in without our knowledge!
Denying is "arneimai" and means NOT (the "a")
TO SPEAK OR SAY (rheo). It isn't their standing up and blasting
the grace of God or the Name of our Lord! They just refuse to
say some things that they need to say! Like "Crucify the flesh!"
Or "Jesus is Lord!" Or Search me, O God!" (LEARN TO READ PEOPLE
NOT JUST FOR WHAT THEY SAY ... BUT ALSO FOR WHAT THEY DON'T
SAY!!!) "To contradict, to disavow, to reject or to abnegate"
are further definitions given by Strong's concordance. The time
sense of the verb is present participle in middle voice! They
constantly deny the Lord and in so doing damage themselves
irreparably. (Middle voice means the verb's actions boomerang on
the subject!)
Note Whom they deny! The Lord God ... that's
God the Father! AND our Lord Jesus Christ ... that's the Son!
And they deny the precious Holy Spirit by the way they live!
Notice that the Father and the Son are linked with a conjunction
"and." That coordinating conjunction means that the Two are
equal! (as is the Spirit also!) There is no rank One over
Another in the Godhead! God is co-eternal and co-equal in His
Persons! That first use of the word "Lord" in reference to "God"
is the word "despotes." The Greek is transliterated into English
... despot! (des = house plus potes = husband! according to the
etymology in my Miriam Webster dictionary) The Father is our
sweet heavenly DESPOT! He is my Husband of the House! He is my
LORD!
Watch that crowd of "sneaks" who want to come
in and ruin your church! They are dangerous! Ultimately, they
are "enemies of God's Grace!"
I pray you find a "nugget" or two in this
study today. Something that will help you live for our dear
LORD!
--
Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE 5:
Today we get back to our Jude verses!
It's time for Jude 5. Our prayer is
that the verse will be a blessing to you. Jude is warning
us to not stray from the faith!
"I will therefore put
you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord,
having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward
destroyed them that believed not." (Jude, verse 5)
I'll have to admit that this has always been a
hard verse for me. I've asked the Lord to help me as we study it
today.
In the
paragraph we now begin (verses 5-7) Jude uses three
illustrations of those who have departed from the faith! Today
we shall only study the first one.
I don't want to go into too much detail, but
the verb "I will" gives us vital information. It's "boulomai" in
Greek and means "to desire, wish, intend or plan." W. E. Vine
says that it is the "deliberate exercise of the will." The verb
is also indicative (mood) and present (tense) and middle
(voice). That means Jude stays willing to illustrate with Bible
accounts. It also means that in the relating of this Old
Testament Bible story Jude himself is impacted (as well as his
hearers)! It will become obvious that Jude knows his Bible very
well. (So did his half-brother Jesus! It ran in that family, I
think! James knew the Scriptures, didn't he? Of course their
Mother Mary was a capable Bible student too! Read her "magnificat"
in Luke 1:46-56!)
To "put in remembrance" is a combination word
(hupo + mnaomai) meaning to call to memory or bear in mind + the
preposition "under." The preposition intensifies the word. The
picture given here is to lift up someone's memory and slide
another chapter underneath! (to reinforce) This verb is aorist.
Jude does not intend to have to preach this over and over again.
He will remind them this time ... and they should GET IT! God
would have his preachers to put folks "in remembrance" of His
truths! Paul told Timothy that if he "put
the brethren in remembrance of these things" he would be
"a good minister of Jesus Christ!"
(1 Timothy 4:6)
"Once" is "hapax." It is supposed to mean
"once and for all!" Perhaps Jude is being a bit sharp here! He
says, "You were supposed to know this forever." Oh, how
forgetful we are!
"Knew" is the Greek verb "eido" from "oida."
It means to know in a special sense. It is not necessarily book
knowledge. It is "intuitive" knowledge! What's that? It is
knowledge (for the Christian) that God has given you via the
Holy Spirit. They learned of the Israelites in the wilderness
through spiritual means. (They had no New Testaments yet.) They
learned it via godly prophets and priests who taught them the
Bible. The old Scripture scroll down at the synagogue perhaps
enlightened them as well.
The noun "Lord" is Greek kurios. It means one
with supreme authority! To Jude there is no doubt that God (and
Jesus) is LORD! It's just another name for Deity. The word LORD
in the Old Testament is the Name of God JEHOVAH! When New
Testament writers began calling Jesus LORD ... they were saying
that Jesus is Jehovah! (Glory! He is indeed!)
"Having saved" is an aorist participle of the
verb "sozo." It means to deliver or to rescue! Remember that
night in Egypt? The Blood of the Lamb? The death angel? The
passover? The "exodus" across the sea? The miracle of safety?
That's what Jude has in mind here. The aorist sense of time
means it is a once and for all event. It is locked in time past.
They are SAVED and nothing can be done about that. It is a fact!
(And notice Who did the saving! The LORD did! He still does!)
They were saved OUT of Egypt and INTO Canaan! You were saved OUT
of hell and INTO heaven!
"Afterward" is an interesting word. It is "deuteros."
It means "second." It comes from the word that means "two." God
had to visit this grumbling, unbelieving crowd a second time ...
this time to punish them! (I don't ever want to get over His
first visit ... the time He saved me!)
"Destroyed" is "apollumi" and means to
"kill." (indicative, aorist, active) God literally took the
lives of His people who had turned on Him and were complaining
in unbelief! (Christians can be unbelieving in reference to the
further promises of God!) Elsewhere in Scripture this is called
"the sin unto death." (1 John 5:16-17)
Here is a clear example of a group of saved
people who turned their backs on God. The result was their
destruction. (And it happened quickly!)
What a warning! Let us all (as believers) be
SURE we don't fall into a pattern of unbelief (or apostasy) as
detailed in this book of Jude. Doing such has dire consequences!
Those consequences may not any longer be immediate death ... but
they are severe just them same.
(In Scripture God killed Ananias and Sapphira
for lying to the Holy Spirit! He made Zacharias dumb for his
unbelief! He ended Moses' life prematurely for a few unadvised
words. He turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt! And He's
still the same God today!)
Now in this age of grace God's judgments seem
to have taken a different form. Instead of immediate judgment,
God works more slowly ... but every bit as surely. He killed
Korah ... but someone today might have their spiritual
sensitivities dulled! He removed Moses .. but today one might
lose his power in prayer! He dealt strictly with Lot's wife ...
but today he might just remove His restraints on a man's heart!)
There's a sermon hidden in this part of our verse!
The primary "sin" in question here is
described in Numbers 14. It happened at Kadesh-Barnea. A whole
generation of Jews perished because of their unbelief in
entering the land! (All except 2 ... Joshua and Caleb!)
The reason I believe this crowd WAS saved is
found in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. What a sermon it is! There Paul
plainly says that this crowd of folks had ALL eat spiritual Meat
and drank spiritual water (from the Rock) and That was CHRIST!
They were saved! But saved folks can turn on God and drift away
into doubt. At times God has then taken them on to heaven
(prematurely)! Again, I believe that is the "sin unto death"
which 1 John 5 mentions! (You don't have to agree with me here.
But this preacher believes in eternal security! I do not
believe they lost their salvation ... just their physical lives.
They got a "quick" trip to heaven!)
(That crowd in the wilderness who doubted and
grumbled "would God we had died in Egypt
... or this wilderness!" God simply heard their wish ...
and granted their request! He just let them die in that old
desert!) We better be careful what we say ... especially when we
are discouraged!
Are some of you having trouble seeing that
believers can be guilty of "unbelief?" Zacharias the priest
(father of John the Baptist) did! (Luke 1:20) The disciples also
had problems with unbelief! ((Luke 24:25) Paul in Hebrews spoke
to Jewish Christians who were on the verge of unbelief! (Hebrews
3:12)
In Scripture only 2 things made Jesus
"marvel." Great faith (Matthew 8:10) made Jesus wonder in
admiration! And great unbelief (Mark 6:6) did the same! He just
can't comprehend unbelief with all the evidence of God available
today!
Mark 9:24 states:
"Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." Maybe that
should be the prayer of us all!
Oh, how we need our faith to grow! The BIBLE
way for faith to be increased is found in Romans 10:17
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of
God."
I surely trust that in this rather unfamiliar
verse you have found some "nuggets" to help you live for the
Lord today! I believe I've found a number of them!
I'll let you go for now. I want to go "chew"
on some of these truths a while!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE,VERSE 6:
Our "Bible Nugget" today
centers on what one Bible teacher called "the most difficult
verse in the whole Book of Jude and one of the most
difficult in the whole Bible." Read with me carefully and
get Jude's message: DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE FAITH!
BE STEADFAST AND UNMOVEABLE! Jude, verse 6
"And the angels which
kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he
hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto judgment
of the great day."
Jude is illustrating the fact that some have
departed from the faith. He does so in three ways. He uses three
groups to make his point. The Israelites of old (verse 5), the
angels who fell (verse 6) and Sodom and Gomorrah (verse 7) are
his specific Bible examples. All were guilty of rebellion
against God!
Today we study the middle group. There are
different "ranks" of angels! There are Seraphim. Mentioned only
in Isaiah 6, they have a name that means "to set on fire" or "to
burn!" Then remember the "Cherubim." The meaning of the name is
unknown. (That alone may tell us something.) They are found
numerous times in the Old Testament and are likely described in
the New Testament as well.
Then there are just "regular" angels. Untold
numbers of them exist. Their name implies that they are the
"messengers" of God! Hebrews 12:22 tells us that there are "an
innumerable company of angels."
And we have not yet considered the "named"
angels such as Michael, Gabriel and even Lucifer (before his
sin).
Yet our verse indicates another
group! This is a group of angels who have fallen from their
original position! The verb "kept" is Greek "tereo" and means
"to warch or to guard." It seems all these problems begin when
people (or angels) forgot some key things! They let some things
"slip" that are crucial!
The term "first estate" is Greek "arche" and
means " a commencement!" (First in order of time) It is often
translated "beginning" in the King James Version. (Some just
aren’t satisfied with what God gives them!) These angels were
not satisfied with Heaven! and serving God Himself! and eternal
Peace! and glorious Joy! (I wonder if dissatisfaction is at the
heart of all apostasy?)
The verb "left" is Greek "apoleipo" and means
to leave (leipo) away from (apo). It is active voice. No one
made them abandon their "first estate." They themselves departed
from it! They were no longer content with God’s perfect will.
Habitation is Greek "oiketerion" and comes
from the word "oikos" which means "house." If their habitation
was heaven (which we assume it was), they left the very abode of
God! What could possibly entice an angel to forsake Heaven
itself?
"Hath reserved" is a verb "tereo" which we
studied earlier in the verse. It means to guard or to watch.
(What they did to God ... God did in turn to them! That’s called
reaping what you sow!) God Himself is guarding this crowd!
"Everlasting" is "aidios" and means always!
These wicked angels are chained until the day of judgment. (And
after the judgment they will be tormented forevermore!)
"Chains" is an interesting word. It is "desmon"
or "desmos" and means to bind! (Or a "band" if used as a noun)
God has them in confinement. Now, remember that most demons are
free and roam the earth performing their wicked schemes.
It is believed that the word for "darkness"
("zophos") comes from a word that means gloom. Its "root" word
means cloud! According to the Englishman’s Concordance it is
only used 5 times in the whole New Testament! (All but one in
the context of the darkness of eternal punishment!)
"Judgment" is Greek "krisis" from "krino."
The meaning is "decision made by court." Except here God is the
Judge and He controls all.
"Great" as an adjective is the Greek word "megas."
It means BIG! The awful coming day of judgment is the greatest
day yet (next to the Day Jesus died on the Cross and the Day of
His Resurrection).
Now let’s see if we can piece together what
has happened here. I believe that this event with these angels
has some specific Old Testament reference in mind. (As does
verse 5 with the wilderness wonderings. Or verse 7 with Sodom
and Gomorrah) Where could that incident be located, preacher?
It looks to me like there is only one place
it can be! Genesis 6 describes some kind of sin that occurred in
that day. The "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" cohabited
and giants were the offspring of that union! (Many believe that
this is what led to the world-wide flood of Noah’s day!) Who are
these "sons of God" whose children by the daughters of men
became such mammoth giants? When one investigates that term
"sons of God" carefully, he comes to the conclusion that it well
may have been a band of angels! (That "string" of words, "sons
of God," as used in the Old Testament always or nearly always
refers to angels.) If so, it is likely that it’s the very
same angels described here in Jude verse 6!
So ... that may be the answer to an earlier
question I had! WHY? Why would these angels be willing to
forsake heaven, turn their backs on God, deny the Faith, and
face certain Judgment? The answer: Women! Sex! Lust! Wild wanton
abandon! (Sounds a lot like the sensual spirit of our day,
doesn’t it?)
By the way, the verse in which Jesus says
that there is neither marrying or giving in marriage in heaven
DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OF SEX AND
ANGELS! (Matthew 22:30)
Whatever you believe about the Genesis 6
situation ... you must believe that Jude 6 speaks of some angels
who apostasized (departed from the faith) and are incarcerated
by Almighty God until their dreaded day of judgment!
All I know for sure is this. IF EVEN ANGELS
became unfaithful ... I KNOW I HAD BETTER BE CAREFUL!
Lord, help us all to be always strong!
The real thrust of the book of Jude is this:
"earnestly contend for the faith!" If certain backslidden
Christians attack the faith (as in verse 5), WE ARE TO DEFEND
IT!
If even the angels of God forsake the faith
(verse 6 here), WE ARE TO STAND WITH IT!
If godless reprobates flaunt their immoral
behavior in the face of Almighty God, WE ARE TO LIVE HOLY, JUST
LIVES IN OBEDIENCE TO THE VERY FAITH THEY MOCK! (Verse 7)
I don’t know about you, dear friend, but
these Jude verses are giving me more determination than ever
before to live for God.
Thank God for The Faith!
I do pray that those of you who read the
"nuggets" page today will find truth embedded in these
paragraphs. Truth to make you stronger in your stand (and
in your walk) for our Lord!
---
Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE 7:
Here's another Jude "nugget." Those
of you who read this Bible study page will just have to let me
know if I go too long ... or if the series in Jude becomes
too technical or even a bit tiring. You know, the Bible
has many subjects with thousands of verses! What variety!
Jude, verse 7
"Even as Sodom and
Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving
themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,
are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal
fire." What a verse of Scripture! How very sobering!
This is the third of Jude’s string of
examples of "apostates." Those who have departed from the truth
(the faith)!
I would first like to discuss some of the
main words in the verse.
"Even as" seems to compare these cities with
some previous point Jude has made. It is likely there is a
connection between Sodom and the fallen angels of the sixth
verse of Jude. With both there is a sexual connotation. (Further
indication that we may have got it "right" about those angels in
yesterday’s "nugget!")
"Sodom" according to the Strong’s concordance
has behind it the root idea "to lower!" One can’t get much lower
morally than Sodom had gone! The Hebrew here literally gives us
our word "chasm!" Isn’t a "chasm" a "pit?" (Wow!)
"Gomorrah" comes from an Arabic word meaning
"to overwhelm with water!" This definition is from the
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Scientists believe
today that the sites of ancient Sodom and "Gomorrah" are covered
with water (!!!) at the south edge of the Dead Sea! (Is God
amazing, or what?) In fact, (talk about being covered with
water) this whole crowd of sinners will be doomed to the "Lake
of Fire" forever according to Revelation 20:11-15.
The word in Greek for cities is "polis.’ (As
in metropolis!) It may come from a word meaning "many," an
indication of the fact that a city’s population is manifold!
"Like" is a word that means "the same." See
here how the sins of the big cities influenced the little
cities! A little leaven (or sin) leavens the whole lump! I
wonder if Hollywood has any influence on America today? (YES!
Coast to coast!)
"Manner" means (tropos) a manner or style.
Literally to be "turned!" These little cities and their people
were "turned" on the same wheel that made the sodomites! (Talk
about "impact" or "impression!")
"Giving themselves over to fornication" is
basically one Greek term. It is "ekporneuo." To fornicate (porn)
plus out of (ek). Porneuo means "to act like a harlot" or "to
indulge unlawful lust!" (This gives us our word pornography!)
Generally speaking in Scripture "fornication" is sexual
relations between unmarried people. Adultery is illicit sex
between married folks (but not married to each other)! So in
God’s eyes it is fornication to "play around" with the opposite
sex ... or with the same sex!
"Going after" is Greek "aperchomai" which
means to go away after! They pursued their same sex lovers! This
is aggressive lovemaking!
And the adjective "strange" is Greek "heteros."
It means another of a different kind! How’s that? For
generations man had been loving woman ... marrying woman ...
bearing children by the women (the wife)! Now things have
changed dramatically! Men are doing something different. (Not a
little differently ... but totally differently!) Another type of
"partnering." Something that is of a different kind than ever
before!
The noun "flesh" is "sarx" and simply means
(here) bodies! This is physical sensual love making and God is
against it.
"Set forth" is an amazing verb! It’s Greek "prokeimai"
and combines 2 words. "Pro" means before ... (here) open to
public view. "Keimai" is the verb meaning "to lie outstretched!"
This may be some of God’s Holy Humor! (Divine Irony!) I don’t
know if you see it or not ... but I’m not going to elaborate on
it. God says that HE WILL STRETCH THEM OUT IN PLAIN VIEW FOR ALL
TO BEHOLD THEIR SIN! (No sins remain secret for long!) But with
this crowd ... they are eager to stretch themselves out for
public view! Talk about rebellion in the Face of God! (Go read
about their behavior in Genesis chapter 19! GOD HAS SET THEM
FORTH AS AN EXAMPLE OF HIS JUDGMENT UPON SIN!)
"Example" is Greek "deigma" and means a
"specimen," or a "public display." The verb means to advertise!
What God did to Sodom and the surrounding area was meant to be
such a fearful example that others would be deterred from such
wickedness!
"Suffering" is another picturesque verb. It
is "hupecho" and again combines 2 words. "Hupo" means under.
"Echo" means "to hold!" The verb suffer here is a picture of God
holding them under the eternal flames of punishment ... that’s
hell itself! (I believe in hell as taught by Jesus! Don’t you?)
"Vengeance" is "dike" (pronounced die - kay),
a Greek noun meaning "making things right!" Some day when Jesus
returns He will make some things right! The Day of His Wrath
(Vengeance) will come! Then ... the whole social order of this
wicked world will be rewritten! And Strong’s Concordance even
says that "dike" comes from the root verb that means "to show!"
When God judges this crowd, He will put it on display for the
whole universe to see!
"Eternal" is Greek "aionios" and means
perpetual or through the "ages." (eons)
And, of course, "fire" means ... FIRE! I
strongly suggest you take that word literally and accept Jesus
today! That’s the way to miss the fires of judgment!
While Lot was in Sodom, Abraham was in
Hebron. Hebron means "communion" or fellowship" and in type
speaks of walking in harmony with God! The first mention of
"Sodom" in Scripture is in Genesis 10:19 where we are told that
it was on the "border" of the Canaanites! (Abraham lives with
GOD! Lot lives on the border with the filth of the heathen
world!)
Jude here says, "Remember Sodom!" Jesus
earlier said, "Remember Lot’s wife!" (She turned back too!) Both
these preachers (raised in the same home) knew the dangers of
departing from the faith!
We have here in today’s verse another example
of the crowd who rebels against God Almighty! Rejecting the
Faith once delivered to the Saints! What a price it cost them!
The groups in verses 5, 6 and 7 all paid dearly, didn’t they?
What should these verses do for us? Encourage
us to live faithfully for God. Help us NOT to depart from the
faith! May they do just that is my prayer!
I add to that prayer my desire that God will
give you some "nuggets" out of today’s meditation on this single
verse of Jude!
A single "nugget?" Why, I personally feel
like I’m in a gold mine! (Or is it a cave of diamonds? Have we
struck a vein of silver?)
God’s Word is rich!
Thank you for studying with me today!
It’s about time to ask some of you (if any
are left reading this material) to e-mail me with some comments.
Again, are the articles getting too long?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE 8:
Here is this Thursday's "Bible Nugget."
We are in a series on the Book of Jude. Here are the 3
traits of those who have departed from the faith. If your
church is "average," there are some in it who fit these
categories!
Jude, verse 8
"Likewise these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise
dominion, and speak evil of dignities."
Here Jude gives us the three "major" traits of this crowd of
apostates! And here is the amazing thing. The Israelites that
died in the wilderness (verse 5) spoke evil of dignities (Moses
and Aaron)! The angels that sinned and fell (verse 6) despised
dominion (God Himself)! And the people of the Sodom metroplex
defiled the flesh (sexual preferences)! Wow!
By the way, now that we can look back on verses 5-7, we see an
outline of what Jude is saying: (#1) The sins of the CHILDREN of
Israel in verse 5. (#2) The sins of the CELESTIAL beings,
angels. And (#3) The sins of the CITIES in the plain of Sodom!
These groups are so skillfully chosen to preach to today's
sinful society! (Another one of the beauties of inspiration!)
"Likewise" serves well to tie this verse to the previous
discussion. It means that which is "similar." (Homos = same
place or same time)
"Filthy dreamers" translates one Greek noun. "Enupnaizomai"
means in one's sleep! (en which means in or into! PLUS ...
hupnos which means sleep! The word may even derive from "hupo"
which means under!) The word is only used twice in the New
Testament. These folks live in a world of dreams! I think the
word today for this kind of "dreaming" is "fantasizing."
Imagining a world of filth and iniquity and jumping right in the
middle of it! I suspect this crowd of filthy dreamers would love
the dirty side of the internet too! God's children are also
warned about the things of the "mind." Paul in Philippians 4:8
just plainly tells us what to think! Also we are urged to wear
the "helmet of salvation." That's got to involve our thoughts
somehow!
Preachers, some of you who alliterate your messages might enjoy
this little thought. It comes from a writer named Samuel Gordon.
He says that our verse here describes the deeds of these
"apostates." They DREAM! They DEFILE! They DESPISE! And they
DECRY (which means to belittle someone)!
Simon Peter in describing these same men says in 2 Peter 2:14
that they "have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from
sin!" Their thoughts are on sexual filth constantly! Wicked
imaginations!
Note that they do three things: Defile the flesh! Despise
dominion! And speak evil of dignities! We should briefly look at
these. It's the heart of Jude's sermon in this verse!
What is it to defile the flesh? It's the verb "miaino" which
means to "soil" or "dirty!" The word picture describes
something that happens to one who works in the sewer! (This
verb is used 5 times in the New
Testament) These people are guilty of sexual sins galore! They
fornicate or commit adultery constantly! They are even proud of
their immorality! Again "flesh" means the physical body here.
Usually when a person rebels against God vehemently ... there is
some form of sexual sin behind that rebellion! (Belief and
behavior always go hand in hand!)
Next they "despise dominion." To "despise" (atheteo) is to NOT
(that's the "a" prefix) plus TO PUT OR PLACE (tithemi)! It means
not to put them in their place (of respect or honor)! To think
down upon! Rebels like these always have trouble with authority
figures! The noun "dominion" means mastery or lordship or
authority or control! It comes from the Greek word for lord (kurios).
Where Paul says to give "double honor" to the man of God, this
crowd would strongly disagree! See 1 Timothy 5:17. These
apostates in recent American history were often involved in
subversive activities and communist front organizations! (Today
they side with the feminists and abortionists, etc.!) To me some
of the big denominations and world-wide church councils fit into
this mold perfectly!
Lastly they "speak evil of dignities." To speak evil is the
Greek verb "blasphemeo!" You know that word. It comes from a
verb that means to speak and a noun that means injury (or
injurious ... as an adjective). To speak with the desire to hurt
someone! Sharp tongues! My mind goes back over the years to
certain (but rare) church situations! I've met some of these
apostates fact to face! Their target? "Dignities!" That's Greek
"doxa!" It really means glory ... or glorious ones! This is
almost certainly a reference to church leaders! Godly preachers,
evangelists, pastors, missionaries, Bible teachers ... all are
hated by these reprobates! And, of course, the Highest of the
Glorious One is God! Have you noticed in recent years how the
liberal attacks on Jesus have increased and become more bitter?
Now days, the Bible is questioned. Isaiah and David and Jonah
are even denied their historical existence. Jesus is
reinterpreted! And the crowd doing all that is going to hell!
I hope I'm not being too plain. But the verses we are studying
are pretty bold too! Let's all ask God to help us stand faithful
and true in these last days!
There's today's "Bible Nugget."
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE 9:
Here's today's "Bible Nugget."
Jude, verse 9
"Yet Michael the
Archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the
body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation,
but said, The Lord rebuke thee."
There’s more in this verse than first meets
the eye! As with all Scripture, its depths will never be plumbed
until we get to heaven! The verse happens to
tell us something heretofore unrevealed in all the Bible! Read
of the life and death of Moses in the Old Testament. You’ll
never come across the event discussed in Jude 9! (Other examples
of previously unrevealed Bible facts surfacing at a later time
...Acts 20:35 and 2 Timothy 3:8.) Read
everything the Bible says about the devil. In no other verse
(except Jude 9) will you come to anything like this battle
between Michael and Lucifer over Moses’ body! (There is a
confrontation between them in Daniel 10 ... but no mention of
Moses’ body!)
But little "Jude," one of the shortest books
of the whole Bible, gives us singular information we could get
nowhere else! (Wow!) Truly, it takes ALL Scripture!
"Michael" has a name that means "who is like
God!" He obviously spends a lot of time directly in God’s
presence ... a few thousand years by now ... and He is LIKE HIS
CREATOR! (I’ve got good news for you, Christian friend, when you
go to be with Him ... you also shall be like Him! 1 John 3:2)
Michael lived (and still lives) up to His name! Lucifer did (and
does) NOT! (The name Lucifer deals with the concept of "light!")
Notice that Michael is the archangel. Greek "archo"
means "to be first!" And "aggelos" means messenger! This alone
proves that there is rank among the heavenly beings. And within
that angelic rank, Michael is the chief! (But do note that the
archangel is still UNDER the command of Almighty God!)
Contending is not a real strong word. It is "diakrino"
and combines "dia" (through) with "krino" (to judge, to discern,
to distinguish). In the form we have here (middle voice) it can
mean "to separate oneself from" or "to contend." It involves the
idea of "a differing opinion." (I guess there would be a vast
difference of opinion between "one who is like God" and the
deceiver himself!)
"Devil" is that picturesque Greek noun "diabolos!"
It means to throw (ballo ... in fact, it gives us our word
"ball") and the preposition through (dia)! The devil is one who
throws (accusations) through you! He’s the "accuser of the
brethren." (Rev. 12:10) He goes to God and tells bad things
about you! (Of course in heaven you have defense counsel! An
"Advocate!" Jesus Christ the Righteous! 1 John 2:1)
The verb "durst" is Greek "tolmao." It means
"to venture" or (probably) "to be courageous!" Vines assigns the
meaning "to dare to do!" Michael refused to attack satan but put
him in the Lord’s Hands! (Now it seems obvious that Michael has
the POWER to defeat satan! In fact in Revelation 12 he does! Why
does he not fight Lucifer? BECAUSE MICHAEL REFUSES TO ACT LIKE
THE APOSTATES! HE WILL NOT ACCUSE (EVEN FORMER) ANGELS
(DOMINIONS, DIGNITIES)! He lets the Lord do that! How
un-apostate of Michael! (I wish some long tongued Baptist would
read that verse!)
Even the words "bring against" have
significance here! Greek "epiphero" is a compound verb. "Epi"
means upon (superimposition). While "phero" means to bear or to
carry! Michael would not carry against the devil an accusation!
(active voice) Do you remember how Paul never spoke evil of the
Emperors ... even Nero!
Michael seems to especially have the job of
the protection of the Jewish people and their heritage. All 5
times he is mentioned in Scripture, he is seen in the context of
God’s people Israel! Especially see Daniel 12:1. Perhaps in this
capacity Michael was to guard the body of Moses! (Of course the
BIG question is why satan wanted the body? Maybe he would have
had people worshipping it if it could have been located.
Read Deut. 34:5-6. God buried Moses and that’s all we know about
it!) Remember people did worship Moses’ brazen serpent! 2 Kings
18:4!
"Railing" is blasphemia. Michael would not do
to the devil even what the devil does to everyone else! Some
things this "godly" angel would not do! (Even less should we
believers do them! These in our context must include gossip,
slander, lying, and like sins.)
"Accusation" is Greek "krisis" which means
judgment! (Literally, a decision) The LORD is The Judge! Now
Michael is not a coward or any such thing. He (again in
Revelation 12) fights a WAR against satan at God’s command! A
war in which Michael conquers the devil!
"Rebuke" is the Greek verb "epitiamo" which
is obviously compounded. "Epi" means upon. "Timao" means to
prize, to revere, to evaluate! Michael will simply let the Lord
weigh the matter and act accordingly!
What lessons are here! Lessons on keeping our
mouths shut! And valuable truths about letting God handle
matters concerning His dignitaries. Also here be taught to turn
your battles over to the Lord. There’s a pretty good lesson in
how to talk to the devil, too! (Say very little! "The Lord
rebuke thee" will do just fine!) Here is a pretty good text for
preaching against "relics" also! Here Michael contended but not
to the point of a "railing accusation!" (What a sermon on
contending without being contentious! Titus 3:2
"Speak evil of no man.")
Now there ought to be a "nugget" or two in
these meditations. Happy hunting!
Warning: I picked up a Bible "nugget" the
other day and it got Holy Spirit conviction all over me! Be
careful please! These "nuggets" ... while beautiful ... have the
power to be life changing!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE
10:
Today we shall study
the little Epistle of Jude. We are in the tenth verse.
Let's look at it together. (We have been looking at Jude
for several days now.) May God give you some real Bible thoughts
(upon which you can meditate this Monday) as you read the
material.
Jude, verse 10
"But these
speak evil of those things which they know not; but what they
know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt
themselves."
Jude now further describes this crowd of
"apostates." The word just means those who have departed from
the faith! Now, remember (based upon Jude’s three illustrations
found in verses 5-7) one can depart from the faith verbally.
This is what the Israelites of verse 5 did! The grumbled and
complained against God doubting His ability to provide their
needs. They doubted so much that God that they spoke unadvisedly
saying, "We wish we would just die in this wilderness!" (Numbers
14:2) God heard them and granted their request! He just killed
those ingrates over the next 40 years! None of the doubters
(un-believers) entered the promised land! They "apostasized!"
The angels in verse 6 also departed from
their "first estate" or the faith! It seems they got wrapped up
in some kind of sexual escapade with the daughters of men (Be
sure about it. There ARE demons of lust and perversion!) These
departed from the faith lustfully! (In their desires!) God has
locked them up in darkness until judgment day! This is a second
example of how to apostasize! (For us it's an example of ... how
NOT to apostasize!)
And the third case is that of the people of
the Sodom-Gomorrah metroplex. They went after "strange flesh."
That in context means same-sex love affairs! (Of course,
EVERYBODY didn’t do this. But the society as a whole accepted
this practice and condoned it.) That is another example of
departing from the faith (via "politically correct" behavior).
But behavior is just an indication of belief! Our deeds reveal
our doctrine! Our actions reveal our faith!
In each of the 3 above cases ... God focuses
on the behavior that is indicative of their belief. But ... in
each case (as in every case yet today) the first thing to "go"
is the FAITH! (Little wonder Jesus prayed for Peter "that his
faith fail not!" Luke 22:32)
Let me tell you something about sin. A
specific level of sin never satisfies for long. One must go
"deeper" into iniquity to keep content! Just ONE grade of sin
gets boring after a while! For example if a man becomes
unfaithful to his wife and commits adultery with another woman
... the affair may be "exciting" ... for some time. But
(I promise you) soon he will tire of this new girlfriend and go
on to another. Until the thrill of being with the new one dies
away. (And it will die away!) Then on to a third, etc. It
becomes a habit. But soon one at a time will not be enough!
He’ll have 3 or 4 women on the side! Then maybe group sex is
next! But soon that will grow old. Next he’ll probably start
looking at the guys (or is it the "boys")? And even after some
time the boys will become a little tiring. Then it’s on to ...
(Get the picture?) Bestiality, etc. and other unmentionables
follow because God has given that old sinner over to a reprobate
mind! All restraint is removed and he sins like a snowball
rolling downhill! Hear me! YOU HAD BETTER PUT THE BRAKES ON THAT
SIN TODAY! IT WILL GET OUT OF CONTROL AND YOU WILL BE DOOMED! Go
read Romans 1 where Paul describes this "slippery slope of sin!"
Paul further says that: "Evil men and seducers will wax (become)
worse and worse!" (2 Timothy 3:13)
Notice the first verb in verse 10. "Speak
evil" translates the Greek verb "blasphemeo." To blaspheme is to
speak injuriously of someone. To talk about them in order to
hurt them. (Intentionally or not! Some "gossips" may just be
repeating tidbits of private information ... but if it’s hurtful
to someone ... it is blasphemy! At least it is by the Greek
definition!) These apostates speak evil of Jesus, of the
preacher, of Christian brothers and sisters, of the church and
of many other people and things! (This is one of their
trademarks! Remember verse 8!)
"Know" is eido ( from a root verb that gives
us our word "optician!"). It means to discern or see or know ...
but in a special sense. It is an intuitive knowledge. That means
a knowledge (not that is given via book learning or lectures)
that comes via the touch of inspiration. You just KNOW it
instinctively! (We Christians know What that Inspiration is,
don’t we? It is the precious Holy Spirit of God!) These
reprobates do NOT have the Holy Spirit. They therefore have no
idea the of the seriousness of their blasphemy! They ONCE knew.
They could have stayed sensitive to the Spirit of God! But they
quenched Him and grieved Him and ignored Him and He has long
since quit dealing with them!
Then our verse turns right around and uses
another word for "know!" It says: "What they do KNOW ..." This
verb is "epistamai" and obviously is a compound term. "Epi" men
upon and serves to intensify the action. "Histemi" means to
stand upon! Their lifestyles prove what they’re standing upon!
Grumbling! Sexual promiscuity! Sensual perversion! Popularity
that spits in the face of God! (Here their knowledge is
illustrated by their skill at sin!) Everybody’s good at
something!
The adverb "naturally" is a classic! It is
Greek "phusikos" and is derived from the word "physical!" In
every case Jude has used thus far ... apostates have committed
physical sins of rebellion! Use of the tongue is physical! Love
for pretty women (not your wife) is physical! Love for same sex
individuals is physical! These people live in the "flesh." All
the world to them is only a PHYSICAL realm. They do not see or
appreciate (or some even believe) in the spiritual or the Godly!
The word "beasts" is the Greek noun that
gives us the word "zoo." It means animals! This crowd lives like
animals! (By the way, if you teach a man long enough that he is
just an evolved animal ... he will soon believe you and begin
acting like an animal! That’s what has happened today!) The
apostates act upon their physical desires only! ("If it feels
good ... do it!" That’s their motto.)
The word "brute" is "alogos." It means "a" =
no, not! And "logos" is our word "thought" ... or "logic!"
They live like not logical (that means stupid) beasts! (Wow!)
And, lastly, the verb "corrupt themselves"
(both words come from one Greek term) is "phtheiro." The verb
means "to shrivel! To pine or waste away! To spoil, to ruin!
(Isn’t a good Bible dictionary a wonderful tool! And a pretty
good "preacher!")
The implication is that this crowd of
apostates via their own sins have implanted within themselves
the seeds of their own destruction! Sin has within itself a
ticking time bomb that will explode one day and destroy the
sinner! (This preacher has no doubt whatsoever that certain sins
... once committed ... plant deadly "mines" of mental and moral
explosives within the psyche. It’s just a matter of time.)
Notice that after people commit certain sins ... they become
suicidal or depressed or violent, etc. (Of course today we have
psychiatrists who can dope folks up and cover the symptoms until
they finally die off!)
There is only one solution to the sin issue.
That is the Blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son! He (and He alone)
can wash away sin and its guilt! (That’s the whole idea behind
the great Bible words of Atonement, Propitiation, Redemption,
Regeneration, etc.) Glory to God!
Last year I did a study of "parasites." They
are a perfect picture of the devil! There are parasites that
scientists have studied who invade a host animal and (That’s
what sin does. It invades the sinner and makes a "host" out of
him or her! It "eats" at you until you’re gone!) ... kills off
various aspects of the "host’s" life systems SO THAT THE
PARASITE ITSELF CAN COMMANDEER THE CREATURE FOR SELFISH
PURPOSES! Sin shrivels the sinner away as far as his being a
whole person is concerned! Sin will kill you ... all for satan’s
purposes. And his goal for you is ... DEATH! DEATH IN HELL IF
YOU ARE LOST! AND IF YOU’RE SAVED THE DEVIL JUST WANTS TO ROB
YOU OF ALL JOY, VICTORY AND FRUIT FOR JESUS’ SAKE! He will
shrivel you spiritually!
What a verse we’ve "discovered" today!
Let me go think on some "nuggets."
This is going to take a while!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
JUDE, VERSE
11:
I believe Jude 11 is one of the KEY verses
in this whole book of Jude! See if you agree:
"Woe unto them! for
they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the
error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of
Core."
If ever a verse could stand on its own, this
is the one! What a sermon! It describes the pack of apostates
that Jude has been describing for his last 7 verses! It is placed
in the middle of Jude’s startling epistle!
"Woe" is the Greek term "ouia" and is usually
expresses denunciation. At times it also expresses grief. It is
an interjection. Bad things are ahead for this crowd! In fact
this "woe" may indicate that these people have gone so far down
the road of apostasy that there is no recovery available! (Their
coming "judgment" is already pronounced and sealed!)
"Have gone" is the verb "poreuomai" which
means to travel. (Root = to pierce from one side to the other!
Therefore we have the picture of a trip ... from beginning to
end!) Just as a Christian is on a journey to the heavenly city
... so are these rebels on a journey. But there is a big
difference! We are following Christ Jesus. They are following
Cain! (and Balaam and Korah!)
"Way" is the noun "hodos" and means road!
Here’s further evidence of the "trip" metaphor.
Cain has a name that means either "spear" or
"smith." Whatever that may signify, it is exactly a description
of what Cain’s descendants became! (manufacturers of brass and
iron products) Genesis 5:22 This was a departure from the work
God gave Cain’s father Adam. He was to originally to tend a
garden. So we already see some drifting from God’s plan! (Cain’s
children nearly started from day one falling away from the
faith!) Furthermore, Cain refused to worship the way God taught
man to worship. (He brought no Blood sacrifice ... he brought
the fruit of his own hands!) Cain was also a man of great temper
(anger)! Cain became the first murderer. And Cain raised ungodly
children! Catalog these wicked traits ... sum them up in a word
or two ... and you have a picture of the troublemakers in
today’s religious world! (Perhaps even in your o | | |
