Hey Jude, Verses 3-4

Okay, continuing on our breakneck pace of perusing Jude, here are verses 3 and 4:

Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men have secretly slipped in among you – men who long ago were marked out for the condemnation I am about to describe – ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Yikes. Okay, again with the three questions:

1. What happened in the text?
2. What do I learn about God?
3. What should I do about it?

So here are my answers.

1. Jude wanted to write about salvation, but realized there was a fight a-brewin’ and wanted to warn/prepare his readers.
2. He connects people through salvation. He has put our faith in the keeping of His followers. He grants grace. Jesus Christ is our master and Lord.
3. So first, Jude is clearly wanting to help the recipients to be prepared to defend their faith, knowing that in their midst are people who are terribly off in their thinking and behavior. Now, I’m not seeing that threat from inside my community of believers, but we have a variety of influences, good and bad. So my to do is to keep blogging Jude and beyond, and hope that it encourages or inspires someone, not just me.

A couple of bonus thoughts:

• When we communicate about our struggles, and about other aspects of our spiritual journeys, we allow others to participate in our lives in a way that helps. Furthermore, we help others. See Chuck Colson’s first of four Watergate messages for how his terrible times helped him and helped others. I’ve written one letter, but want to write more.
• Nathan wondered who the book was written to. Woodrow Kroll’s Read Your Bible One Book at a Time says “Jewish Christians.” However, if you click on Jude: Introduction, Argument, and Outline in the Discovery Box on the NET Bible link above, and are up for a fairly academic description of the background of the book, you can read D.1 and D.2 for some solid arguments in favor of “Gentile Christians in Ephesus.”