As covered a few weeks ago, the book of Jude contains three cryptic references to ancient non-biblical texts. In addition, Jude also includes references to biblical accounts. The first is in verse 6, where Jude mentions angels who abandoned their role and their home. This is likely a nod to Genesis 6:1-4, which talks about […]
In the post, “Who is Jude?,” I speculated that Jude might be Jesus’ brother. Aside from that, we only know one other thing about him. Jude views himself simply as “a servant of Jesus.” Today, in a time when religious people parade their titles and promote their education as if they were badges of godly […]
I’m doing a series of posts about the short and often overlooked book of Jude. Jude’s letter is a warning, almost a rant, about ungodly people who are in the church. Among their sordid characteristics, Jude says that they “speak abusively against whatever they do not understand.” That seems to be an accurate description of […]
John the Baptist sits in jail, about to be executed. In a dark moment, his faith begins to waiver. Seeking assurance, he sends his followers to Jesus, with the simple question, “Are you the one?” This question reminds me of the movie The Matrix where people keep asking Neo, “Are you the one?” Some think […]
The short book of Jude, contains many examples to illuminate the main theme of his letter (concerning ungodly people in the church). However, some of these illustrations fail to accomplish that goal for us in our world today. They are more cryptic than clarifying. The first is in verse 9, where Jude talks about the […]
What is your favorite verse in the Bible? Is it John 3:16? That seems to be one commonly cited. Or perhaps, it’s commonly cited, only because it is the only one people know. As a teen, just to be contrary and catch people off guard, I would claim that my favorite verse was John 3:17. […]
In Jude’s letter, he warns Jesus’ followers to be on the alert for ungodly people in the church. After detailing their characteristics, Jude tucks in a bit of advice at the end of his letter. Implicitly, it is his recommendations on how followers of Jesus can avoid being ungodly, offering three prescriptions to promote godliness: […]
The book of Jude in the Bible is a short letter that is tucked in the back, just before Revelation. Add to this the fact that it is a bit confusing with obscure references. In addition, Jude meanders his way through his message with many distracting examples and illustrations. Given all this, it is little […]
Last August, I went on a 24-hour prayer retreat. I had scheduled it at the beginning of summer, picking the optimum day amongst a calendar of prior commitments and a busy work schedule. I anticipated the day with much excitement but some trepidation, looking forward to what God would have in store for me as […]
The apostle Paul writes to the church in Galatia about being “crucified with Christ.” In his letter to the church in Corinth, he states, “You are in Christ.” That is a hard concept for me to grasp, yet, the phrase “in Christ” occurs some 90 times in the Bible. It appears in about half of the […]