Literary Structure of Jude

¹From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
to those who are called, wrapped in the love of God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.
²May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you!

Introduction & Purpose: Two parts in reverse order

[16–23 Response to Problem] ³Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

[5–15 The Problem] ⁴For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into license for evil and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Three examples from the O.T. of rejecting God’s authority, and punishment

⁵But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

⁶And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

⁷as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

⁸In the same way these people, as a result of their dreams, defile the flesh,

reject authority,

and speak evil of angels

Illustration of third point from secular history

⁹Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

Three examples of individuals from the O.T.

[Cain: the shameful wanderer] ¹¹Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain,

[Balaam: to profit themselves] have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit,

[Korah: a traitor & power seeker in the body] and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

[Korah: a traitor & power seeker in the body] ¹²These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves.

[Balaam: no profit to others] They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;

[Cain: the shameful wanderer] ¹³raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Illustration of third era (pre-flood) from secular history

¹⁴Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, ¹⁵”to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Application: Differences between These and You

¹⁶These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own desires; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.

¹⁷But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁸how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly desires.

¹⁹These are those who cause divisions, sensual persons, not having the Spirit.

²⁰But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

²¹keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
²²And on some have compassion, making a distinction;
²³but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.