A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE EPISTLE OF JUDE.
It is the ripening condition of final apostasy that Jude clearly sets before us, and shows, indeed, the depth even in his day to which the " mystery of iniquity" was already working in the midst of the Church. We find therefore that ensuing conflict characterizes the way; and at the opening of his epistle he gives us the warrior character. We are "to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints" (ver. 3). The application of this to the present day hardly needs to be stated; it is self-evident. The growing departure from God and His Word presses upon us the necessity of being earnest contenders for the precious testimony committed into our hands.
First of all, our position is set before us. We are the "called ones" (J. N. D.) of God. This clearly gives us our standing before Him. It brings us the thought of His foreknowledge, and that if He foreknew us (Rom. 8:29), He accordingly called us, having before Him a predestination marked out for us which is given in several aspects in Scripture (Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:5, 10-12; i Peter 1:2). This is all implied for us in being called ones; for it is those concerning whom God has counseled all this blessing that He has called. "Beloved in God the Father " is relationship. It is what marks our position as called by Him ; in Him we are beloved. Preservation in Christ Jesus, which follows, gives us the eternal security of all this. If it is in Him we stand for preservation, there is no fear of coming short. It is the perfection of His finished work that is the basis of this, as we well know.
But now, if this be our position, we are also in identification with the truth so that it is a "common salvation;" that is, common to all those who are in real connection with the truth, identified with it through the communication of the life which permeates its whole structure.
And this being so, he gives us the warrior character. We are to be the defenders of the faith common to us, and once delivered to the saints. The word "once" is important. It stamps with its true character anything that might come after as mere pretension of being that faith. The faith we are to contend for has been once delivered, and no addition:can be made, and from it nothing must be taken.
Anything that comes after, pretending to be in the least degree any addition, must be false-in fact, a wedge the enemy is seeking to introduce. This same can be said as to anything that in any way detracts from it. And this once-for-all delivery of the faith we have, of course, in the completed word of God, so that we can truly say with the prophet of old, " To the law and to the testimony:if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20).
The pregnant reason for the contention to which we are called, is that the enemy has come in, and his intention is to fight to destroy the faith. Their character is that of Antichrist, marked at once by the denial of "our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ" (ver. 4). With John we can say, "Even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time" (i John 2:18). The history of the Church of God is not wanting in the evidence of this as truth; and in the present day it is incontestable that such have crept in amongst the people of God. The continual spectacle in professing Christendom of all classes of men seeking to lower the standard of the truth, once held with the strongest tenacity, has become a familiar sight. Against such our attitude is that of warriors who fight in defense of the faith they seek to overthrow. We must fight if we are to hold fast what we have and allow no man to take our crown. Evil is always an offensive power, which if (defeated in one attack will surely take up operations against another point.
But before entering upon our warfare, the character of the enemy is laid bare, and we are given those unmistakable evidences which will awaken us to the fact of his presence in our midst.
First of all, they are put in the place of identity with those who have come under the wrath of God
(vers. 5-10). We see by the first example given in connection with Israel that they consist of those who are in the place of profession and privilege, but whose true character is sooner or later manifested in declared unbelief and rebellion, as illustrated in the case of those in Israel who fell under God's judgment. So too with these that Jude is speaking about; as Peter expresses it, "if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (parallel with the thought of those saved out of Egypt, yet unbelievers), they are entangled again and overcome (as these were desiring again the things of Egypt), the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."
This is further enforced in the case of the fallen angels, who, not keeping their first estate, are reserved for judgment, but with the added thought that the judgment is an eternal one which awaits them. In the case of Israel the thought seems to be more the temporal judgment which would befall them than of delusion and apostasy which resulted in what would correspond in type to that eternal judgment, banishment from the land through death. So, too, the apostates to whom Jude refers will fall under God's wrath in a form of temporal judgment in that terrible delusion that He will cause to come upon them, and which will irresistibly lead them on to the eternal judgment of which the case of the angels speaks.
In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah we go deeper; the root of the matter is given. Here we find the deep moral corruption that accompanies apostasy; and of course with it must go the evil enmity and
hatred of heart to all that is of God, as we find it expressed in the case of the men of Sodom and the plain against Lot's two visitors. Consequent upon this, we have the judgment visited upon them, as it also will be with those whom the apostle compares to them when the fulness of their evil hearts is told out in seeking to cast out all that is of God in the earth, and claim the whole scene for the powers of evil.
Now with such we have identified those against whom we are to contend:" Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." He is referring to those who, he has said, turn God's grace into dissoluteness, and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. To show the power by which these are controlled, and the utter opposition of all to the mind of God, the case of Michael in contention with the devil is given. Here we have one of the chief of God's servants, who is possessed of the mind of God and the knowledge of His ways, who will not bring against an adversary a railing accusation. The Lord must rebuke him. But these of whom Jude speaks have an opposite spirit; they speak evil of dignities. It shows whose power they are under. Michael's conduct is according to God; and Satan's is the opposite of this. In the end of the epistle we find those who, like Satan here, dispute:these we are to correct, not accuse or rail against. Their identity with the power of evil is fully established, and their way is now shown us (ver. 11-13). Three things are mentioned:'' The way of Cain," who was of that evil one (i John 3:12), therefore a way that is controlled and ordered by him whose only power is for evil.
The "error of Balaam " was perverseness of way from God's commandment-disobedience (Num. 22:32), and that because of the love of the wages of unrighteousness, which was to be his reward (2 Peter 2:15). In like manner, these here spoken of have given themselves up to Balaam's error of disobedience and rebellion to God for the reward it brings with it from a world ruled by the power of evil.
The gainsaying of Core was the rebellion against God's appointed prophet and priest for His people. And the meaning here is certainly governed by the typical meaning of the history. Moses and Aaron, are a double type of Christ-"the Apostle and High Priest of our profession." The rebellion of Core was with evident intent to remove from their place of supremacy these two heads whom God had set up over Israel.
This clearly is the great effort of those we are considering:the great aim of the power which energizes them, of Satan himself, is that Christ be dethroned. Jude commenced by describing them as those who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. It is plainly the spirit of Antichrist. We shall always find that all teaching which is in the least contrary to the truth will, if not at first, in the progress of events, affect the person of Christ.
And notice that the apostle declares that in the gainsaying of Core they have perished. He puts it as a past thing, their doom already sealed. The very first effort to lower the glory, or in any way destroy the supremacy of Christ, brings with it its own condemnation, as in the case of Core. J. B. Jr.
(To be continued.)