I trust that this finds you well and willing to continue walking in the Lord's presence. We continue our study of Jude's letter and will study today the missing verses from 8 to 16.
May the Holy Spirit enlighten us in our study and may God's blessing descend upon all of us and our families to protect and guard us.
Jude 8-16
7.- In verse 8, Jude returns to the false teachers and summarizes some of their faults. What are they?
8.- In verse 9 he recounts a Jewish story likely contained in a book called the Assumption of Moses [of which only small portions survive]. Read Zechariah 3:1–5 for a similar story, which will help you interpret Jude’s point. What is his point in telling this story (see Jude 10)? Do you also criticize what you do not know? Do you think this is a real problem today, like it was then? What could be the solution?
9.- Verse 11 strings three Old Testament accounts together: Cain (Genesis 4), Balaam (Numbers 22–24), and Korah (Numbers 16). What is the principal error in each case?
10.- Notice that the false teachers often go undetected, like “hidden reefs at your love feasts” (Jude 12). How can Christians be more discerning about such threats?
11.- In verses 12–13 Jude piles up descriptors to indict the false teachers. Why is he so adamant about their fruitlessness and shame? What does he want to convey to the church, and how should this impact the way we contend for the faith?
12.- In verses 14–15 Jude quotes from Enoch 1, 9 [Behold, He comes with a multitude of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and He will annihilate the wicked and punish all flesh for all their wicked deeds, which they have wickedly committed, and for all the haughty and hard words which wicked sinners have spoken against Him.(my translation)] to illustrate God’s judgment against the “ungodly” teachers (Jude 15; see also v. 4). Why do you think Jude uses the word “ungodly”? Do you think is an apt description?
13.- Verse 16 summarizes the faults of the false teachers. Can you summarize them?
14.- Take time to reflect on the implications of Jude 1–16 for your own life today. You may want to write down your conclusions and ideas in a notebook and share them with the rest of the community.
Take all the time you need, there's no rush. Let the Lord speak to you through His word, remember that God's word never returns to Him empty and that His word is life-giving and healing.