Men Bible Study - Jude 1:1-2

Jude 1:1-2, “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, to those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.”

Interesting points:

1. Although there are several views exist concerning Jude's identity, most identify him as a brother of author who wrote the New Testament book of James, meaning that both these men were most likely the half-brothers of Jesus. In the original language, Jude's name appears as Judas; the same given name as the disciple who betrayed Jesus, but the comparison ends there. While Judas Iscariot was probably the worst apostate (someone who turns his back on his faith) of all time, the writer of the book of Jude was an outspoken adversary of apostates.

2. Since Jude does not appeal to any apostolic authority to gain his readers' attention and convince them to heed his words, many scholars believe that his relationship to Jesus as a half-brother was sufficient in securing both. Yet he humbly refers to himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ”. The word "servant" in Greek is doulos, literally meaning "a bondslave." Jude assures his readers that he is totally committed to doing his Lord's will. Tellingly, he points to the work of the Trinity by referring to each by their spiritual ministries: The Holy Spirit being the one who called the readers.

3. Using another threefold construction, Jude's greeting to his readers includes the desire that they would experience an overflowing amount of mercy, peace, and love. To combat false teachings, Jude's readers would need to experience God's mercy — His compassionate help -- while under attack from the apostates. They would also need a strong sense of wellness (peace) and supernatural love — specifically a love for God and others.

Application:

Brothers, the book of Jude provides us a vehement warning in the face of mortal dangers to the faith. The Church has faced such dangers throughout the ages from those within its ranks, who “change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ…” (Verse 4) and Jude’s letter both reminds us believers to remain holy and pursue God’s righteousness as well urges that we exercise God’s mercy in “snatch[ing] others from the fire and sav[ing] them.” (Verse 23).

As we prepare our hearts to hear what the Lord will show us in this letter, let’s examine our lives to see whether we are exercising mercy, peace and love in abundance. These three attributes are especially needed in a church where we can agree to disagree in the non-essentials of our faith to remain united as the body of Christ, fully subservient -- as Jude was -- to Jesus Christ!