Jude

Notes on Jude, should they be of any interest to anyone.

Jude

v3 - wanted to write about common salvation ... but instead must urge them to contend for the faith
v4 - how have people crept in 'unnoticed'? is the church not alert? Who are these people - they are those who 'pervert grace' into sensuality (hints of licence to sin - Romans 5/6 ish?) - ah, but they also deny Christ (and would it be easier to spot the latter? presumably not - otherwise they wouldn't be unnoticed and Jude wouldn't have had to write to them - so what would this look like?)
v5 - they used to 'fully know', but now need to be reminded. What does it mean to 'fully know'?
v5 - Jesus saved a people out of the land of Egypt .... hang on, Jesus wasn't born until the New Testament was He? Or is this saying something about the Trinity?... hmmm.
v5 - 'a' people - n.b. not 'the Hebrews', or 'the Israelites'
v6 - angels who did not stay within their own position of authority - little glimpse into rebellion in heaven?
v8 - back to the people - what do they do? they - rely on their dreams (defile the flesh, reject authority and blaspheme the glorious ones)
v9 - Michael contending with the devil over the body of Moses - he doesn't pronounce a blasphemous judgement (what would one of these be? - could it be rebuking the devil with his own authority? The immediate contrast here seems to be 'but said "The Lord rebuke you"' ... suggesting that if he had not rebuked in the Lord's name it would be blasphemous. How else would he have rebuked him - presumably by some other name - this would contrast nicely with v6 - staying in their own position of authority)
v10 - back to the people - the people are blaspheming all that they do not understand - they are like unreasoning animals, understanding instinctively.
Pause for thought - they are relying on their dreams (v8), they are like unreasoning animals (v10) and they understand instinctively (v10)(as opposed to in a reasoned manner?) - everything seems to be internally generated (and not relying on the Word ... indeed they deny Him).
v11 they are compared to Cain, Balaam and Korah - need to look these up.
v12-13 - not very nice picture of the people - waterless clouds (presumably useless, as clouds should mean rain?), fruitless trees, dead, uprooted, wild waves (dangerous?), wandering stars (umm... you can't navigate by them?)
v14 -16 - more pictures of the ungodly, and judgement foretold - the ungodly sinners speak harsh things against the Lord. They also grumble, are malcontent, follow their own sinful desires, they boast and show favouritism to gain advantage.
v17-18 - encouragement to the church - this is to be expected - these are the last times when scoffers will come.
v19 - these people are worldly, cause divisions and they do not have the Spirit.

So, what should the church do?

v20-21 - build yourselves up in the faith, pray in the Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy that leads to eternal life.

v22-23 - have mercy on those who doubt (so don't jump on everyone who does not understand everything...?), and save others by snatching them out of the fire (sounds a little more assertive), to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh (sounds a little like -touch with quite a short bargepole, but be careful, the dog might bite).
Interesting that it doesn't say here - avoid them all completely - instead is this what 'contending' for the faith looks like?

v24 - Doxology starts with "now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling" - presumably because this contrasts with those who are doubting/in the fire/have flesh-stained garments?

Other thoughts: context is within a church - not contending for the faith in wider society.