For those of you just tuning in, I have decided to explore my religious views on a much more mature and adult level. I'm actually known for writing strong papers and accommodating it with thick amounts of research. Generally, I'm not one for standardized tests or group think. I try to explore ideas and admit my faults, prejudices, and the like in order to be honest and vulnerable. I am not a perfect human being, I don't strive to be, but rather to practice virtue and other gifts of the mind in order to strengthen who I am as the tests of life unfold.
I decided to use this blog, since I've stayed with it and now I am using it to explore my thoughts, to overall stay committed to reading the Bible as a whole. I'm going from the New Testament to the Old Testament. Going from what is most present and into the past.
Each post will only cover (1) book of the Bible. For the lengthier books, I can only read them for (1) hour and then must stop and write on that amount of reading. This will cause some posts to end up being a bit more generalized or potentially weighter than others why the shorter books may end up having more thought from me. I'm using wikipedia as a source mainly because of time issues. Wikipedia is a great site for initial research and I promote that if you are to inquire more into a subject to use it, find the sources it used, and look further. I will attest that a great amount of knowledge that I've found has come from a first glance at a page or two from wikipedia and generally that started an interest, of course it doesn't always get its facts straight... I will goof up too, I'm sure.
I'm doing this for a number of reasons, and I hope to stay with this. I think I need to be honest with my views on God and see how solid they actually are and how well I relate and trust the Bible. For if it is in fact the word of God, it couldn't hurt to be acquainted with it.
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Jude
Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is generally identified with Thaddeus, and is also variously called Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. He is sometimes identified with Jude, "brother" of Jesus, but is clearly distinguished from Judas Iscariot, another disciple and later the betrayer of Jesus.
In the comparable apostle-lists of Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18, Jude is omitted, but there is a Thaddeus (or in some manuscripts of Matthew 10:3, "Lebbaeus who was surnamed Thaddaeus") listed in his place. This has led many Christians since early times to harmonize the lists by positing a "Jude Thaddeus", known by either name.
Some Biblical scholars reject this theory, holding that Jude and Thaddeus did not represent the same person.[3] Scholars have proposed alternate theories to explain the discrepancy: an unrecorded replacement of one for the other during the ministry of Jesus because ofapostasy or death;[3] the possibility that "twelve" was a symbolic number and an estimation;[4] or simply that the names were not recorded perfectly by the early church.[5]
However, some conservative Christian writers argue that, because the name "Judas" was so tarnished by Judas Iscariot, it was reasonable for Mark and Matthew to refer to him by his alternate name.[6].
Maybe not as prolific as other disciples of Jesus Christ, but one of the 12. Handpicked by Christ to follow him and one of the starters of the Christian Church. He died for his martyrdom.
Jude 1: 3-4 "I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."
These words are heart pressed. I can feel the exigency and emotion of them. He clearly is witnessing false men among him and knows the grave dangers of this. When we use grace as a license for immorality we mock Jesus Christ and what he actually did. We are not helping anyone if we know Christ, have had a personal revelation of him or have come at a crossroads with him to any degree; we are not helping if we mock his name, going against what we know as truth. Jesus is the lamb and he loves all, but he's also the lion. He holds the keys to death and Hades, so don't fool yourself into thinking he only cries mercy when all in the same he is our patron of justice. Jude 1: 5 "Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe."
Rejoice for freedom is given to you. Do not let your doubts overpower you when you do find that freedom. If you're still on the fence or don't believe in this, I understand. But when those chains come off and you find yourself in a wandering desert, and you find that those chains around you have institutionalized and lobotomized you to the world -- hold fast to the freedom, don't be made an idiot when you have realized the truth even if for a time you will wonder without the structure you once knew.
Jude 1: 8-10 "In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!' Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals-- these are the very things that destroy them.
Take caution to your words. If Michael, one of the three archangels, did not utter a "slanderous accusation" against the devil -- why more should you? These are matters to which we do not understand. Matters drenched in time, space, and the beyond.
Abuse by words is not a laughing matter. Have respect for what you say; it influences those around you, more than you probably know. It influences the way people perceive you and you need to be careful of how you think of yourself. What abusive words may you be throwing at you? Do you see that you are a marvelous being with the gift of life or has the world reduced you to the point that you can't see how you matter anymore?
Jude 1:11 "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion." I looked up "Korah" because that name was unfamiliar to me. There was a great deal of information, but I think to sum it up quickly: there were two Korah's in the Bible, one rebelled against Israel; the other against Moses.
Jude 1:12-13 "These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted-- twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever."
I love the above language. The metaphors are made easy and yet full of depth. These men are like the acne of Christianity. A nuisance, obvious stain upon the face -- and this stain only feeds itself. A shepherd who serves itself rather than those less fortunate. Huge wake up call. How often do you look to those around you? Serve them? Visit with them? Or do you only look out for yourself?
Cloud without storm; trees without fruit -- they die not only here, but in judgment. Stop wandering and foaming at the mouth. Use the message and its power directed in the proper way rather than wander into complete darkness.
Jude 1: 14-15 "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
Enoch appears briefly in the Old and New Testament. He is also represented in the Book of Enoch, which formed part of the Dead Sea Scrolls collection and presents itself as being written by Enoch himself.
Notably, as the great grandfather of Noah, Enoch is said through the Book of Enoch to have known of the coming of the great flood and hence Noah's knowledge of its coming. Enoch is noted as one of three humans (the others being Elijah and The Blessed Virgin Mary) who, according to Christian tradition, were assumed into heaven.[1][2]
Jude 1: 18-19 "'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit."
We need to be conscious of our actions. You have free-will, so make decisions. If you just live into the moment, you can easily fall victim to behavioral instinct which may provide some sustenance, but does not compare to human reasoning. Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Even more so, trust in God and his word. Try it and see what blessings it has to offer for these blessings are promised. Taming ones desires and learning self-control helps you to refine your spirit and for a Christian this is easily obtained through obedience of God's word. God can intervene and will provide a way for you to develop self-control. Remember, this is a gift and many people struggle with the oddest things when it comes to self-control (food addictions, porn, movies, books, collections, clothes, words, lingo, scholarship, women, potatoes, conquests, board games, smells, you name it). Self-control is a way of loving yourself and those around you. Since we are in a chaotic world, establishing and giving ourselves law shows that we do care. God gave us law because he loves us; he saw a need for order when we were so lost to chaos.
Conclusion
Jude 1:24-25 "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Jude's concluding words are a prayer to keep from falling. He's encouraging you to persevere. To constrain your tongue. To constrain your selfish desires. To overall: be honorable people who respect God, his people, celestial beings, those around you, the saints, and yourself. Jude has a love for people and his heart is pressed that you use Jesus' name for glory and not as a license to bend rules.
I thought of the below song as I was reading Jude. One of my favorite songs.
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