Three Features of a Biblical Christian Community: Lessons from Jude 1:1-2

THREE FEATURES OF A BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: LESSONS FROM JUDE 1:1-2

By Ezekiel Kimosop

INTRODUCTION 

The Epistle of Jude introduces the author as "Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James"(NKJV).  Bible scholars identify the writer as Jesus' half brother who was originally named Judas. The name was later changed by translators to Jude, perhaps in an attempt to distinguish the writer from Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Some Greek manuscripts however retain the former name. 

Judas is listed among the brethren of the Lord in Matthew 13:55. The list includes James, Joses and Simon.

Roman Catholic tradition denies that Jesus had any half brothers by His mother. They argue that Jesus' conception and birth sealed Mary's womb and no other child could have been conceived after Jesus. They claim that Mary was a consecrated virgin who dwelt in perpetual virginity and that Joseph was a widower who had other children and was specifically chosen to guard and protect Mary. They further insist that those described as Jesus' brothers in Matthew 13:55 were His legal cousins sired by Joseph under a previous marriage. 

No text of Scripture corroborates the Roman Catholic position which is exclusively founded on historical tradition. This writer is persuaded that Jesus indeed had other siblings born under the union between Mary and Joseph. There is nothing in Scripture that could forbid the consummation of Joseph's marriage to Mary after Jesus was born. The two were legally married to each other under Jewish custom. 

Now back to our issue of context... 

The author of Jude further describes himself as the brother of James. Some scholars have attempted to reconcile this description with Judas son of James mentioned Matthew 1:13 but the two characters appear to be distinct and separate persons. 

The fact that no mention is made of James' apostolic stature could imply that apostle James whose martyrdom is recorded in Acts 12:1-2 was not contemplated by Jude. This lends credence to the view that James the brother of Jude is the writer of the Epistle of James and was a key leader in the Jerusalem church who served with Peter and John (see Acts 15; Galatians 2:11-13). The writer of the Epistle of James however makes no mention of his private relationship with Jesus Christ (see James 1:1). 

Even though Jude is not listed among the apostles of Jesus, he was by all means a faithful Christian leader of good standing and a witness of Jesus Christ. 

THREE FEATURES THAT DEFINE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST

In Jude 1:2, the writer addresses his audience or recipients as thus: "... those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ (NKJV):

The three adjectives employed by the writer in describing believers are significant in outlining the theological implications of those who are in Christ. We shall examine them in turns below.

A) BELIEVERS ARE CALLED BY GOD IN CHRIST 

The intended recipients of Jude's letter are first described as "called". This calling came by means of the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and their sincere response to this calling set them apart as the people of God. It also marked a critical milestone in their journey of faith. Believers were called from a life of sin and disobedience to a life holiness and assurance of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Scripture attests to the transformative calling in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

John 1:12 says "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (NKJV). This is the essence of our adoption in Christ. 

The calling of God deserves a positive response from the sinner. This does not however suggest that God targets specific sinners with His saving grace to the exclusion of the rest. Any sinner who responds to God's calling upon conviction of sin will be saved (John 3:16-17, Acts 16:30-31). There are no prior conditions other than repentance from sin and turning to Christ. 

B) BELIEVERS ARE SANCTIFIED BY GOD IN CHRIST

The second description of the recipients of Jude's letter is that believers have been sanctified by God the Father. A sanctified person is set apart in Christ and made holy through God's grace so that they may obey God and faithfully serve Him in Christ. The sanctified believer is distinct from the people of this sinful world because he is a segment of the bride of Christ, the church of Jesus Christ that is betrothed to Him by God (Revelation 21:2,9, 22:17). 

This is the reason that Scripture describes believers as the flock of God who have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28). Elsewhere in Scripture, 1 Peter 2:9 projects believers in their collective essence as "... a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

C) BELIEVERS ARE PRESERVED BY GOD IN CHRIST

The third and final adjective that describes believers in Jude 1:2 is that they are preserved in Jesus Christ. Every believer is valuable in the sight of God and his place among God's household of faith is marked out the moment he comes to Christ. 

How does God preserve believers? 

Jesus' prayer in John 17:12-15 reveals His heartfelt desire that those who have responded to Him through the gospel should not be lost to perdition. He prayed that God "...should keep them [believers] from the evil one." (John 17:15). 

The preservation of believers encompasses God's divine protection from the wiles of Satan, including his [Satan's] desire to draw them away from the faith. The notion of Christian preservation is a complex theological issue. Some Christian traditions subscribe to the view that a believer can never be lost or fall away from the faith once they come to Christ because their calling is sealed by God. They consider the statement of Ephesians 4:30 as evidence that believers are "sealed for the day of redemption" the moment they believed in Jesus Christ. 

Other traditions acknowledge this fact but insist that the believer has a responsibility in walking diligently and faithfully in the way of Christ lest they fall away from the truth. They consider Matthew 24:13, among others, as evidence that only those who endure to the end shall be saved (see also Philippians 2:12, Hebrews 6:4-8). 

Both groups have valid biblical support for their doctrines in Scripture. 

No matter which side one's theological persuasions lie or lean, suffice it to state that God's preserving grace is indispensable in the journey of faith. Believers need to heed God's voice in His word and to submit to the convictions of the Holy Spirit in order to discern and stay on the path of truth (cf. Matthew 24: 23-28; John 4:1-4; Ephesians 4:11-15). 

CONCLUSION

We have established three important marks of a biblical Christian community from our study of only one verse of Jude's short letter. These marks or features do not exhaustively portray the investiture of God in the life of the believer or Christian community. Scripture conveys numerous other features and we need to regularly and consistently study God's word in order to appreciate these truths. 

The writer of the Epistle of Jude goes on to describe a number of features and activities that identify false teachers. It is instructive that Jude proclaims that these teachers had crept unnoticed among the Christian communities or congregations of his audience. False teaching is a growing phenomenon in contemporary Christianity and only those who are armed with the truths of God's word can discern them. 

Jude's expose of these enemies of the faith is a critical revelation that deserves to be explored by Bible believing Christian communities in order to appreciate Jude's message in his general epistle. The writer's statement in Jude 1:3 sets the pace for what would follow: 

"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

The next article will examine the attributes of false teachers that are outlined in Jude 1:5-19. 

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2023