These small group studies of Jude contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.

Jude 1-8 Inductive Bible Study

Jude 1-8

Contend Earnestly for the Faith

Summary- Jude identifies himself as a bondservant of Christ and a brother of James. He writes to those who are called, sanctified, and preserved in Christ Jesus and wishes them mercy, peace, and love.

Jude wants to write about their common salvation, but felt he needed to write to urge them to fight for the faith. Unsaved, ungodly people who pretended to be saved for their own purposes had crept in and denied Christ and His grace.

History shows us how God deals with such people. In Egypt, he brought them out of slavery and then destroyed the unbelieving. Angels who turned against Him were bound in darkness until their eternal judgment. Sodom and Gomorrah practiced wickedness and immorality and were used as examples of undergoing the judgment of eternal fire. These apostates all followed their lustful imaginations, defiled the flesh, rejected authority, and mocked angels.

Central Teaching- Cling to the truth, because those who turn away from it will be judged for eternity.

Key Verse(s)- 3-4

Key Words- bondservant, brother, called, beloved, kept, mercy, peace, love, salvation, contend, faith, unnoticed, condemnation, grace, licentiousness, deny, Egypt, destroyed, angels, judgment, Sodom and Gomorrah, punishment, defile, reject, revile

Ten things this passage says-

Jude is a bondservant of Jesus Christ and brother of James.
He writes to those who are called, beloved, and kept.
He prays that mercy, peace, and love would be multiplied to them.
He wants to write to them about their common salvation.
He feels it is necessary to appeal to them instead of fighting for the faith handed down to saints.
Apostates who had been marked for condemnation had crept in unnoticed, turning God’s grace into immorality and denying the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord saved people out of Egypt and then destroyed those who didn’t believe.
Angels who didn’t keep to their proper sphere, He kept in chains in darkness until the day of their eternal judgment.
Sodom and Gomorrah practiced wicked immorality, and God used them as an example of undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
These apostates defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.

Ten things this passage does NOT say-

Jude brings out the close physical connection he has to Christ as His half-brother.
Jude was written to apostates to warn them of the judgment to come.
God’s mercy, peace, and love are skimpy, and Christians don’t have enough.
Jude doesn’t appreciate the gift of salvation that the Lord has given us but wants to be the voice of doom.
The Christian life is easy, and we don’t need to struggle against error or darkness.
Apostates are really Christians who aren’t walking with the Lord for a time.
All of the people God saved out of Egypt were believers who practiced obedience to God in the wilderness.
Angels who have rejected God have a second chance and can turn back to Him.
God let Sodom and Gomorrah’s immorality go unchecked and unpunished.
Apostates today are different than apostates in those days. They’re more knowledgeable and make wiser choices.

What does this passage teach me about God?

He is not a respecter of persons. His own half-brother was His bondservant.

He calls, sanctifies, and preserves us.

He grants us multiplied mercy, peace, and love.

He delivered faith to the saints once for all.

He has no mercy on those who do not believe, but judges and destroys them.

He has a place for every created thing.

What He destroys, He destroys absolutely.

He graciously uses some as an example to warn others.

Questions-

What does it mean to be a bondservant? (V1)

Who are the called? What does it mean to be called? V1

Who are the beloved? How are we God’s beloved? V1

Who are the kept? What does it mean to be kept? V1

Why were mercy, peace, and love in particular wished for these saints? V2

What does it mean for them to “be multiplied”? Why would he say that instead of “be added”?V2

What was Jude’s original intention in writing the letter? Why did he change it? V3

What subject did Jude end up writing about? V3

What does it mean to “contend earnestly for the faith”? V3

When was it handed down to the saints? V3

Who are the “certain persons” who infiltrated the fellowship? V4

How did these people approach the fellowship? V4

What were the characteristics of these apostates in this verse? V4

What was their eternal fate? V4

What is licentiousness? V4

How can one turn God’s grace into gross immorality? V4

What is the apostates’ reaction to the Lord, Jesus Christ? V4

What is Jude’s first example of apostasy? V5

How did they show themselves to be apostates? V5

How did God judge them? V5

What is Jude’s second example of apostasy? V6

Who do you think these angels were whom Jude spoke of? V6

How did they show themselves to be apostates? V6

How did God judge them? V6

When will the “great day” be? V6

What is Jude’s third example of apostasy? V7

How did Sodom and Gomorrah show themselves to be apostates? V7

What is “strange flesh” speaking of? V7

How did God judge them? V7

What does it mean that these men “by dreaming” defile the flesh, etc.? V8

What three ways were the apostates characterized in this verse? V8

What does it mean to defile the flesh? V8

What does it mean to reject authority? V8

What does it mean to revile angelic majesties? V8

How does this passage apply to my life?

Before I can truly follow Christ, grasp hold of the truth, and fight against error, I must be His bondservant. I must empty myself of my own desires, “rights,” and pride and submit myself fully to His will for my life.

Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. If He urges in a different direction than I’m heading, follow His guidance.

Take doctrine seriously. Don’t think it doesn’t matter, or follow along with the crowd. Hold fast to the truth.

Live morally, and do not let the grace of God be an excuse for sin.

Cross References-

Jude 1-

John 12:26

26 “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Rom 1:1

Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

Rom 6:22

22 But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification and the outcome, eternal life.

Rom 16:18

18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites, and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

John 17:17

17 ”Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

1 Cor 6:11

11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Eph 5:26

26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

1 Thess 5:23

23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 6:39

39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

John 10:28-30

28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 ” My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 ”I and the Father are one.”

John 17:15

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

1 Peter 1:5

5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Rom 8:30

30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

1 Thess 2:12

12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

2 Thess 2:13

13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

2 Tim 1:9

9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

Jude 2-

1 Peter 1:2

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

2 Peter 1:2

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

Rom 1:7

7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude 3-

Heb 13:22

22 But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

1 Peter 5:12

12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!

2 Peter 1:12-15

12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.

2 Peter 3:1

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,

Isa 45:17

17 Israel has been saved by the LORD

With an everlasting salvation;

You will not be put to shame or humiliated

To all eternity.

Acts 4:12

12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 17:3

1 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”

Acts 18:4

4 And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Acts 18:28

28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Phil 1:27

27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

1 Tim 1:18

18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy,my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,

1 Tim 6:12

12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Tim 4:7-8

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

1 Cor 15:3

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

Gal 2:5

5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

Eph 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by t