Genuine Believers and Sins Mentioned in Jude
The Epistle of Jude, written by "Judas, the brother of James" (Jude 1:1), likely one of Jesus's brothers [1, 2, 5], addresses the presence of false teachers and their sinful practices within the Christian community. The letter urges believers to "contend earnestly for the faith" against these individuals [2, 13]. While Jude does not explicitly discuss whether genuine believers can commit the specific sins he describes, the epistle's focus on the nature of these sins and the character of those who commit them provides insight into the distinction between true followers of Christ and those who have "crept in unawares" [12].
Jude describes the adversaries of the faith as those who "pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:4). These individuals are characterized by a range of sinful behaviors, including immorality, rebellion, and greed. Jude draws parallels between these false teachers and historical examples of rebellion and judgment, such as the Israelites who perished in the wilderness, the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [2].
The epistle specifically mentions three Old Testament figures as types of those who have gone astray: Cain, Balaam, and Korah (Jude 1:11).
- Cain: His sin is described as a path of envy and murder, stemming from a rejection of God's accepted sacrifice [8]. This represents a fundamental rebellion against God's will.
- Balaam: He is noted for his error of greed, leading him to entice the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality for personal gain (Jude 1:11; cf. Revelation 2:14) [3, 4]. This illustrates the danger of being led astray by covetousness.
- Korah: His rebellion against Moses and Aaron represents a challenge to divinely appointed authority (Jude 1:11). This signifies insolence and a deliberate act of defiance [9].
These examples highlight sins that are not merely accidental transgressions but rather deliberate acts of rebellion, driven by corrupt motives such as sensuality, greed, and a rejection of authority [9]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on 1 John 3:8 distinguishes between committing sin and being "of the devil," noting that the latter implies a continuous state of sinfulness, a characteristic of those who imitate the devil rather than being born of him [7]. This distinction is crucial when considering genuine believers.
While all human beings are born sinners and are prone to sin [6, 10], the Bible distinguishes between the occasional sin of a believer and a life characterized by unrepentant sin. The Tyndale House commentary on Psalms 58:3 states that "whereas the wicked indulge their sinful nature, the godly fight against it" [6]. Similarly, the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on 1 John 1:10 clarifies that acknowledging "we have not sinned" refers to denying the commission of actual sins, even after conversion, and that such a denial makes God a liar [11]. This implies that genuine believers do commit sins, but their posture is one of confession and struggle against sin, not an indulgence in it.
The individuals Jude condemns are not merely struggling with sin; they are actively perverting grace and denying Christ through their actions and teachings [2]. Their behavior is described as a continuous state of sin, indicating a fundamental opposition to God rather than a temporary lapse by a genuine believer. The epistle closes by reminding readers of the apostles' predictions concerning such scoffers who would follow their own ungodly passions (Jude 1:17-18) [2]. This suggests that the sins described in Jude are indicative of an unregenerate state, where individuals have not truly embraced Christ as Lord and Savior, but rather use the guise of faith for their own corrupt purposes.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jude, Epistle of — The author was "Judas, the brother of James" the Less (Jude 1:1), called also Lebbaeus (Matt. 10:3) and Thaddaeus (Mark 3:18). The genuineness of this epistle was early questioned, and doubts regarding it were revived at the time of the Reformation; but the evidences in support of its claims are complete. It has all the marks of having proceeded from the writer whose name it bears. There is nothing very definite to determine the time and place at which it was written. It was apparently written in the later period of the apostolic age, for when it w”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jude, Epistle Of — Its author was probably Jude, one of the brethren of Jesus, the subject of the preceding article. There are no data from which to determine its date or place of writing, but it is placed about A.D. 65. The object of the epistle is plainly enough announced ver. 3; the reason for this exhortation is given ver. + The remainder of the epistle is almost entirely occupied by a minute depiction of the adversaries of the faith. The epistle closes by briefly reminding the readers of the oft-repeated prediction of the apostles--among whom the writer seems not”
- OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Jude.1.11 → Rev.2.14 (confidence: 12 votes)”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 8, section 30: these Midianite women, who came to entice the Israelites to lewdness and idolatry, viz. that their worship of the God of Israel, in opposition to their idol gods, implied their living according to the holy laws which the true God had given them by Moses, in opposition to those impure laws which were observed under their false gods, well deserves our consideration; and gives us a substantial reason for the great concern that was ever shown under the law of Moses to preserve the Israelites from idolatry, and in the worship of the ”
- STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=G2455I — Man living at the time of the New Testament (refs: #A man from the tribe of Judah living at the time of the New Testament, first mentioned at Mat.13.55)”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 58:3: 58:3 All human beings are born sinners (see 51:5); however, whereas the wicked indulge their sinful nature, the godly fight against it (Rom 7:19-23; Jas 4:1-10).”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 3:8: He that committeth sin is of the devil--in contrast to "He that doeth righteousness," Jo1 3:7. He is a son of the devil (Jo1 3:10; Joh 8:44). John does not, however, say, "born of the devil." as he does "born of God," for "the devil begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever imitates the devil becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by proper birth" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 4.10]. From the devil there is not generation, but corruption [BENGEL]. sinneth from the beginning--from the time that any beg”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 3:13: beguiled--cajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair was heinous and aggravated--it was not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor, disobedience to the best of Masters--a preference of the creature to the Creator.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 19:13: 19:13 An individual who commits deliberate sins does so with an insolent (86:14) or arrogant (119:21, 69) attitude. • The great sin is rebellion (see 32:1).”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 1:18: 1:18–3:20 Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32) and Jews (2:1–3:8) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20). 1:18 God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12; Num 11:1; Jer 21:3-7) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually de”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1:10: Parallel to Jo1 1:8. we have not sinned--referring to the commission of actual sins, even after regeneration and conversion; whereas in Jo1 1:8, "we have no sin," refers to the present GUILT remaining (until cleansed) from the actual sins committed, and to the SIN of our corrupt old nature still adhering to us. The perfect "have . . . sinned" brings down the commission of sins to the present time, not merely sins committed before, but since, conversion. we make him a liar--a gradation; Jo1 1:6, "we lie"; Jo1 1:8, "we deceive ourselves"; worst of al”
- Jude (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jude 1:4: For there are certain men crept in unawares,.... These words contain a reason why the doctrine of faith should be contended for, because of false teachers, who are described as being then upon the spot; the Apostles Peter and Paul had foretold that they would come, but Jude here speaks of them as in being; wherefore present rigour and vigilance were necessary to be used: their names are not mentioned, nor their number, only that there were "certain", or "some men"; which is done to stir up the saints to self-examination, whether they were in the faith; to diligence, in f”
- Jude (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jude 1 (introduction): The writer of this epistle describes himself by his name, Jude; by his spiritual condition, "a servant of Christ"; and by his natural relation, "a brother of James"; and inscribes it to persons chosen of God, secured in Christ, and called by grace, Jde 1:1, whom he salutes, and wishes a multiplication of mercy, peace, and love unto, Jde 1:2, and then points at the subject matter of his epistle, "the common salvation"; and his view in writing it, which was to exhort them to contend earnestly for, the Gospel; which exhortation was necessary, since some reproba”