Friday, August 8 – Jude, 1 John 1

1. According to 1 John 1:1-4, what is the purpose of John stating that he has seen, heard, and touched the Word of life?

2. In the book of Jude, what false teachings were the false teachers spreading that were impacting the church? (Jude 1:4)

3. What does John assure will occur if we confess our sins, according to 1 John 1:9?

The church has been troubled by a flood of false teachings for centuries. Through these heresies, Satan has twisted the gospel of Jesus. The author, John, writes this letter not in the usual epistolary style but more like a sermon. Here, we see how his explanations and warnings alternate, not with impersonal theology, but with a personal and caring tone: he calls them “my little children.”

Although this letter does not explicitly name its author, many scholars believe that John, the son of Zebedee and the disciple whom Jesus loved, wrote it. This epistle and the Gospel of John have about fifteen similarities.

In his introduction in 1 John, the apostle affirms his ministry by stating that he was an eyewitness to the deeds of the Word of Life, Jesus. He not only saw Him but also touched Him with his own hands and heard His words. John wants his readers to understand eternal life as it was revealed in Jesus. The purpose is so they may have fellowship (koinonia) with the brothers and sisters united with the Father and the Son. The result of that fellowship will be cleansing from sin. This truth will bring them complete joy.

In verses 6 and 8, John highlights two errors spread by the Gnostics: first, claiming to have fellowship with God while still practicing sin (v. 6). Second, some claimed to be so “pure” that they neither sinned nor even had any desire to sin (v. 8). Let us remember that even after our conversion, Christians remain vulnerable to sin. Therefore, we still need to be cleansed.

1 John 1:9 clearly states: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NKJV)

A significant number of Christians began accepting false doctrines that distorted the pure gospel of our Lord. The epistles of John and Jude aim to warn believers so that false teachers will not deceive them.

Regarding the authorship of the letter of Jude, the only information available is in the first verse: “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.” (Jude 1:1, NKJV)

This Jude was not part of the circle of the apostles. In fact, in verse 17, he separates himself from them. Regarding James, he must have been a prominent leader among the believers. We remember he led the first council in Jerusalem (Acts 15). This James is likely the brother of the Lord Jesus (see Matthew 13:55). Like James, Jude refers to himself as “a bondservant of Jesus Christ.” Like other brothers of Jesus, Jude did not follow Him during His ministry but accepted Him after His resurrection (Acts 1:13).

After his opening greeting, Jude warns the believers about false teachers and their Gnostic teachings, which promoted licentiousness under the guise of God’s grace. They claimed that our inner spiritual lives could not be tainted by sin, allowing them to indulge their desires. With these heresies, they denied both God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude describes the characteristics and the fate of false teachers. He states that they will be judged and face the same punishment as Sodom and Gomorrah, which endured the punishment of eternal fire: “…as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7, NKJV)

For those who believe that there is an eternal hell for the wicked, this very verse contradicts that teaching because the phrase “eternal fire” does not mean an unending fire but rather a fire that does not go out until it has finished its destructive work. Sodom and Gomorrah are not burning today; they were destroyed forever. The consequences are eternal, not the object or the people.

Suddenly, Jude alludes to a moment in the Old Testament when Jesus, or Michael, contended with the devil over the body of Moses. Jude indicates that Jesus did not pronounce a condemnation against him but instead said: “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9, NKJV)

Why did Jesus not condemn Satan directly? Ellen White comments: “Christ Himself, when contending with Satan about the body of Moses, ‘durst not bring against him a railing accusation.’ Had He done this, He would have placed Himself on Satan’s ground; for accusation is the weapon of the evil one…. Jesus did not stoop to employ Satan’s weapons. He met him with the words, ‘The Lord rebuke thee.’” (The Desire of Ages, p. 429)

Let us thank God for these two inspired epistles. They are filled with John’s loving character and Jude’s exhortations to prevent us from falling prey to false teachings and the enemy’s deceptions.

May the good God of heaven bless and keep us all today.