Enoch
The man who did not dieSeventh from Adam, of whom Genesis says only that he walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. One of two people in Scripture who do not die, the other being Elijah.
Genesis 5:21-24Hebrews 11:5Jude 1:14-15
New Testament · General Letters
Jude
A fierce little letter, hidden reefs at the love feast, and a doxology for the ages.
Twenty-five verses of high-temperature warning from a man who says he had intended to write about something more pleasant. Jude, most likely the brother of Jesus, writes about teachers who have slipped in and turned grace into permission, and he reaches for an extraordinary range of examples: the wilderness generation, Sodom, Cain, Balaam, Korah, and then, remarkably, two stories that are not in the Old Testament at all, an argument between Michael and the devil over Moses' body and a prophecy of Enoch. He is quoting Jewish writings outside the canon, which the church has noticed since the second century and which is worth knowing about rather than being startled by. It ends with one of the great doxologies.
If you remember one thing
Twenty-five verses of alarm ending in one of the most beautiful doxologies in Scripture. Jude quotes 1 Enoch, which has interested readers ever since.
Who, when, and why
- Written
- Jude, brother of James and of Jesus.
- First readers
- Believers with false teachers already inside the fellowship.
- Why it was written
- He meant to write about salvation and wrote an urgent warning instead.
How it is shaped
- 1 to 4Contend for the faith
- 5 to 16Examples of judgment
- 17 to 23Build yourselves up, and save others
- 24 to 25The doxology
What it keeps coming back to
Contend for the faithJudgment on the ungodlyKeep yourselves in God's love
A verse to carry
“Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory.”
Jude 1:24
Passages that trouble readers
Jude 9
Michael disputing with the devil over the body of Moses, a story from outside the Old Testament, apparently the Assumption of Moses.
Jude 14-15
A direct quotation of 1 Enoch, a book not in any major canon. That an inspired writer quotes it is discussed rather than hidden, and the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition does receive Enoch.
Named here rather than skipped. Where Christians read a passage differently, we say so instead of choosing for you.
Everyone here has a write-up, drawn from the same records that explain the names while you read the text.
Korah
The rebellionA Levite who led two hundred and fifty leaders in challenging Moses and Aaron, arguing that the whole congregation was holy and the two of them had exalted themselves. The ground opened and swallowed the ringleaders.
Numbers 16:1-35Numbers 26:11Psalm 42 heading
Michael
The named angelsThe only two angels Scripture names. Gabriel appears as a messenger, interpreting Daniel's visions and announcing the births of John and of Jesus. Michael is called a prince and an archangel, and is described contending for Israel.
Daniel 8:16Daniel 10:13-21Luke 1:19-26
The whole book, with the people and places explained as you read. Available in WEB and KJV. Chapters marked ✦ carry a verse the New Testament takes up.
A quiz for Jude is on the workbench. In the meantime, the games for the judges, the kings, and the prophets are open.