The book of Jude is an impactful letter that explores the issue of corrupted teachers and conveys the powerful message that God’s grace through Jesus demands a whole life response.
Talking Points:
- Judah’s original purpose in writing this letter was to write about the shared salvation through the Messiah but then he became aware of false teachers and switched his focus.
- He utilizes examples from the Old Testament of people rebelling against God to display that the behavior of the corrupt teachers has ancient roots- a history of rebelling against God’s authority, rejecting God’s messengers, and practicing sexual immorality.
- The church was instructed to build their lives on the foundation of the most holy faith, which refers to the core message of the Good News: Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection for our sins.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Read Jude verses 5-7 and 11. Why do you think Judah was so intentional about providing examples from the Old Testament for his readers in relation to the corrupt teachers?
- Which example stood out to you the most? Why?
- Read verse Jude 4 and 16. Why do you think Judah chose to focus on the corrupt teachers’ behavior?
- In what ways do you see behavior similar to that of the corrupt teachers in our world today?
- What do you think is the most important thing that we can learn from the Letter of Judah? Why?
- What can we learn from the corrupt teachers, and the many examples from the Old Testament in regards to the relationship between our actions and our beliefs?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
