“Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all.”

Christian Standard Bible - Jude 3

I didn’t want to release this article this week.

I have an article on Leviticus that’s 60% of the way there, which I had slated for earlier this week, and I can’t wait for you to read it. It isn’t ready though. I’ve been swamped this week, I’m currently working on a book proposal that’s almost due, and so I decided it would be best to release the next section of the Jude series early.

I don’t think that’s the kind of mentality Jude had when he wrote this verse.

When Jude began to write or dictate this letter, he did so with a yearning to share something about salvation. Instead, he wrote about contending for the faith. I could have just skipped over this fact, or mentioned it in the footnotes, but I think there’s an important lesson to be learned here about the authorship of the word of God.

This letter was written by a man committed to listening to and obeying the inspiration of the Lord. When I say inspiration, I don’t mean it in the modern sense. Today we might say this poem was inspired by my wife, or I’ve written a song inspired by my love for the Lord, but that’s not the same as scriptural inspiration.

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we read:

“All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Christian Standard Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16–17

Inspired here, literally means “to breathe into/out.”

Theologically, inspiration is what happens when God breathes out, whereas medically speaking, to inspire means the opposite, the act of drawing breath in. I think this gives us a helpful image of what the writing of scripture entailed.

God inspires 🫁 → 💨
Man inspires 💨 → 🫁

Consider that for just a second. Imagine you’re Jude. You sit, pen in hand, and the same breath that breathed life into Adam, that spoke the universe into existence, fills you up, and you begin to write.

This process doesn’t mean that the personality of the writer, the scribe, or the narrator is overridden by the Spirit and then dispensed with for the duration of the letter. Rather, the Spirit inspires the author, and then they write together. The care, the context, and the character of the author is then perfected by the infallibility of the Spirit.

This is a mystery, and the exact workings of this will be unknown to us this side of eternity, but this much is clear; Jude cares deeply for those he’s writing to, he has a deep desire to speak about salvation, but the Spirit has other plans.

“He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Christian Standard Bible - Deuteronomy 8:3

Go back to that moment you considered earlier.

The Spirit comes upon you, in such a way that you write out a portion of the inerrant word of God. Close your eyes for a second and just imagine how humbling an experience that would be.

Take a second.

There are two things I want you to take away from this.

Firstly, if you are a believer in Christ, that same Spirit now lives in you (Rom 8:10-111). Until the day you were filled with the Spirit, you hungered for something that no other source could ever satiate. The Lord allowed you that, so you would humble yourself, and then receive the gift of faith, the same faith Jude is about to call you to contend for. You will only achieve that by continuing to humble yourself, and stepping out in faith, by the power of the Spirit, bearing the fruits and gifts that he bestows upon you.

Secondly, no, that doesn’t mean you’ll ever write Scripture. You are, however, to rely on Scripture. Maybe you live in a world which provides not only ample bread, but entertainment enough to absorb your attention twenty-four hours a day if you wanted, and you’ve never wanted for anything. Perhaps, instead, you have very little. You feel like Jesus in the wilderness, knowing that your next meal is some way off. Wherever you are on this spectrum, know that before anything else, you are called to live on every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

We are not providing ourselves a luxury when we skip over genealogies, or lists, or stories that occur in more than one place. If you’re tempted to think, “I know this,” or, “These are just names” think upon the day not so long ago when you longed for the understanding you have now, and imagine the understanding you might have in twenty years if you read them like that again.

Plumb the depths of what you think to be boring, these are delicacies richer than caviar. Pray with David:

“You have put more joy in my heart,
than they have when their grain and new wine abound.”

Psalm 4:7, CSB

Grace and Peace,

I had the joy of meeting for the first time earlier this year, and I only have wonderful things to say about this blessed sister. The next best thing to meeting her in person yourself, is to read this interview with Shemaiah for the Priory with Karen Swallow Prior.

The Priory

Interview with Shemaiah Gonzalez: Publishing, Platform, and Perspective

For the next few weeks, as part of my series, Publication, Platform, and Perspective, I will be sharing insights from writers who represent a range of experiences and background both in the writing craft and in the publishing business…

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2 years ago · 46 likes · 20 comments · Karen Swallow Prior

It seems there’s always a new book coming out, seemingly pitched as “the next big controversy.” Alongside that are scores of recommended books that might actually contain some pearls, but might cut us as we pry open the shell to find them. If you’ve never considered reading disagreeable books before, gives a great breakdown about how to go about doing so.

MILLER’S BOOK REVIEW 📚

5 Personal Rules for Reading Disagreeable Books

No book is wholly right. Then again, no book is wholly wrong. All of us have biases and blindspots, prejudices and predilections. We are all—writers and readers alike—creatures of partial perspective. It’s the best we’ve got…

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2 years ago · 83 likes · 14 comments · Joel J Miller

invites us to imagine what it will be like to dine at the heavenly table. This piece will engage your hopes, your fears, your imagination, and your deep desire for eternity.

A Faithful Imagination

Imagine Heaven

I sat down with Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak to read to my children—for they were wild things who needed calming down. The friend on the loveseat across from me smiled. “Oh, I love that book. That book captivated me when my mother read it to me. It was the first book to make me wonder if I could travel to another land from my room just li…

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2 years ago · 19 likes · 6 comments · Lara d'Entremont

This week we’re continuing with a new chapter in the Jude Series. This series is all about a much-misunderstood and oft-forgotten book of the Bible, and in Part Two we’re looking at Jude’s introduction and the reason the letter was written in the first place.

This is Chapter II of Part II, in an online ‘serialised book’ which I’m releasing over the next few months. In addition, I’ll be releasing fortnightly articles on other subjects, all for the Glory of God and the good of his people. Thanks so much to all of you who have subscribed recently, and to those who’ve been reading for a long time already.

If you enjoy this piece, please do share it with others who might be encouraged by it.

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To check out other instalments in the Jude Series, click here:

Jude Series So Far

“May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jude 2

I sign off every email and newsletter with the words, “Grace and Peace.” Why do I do it? The simplest answer would be to say that I’m imitating the apostle Paul, but it’s more complicated than that. I do so, because they shape every other word I write.

Imagine I wrote the following letter, what would you think?

What is wrong with you!? You are a blight on the earth!
Have a rotten life.

Grace and Peace,

Adsum Try Ravenhill1

If you received that message… you might not believe that I truly want you to experience Grace and Peace. Right? If I’m committed, however, to conveying grace and peace to you, then I should imbue all my writing graciousness and peace.

This would be true even if the contents were:

Critical: Book reviews, Editing notes, Suggested Changes

Encouraging: Messages to my Wife, A letter/email to a friend/acquaintance

Professional: Work emails, article proposals

These two words provide a framework for all my communications, and Jude’s words at the start of his letter, “May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you,” do the same for his epistle. There are moments of admonishment and correction, rebuke and reproof, but they all fall within the bounds of Mercy, Peace, and Love.

God’s mercy is one of his communicable attributes, meaning that it is both an attribute of God and something that we can exercise ourselves as Christians2—however imperfectly. What does it mean though?

“Specifically it designates that quality in God by which he faithfully keeps his promises and maintains his covenant relationship with his chosen people despite their unworthiness and unfaithfulness”

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker encyclopedia of the Bible, 1988, 2, 1440.

How are we also able to be merciful, then?

We can do so by showing forgiveness to those who do not deserve it3, or perhaps by following through on our word even to those who have broken their own. Many of the original recipients of Jude’s epistle are either in danger of going astray—following after imposters and intruders in the church—or know people who have already done so.

Jude has his work cut out for him. On the one hand he needs to clearly outline the danger of following down that path, but also teach them how to look out for those who have strayed down it, but having repented, are making the journey back.

He begins his first lesson by remind them of the slaves who had been set free from Egypt, saying:

“Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jude 5

These slaves had not earned their freedom, it was simply a gift from God. Contrast this with those who relied on themselves:

“In the same way these people—relying on their dreams—defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones.”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jude 8

As harsh as the language may sound, it’s paramount that we understand this.

We are depraved, we are sinful!

Why is this important? How can we be forgiven of our sins if we will not repent, and how will we repent if we do not know we are sinful. We must recognise our rot, repent of our sin and be clothed in the righteousness only God can bestow.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly,
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

The New King James Version, (Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mic 6:8.

“Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), James 3:13-18
[Emphasis Mine]

Are you wise in your own eyes, and if so, would you not rather have wisdom from above? James, Jude’s brother, lays this out for us:

Earthly Wisdom = Unspiritual, Demonic → Envy, Selfishness, Disorder, Evil practice.

Godly Wisdom = Pure & Peace-Loving → Gentle, Compliant, Full of Mercy, Unwavering, Without Pretence.

He adds, “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace”

Jude paints a similar picture, though through narrative.

Earthly Wisdom:

“These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead and uprooted.”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jude 12

Godly Wisdom:

“But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jude 20–23

Praying and hoping for Mercy, Peace, and Love among all the people of God, Jude gifts them a mirror and a painting.

In the mirror, they are able to see the clear truth of their current situation. In the painting, they see the goodness that God wants them to live in.

How important is it for our lives today, while Twitter fights, lack of discretion, and inter/intra-denominational rifts rage, how much better would it be if we as Christians were to seek peace with our brothers and sisters?

If we are not doing this, we are ignoring the mirror Jude is holding up for us, deciding we are in no need of the mercy of God and continuing to live as we were, eating without reverence, looking only after ourselves.

Fruitless, twice dead and uprooted.

Finally, it’s important to see Jude’s love for the church. Though I usually use the CSB in this newsletter, the translation of the word ‘ἀγαπητός’4 as ‘Friends’ is rather puzzling to me. I’m not a greek scholar by any stretch, however, this word is usually translated as ‘Beloved’ which conveys a much stronger bond than the word ‘Friend’—which could mean anything from casual acquaintance to lifelong companion.

It’s also, in some ways, too narrow. I might love someone I’ve never even been acquainted with but never call them friend, and there are also those whom I love the most and are more than friends—I’m thinking here of my Brother, Grandparents and other family members for instance.

I’m making a fuss of this because the word, “Beloved,” pops up three times throughout the letter, earmarking key points as it does so:

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints”

“But you, Beloved, bought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.”

“But you, Beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update, Jude 3, 17-18, & 20–21

Jude explains that because of his love for them—though he earnestly wished to write an entirely different letter!—he needed to write this one fighting for the faith!

He wanted these people—his Beloved!—to recall the words of the Apostles, warning them against those who would come after to try and swallow up the Faith. In response, they should build themselves up on their most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping themselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

That,—my Beloved!—is paramount.

Look to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling because you can’t do any of this in your own strength, and is able to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, because he died for you, and paid the price for your salvation! Who for? The only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.

Amen.

Grace and Peace,

Adsum Try Ravenhill

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If you’re a writer, you should be reading . His articles are a great example of how to say things simply and succinctly, however complicated, but he also speaks directly to writers as well. You may have heard some, or all, of this advice before, but you could probably use a refresher all the same.

Digital Liturgies

Completely Unsolicited, Totally Anecdotal, But Perhaps Marginally Helpful Thoughts on Being a Christian Writer

I always try to take notice when the same general topic gets different attention, from a diverse group of people, in a short amount of time. This happened earlier this year regarding writing, publishing, and the long-term prospects (or lack thereof) for aspiring authors…

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2 years ago · 144 likes · 28 comments · Samuel D. James

An important rebrand occurred this week, the former Theological Girlboss, , renamed her Substack “.” I know that a lot of you have discovered my work through Dani’s recommendations and so I wanted to let you guys know about this change, just in case it flies under your radar:

Dani(elle) Treweek | Writes

Goodbye to the Girlboss

A little over a year ago I renamed my Substack ‘That Girlboss Theologian’. Here’s the backstory. Around that time, Twitter suddenly started limiting the exposure of Substack links on its platform. Those of us posting our links there found their views plummeting. Switching your Substack over to a custom domain name seemed to offer a workaround. And so…

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2 years ago · 23 likes · 2 comments · Dani Treweek

I don’t know about you, but it feels like Hobbies have fallen on hard times since Covid. We used to have this abundance of time, but no more! What remained though, is our envy of other people’s hobbies. does a great job of helping us to recognise and reject that temptation in her latest piece:

From Glory to Ordinary

Kick Hobby-Envy Out the Door

About a week or so I saw an Instagram post from Andrew Peterson (one of my favorite songwriters). The little square displayed a pint jar of golden honey fresh from his farm. I glanced through the caption where he proclaimed that nothing compares to the flavor and joy from honey from your own bees on your own proper…

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2 years ago · 4 likes · Brianna Lambert

This week we’re continuing with a new chapter in the Jude Series. This series is all about a much-misunderstood and oft-forgotten book of the Bible, and in Part Two we’l be looking specifically at Jude’s introduction and the reason the letter was written in the first place.

This is Chapter I of Part II, in an online ‘serialised book’ which I’ll be releasing over the next few months. In addition, I’ll be releasing fortnightly articles on other subjects, all for the Glory of God and the good of his people. Thanks so much to all of you who have subscribed recently, and to those who’ve been reading for a long time already. If you enjoy this piece, please do share it with others who might be encouraged by it.

To check out other instalments in the Jude Series, click here:

Jude Series So Far

First impressions last.

The way we present ourselves can say a lot about our character, our profession, and our temperament. Letters are no different, but in the two millennia since the New Testament epistles were written, the church seems to have trained herself out of noticing them. Introductions and ‘Final Blessings’ are often relegated to a secret collection of Bible passages, alongside lists of laws, genealogies, and the Song of Solomon.

The truth is though, that if you took this collection and try examined it you’d find that it was written with the same care, and intention as the rest of the Bible. Let them make an impression on you, and hopefully that impression will last a lifetime.

Here’s how Jude introduces himself:

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:
To those who are the called, loved, by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020) Jude 11

Of all the New Testament authors, two have seemingly more claim upon Jesus than any other. These two, Jude and James, had grown up with him, in the same household. We know very little about them, certainly not enough for an extensive biography, but what we do know is that however close they had been with Jesus throughout the course of his life, neither believed in the truth of who he was during the time of his earthly ministry2. In fact, it seems that when Jesus was hung on the cross for their sins, for yours, and for mine, they weren’t even present to support their mother. Jesus instead called upon his beloved apostle John to take up that role3.

At some point after this, however, after he’d died, and risen again, Jesus’ brothers came to believe, and to pray, and shortly after they’d even taken up the mantle of leaders alongside Jesus’ apostles and disciples.4

These men might not have enjoyed the kind of relationship they ought to have had with their brother in life, but by the writing Jude writes this, both he and his brother had placed all of their faith in meeting that same brother in eternity.

Even so, of all the apostles and teachers, these two surely had the right to lean upon their brother’s name? Yet, neither does. In fact, the only claim either of them makes5 in connection with him is to call themselves his slave6, and he their master (Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος.)

Jude goes one further, and submits not only to Jesus, but also to James!

Whilst Jude was a leader in the church, James was very likely the head of the Elders of the church in Jerusalem. Whilst calling Jesus his brother might have signified an attempt to exalt himself, calling upon the authority of his brother to lend credence to his own letter seems to suggest humble submission.

I say all of this for two reasons, firstly, because as Jude becomes more bold through his letter, it’s important to understand that this isn’t a character flaw, but an outworking of necessary and humble exhortation. It’s a bit like the commentators currently covering the European Football Tournament, the Euros7, when one of them lauds a certain player’s ability they aren’t boasting in themself, but praising the skill of another. Jude isn’t boasting because of his own ability to teach or in his own perfection, but in Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

Secondly, because as we look from his introduction of himself to his address to us, Jude provides us with a helpful example to follow and imitate.

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Unlike other letters which were addressed to particular churches, Jude’s intended audience seems to be far broader, yet, the question of whether we belong to “those who are the called, loved, by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ” is one that people still struggle with today.

It can be a temptation sometimes to go to Jesus and ask, “What must I do?”

Whilst it is important that we follow in the footsteps of our saviour, picking up our cross daily, loving our neighbour, and giving our all to God, the called come into the kingdom instead saying in awesome wonder, “Look what you have done for me!”

There is a delight in seeing that overwhelming feeling of love that washes over new believers as the Spirit baptises them; that sense and knowledge that from before the creation of the earth the Lord had planned to redeem, restore, and refashion them with eternal heavenly bodies and eternal life.

As Paul says in the book of Romans:

For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

Christian Standard Bible, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ro 8:29–30.

What does that look like now that we have entered into a group of “many brothers and sisters” with our brother Jesus as the firstborn among us, well it looks Jude’s example. Our salvation isn’t bolstered by the efficacy of our works, but rests solely in the love, grace, mercy, and unchangeableness of our saviour; who despite our sinfulness, overwhelmed us—the people of God—with his sacrifice, and now lovingly sustains our faith.

Thanks be to God, because that’s something none of us could ever have mustered alone.

As such, our response isn’t to elevate ourselves to his station, to look down on those who haven’t yet been blessed with such compassion, but rather to see ourselves as the last, one who could have so easily been lost.

However.

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What are we called to?

That’s not an easy question, but it does have at least one simple answer. Whilst some of us are called specifically to teach, other to minister to the sick, we are all called to this:

'“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Christian Standard Bible, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Matt 28:19-20

How then are the humble supposed to minister to sinners and saints? As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, Jude hardly lacked boldness. We’ll see the evidence of that throughout his letter, but it was a boldness birthed by a reliance on his Saviour rather than on himself.

The passage above is predicated upon Jesus words:

"All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”

Christian Standard Bible, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Matt 28:18b

That authority is what we are to call upon when we preach, teach, minister, pray, and even cast out demons. Everything in heaven and on earth is under his authority, both now and forever, and it is an unfathomable blessing that we can now call upon that authority to carry out his work on earth. That should change the way we write, work, play, pray, eat, sleep, and spend time with others. That same God that gave us the faith that he now sustains in us has commanded us to commend that faith to others, trusting in his authority and power to aid us.

Throughout this book, we’ll look at how Jude not only commends but contends for the faith we have been blessed with, in the next chapter though we’ll be looking at Jude’s hope that Mercy, Peace, and Love would be multiplied among us.

Grace and Peace,

Adsum Try Ravenhill

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It’s a little past midweek now, but this encouragement for John Hobbs is still just as helpful as it was a couple of days ago!

Hope Remains

Desperate

One man was so full of Satan that he had super human strength. He was subject to the demons living within him. He cut himself. He threw himself into the fire. Physically bruised, cut, and battered, he was a gruesome sight to see. He was a terror to the citizens around him. He was a terror to himself…

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2 years ago · 26 likes · 12 comments · John E. Dobbs

just moved over to Substack to host her ongoing writing projects and I can’t explain enough how much I recommend that you subscribe to her work.

Here’s a short piece that helps to illustrate her empathy and insight:

Living Grace-filled in a SLATHY World

Laundry Room Realizations

He had been staying with us for more than two months already, but this was the first time he’d asked for help with his laundry. Could I switch the load so it would be dry by the time he got back from work? Absolutely. As I moved his bedding and clothing from the washer to the dryer later that afternoon, I gasped. On their own, the items looked so small…

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2 years ago · 2 likes · Wendy Willard

was recently invited to speak, encouraging a group of pastors in their vocation and particularly for those of you in ministry, I think you’ll be just as encouraged as they were. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up Jeremy’s book either, I would highly recommend that too—more on that here.

This week we’re continuing with a new chapter in the Jude Series. This series is all about a much-misunderstood book of the Bible, and in part one with looking at one of the reasons for that—the use of Midrash. Two weeks ago we talked about what Midrashim are, but in short, these are essentially stories that were commonly used around the time of Jesus to teach the scriptures—sometimes well, and sometimes not.

Because of this, the book of Jude can sound odd to western Christians; it doesn’t follow the same “rules” we’re used to from other books in the new testament, and it also quotes from extra-biblical sources. If we take the time now to explore this in detail, we’ll be better equipped to handle questions that come up along the way.

I’ll be using the term ‘Second Temple’ a fair bit in this chapter, which is a term that pops up in many books across the academic and theological spectrum, so even if you’re not interested in learning specifically about Midrash stick around because knowing about this will be useful again in the future.

To check out other instalments in the Jude Series, click here:

Jude Series So Far

The Bible isn’t a just a collection of books, it is one cohesive story, encompassing all of time. It isn’t one continuous story, however. This is clear to us when we think about the present and the future. We know the Bible speaks about the early church, and to the church in our time, as well as about the future, but doesn’t tell the story of the Church in the UK, for instance. It can be easy, however, to forget that the time between the Old and New Testaments was very similar to this. Our mind closes that gap because history was a long time ago and so it all sort of blends together1.

In reality, the intertestamental period2 looks something like this:

Old Testament → 400 Years → New Testament

For 400 years there was no clarity, they knew the story would finish one day, but they didn’t know how. The Old Testament—full of prophecy, full of hope, and full of promises that a Messiah, a Saviour, would come one day—was read, researched, and expounded upon for four centuries, and some of that was in error.

So before we talk about the Pharisees, and how they appeared on the screen, let’s explore to road that led to the second temple?

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“David assembled all the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem…rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build, but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’

…He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he perseveres in keeping my commands and my ordinances as he is doing today.’”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Ch 28:1-3;6–7

David and Solomon. Two Kings. One Father; One Son.

Before we look to the second temple, we need to address the first. In short, David desired to build a temple for the Lord, but in the end his son, Solomon, was granted the gifts needed to fulfil that desire.

I’ve ended this passage of the words, “I will establish [Solomon’s] kingdom forever if he perseveres in keeping my commands and my ordinances as he is doing today.”

Suffice it to say, that this prefigured a horrific fall, and a tremendous return to God. Solomon, like his father before him, did what was evil in the sight of his God, but before he did any of that, he built a temple for the glory of God’s name.

When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin…and when they come to their senses in the land where they were deported and repent and petition you in their captors’ land, saying,

“We have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked,”

and when they return to you with all their mind and all their heart…toward the temple I have built for your name, may you hear their prayer and petitions in heaven, your dwelling place, and uphold their cause. May you forgive your people who sinned against you.

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Ch 6:36–393

Even before he or his people turned from God, Solomon cried out to the Lord. Before fire filled the Temple, Solomon—knowing the hearts of men—pled with God to provide a way of mercy and grace for his people, that when they turn and repent that they would be forgiven.

Why?

For no one is without sin.

How and where? By turning to the Temple of the Lord.

The Temple of the Lord was built to be a place of worship to God, and a reminder of his grace to his people. To represent this to God’s own people, the Temple was created to be awe-inspiring4. If the world were a pack of cards, this temple was the ace of spades.

But then, the worst happened. The people turned against the Lord, and the temple fell.

“On the seventh day of the fifth month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned the Lord’s temple, the king’s palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses. The whole Chaldean army with the captain of the guards tore down the walls surrounding Jerusalem.”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Ki 25:8–10

If you didn’t already know, you could probably have guessed that in order for there to have been a need for a Second Temple, something needed to happen to the first.

So now that the faith of the people has failed, where are they supposed to turn to?

The story of the temple picks up again in the book of Ezra-Nehemiah5.

David and Solomon are long gone, but thankfully three lowly men take centre stage. These men were likely born in Babylon, and had been made her servants. Servants of Babylon?! The very same Kingdom which burned the temple down in the first place?

So were they rebels fighting the big guys?

Not even close. They had no ill-will towards Babylon, but rather God used their position in Babylon’s courts to divert attention and imperial funds to raise up a new temple.

Who were these three men?

Zerubbabel; who rebuilt the Temple.

Ezra; who then taught from the Torah and built up the people of God.

Nehemiah; who built up the walls to fortify God’s temple.

In so doing, they turned back the wheels of time.

A prophet living at the time of Zerubbabel called Haggai turned to the people after it was built and said:

“Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory?
How does it look to you now?
Doesn’t it seem to you like nothing by comparison?”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Hag 2:3

If the first temple was an ace, this second temple was just that, a two… the least of all cards.

“This second temple had not the ark, the Urim and Thummim, the holy oil, the sacred fire, the tables of stone, the pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod. As in the tabernacle, there was in it only one golden lamp for the holy place, one table of shewbread, and the incense altar, with golden censers, and many of the vessels of gold that had belonged to Solomon’s temple that had been carried to Babylon but restored by Cyrus”

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature, 1893, 659.

So what has this got to do with the Pharisees?

Well, as our story comes to a close, the people of God have tasted submission to a foreign power. By the end of the intertestamental period, they’re in submission to yet another power, the Romans.

In the meantime, they’re left with a sub-par temple, but promises like this:

“For the Lord of Armies says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of Armies. “The silver and gold belong to me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

“The final glory of this house will be greater than the first,” says the Lord of Armies.

“I will provide peace in this place”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Hag 2:6–9

The story isn’t yet over, there’s still something to come, but through the darkly lit mirror (1 Cor 13:12) you’re left with, you can only begin to imagine what that might be.

In the intervening years, with such hope ahead, a group of teachers rose up to fill the gap left in the meantime. Pharisees are very much the punchline of preachers the world over, but the truth is, most of them were likely doing what they could to sanctify people for God. In addition, as we discussed last week, these teachers were doing their best to be faithful to God’s law, and yet, make their teaching understandable to all—from the youngest to the eldest. I don’t say any of this to dismiss the very real issues they presented, but it is important that when we talk about the Pharisees, that we do so with the understanding that many of them did what they did to try and worship God.

With that said, in the process, they added to scripture. A modern Jewish scholar described their practice like this:

“All exegesis is eisegesis, simply because the selection of one verse, rather than some other, expresses a prior program of inquiry: different people talking about different things to different people.”

Jacob Neusner, Midrash as Literature: The Primacy of Documentary Discourse, (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2003)

That’s Jacob Neusner speaking, a Jewish expert on this period who recently passed away. If you don’t know what exegesis or eisegesis is, here’s a quick summary:

• Exegesis - Drawing out the meaning from a text

• Eisegesis - Implanting one’s own meaning into a text

Neusner is describing Midrash here6, but this could also apply to a number of other modern practices within the church7. When we choose to take verses out of context and implant our own ideas—our own will—onto those passages, we get into real problems.

This saw its heyday during the second temple period.

Midrash existed out of a knowledge that the Scriptures spoke of what was to come and that the story was not yet complete8. This went wrong when it led the Pharisees to fill those gaps themselves. If this has been scripturally sound, then it would have lightened the path of the Messiah when he came.

Did it lead people to recognise Jesus?

Well, no.

In fact, when he came he answered the question this whole article has been expressing, what about the temple?

“He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!”

And his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me. So the Jews replied to him, “What sign will you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.” Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made.”

Christian Standard Bible, (Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jn 2:16–22

In effect, Jesus is the greater Midrash, he is the story that explains the Old Testament, everything can be understood by and through him. He is the fulfilment of the law and prophets, and no one comes to the Father except through him.

Midrash was used for good reason. We would likely have done no different, we would likely have followed our own path, sought to read our own interpretations into scripture, with a heart to serve the Lord and his people.

Without the full understanding of the Gospel though, this is folly. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot hope to understand the things which were hidden which were revealed in Christ. Thanks be to God that we have that now. Let it not lead us to pride, let us remember that we are still fallen in nature, that not one of us is without sin, but that any time we need we can and ought to turn to the Lord for forgiveness.

This isn’t to say that using stories to help uncover the meaning of scripture is bad in itself, or that this was never done correctly prior to pentecost, but, in the case of the Pharisees and others like them…it failed their purposes.

In two weeks we’ll look instead at some of the correct, scriptural uses of Midrash, and why Jude used it himself.

Grace and Peace,

Adsum Try Ravenhill

This article is Chapter One of a serialised “book” on Jude’s Epistle, which I’m releasing over the next few months. You can read the introduction here.

Also, if you haven’t already seen, I released a review earlier this week on Bob Allen’s () new book, the Blueprint of Grace, you can check that out here:

or watch the YouTube version here:

In 1874 Albert Goodwill Spalding brought the wonder of Baseball to England, well… he tried. His tour was met with confusion and bemusement. There were two main issues that hindered Spalding’s success. Firstly, we already have a children’s game called Rounders which has very similar rules, and the public didn’t like the idea of grown men playing a game for kids. Secondly, though, we already had another game called Baseball which was played primarily by women; which you can read about in Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen of all places!

Though Baseball had, in one culture, been all but universally loved, it couldn’t make even the slightest dent in the cultural consciousness of the UK. The incident is relegated to the footnotes of English history books, but does that mean it wasn’t an important event?

Are we, the British, correct that Baseball isn’t worth a mention?

Torah, Talmud, and Midrash, these three collections of texts form the basis for all Jewish law and literature. You’ve likely heard of the first, Torah, and you may have also heard of the Talmud, but Midrash? How is it that Midrash holds so little weight in the context of Christian literature that most have never even heard of it?

In some ways, it makes sense, neither the Talmud, nor the Midrashim (plural of Midrash) found outside the Bible are inspired like Scripture, but on the flip side; It seems odd, given how much time we give in Christian literature to who the Pharisees were, that we wouldn’t give equal weight to understanding what they believed, and how they propagated those beliefs. More importantly though, Midrashim aren’t only found outside the bible, but throughout its pages.

The Old Testament Prophets frequently expound on earlier Scriptures using this narrative form of exegesis, and this continues through the New Testament also (Hebrews 11, 1 Peter 2:4-10, Jude). In 2 Chronicles we also see Midrashic texts cited as sources (2 Chronicles 13:22 & 24:27.)

Given the importance of Midrashim throughout the Bible and in Jewish culture during the time of the New Testament, we ought not to act like the British with Baseball and banish it to long-forgotten footnotes.

So what are Midrashim and why do they have such an important place in Jewish Literature?

Well, let’s look at a Midrash from the Babylonian Talmud:

When Moses ascended on High, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, who is preventing You from giving the Torah without these additions?

God said to him: There is a man who is destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each and every thorn of these crowns mounds upon mounds of halakhot. It is for his sake that the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah.

Babylonian Talmud, Menachot 29b, 4

There’s a lot going on there.

Side-Note: To be clear this doesn’t happen in Scripture.

We witness Moses arriving in heaven, and being told that a man would come who would derive from the texts of the Torah “mounds upon mounds of halakhot.” Halakhot means laws, ordinances, and teachings. This isn’t to say that he or others would add to scripture—according to this view—but that he would expounding upon scripture with the inspiration of God, and would tie “crowns on the letters of the Torah” with further glory.

As you’re likely aware the Hebrew language is incredibly important in Jewish culture and history. While the English-speaking world has spent the past few generations butchering and simplifying our language the Hebrew language has seen an unbelievable resurgence and recovery. Rabbi Ari Lamm explained this a couple of years ago on the Jane and Jesus podcast with , stating that the reason Hebrew perseveres where Greek and Latin have failed to remain relevant is that while Athens captivated people’s minds, the “holy language” has gripped people’s hearts.

Why then would God allow alterations to the Hebrew in the Torah? Well, according to this view, that’s not what’s happening. In this story God takes the words in the Torah and attaches crowns to them which reveal and make clear the meaning of those words. Recently, we celebrated the coronation of King Charles, and during that ceremony he was given a crown top signify the veracity of his rule. His wasn’t any more of a King when that happened, it simply pointed towards the importance of his office. Something similar is happening here, at least according to this view.

As Christians, we believe that the final and ultimate end and meaning of the words in Scripture are found in Jesus Christ, but that’s not what Jews believe. The Torah stands as the final and authoritative text for life, and the Talmud and Midrash help to open those texts up to help Jews know how to live and how to honour God with their lives.

This is primarily worked out through the aforementioned “Halakhot” or laws.1

There are two categories of Midrash which form the basis of that foundation:

• Midrash Halakhah, which deals with the law and expounds and expands upon the laws in Torah, either contextualising them or widening their scope.

• Midrash Aggadah, which deals with ethics, narratives, characters, and events, expounding on them in the following ways:

1. Filling in gaps in the narrative text of the Torah (i.e. Abram’s Life before Gen 11:27)

2. Clearing up details of dispute

3. Teaching on a particular text—or multiple texts—drawing on it/them in a way that is relevant to the present day.

In each case this is done in the form of a narrative.

This might seem odd to us, especially in academic circles where bibliographies and rigid arguments are necessary. What we must remember is that this is coming out of a culture deeply invested in the oral tradition; and Midrash, like Scripture, wasn’t meant to be a dead academic endeavour, it was meant to be understandable and relatable from to the youngest to the oldest member of the community.

Midrash is more akin to Preaching in the Reformed Tradition, not to essays in the classroom. This is certainly true of the book of Jude, Richard Bauckham writes:

[Jude] is more like a homily than a letter: it consists of a Midrash on a series of scriptural references and texts (vv 5-19) and a paraenetic section (vv 20-23). The work closes with a doxology (vv 24-25), a conclusion more appropriate to a homily than to a letter.

Richard Bauckham, Word Biblical Commentary, Jude & 1-2 Peter

“To establish such a piece of writing as a midrash, one has to find three things: the basic scriptural text on which the midrashic interpretation has been placed; the particular notion and meaning of the text contained in and established by that interpretation; and, finally, the special hermeneutical technique by which the interpretation has been achieved.”

Midrashim In The New Testament, M. Gertner
Journal Of Semitic Studies, Volume 7, Issue 2, Autumn 1962, Pages 267–292

It’s probably clear that one of these two forms of Midrash holds more weight for us as Christians than the other. While we would certainly expound on Scripture and apply it to our lives today, often using narratives to help us do so, we shouldn’t seek to create new laws or ordinances as a result.

With that in mind, the form of Midrash found in Jude, as well as in the rest of the New Testament would fit largely under the heading of Midrash Aggadah.

If you’ve ever performed or taken part in a Pessach or Passover meal, you’ve probably held in your hands a Haggadah, or the narrative, story, and teaching which are performed on the day, along with the physical representations of that story, the food.
If not, essentially there are two parts to the Passover meal, teaching and participation. By experiencing the sweetness and bitterness of certain foods and the sharing of that food with one another, alongside teaching, the story comes to life in a way that simply hearing cannot do. This is common in many feasts and festivals throughout Jewish culture. The words Haggadah and Aggadah are closely related and they share the general meaning of “drawing out.”

Gertner mentioned three parts of the Midrashic form we should be looking out for as we study Jude:

1. The basic scriptural text/s on which the midrashic interpretation has been placed

2. The particular notion and meaning of the text contained in and established by that interpretation

3. The special hermeneutical technique by which the interpretation has been achieved.

Midrash Aggadah seeks to viscerally draw out the meaning of Scripture, to give us an understanding of the author’s interpretation, and does so by utilising a special form of narrative interpretation. Keeping this in mind will help us to piece together what’s going on when it seems that Jude is speaking in a way, or quoting sources which don’t seem to align with our exegetical or theological methodologies.

I hope that this short introduction has given you a good understanding of what Midrashim are and the role they play in Jewish culture and the culture of the Jews of Jude’s day.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be diving further into the wider use of Midrash around the time of the New Testament, and then what it looks like to garner a better understanding of Midrash.

Grace and Peace,

Adsum Try Ravenhill

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This week I reviewed the Blueprint of Grace by ’s Bob Allen, which you can watch here:

or read here:

If you followed my series on Polycarp with Tim Suffield, you might be interested to read a new theological journal that he’s heading up with Pentecostal Theologian Jonathan Black, called Eucharisma:

Check Out Eucharisma

Finally, if you’re looking for daily encouragement, look no further, has got you covered! Check out his latest piece, Search, on Psalm 70:

The Holy Lens

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… May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay! - From Psalm 70 Lord, you are my help and my deliverer. I seek to find gladness in you even while I ask you to bring me through my difficul…

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2 years ago · 13 likes · 4 comments · John E. Dobbs

This is the first article in a series I’m writing on the book of Jude. If this is your first time reading or your seventy-seventh, please leave a comment to let me know what you thought and if you have any questions.

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It’s the first century AD, shortly before Jerusalem is raised to the ground, and about thirty years after the most consequential public execution in all of history. A religious group we’ll name ‘the Called’ has been steadily growing throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, having faced dangers and persecution on all sides since the beginning. As if they didn't have enough to deal with, false teachers have begun to infiltrate this group of believers, leading some astray; and so a member of the faithful sends out a letter commanding them to contend for ‘the faith.’ The letter is short, succinct, and powerful; yet, two-thousand years later has largely fallen into obscurity.

This letter isn’t hard to get a hold of, and it isn’t long, but it is complicated. Although scholarship had begun to take place in the early twentieth century, this was done in German and so, shortly after, it too went largely unread. The twenty-first century produced some great work on the book, but bundled it together with 1 & 2 Peter1 and so the book is often relegated to be read once a year in a Bible reading plan, and that in a single day.

This series won’t be quite like a commentary and I don’t intend for it to be written at a scholarly level. The primary difference between this book2 and modern commentaries is that I want to focus in here not primarily on the human authorial context, but the inspiration of the Spirit upon and through that human author. I also have no qualms about saying that I believe that the author in question is Jude, the brother of James and Jesus and that the book was written in the first century AD. I’ve read good scholarship on the subject that I think affirms that3 fact, but I’m also a firm believer in the innerancy of Scripture and that, of course, includes this book. I say that because in many commentaries I’ve read, a lot of time is given to proving that fact and disputing alternative theories.

So, in short, I believe Jude was written by Jude—or Judah, or Judas … but we’ll get to that.

With that said, there are some key elements of the letter that are important to understand so we can build on that context later down the line.

This letter is catholic. To be clear, when I say “catholic,” I don’t mean “Roman Catholic.” The term throughout most of history meant general or universal. The best example of this is the Apostle’s Creed, which biblically faithful churches throughout history have all held to, which concludes:

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

The “holy catholic church” shouldn’t be understood here to pay homage to the Pope or affirm his rule, but rather to declare that the true church which exists today—wherever she is found—is part of the apostolic tradition and faith that has been handed down since Pentecost. The reason the word catholic is important to note in this case is because this letter is part of a set we find in the New Testament called “the catholic epistles” which includes James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John and Jude.

Unlike the letters of Paul, which were written to specific persons (Timothy, Philemon, Titus) or peoples (the Romans, Thessalonians, Colossians), the catholic epistles are more broadly addressed—Peter addresses his first epistle “To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad” (1 Peter 1:1) and James sends his to “To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad” (James 1:1.) If you’re a believer, you should see yourself reflected in what Jude himself says, “To those who are the called, loved, by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1.)

Through these epistles Peter, John, James, and Jude teach about church polity, false teachers, our relationship to governments, our relationships to one another, the use of Holy Scripture (inc. the New Testament), how to exercise one’s faith, the place of works, as well as the responsibilities of leaders and church members.

This set also contains some overlap, particularly between Jude and 2 Peter 2-3:3. This overlap has led some to overlook Jude over the years, but this would be unwise. We don’t turn away from 1-2 Chronicles because it reiterates what we already know, or exclude certain Psalms because they’re found in other passages of Scripture. these parallels don’t dilute Scripture, but point towards the internal consistency found within.

In addition, this repetition points towards something Jude speaks to in his letter, namely, the catholic faith. As in, the faith that we all share as Christians. It’s clear from the repetition we see throughout the New Testament that the Apostles were united in that faith and so we should expect there to be choruses that ring out throughout the song of scripture.4

Darian R. Lockett says:

“…the faith here is understood not as the subjective faith of the community but as the central message of salvation through Jesus Christ—the apostolic faith handed down to the community.”

Letters for the Church - Darian R. Lockett

He is not writing to a people about their faith, but about THE faith, the holy apostolic faith which they all had received, and invited them to contend for it with him. This letter is from the Church, to the Church, for the Church, via the messenger Jude, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Although this letter is for the Church, and therefore for Christians, it is also a Jewish letter. This isn't a contradiction in terms, Jude is a Jew by birth and a Christian by second-birth. Just as my writing is influenced by my Britishness5 Jude is writing from a Jewish context, and likely to a largely Jewish audience.

Given that Jude grew up in the Jewish tradition it shouldn't be a surprise to us that his style, like his brother James—not to mention Jesus!—is influenced by Jewish teaching. In form, in style, in reference6, Jude is distinctively Jewish and so that has a bearing on the way that we read this letter.

We can often be too quick to apply our own context to the Bible, or vice versa. One of the ways to combat this is by taking a moment to sit with the original audience. This helps us to hear it as it was intended to be heard. Although this letter is written to the whole church and applicable to our lives today, we shouldn’t jump straight there.

Everyone is most likely to follow the style they grew up with. I’ve heard lots of people discuss the reasons why preachers use sports analogies, perform topical preaching, or rely on the same stories over and over, but the reality is quite simple:

Most preachers do so because it is all they’ve ever known.

Jude is no different.

As a young Jewish man, he would have heard Jewish exegetical methods applied in Synagogues and therefore we shouldn’t be surprised that he would use the same, or similar methods himself.

Jude would also be far quicker to draw from stories he was familiar with than new ones. Jesus’ own parables are heavily influenced by themes and types from the Old Testament. I mentioned Jude’s brother James, whose own writing is often spoken of as Paranesis, which is used in both the Bible (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes) as well as in extra-biblical Jewish Literature (such as Wisdom and Sirach.)

These styles are often unfamiliar to us as western Christians, and so take a bit more work to understand, but doing so will ultimately be incredibly fruitful. Jude is Jewish and that influences his exegetical7 method, namely, a form of Jewish exegesis known as a Midrash. Which, in short, is a form of exegesis of one or more texts from scripture explained and expounded upon, often through the use of storytelling.

Jesus’ use of parables and narrative to explain concepts is a good way of understand what this might look like. This isn’t something we’ve always done well as Protestants, and in the introduction to the RCS commentary on Gen 1-11, the editors mention:

“(Speaking of the Reformers) Christian commentators on Genesis typically displayed a love-hate relationship toward Jewish sources, as we will see: they are often found to admire rabbinic insights and to find corroboration of their own views in the Targums, but the excesses of midrash, with its penchant for creative storytelling, is almost always heavily criticized… Jerome and Augustine are also targets of criticism for … what is usually described as allegorical excess.”

John L. Thompson
Genesis 1–11: Old Testament Reformation Commentary on Scripture

We should be aware of any inherited bias and do what we can to eschew it. The first three chapters of this book will look specifically at this method of exegesis, so I don’t want to diver too deeply just yet, but suffice it to say for now that this might be the most difficult part about understanding this letter.

But an exciting one all the same

A helpful way to understand and remember the context of this letter, is to draw upon another storytelling device, based on the name of the author.

Judah → Judas → Jude

These are the three names that we know Jude by, the Hebrew, the Greek and the Modern one we find in our bibles today. Judah is the name he was likely named after, Judas is likely the form of that name he was given, and Jude is the one that ended up in our bibles—I bet you’ll never be able to guess why that decision was made.8

Think of it like this, Judah represents the Jewish nature of the book, the heritage and the tradition that comes from the Old Testament and the Jewish people. Judas for the continuation of that story through the New Testament and the Apostles, and, finally, Jude, the name we use today, the interpretation into our own language stands for the exegetical process going on in the letter.

Here’s a summary you can return to in later weeks, the epistle of Jude is:

1. Jewish (Judah) - Jewish in structure, in style, as well as using Jewish narratives and those from the Old Testament.

2. Catholic (Judas) - for the whole Church, by a leader of the Church, and for the good of all.

3. Exegetical (Jude) - though different in form from what we would consider to be exegetical, Jude expounds upon scriptures from the Old Testament, applying them to our lives today, by the use of extra-biblical narratives to tell the truth through stories, as well as with the authority and teaching of the apostles.

I’ve barely scratched the surface in this article, so I’m looking forward to going deeper and deeper as the weeks and months roll on. I hope you’re looking forward to joining me on that journey.

Grace and Peace,

Adsum Try Ravenhill

I’m incredibly thankful for ’s honesty in this important look at the shockwaves that ensue when we’re hurt by the church. I resonated with so much of this. Whether you have been hurt by your church or you’re looking to safeguard against it in your own context, this is an important read.

Monday Morning Musings

Leaving A Church,Carrying the pain

Over the last year, one topic that has consumed my attention has been reading and hearing the stories of those who have left their church. Many blogs, essays, articles, and Twitter discussions have emerged, each reflecting the pain, hurt, and anger experienced by individuals. The reasons for leaving are varied and numerous…

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2 years ago · E.L Sherene Joseph

from The Workbox wrote an article this week on what mulch has to teach us about friendship. If you read my piece about deep footprints a couple of weeks ago, this in the mud you’ll find those footprints in.

The Workbox

Heart Mulch

Welcome back to The Workbox I am incredibly glad you made it back. If you are here for the first time, I hope you find what you are looking for and are satisfied by what you read! I would recommend checking out my previous post about this year's Spring. You can find it by following through this…

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2 years ago · 7 likes · Jake

shared this fantastic piece outlining C.S. Lewis’ writing advice and, honestly, I think that short description should sell it to you all on its own!

The Wardrobe Door

C.S. Lewis‘ Writing Advice

If ever someone epitomized what it means to be a writer, it was C.S. Lewis. He wrote engaging fiction across several genres. His theological and apologetic works are still read and discussed decades after his death. Those in his field of study still use and consult his academic writing…

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2 years ago · 17 likes · 3 comments · Aaron Earls