The Questions

v1 Who is this letter from? What does the writer say about himself? What do you think about that? Whom did he write the letter to? What does Jude say about those people? What difference does that make to you?

v2 What does Jude ask God to do for his readers? What difference does ‘God’s mercy and inner peace and love’ make in your life?

3v Jude calls his readers ‘Dear friends’. What does that tell you about the writer and the readers? Jude was going to write about one thing but he wrote about something else. What were the two things? Jude wanted to write ‘about the salvation that we all share’. Why might Jude have wanted to write about that? What is ‘the faith’ that Christians should defend? What does Jude say about ‘the faith’?

v4-24. Make up a short dramatic story about wicked men, and how they should change. Use Jude’s word-pictures.

v4 How have wicked men come? What things do they do? Who do wicked people deny? What do you think about that? What warning comes from God to people who behave like that?

v5-8. Make up short dramatic stories about the stories here. Act them out as a warning.

v5-8 What stories does Jude remind his readers about? Why might he have chosen those stories? What link does Jude make between imagination and respect for God’s authority? If people are using their wicked imagination, what is their attitude to God’s authority? How would those people speak about God’s holy angels?

v9-11 Jude says ‘These men ... mock anything that they do not understand.’ Have you seen people mock what they do not understand? The ‘chief angel Michael’ would not accuse the devil himself. You might suspect that the devil has been at work. Then what would you do if you were wise? Animals do whatever they like. If we behave like them, what may we expect to happen? What can you learn about Cain, Balaam and Korah?

v11. Make up short dramatic stories about Cain, Balaam and Korah. Act them out as a play.

v12-13 Put these word-pictures into your own words. How have you been like those men? What are you going to do about that?

v14-19 What more do you learn about wicked men? What have you done that they do? What are you going to do instead? Where may you find the energy to do that?

v20-24 Jude says that you should do some actions. What are the actions? Write down a list of those things. What are the sources of help that you will receive? What does God do for you? What good events may you look forward to?

v25 What should your attitude to God be? Praise God now.

Final Questions

What is Jude’s letter about? What have you learned about the attitude that people have to God? What will you do about all that?