Automatic Transcript Generated:
Wendy:
Alright. So Graham asks, would it be fair to say that 2 Peter and Jude are the two least read books of the New Testament? What are the problems with these two books?
Tina:
Well, Graham, that’s a fair question, but I don’t know that it’s fair to say they’re the least read necessarily. Nor is there a problem with either the books if you want to go with me really quick. So I was talking to my husband about this and he’s a data guy. So he helped me look up some data just to kind of get an idea of some research.
Tina:
And we came across this website called Crossway, and there’s a graph from a study that they did with over 6000 people where they ask you what was the last time you read each book of the Bible? And so you see here in the color that the blue was within the last month, within the red or the oranges in the last six months. The Tan is in the last year, the Gray is in the last three years or so, and the dark Gray or the black area is never.
Tina:
And when you look at it from the data that they collected, they actually found Jude was one of the ones that was the least red, but Philammon was the other one that was the least red, not second Peter, and actually of the books of the Bible. Second Peter was actually read pretty often. I wouldn’t say it’s fair to say that these are the two least red, although Jude seems to be lesser red, but honestly, that almost bothers me or irks me, because Jude is such an important book of the Bible.
Tina:
When you look at the Book of Jude, it’s fascinating. It’s honestly a summary of the great controversy and the gospel. And there’s a very important doctrine within Jude that I think is so important that we not miss. So basically, when you go through the Book of Jude, it’s talking about contending for our faith and talking about being warned of apostates. That’s a big thing that he talks about is warning for apostasy coming Minister wrong teachings, which is interesting because that’s also the theme of Two Peter.
Tina:
But at the end of Jude in verses 24 or basically 124, this is one of my favorite verses is Jude 124, where it says now unto him, being God, who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. And then he ends the book by saying to God, our Savior, who alone is wise, the glory, Majesty, Dominion, power both now and forever Amen. But basically, Jude presents this truth. After warning about all the prophecy coming into the Church.
Tina:
He presents this very important truth that we are able to be presented faultless in the presence of God. And basically that we are able to overcome sin. And that is a very important doctrine to understand. And we see that very clearly here in the book of Jude. And what’s interesting. Also, like I said in the book of Second Peter is most book of Second Peter because it’s only three chapters. The first two chapters are all about warning against apostasy and false teachers. So these are very important books to read because you need to know how the enemy is trying to come at you and attack you.
Tina:
But what I think is really cool. Also is the last chapter of Second Peter, which is chapter three, is honestly one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. And the reason I love this chapter is because he warns again about these false teachers in the last days. If you go to Second Peter, chapter three and versus let’s see in verse three, we’ll just go through three through seven really fast, if that’s okay. So Second Peter, three three says, knowing this first set scoffers will come in the last days telling me that’s not where we are today, walking according to their own lust.
Tina:
And in verse four reads in verse four, it reads in saying, Where is the promise of this coming? For since the Father is full of sleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this, it says in verse five, for this they are willingly ignorant that by the word of God, the heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the water and in the water. So this is I can’t tell you how true and how much of a prophecy this has come that Peter talks about here.
Tina:
I mean, this has come to pass without a shadow of a doubt that people in the last days have scoffed at the Bible unlike any other time in history. I have never seen such irreverence and disrespect for God and His Word as I do in this generation. You can see it in television shows and movies, people making jokes about Jesus and about the Bible. And just the scoffing is unreal. And like it says in verse five, that they’re willingly ignorant. They don’t want to know the truth, and they don’t want to know about the creation.
Tina:
They don’t want to know about how God was the Creator. And in the last days, so many people have been given over to this false teaching of evolution. And I just cannot believe how you can be somebody in your right mind. Look at the world around you and deny an intelligent designer and just how they are so ignorant of how like it says in verse five of how the Earth was standing out of the water and in the water, and then verse six, by which the world then existed, perish being flooded with water.
Tina:
There’s so much evidence of the flood of Noah, it says in verse seven. But the heavens and the Earth, which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. So he’s warning us, don’t be overtaken by these false teachers, by these false doctrines and just false things in this world that are going to come into place at the end of time. And you see it unlike any other time, people being persecuted for not bowing down to the golden image of Darwin and people losing their jobs in schools and universities over this.
Tina:
And I’m just like, this is such a fulfillment of prophecy in second Peters three that we see. And so there is no problem with these books. They’re so important. There’s such important doctrine in each of them. And they’re so important because they are two books that really warn us against things in the last days that we really need to be careful. And just like Peter says, be sober, be vigilant for your adversary. The devil roams around like a line seeking can. We may devour and we don’t want to be overcome by the devil.
Tina:
We want to overcome the devil by the word of God and by his truth. So I pray my brother that you will take time and study these books because they are very important. They are very beautiful and they are just amazing and they will strengthen your faith in the word of God. Gary Other thoughts on this?
Jay:
I just want to say I totally love you as a sister in Christ because definitely these are two of my most favorite books also. And what’s interesting is the Bible gateway also has stats on people looking at theirs, and they also have Jude as by the 8th least red book. And yeah, two Peter isn’t on it, but no matter what, that makes me sad, but maybe because it’s such a short book also, it tends to not get as many views and looks and is easily overlooked. There are less opportunities for those golden nugget Bible verses to get pulled out.
Jay:
And another reason I think why some people don’t like Jude a bit is because some feel like it is Invalid because it quotes from the Book of Enoch and other sources. But just because it quotes from those books doesn’t mean that those earlier books also didn’t have necessarily some truth in them. I’m not saying that all booking is right, and I definitely distrust a lot of it, but I do believe that there’s a lot of other traditions and understandings that the Jews may have had at points and may have ended up in these other books that have been lost.
Jay:
The original works we know other books have gone missing. The Bible names them. So just because it comes from one of those books, I don’t think we should toss out Book of Jude. I really do believe every single word in it. A great book. It’s in the Bible for a reason in the Bible for a reason I believe by divine inspiration stuff.
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