Jude 24-25-Jude's Doxology
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday October 8, 2022
Jude Series: Jude 24-25-Jude’s Doxology
Lesson # 71
Jude 24 Now, the one who for His own glory is able to protect each and every one of you from faults as well as to cause each and every one of you to be without defects in the presence of His glory with great joy. 25 Namely, the one and only God who saved each and every one of us through Jesus Christ, our Lord possesses glory, majesty, sovereign power and authority before each and every age as well as during the present age and in addition throughout each and every one of the ages in the future. Amen. (Lecturer’s translation)
Jude 24 and 25 constitute the closing of the letter and contains a doxology.
The term “doxology” is from the Greek doxologia and is derived from the Greek noun doxa, “praise, glory, honor” and denotes a brief ascription of praise to members of the Trinity.
It was used in both song and prayer and was sung by angels to shepherds the night the Lord Jesus came into the world (Lk. 2:14).
The doxology was commonly employed in various parts of the New Testament epistles: (1) Salutation (Gal. 1:5). (2) Opening thanksgiving (2 Cor. 1:3f.; Eph. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3). (3) Final exhortations (1 Tim. 6:15f.; 1 Pet. 5:11; 2 Pet. 3:18). (4) Closing (Heb. 13:20f.; Jude 24f.).
The basic formula is the blessing formula “Blessed be the Lord” or “Blessed be the God and Father…” (Heb. Baruk; Greek: eulogetos; Gen. 24:27; Ex. 18:10; 1 Ch. 16:36; Lk. 1:68; 2 Cor. 1:3f.; Eph. 1:3; 1 P. 1:3), followed by a statement of the attributes motivating the utterance, primarily God’s activities in the lives of His people.
Variants are “worthy is the Lamb” (Greek: axios, Rev. 4:11; 5:9, 12) and “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty” (Greek: hagios, Rev. 4:8).
Doxologies may begin with an imperative verb, challenging the hearers to “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength” or “the glory of His Person” (Heb: yahab, Ps. 29:1ff. par. 96:7-9; 1 Ch. 16:28f.) or “ascribe power” (Ps. 68:34), “praise the Lord” (Heb: halal, Ps. 150f; cf. Greek: aineo, Rev. 19:5, “worship the Lord” (hithpalel of saha; Ps. 29:2) or “glory in His Holy Person” (hithpael of halal; 1 Ch. 16:10).
In doxologies, the following qualities are attributed to God: (1) Glory (Rom. 16:27; Gal. 1:5). (2) Honor, dominion (1 Tim. 6:16; 1 Pet. 4:11). (3) Salvation, power (Rev. 19:1). (4) Majesty and authority (Jude 25). These are all “forever” (Rm. 11:36), or “forever” and “ever” (2 Tim. 4:18; 1 Pet. 5:11).
In the New Testament, doxologies may begin with exclamations of “Hallelujah” (Rev. 19:1), “Glory to God in the highest” (Lk. 2:14), or “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Mt. 21:9, 15; Mk. 11:9f.; Jn. 12:13).
Although God the Father is the primary focus of New Testament doxologies, there are others that are the objects of praise such as Christ (Mt. 21:9; Rev. 5:12) and His kingdom (Mk. 11:10).
A frequent Christological doxology exclaims “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mt. 21:9; 23:39; Mk. 11:9; Lk. 19:38; cf. Ps. 118:26).
In doxologies, to the Lord Jesus Christ is ascribed: (1) Salvation and power (Rev. 19:1). (2) Blessing and might (Rev. 5:18). (3) Glory (Heb. 13:21). (4) Dominion (Rev. 1:6). (5) “Both now and to the day of eternity” (2 Pet. 3:18).
Praise is offered up “through Jesus Christ” (Rom. 16:27; Heb. 13:21; Jude 25) or “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3; 3:21).
Rarely are doxologies expressed in the second person, as “Blessed are You” and “Yours” is the greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty (1 Chron. 29:11).
Originally doxologies were voiced by the congregation at the conclusion of hymns and prayers (1 Chron. 16:36; Rom. 11:33-36), in connection with the response “Amen” (Mt. 6:13; Rev. 1:6; cf. Rom. 9:5; 16:27; 1 Pet. 4:11; 5:11).
However, praise and thanksgiving do occur in the opening line of prayers (1 Chron. 29:10-13; Dan. 2:20-23; Lk. 1:67-69).
As in Jewish ritual, they may have been uttered in response to the mention of God’s name (cf. Rom. 1:25; 2 Cor. 11:31).
Here in Jude 24-25, the writer Jude under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is expressing his worship of the Father with this doxology.
There are four English words, “reverence,” “respect,” “awe,” and “wonder,” which express the concept of worshipping God.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “reverence”: “A feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.”
Therefore, paraphrasing this definition and applying it to the Father, we would say that Jude’s response to the Father’s ability to deliver the recipients of the epistle of Jude from the Jewish Zealots was to possess an attitude of deep respect and awe for Him.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “respect”: “esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or trait, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or trait.”
Thus, here in Jude 24-25, Jude esteemed the excellence of the Father as manifested through His personal qualities or attributes of glory, majesty, sovereign power and authority.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “awe”: “an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc. produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful or the like.”
Thus, Jude possessed an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration for the Father.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “wonder”: “to be filled with admiration, amazement or awe; marvel.”
Jude was filled with admiration, amazement and awe in response to the character and nature of the Father.
Warren Wiersbe writes, “True wonder reaches right into your heart and mind and shakes you up. It not only has depth, it has value; it enriches your life. Wonder is not cheap amusement that brings a smile to your face. It is an encounter with reality, with God, which brings awe to your heart. You’re overwhelmed with an emotion that is a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear-and love. You’re not looking for explanations; you’re lost in the wonder of God”.
Therefore, paraphrasing this comment by Wiersbe on wonder we would say that the Spirit’s revelation in the Scriptures concerning the Father’s character and nature should reach right into the Christian’s heart and shake them up and enrich their lives.
It should overwhelm them with an emotion that is a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear and love for the Father.
The Christian shouldn’t be looking for explanations but rather they should be lost in the wonder of their heavenly Father.
Therefore, the Christian should approach the Father to worship Him by manifesting an attitude of deep reverence, respect and awe for Him for who and what He is and what He has done for them through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 68:35, “O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!” (NASB95)
Warren Wiersbe defines worship, “Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are –mind, emotions, will and body-to what God is and says and does. This response has its mystical side in subjective experience and its practical side in objective obedience to God’s revealed will. Worship is a loving response that’s balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer comes to know God better”.
If we paraphrase Wiersbe’s definition, we could say the following:
The Christian should respond in their mind, emotion, and body to the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of God concerning their heavenly Father’s holy character and nature.
In relation to the epistle of Jude, the child of God must respond in their mind, emotion and body to the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of God regarding their heavenly Father’s glory, majesty, sovereign power and authority.
Psalm 2:11, “Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling.” (NASB95)
Psalm 95:6, “Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.” (NASB95)
Worship is the act of paying honor and reverence to Him and affection for Him and flows from love and where there is little love, there is little worship.
It is the loving ascription of praise to the Father in gratitude and appreciation for who and what He is, both in Himself and in His ways and His plan of salvation, which He accomplished through the work of both His Son and the Holy Spirit.
It is the bowing of the soul and spirit in deep humility and reverence before the Father.
Psalm 29:2, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array.” (NASB95)
The Church’s destiny is to worship the Father, as revealed in Revelation 4-5.
Revelation 4:8, “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.’ 9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’” (NASB95)