Dr Paul Allen

In Genesis 6:1–4, the reader encounters one of the most challenging passages in all of Scripture to interpret. Here’s the passage in the ESV. When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came into the daughters of man, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. Echoes from Genesis 1–3 People multiplying is an echo of Genesis 1. God made “man” (Gen 1:26–27), and then he commissioned his image-bearers to be fruitful and “multiply” (1:28). In 6:1, we read of this multiplication happening. The reference to God as “Spirit” in Genesis 6:3 reminds us of 1:2, the second verse in the Bible. There, th...

If you had three wishes, what would you wish for? Today we discover the three wishes Jude, the half-brother of our Lord, has for his readers. And evidently, he put way more thought into his choices than the woodcutter did. Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 ESSENTIALS JUDE WISHES FOR YOU TO ENJOY A GOOD LIFE 1 MERCY: FROM GOD Jude is poised to issue some stern warnings, but he begins his epistle by affirming what he wishes for his readers. And the blessing that tops his list: mercy. Of the three wishes Jude has for your life, this is the most important one: mercy – the withholding of deserved consequences. We all need mercy from God. Once we grasp that we are guilty before God, that we can’t secure our own forgiveness, and that we deserve God’s wrath, we will become increasingly thankful that we have a God of mercy… Ps ...

Ovrios, the tradition of burning the Jude (who betrayed Jesus Christ), in Kondariotissa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear , pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” ( Jude 1:22-23 ) In the context of this passage, Jude has been exhorting us to “build up” ourselves in the “most holy faith,” keeping ourselves in God’s love and looking forward to “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ ” ( Jude 1:20-21 ). The instructions that follow may apply to us and our fellow believers. If so, then these categories would fit the “vessels of . . . dishonor” that Paul alludes to that are in a “great house” ( 2 Timothy 2:20 ). “Of some have compassion, making a difference.” Some of those in our circle of influence need our “pity.” The word choices imply a desperate need that we must attempt to remedy. Many of the Lord’s healing miracles were done because of compassion. We are encouraged to “mak...

Map of the Land of Israel as defined in Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.” ( Jude 1:16 ) Jude’s book cites several incidents in the early history of Israel right after they were wonderfully delivered from slavery in Egypt . Within a very short time, they had come through the Red Sea , had bitter water made sweet, seen water come out of a rock, and been fed with “angels’ food” from heaven. Yet when the 12 spies came back from the land of Canaan that had been promised to them, there was a widespread revolt against God and against Moses ’ leadership. The ten spies who “murmured” against God “died by the plague before the LORD” ( Numbers 14:37 ). Some who had previously sided with the defeatist words of the spies tried to take matters into their own hands and “presumed to go up” to fight against ...

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1880) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ( Jude 1:15 ) Jude is referencing the preaching of pre-Flood Enoch, who warned about God ’s coming judgment when the Lord returns “with ten thousands of his saints” (v. 14). Jude identifies two ungodly traits that bring about this judgment. First, there are ungodly deeds that were committed in an ungodly way. Perhaps the best commentary on this deep sin is the Lord Jesus ’ description of the unbelief of those who reject the gospel of salvation: “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” ( John3:19 ). Their actions were not mere misdeeds; these deeds were c...