From the Editor’s Notebook
The Annual Meeting
On Saturday, October 27th, the Annual Meeting of Food for the Flock Inc. was convened at Don Valley Bible Chapel. Three of our committee members were unable to be with us — William Burnett, Ray Fox and Sydney Green — and of these two requested to resign —namely, William Burnett and Sydney Green. With sincere regret we accepted the resignation of these two brethren, but not without wishing to express to them our genuine appreciation for their faithful years of service in connection with the magazine.
While it was our decision to continue to publish the magazine through 1985, we were unable to finalize other matters which came up for discussion. In view of this, a special meeting was arranged for February 1st, 1985, which will be held that evening in the home of Bill and Joan Hamilton in Mississauga, Ontario. The date for our next Annual Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 26th, 1985, in the will of our Lord.
Since the 1984 Annual Meeting marked the 30th Anniversary of FOOD FOR THE FLOCK INC., a dinner was held for members and their wives on the evening of October 27th at the Don Valley Ramada Inn. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and a delightful time of warm Christian fellowship. Our Chairman, Mr. Douglas Telfer, commented that the Secretary, Miss Lillian Telfer, was the longest surviving member, serving the committee approximately 27 years. In addition to expressing
much appreciation for her service, Mr. Telfer read extracts from the original meeting of the founding committee of the magazine, as well as the details of incorporation.
Dr. James T. Naismith spoke briefly of his early days of association with the magazine, having commented on and read parts of the original letter of invitation he had received to join the committee. He also acknowledged that Mr. Sydney Green had been on the committee for a longer period than he.
The Editor then spoke of his early associations with brethren James Gunn and Sydney Green, which resulted in his coming on the committee as Associate Editor in 1969.
Please remember that all matters of an editorial nature should be sent to the Editor, 9257 Caprice Drive, Plymouth, Michigan 48170. All business matters, including change-of-address notices, should be sent to the Treasurer, P.O. Box 353, Etobicoke, Ontario M9C 4V3.
Questions for “The Question Column” should be sent to Dr. James Naismith, 66 Morgandale Crescent, Scarborough, Ontario M1W 1S3.
The following is a current list of the committee members of Food for the Flock Inc. and their various functions:
Directors:
Joseph Cumming
William Hamilton
James T. Naismith
W. Ross Rainey
Douglas R. Telfer
Officers:
President — Douglas R. Telfer
1st Vice-President—James T. Naismith
Treasurer — William Hamilton
Secretary — Lillian Telfer
2nd Vice-President—Joseph Cumming
Operational:
Editor-in-Chief —W. Ross Rainey
Question Page Editor —James T. Naismith
Book Review Editor —Arthur F. Wilder
Administrative Chairman—Douglas R. Telfer
Publication Committee —Harry Masters, Joseph Cumming, Russ Took, James T. Naismith, Douglas R. Telfer, W. Ross Rainey
Business Manager —Mrs. Joan Hamilton
Assistant Bus. Mgr. — Lillian Telfer
Circulation Mgr. (Can.) —Russ Took
Circulation Mgr. (U.S.)—J. G. “Jay” Walden
Additional Members — Ray Fox, Don Steele, Ross Hastings
We are happy to announce that Ross Hastings of Kingston, Ontario, accepted an invitation to join the committee at the October 1984 Annual Meeting.
A brief report on the February 1st, 1985, meeting will appear in the May-June issue of the magazine (D.V.)
Journeying Through Jude
(Part 16)
A Blessed Benedition
Jude closes and crowns his brief letter with one of the great benedictions of Scripture:
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen (vv. 24-25).
In his opening comments on Jude’s doxology, Michael Green has stated: “It is a dangerous thing to live for Christ in an atmosphere of false teaching and seductive morals. It is a hazardous thing to try to resue men for the gospel out of such environment. If you get too near the fire, it will burn you; if you get too near the garment spotted by the flesh, it will defile you. Is withdrawal the answer, then? No. Advance against the forces of evil, face the dangers involved, so long as you are strong in the Lord’s might. Such is the thrust, and the context, of Jude’s final verses.”1
Two practical themes form the sum and substance of Jude’s closing words. First:
The Saviour’s Promise (v. 24). Our Lord’s promise is twofold: on the one hand, He promises to preserve us in this hostile, earthly scene; while on the other hand, He promises in a coming day to present us absolutely perfect in heaven. In the midst of an increasingly evil world system, dominated by Satan and his cohorts and a growing apostasy, it is not unnatural for believers to become fearful. Some Christians even worry about losing their salvation, but such actually have no need to fear. The God who saved us is quite able to keep us right on through to the glorious destiny of His house (John 14:2). We may sin and as a result lose the joy of our salvation, but He will always seek to draw us back to Himself and some day will enable us to stand before Him blameless, yea, absolutely perfect.
Christ’s words in John 10:27-30 should be more than sufficient assurance that no true child of God can ever be lost again: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (see John 14:16; 17:11, 15; Rom. 8:29-30; Eph. 4:30; 1 Pet. 1:5).
Robert Lee in his helpful introduction and analysis of all the books of the Bible asserts that the key words of Jude’s letter are “keep” and “kept,” mentioned five times (vv. 1, 6, 21, 24).2 While God’s people have a practical responsibility to keep the faith (vv. 3-4) and to keep ourselves in the love of God (v. 21a), we are assured of our Lord’s keeping power (vv. 1, 24). By way of contrast, Jude has reminded us that the angels who “kept not” the ways and truth of God are in turn kept or “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (v. 6).
In the light of all that has preceded in this short, incisive letter, especially in view of the dangers represented by false teachers, the soul is stirred to the realization of God’s keeping power. One thing is certain, we cannot keep ourselves. Were it not for the keeping power of our Saviour-God midst this increasingly evil and diabolical world, we would soon stumble.
The verbal form “from falling” literally means from stumbling (James 3:2; 2 Pet. 1:10). Xenophon, the Greek historian, essayist and military leader, used this word in reference to the sure-footedness of a horse that does not stumble.3 The infinitive “to present” means to set or to make stand. These two truths underscore the negative and positive sides of God’s keeping power, as well as directing us to the present and future divine activities on our behalf. “Faultless” means without blemish and is a word used in connection with animals used for sacrifice. “To keep you from stumbling” covers the course of the Christian in this world; “to present you faultless” refers to the sure position and experience of the Christian in the life to come.
One of the greatest and grandest sentences in all of God’s Word is: “He is able.” When we are made to feel our weakness in the midst of what seems to be impossible circumstances, it is well to recall and meditate upon His ability, thus turning our weakness over to Him and relying alone on His infinite power. Consider and appropriate the following glorious truths that:
“He is able to make us stand” (Rom. 14:4).
“He is able to make all grace abound” (2 Cor. 9:8).
“He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).
“He is able to subdue” (Phil. 3:21).
“He is able to keep” (2 Tim. 1:12; Jude 24).
“He is able to succour” (Heb. 2:18).
“He is able to save” (Heb. 7:25).
Throughout my Christian life no promissory statement of Scripture has meant more to me than this brief, positive, strengthening declaration that “He is able.”
“Exceeding joy” actually means wild joy or exultation; it is the joy of victory and relief. It may refer to God the Father’s joy as well as our own (see Luke 15:5-6, 11ff.).
We come now to the second practical theme of Jude’s closing words, and that is:
The Saint’s Praise (v. 25). The text of verse 25 is uncertain. Some Greek manuscripts introduce after “Saviour” the words “through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This phrase may be linked with “Saviour” or else with the ascription of praise that follows. Also, at the close of the verse, some texts read, “before all time, and now, and for evermore” (RV, ASV).
Here Jude is asserting the supremacy — past, present and future — of the one and only God and Saviour. Furthermore, keep in mind that Jude is stating glorious facts concerning “the only wise God”; he is not praying a prayer. These things — “glory and majesty, dominion and power” — always have, do now, and forever shall belong to God.
“Glory (doxa) refers to God’s manifestation of excellence, like the radiance of light (Luke 2:9; Acts 22:11; Rev. 15:8). “Majesty” (megalosune) speaks of His kingly majesty and thus of His royal estate, suggesting God’s omniscience upon His throne (1 Chron. 29:11; Heb. 1:3; 8: 1) . “Dominion” (kratos) expresses His supremacy over all beings and things; it is His world and universe. He holds everyone and everything in His hand (Psa. 103:19; Heb. 1:3), “dominion” suggesting His omnipresence. “Power” (exousia) declares His ability to realize the counsels of His own will (John 10 : 18) . In keeping with His character, God is able to do anything and everything He wants to do, thus suggesting His omnipotence. An interesting fact is that Hebrews 1:3 is the only other New Testament verse which includes the same four attributes of Jude 25.
“God our Saviour” is a truth that apostates deny (see 2 Pet. 2:1). At the close of this final verse there is hardly a more complete expression of eternity in all the Bible. In fact, it appears to be the most complete statement of eternity possible in human language, J. N. Darby having translated it as follows: “from before the whole age, and now, and to all the ages.”
Jude’s final word is “Amen.” In Revelation 3:14 the Lord Jesus Christ is the “Amen.” In other words, He Himself is the confirmation of all that God the Father has promised.
Soon “the apostasy” (2 Thess. 2:3) shall be manifested, along with the man of sin (2 Thess. 2:8), and this, after the Church has been translated to heaven. Meanwhile, as John F. McArthur has aptly stated:
“Jude’s letter is a survival manual for Christians living in the midst of apostasy. Christians living in such an age should not be surprised by increasing apostasy. Through diligent study of God’s Word, through praying in the Spirit, and through hopefully watching for the Lord’s coming, Christians can confidently reach out to unbelievers with loving concern that they too may be saved.”4
1 Michael Green, The Second Epistle of Peter and the Epistle of Jude, pp. 189-190.
2 Robert Lee, The Outlined Bible.
3 A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, VI, p. 195.
4 John F. MacArthur, Jr., Beware the Pretenders, p. 96.