MacArthur on Jude

I started reading John MacArthur's little book on Jude titled Beware the Pretenders (Victor, 1980) as a companion to preaching through this book on Sunday afternoons at CRBC.  This was apparently written before MacArthur's Calvinistic soteriology chrystallized.  As an example, at one point he writes:  "When people hear the Gospel preached, they ought to receive it; they ought to obey it.  But each person has a choice--he can receive Christ or reject him" (p. 12).  I think that he would now nuance that kind of statement a bit to include reference to God's sovereignty in election.  I am looking forward to reading the upcoming biography of MacArthur from Banner of Truth that Ian Murray has written (released at the end of this month).

At any rate, here is MacArthur's assessment of the purpose of the book of Jude: 

The book of Jude is a survival manual for Christians living in times of apostasy.  This often neglected book clearly sets forth the character of apostasy and apostate people.  No other book gives Christians such a clear picture of how God wants them to live when they find themselves in the midst of widespread apostasy (p. 6).

JTR