Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.
In like manner,

God’s judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah stands with the judgments upon unbelieving Israel and the angels who abandoned their proper place. Rebellion takes differing forms, but God’s holiness and justice remain unchanged.

2Pe 2:6-7 He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah…
Luk 17:28-30 It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating…

Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them,

These cities of the plain, including Admah and Zeboiim, enjoyed fertile land and prosperity before their destruction (Genesis 13:10; Deuteronomy 29:23). Genesis records that the Lord rained sulfur and fire upon them because their sin had become exceedingly grievous (Genesis 19:24–25).

Gen 19:24-25 Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire…
Deu 29:23 All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt,…

who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh,

The men of Sodom displayed depraved sexual desire in their attempted assault upon Lot’s angelic visitors (Genesis 19:4–11). Their sin included violent corruption, rejection of God’s created order, and a determined pursuit of what God had forbidden. The cities’ wickedness had become public, entrenched, and unrepentant.

Gen 19:4-5 Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city…
Rom 1:26-27 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions.…

are on display as an example

Their overthrow became an enduring warning that God sees human wickedness and acts against it. Jesus also used Sodom’s destruction to warn of the certainty of coming judgment and the greater accountability of those who reject divine revelation (Matthew 10:15; Luke 17:28–30).

1Co 10:6 These things took place as examples to keep us from craving…
1Co 10:11 Now these things happened to them as examples…

of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.

The fire that destroyed the cities foreshadows the final judgment reserved for the ungodly. God’s temporal judgment upon Sodom was real and catastrophic, yet it also points beyond the ruins of those cities to the eternal punishment awaiting all who persist in rebellion against Him.

Mat 25:41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me,…
Mat 25:46 And they will go away into eternal punishment,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Sodom and Gomorrah
Ancient cities mentioned in the Bible, known for their extreme wickedness and immorality. They were destroyed by God as a judgment for their sins.

2. Cities around them
Refers to the neighboring cities that shared in the same sinful behaviors as Sodom and Gomorrah.

3. Sexual immorality
The Greek term used here is "porneia," which encompasses a range of illicit sexual activities that are contrary to God's design.

4. Strange flesh
This phrase suggests unnatural sexual relations, possibly referring to the attempted relations with angels in Genesis 19.

5. Eternal fire
Symbolizes the divine judgment and eternal punishment that awaits those who reject God's laws and live in persistent sin.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Sin
Jude 1:7 serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of living in persistent sin, particularly sexual immorality. It calls believers to live in holiness and obedience to God's commands.

God's Righteous Judgment
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah illustrates God's righteous judgment against sin. It encourages believers to trust in God's justice and to live in a way that honors Him.

Warning and Example
The verse uses Sodom and Gomorrah as a warning to believers about the dangers of straying from God's path. It serves as an example of what happens when societies reject God's moral order.

Call to Repentance
Understanding the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah should lead believers to repentance and a renewed commitment to live according to God's standards.

Eternal Perspective
The mention of "eternal fire" reminds believers of the reality of eternal consequences. It encourages an eternal perspective in daily living, focusing on what pleases God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the example of Sodom and Gomorrah challenge our understanding of God's justice and mercy?

2. In what ways can the church today guard against the sins that led to the downfall of Sodom and Gomorrah?

3. How does Jude 1:7 encourage us to live differently in a culture that often celebrates immorality?

4. What practical steps can we take to ensure that we are living in obedience to God's design for sexuality?

5. How can the account of Sodom and Gomorrah motivate us to share the gospel with those who are far from God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 19
Provides the historical account of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction, highlighting the gravity of their sin and God's judgment.

2 Peter 2:6
Also references Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of God's judgment, emphasizing the consequences of ungodliness.

Romans 1:26-27
Discusses the consequences of exchanging natural relations for unnatural ones, paralleling the concept of "strange flesh."

Matthew 10:15
Jesus mentions Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of judgment, underscoring the severity of rejecting God's message.
The Extermination of SinT. Davies, D. D.Jude 1:7
The Sin of Sodom and GomorrahT. Manton.Jude 1:7
The Third Example of Divine VengeanceT. Croskery Jude 1:7
The LetterR. Finlayson Jude 1:1-25
Reasons for Resisting Evil MenJ.S. Bright Jude 1:5-16
People
Adam, Balaam, Cain, Core, Enoch, James, Judas, Jude, Korah, Michael
Places
Egypt, Ephesus, Gomorrah, Sodom
Topics
Acted, Age-during, Ages, Astray, Cities, Committing, Desires, Eternal, Example, Exhibited, Fire, Flesh, Fornication, Forth, Giving, Gomorrah, Gomor'rah, Gomorrha, Greedily, Gross, Guilty, Immorality, Immorally, Impurity, Indulged, Judgment, Justice, Lie, Likewise, Lust, Manner, Neighboring, Perversion, Punishment, Pursuit, Serve, Sexual, Sodom, Specimen, Strange, Suffer, Suffering, Surrounding, Themselves, Towns, Unclean, Undergoing, Unnatural, Vengeance, Vice, Whoredom
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jude 1:7

     4275   Sodom and Gomorrah
     5561   suffering, nature of
     6026   sin, judgment on
     6188   immorality, sexual
     6223   rebellion, of Israel
     6237   sexual sin, nature of
     6238   homosexuality
     8821   self-indulgence
     8847   vulgarity
     9023   death, unbelievers

Jude 1:3-23

     6169   godlessness

Jude 1:4-19

     5714   men

Jude 1:6-7

     5484   punishment, by God
     9105   last things

Library
The Holy Spirit and the one Church
Our text suggests to us three things: first, an inquiry--Have we the Spirit? secondly, a caution--if we have not the spirit we are sensual; thirdly, a suspicion--there are many persons that separate themselves. Our suspicion concerning them is, that notwithstanding their extra-superfine profession, they are sensual, not having the Spirit; for our text says, "These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." I. First, then, our text suggests AN INQUIRY--Have we the Spirit? This
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Persevering Grace. Jude 1:24,25.
Persevering grace. Jude 1:24,25. To God the only wise, Our Savior and our King, Let all the saints below the skies Their humble praises bring. 'Tis his almighty love, His counsel, and' his care, Preserves us safe from sin and death, And every hurtful snare. He will present our souls, Unblemished and complete, Before the glory of his face, With joys divinely great. Then all the chosen seed Shall meet around the throne, Shall bless the conduct of his grace, And make his wonders known. To our Redeemer,
Isaac Watts—The Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts

The Manifestation of the Church with Christ.
The last time the world saw the Lord Jesus He was alone--all alone in death. But when He returns to this earth He will not be alone. His saints will accompany Him. He is the "Firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29), and when He appears again they will be with Him. "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again, bringing His sheaves with Him" (Ps. 126:6). Yes, that blessed One who humbled Himself to become the Sower shall return with "His sheaves"--"Behold,
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Twofold Bearing of this Fact.
We come now to a point concerning which it behooves believers, particularly young believers and beginners in the study of prophecy, to be quite clear upon. Like the other two great Facts which we have reviewed--the First Advent of our Lord to this earth and His going away, and the presence now of the Holy Spirit upon this earth--this third great fact of the Redeemer's Return also has a double bearing, a bearing upon the Church and a bearing upon the world. The Second Coming of Christ will occur in
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Redeemer's Return is Necessitated by the Present Exaltation of Satan.
One of the greatest mysteries in all God's creation is the Devil. For any reliable information concerning him we are shut up to the Holy Scriptures. It is in God's Word alone that we can learn anything about his origin, his personality, his fall, his sphere of operations, and his approaching doom. One thing which is there taught us about the great Adversary of God and man, and which observation and experience fully confirms, is, that he is a being possessing mighty power. It would appear, from a
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

Salvation.
Salvation is the song that was to be sung by the redeemed in that day. "Behold now is the day." Our salvation has come. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men." Salvation means deliverance. A prophecy concerning the Christ--our salvation--says: "He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Isa. 61:1. Christ our Savior came to deliver us from the prison-house of sin. In the
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

Saved by Grace;
OR, A DISCOURSE OF THE GRACE OF GOD: SHOWING-- I. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED. II. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED BY GRACE. III. WHO THEY AEE THAT ABE SAVED BY GRACE. IV. HOW IT APPEARS THAT THEY ARE SAVED BY GRACE. V. WHAT SHOULD BE THE REASON THAT GOD SHOULD CHOOSE TO SAVE SINNERS BY GRACE RATHER THAN BY ANY OTHER MEANS. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS admirable Treatise upon the most important of all subjects, that of the soul's salvation, was first published in a pocket volume, in the year 1675. This has
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Character of Its Teachings Evidences the Divine Authorship of the Bible
Take its teachings about God Himself. What does the Bible teach us about God? It declares that He is Eternal: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou are God" (Ps. 90:2). It reveals the fact that He is Infinite: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee" (I Kings 8:27). Vast as we know the universe to be, it has its bounds; but we must go beyond
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

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