LETTER OF JUDE
THEME: the false teachers: how to identify them, the hazard of their doctrine and how we should position in order to fight them.
Introduction
As you will see in this study, the preoccupation of Jude was with the false teachers. Pay attention, for instance, in how Jude introduced himself to the recipients of this epistle:
Jud 1:1 -> “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:”.
We can know someone very well for what they speak about themselves. See that Jude is brother of James. Therefore, this Jude was the brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3). However, He claimed only to be servant of Jesus and was content of being the second in importance (under James, his brother).
The recipient of this letter is unknown. Whoever they were, Jude looked on them as:
Called -> They weren’t gatecrashers, but was invited to Jesus. For you have an idea of the importance of this, see below:
Mat 15:12,13 -> “Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.”.
Beloved in God -> They weren’t beloved because they were illustrious before the society, but only because they were in God, the Father.
Kept for Jesus Christ -> They were kept from falling in the faith for the sake of Christ, and not for our benefit. And who did this weren’t the pastors, but Jesus in person. Although we need to cooperate so that the faith of the brothers can be sound, many religious leaders take on this responsibility alone, what is a terrible mistake.
For these three characteristics that Jude see in the believers, we can conclude that, the false teachers:
1 – aren’t called by Jesus (as Paul, for instance – Rom 1:1; 1Cor 1:1; 2Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1; 1Tim 1:1; 2Tim 1:1). They become teachers in virtue of some carnal methods. For instance:
Doing a theological faculty or seminary;
Being anointed or elected by religious leaders of superior degree;
Being consecrated by media.
2 – are beloved, not for God the Father, for the fans and for the expectation of the profit that they can bring to the giants of the gospel world.
3 – are kept, not by Jesus Christ (from the sin and corruption of the world), but by the false gods from the vicissitudes of this life and this, for some time, because the triumphing of the wicked is short – Job 20:5).
And three things ought to go after Jesus’ followers, always increasing:
Jud 1:2 -> “Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.”.
Mercy -> Seeking a way so that the people can be redeemed of their sins without looking over Jesus’ justice and aiming the purification of their conscience.
Peace -> Jesus’ peace:
Joh 14:27 -> “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”.
It isn’t afraid of people (Heb 13:5,6) or circumstances (Isa 8:12-14; 51:11,12; Jer 10:2). Our concerning should be to please Him and to be right before His eyes (Prov 16:7), always aiming to stay in peace with Him (2Cor 5:18-20).
Love -> Jesus is love (1John 4:8,16). We need to give room to Jesus so that He can manifest His love in us and for us (1John 4:19) and, thus, we can be able to manifest His love for those who He put around us regardless the circumstances.
Jud 1:3 -> “Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.”
And, for this, we can learn that, in the life of the false teachers:
1 – There is no beneficial mercy:
Pro 12:10 -> “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”.
2 – There is no peace:
Isa 57:20,21 -> “But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.””.
3 – There isn’t love. On the contrary: they isolate themselves and:
Pro 18:1 -> “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”.
But, after all:
1 - Who are they?
They are surreptitious;
They are ungodly;
They turn Jesus’ grace into licentiousness;
They deny Jesus Christ as:
Sovereign -> They don’t believe that Jesus has everything under control (see Ps 24:1; Heb 2:8; Eph 1:22,23) and that everything contributes for the good of those who love Jesus (Rom 8:28). For this, they try to sort out the things by themselves, denying the power of piety (2Tim 3:5).
Lord -> They reject the authority of Jesus Christ, trying to solve everything without obeying the principles of the Holy Scripture, instead of resting and biding in Christ (Ps 37:7).
Jud 1:4 -> “For certain men are secretly entered in (who were written of long ago unto this judgment), ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord God into riotousness and denying the only sovereign Ruler and our Lord Jesus Christ.”.
It’s important to notice that these false teachers are instruments of the Creator for unmaking and judging the false believers, ousting them of the middle of the true believers:
2Th 2:9-12 -> “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”.
1Jn 2:18,19 -> “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”.
They defile their flesh fornicating, to the point of going after strange flesh (Jude 4,8,16, 18), namely, making out with those who have anything to do with them;
They reject authorities and rail at them;
They blaspheme against the glorious dignities, that is to say, they replace them for false gods and idols.
Jud 1:8,9 -> “Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.””.
Trusting in their filthy dreams (their selfish plans based on the false idea that they have about Jesus), these false teachers repeal all instruction (whether physical or spiritual) in order to reach what sounds good to their eyes. They get to the point of twisting the Holy Scripture so that Jesus and His commandments can match on their ambitions.
They turn down all authority. However, not even the archangel Michael, one of the chief angels (Dan 10:13), didn’t dare to pronounce judgment against Ha-Satan when he exceeded in his role of ratting out the Israelites.
They corrupt the things that they know (like dumb beasts) and blaspheme what they don’t know (replace them for what they can, supposedly, control):
Jud 1:10 -> “But these men blaspheme whatever things they know not: and what things soever they naturally know, like dumb beasts, in these they are corrupted.”.
As Cain, they follow the way of the selfish worship.
Understand: Cain craved for being blessed apart his family and, even, apart the own Creator. He yearned for His boons, but not for His presence.
Cain’s path is the way of the proud. It is the man claiming his own justice, based on his good works. It is the man rebelling against the authority of the Creator in determining how to receive justice and salvation (Rom 10:1-4; Phil 3:3-12), replacing this for his own religion.
As Balaam, loving the award of the injustice, they hasten toward their greed, to the point of straining to the extreme until find a way of cursing those who are a hindrance to the coveted award.
As Core, they perish rebelling against those who Jesus put in their way to point out the right path to follow (see Hosea 2:7; Isa 5:5), denying their authority (deputized by Creator) and trying to take over their authority.
Jud 1:11 -> “Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain: and after the error of Balaam they have for reward poured out themselves and have perished in the contradiction of Core.”
They are spots or hidden reefs in the love feasts:
Spots -> they taint the love feast, caring only about getting pleasure instead of focusing on increasing their communion with the members of the Church and helping the needy;
Hidden reefs -> instead of serving as rock to support the oppressed (Isa 14:32), they hid themselves under the tribulation of the brethren, serving only to make them sink more and more in their sins, using their needs only to make money.
They feed only themselves (Isa 56:11; Eze 34:2,3);
They are waterless clouds, swept by winds. They go around the world preaching, but nobody has their thirst (of love, justice, peace, etc.) sated;
They are tree twice dead:
They don’t bear fruit;
They are uprooted (don’t receive any nutrition);
Jud 1:12 -> “These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted”.
They are raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion:
Isa 57:20 -> “But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.”.
They are wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever:
Isa 8:20 -> “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”.
They are stars who doesn’t have commitment with any order and, for this, their bright isn’t permanent, recollecting what took place with Moses’ face (2Cor 3:13).
Jud 1:13 -> “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion: wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever.”.
They are murmurers, full of complaints -> As they walk according to their own desires, when the things don’t happen as it is fit for them, they whine because what is important isn’t Jesus’ glory, but the satisfaction of their own womb (Phil 3:18,19);
Their mouth speaks proud things, admiring persons, for gain's sake.
Jud 1:16 -> “These are murmurers, full of complaints, walking according to their own desires: and their mouth speaketh proud things, admiring persons, for gain's sake.”.
They are mockers who scorn against the holiness and purity of the Christian life:
2Pe 3:3,4 -> “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.””.
They walk according to their own desires in ungodlinesses. They only care about their own cupidity:
Pro 1:19 -> “Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.”;
Jud 1:18 -> “Who told you that in the last time there should come mockers, walking according to their own desires in ungodlinesses.”.
They cause divisions, although the Creator allows this so that the sincere can manifest:
1Co 11:18,19 -> “For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.”.
They are worldly people:
1Jn 4:5,6 -> “They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”;
They haven’t the Holy Spirit and, for this, doesn’t belong to Him (aren’t new creature):
Rom 8:5-9 -> “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Jud 1:19 -> “It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”.
All of this reveals that the measure of the sins of the false teachers is full to the divine judgment.
2 - How jeopardous are their doctrines?
The peril of losing Jesus’ promise (including the eternal life for not trusting that He watches over His word to perform it):
Jud 1:5 -> “I will therefore admonish you, though ye once knew all things, that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, did afterwards destroy them that believed not.”
Rejecting the authority and power of the word of the Creator, they decided to go back to Egypt, instead of going ahead to their inheritance:
The hazard of being imprisioned in everlasting chains under full darkness for desiring more of Jesus or His boons than was designed for them:
Jud 1:6 -> “And the angels who kept not their principality but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day.”.
Neglecting the authority given to them, these angels tried to approach of the Creator alone (without the angels who comprised their ministry). At first, as the sinned didn’t exist, these angels were well-intended. They desired to be closer to the Creator in order to feel inside themselves the greatness of His peace, love and joy (have more intimacy with Him).
At first, this can sound good. However, it is good to recall that, in the Old Testament there are two laws:
Mat 22:37-39 -> “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”.
In the New Testament Jesus enjoined:
Joh 13:34 -> “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”.
Note that, although the love starts in Jesus (1John 4:8.16), however it is expressed toward people close to us (1John 4:20,21). We need to grow together with our brothers in Christ:
Eph 4:15,16 -> “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”.
From the moment that these angels isolated themselves of the angels under their care, they commenced to feel all the beauty of the Creator’s holiness. This was so delightful for them that they started to think: “but, and if I could have this by myself, without depending on the Creator? I could have all the angels under my total control”.
So, because they distanced of the angels under their care, they mutinied against the true wisdom (Prov 18:1), desiring to be like the Creator:
Isa 14:12 -> ““How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”.
Here, the error was made first by the leader, who is referred as “Day Star, son of Dawn”. It is for this that the Creator direct His sentence to him first. Nonetheless, the same sentence was put on all his followers (2Peter 2:4; Jude 6).
In the end: these angels received of the Creator more delight in His presence that they could bear. Resulted: they desired to be so delightful as the Creator so that they could engross the attention of every angel (rejected the authority of their ministry):
The jeopardy of getting poor spiritually for loving the pleasures (Prov 21:17):
Jud 1:7 -> “As Sodom and Gomorrha and the neighbouring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication and going after other flesh, were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.”.
Seeking other sources of pleasure apart their family, each dweller of Sodom and Gomorrah desired to be independent (rejected the authority of the family) from everybody so that they could feel all delight when and where they desired, without any hindrances.
Each person of Sodom and Gomorrah, like the angels of Jude 6, forsook their own habitation in order to give themselves to fornication. The young, instead of staying with the parents, serving them in Jesus’ plan for their home, they preferred to go out to prostitute. The married ones, instead of keeping their principality (their home), opt for adulterating.
Understanding that, when someone have sexual intercourse with someone else, they become one flesh (1Cor 6:16), when someone decide to have sexual relationship with someone that Jesus didn’t project to them, they are going after other flesh.
Go after other flesh is so grievous that Jesus used Sodom and Gomorrah as example of eternal fire.
The risk of walking in the way of Cain, that is to say, breaking relationships (including with the Creator and His word) in order to get faster to the target (contradicting Prov 20:21) or to receive all the glory exclusively for themselves;
The danger of giving up on themselves (and, thereby, ushering in teachings very poisonous to the Kingdom of Heaven) in exchange of great profits which, in the end, won’t satisfy.
The peril of perishing for going after rebellions promoted by people who don’t have any acceptance before the Creator (Prov 24:21) and, most of the times, in exchange of nothing beneficial.
Jud 1:11 -> “Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion.”.
Becoming target of the judgment of the Creator:
Jud 1:14,15 -> “Now of these Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord cometh with thousands of his saints: to execute judgment upon all and to reprove all the ungodly for all the works of their ungodliness, whereby they have done ungodly: and for all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God:”.
In short, Jude 5-11 corroborate with the certainty of the divine judgment against the sin and everybody who practices them.
3 - How should we act to combat their heresies?
Being mindful of the words written in the Holy Scripture:
Jud 1:17 -> “But you, my dearly beloved, be mindful of the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:”.
Building ourselves upon our most holy faith;
Praying in the Holy Spirit:
Jud 1:20 -> “But you, my beloved, building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,”.
Keep ourselves in Jesus’ love;
Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto everlasting life, it doesn’t minding how hard is the predicament:
Jud 1:21 -> “Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto life everlasting.”.
Having mercy on those whose faith isn’t solid:
Jud 1:22 -> “And have mercy on those who doubt;”.
save with fear those who are in the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh:
Jud 1:23 -> “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”.
This recalls what took place in the time of Ezekiel:
Eze 15:2-5 -> “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything!”.
Israel, for their sins, was like a wood of the vine (useless for any work), even before suffer any damage. After the destruction by the fire, they became more useless, as in the time of Amos.
Amo 4:11 -> “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD”.
After Creator overthrew some of the Israelites, they became as dirty and useless as a brand pluck out of fire.
Thus, Israel was in the time of Zechariah:
Zec 3:2 -> “And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?””.
Joshua, the High Priest, was representing the body of Moses (to wit, Israel). Israel, after coming of the captivity of Babylon, continued full of sins and very oppressed by the enemies because the Creator leave them in this situation.
Even after they suffer the fire of His nemesis, they stayed in the sin, focused on their interests (Hag 1:2-4) and, thereby, completely ineffectual.
Thus, we ought to seek in Jesus that the person can repent, convert and be taken of the fire.
In relation to the garment spotted by the flesh, this recall Levitical:
Lev 15:16,17 -> “If a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until the evening. And every garment and every skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening.”.
Every garment that is contaminated by the sensuality ought to be hated. In the spiritual sense, every justice contaminated by our flesh should be taken down (we need to seek out and practice the justice of the kingdom of heaven – Mat 6:33).
And how putting these acts into practice?
Going to the Creator ever because:
He is able to preserve us without sin;
He can present us spotless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy when Jesus comes:
Jud 1:24 -> “Now to him who is able to preserve you without sin and to present you spotless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:”.
Through Jesus, we ought to give to the Creator, our savior (whether in our past, present or future):
glory;
magnificence;
empire;
power:
Jud 1:25 -> “To the only God our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory and magnificence, empire and power, before all ages, and now, and for all ages of ages. Amen.”.
Conclusion
All the time we need to go the Creator in order to grant Him all our past, present and future and stay:
mulling over the Holy Scripture;
edifying us and people around us in Jesus’ grace and faith;
praying to Jesus in the Holy Spirit:
keeping ourselves in Jesus’ love;
waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ in the throne of His grace (Heb 4:16);
carrying out mercy on the weak in faith:
saving with fear those who are in the fire, hating even all the appearance of evil (1Th 5:22).
Only thus we can free us from:
losing Jesus’ promises (including the eternal life);
getting entangled in the darkness of Ha-Satan and, thereby, in the fear of death (Heb 2:14,15);
getting poor spiritually for dallying on fleshy pleasures (Prov 21:17);
walking in the way of Cain, breaking up with people who Jesus put in our life to be saved by us;
looking on the goods of this world more important than ourselves, to the point of destroying everything that is really important in our life (Love, Peace, Relish) in exchange of some money which, soon, we will be compelled to leave;
perishing for fighting for causes that won’t bring any real profit for the soul and spirit ours and of people around us;
judgment of the Creator (2Th 1:7,8).
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