Jude: Getting Ready For The Fight
A Conversational Commentary on the Book of Jude
By Pastor David M. Wilson
Grant Avenue Baptist Church
2215 Grant Avenue
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
(310) 376-7890
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I wanted to provide interesting illustrations that would make the reader smile. I wanted to provide a spoonful of scholarly work that would offer blessing but not prove overwhelming to the reader. I wanted to provide practical application and point the believer to a closer walk with God. In short, I wanted it to be much like my preaching.
Most of all, I wanted to provide a simple book that assisted the reader with comprehending the overall context of the letter written by Jude. The passages found in this letter fit together as neatly as the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. However, there is little puzzling about how it all fits together if the reader is paying attention. Jude’s letter is not a rambling document that bounces back and forth between varying topics. Jude doesn’t do his impression of Elmer Fudd (and too many of us pastors) and go chasing rabbits. His words have a very careful order and progression and I believe that far too many preachers and pastors miss the message of the book by preaching select portions of it out of context.
Jude’s theme is quite clear. It is a loud call to the church to stop ignoring the heretics that have found shelter in its branches (See Matthew 13) and to get up and fight. They weren’t to fight over prominence or position. Jude calls his readers to get up and defend the faith. Church, get your guard up and get ready for the fight.
Introduction:
I’ve always been intrigued by the relationship between II Peter and Jude. One of my first thoughts at discovering the striking similarities between them was that somebody copied somebody. Why did these guys feel that they had to copy off of each other? Isn’t plagiarism wrong?
The Apostle Paul told Timothy to copy his preaching and teaching ministry. He said, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.“ (II Timothy 1:13) He further said, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (II Timothy 2:2) In the book of Titus the Apostle Paul tells Titus exactly what messages to pass on to the various groups in the church.
If Paul’s messages were worth repeating then it obviously was appropriate for Jude to copy Peter’s message (or vice versa). Now, that leads us to the next question—Why do I suggest it was Jude who did the copying? First, Peter declares that the false teachers will come and Jude declares that they have come. Second, Peter was an apostle and Jude was not. Therefore, based on these two pieces of circumstantial evidence, I will declare my firm belief that it was Jude who did the copying and likely Peter would have nodded in assent. Of course, there is always another possibility. Perhaps both Jude and Peter had another common source for their ideas.
This brings us to another issue. Who is Jude? The Greek version of this name is properly anglicized as Judas. At some point English translators, likely for the purpose of differentiating the servant of Christ from the betrayer, Judas Iscariot, decided to render it as Jude.
Jude identifies himself as the brother of James. Since there is no further identifier as to which James he is related to we can only assume he means the most famous James, the half-brother of Christ, and the leader of the church at Jerusalem. This would mean that Jude would be one of the half-brother of Christ. Let us take note of the humility of both Jude and James as neither one of these men claim kinship to Christ as authority for their letters. Instead they both claim simply to be servants of Christ.
The book of Jude, like the book of James, was obviously written to believers with a Jewish background. Both books use examples from Jewish history. Jude refers to the Exodus, makes references to fallen angels, and references the Jewish literature of the apocryphal (intertestament) period. He mentions names that would primarily be known to those familiar with Jewish history like Cain, Balaam, Korah, and Enoch.
Some scholars contrast the language of Jude as being more scholarly or Greek in style than James. To these scholars, it suggests that Jude might be referencing a completely different James. I don’t think that is correct. I have two brothers who occasionally like to foray into writing. All three of us like to write, but each of us has our own inimitable style. Does this mean that we were not raised together? Does the fact that my older brother who holds a PHD uses bigger words than I use suggest that we are not close to one another? All that the differing language, written in a higher style suggests, is that Jude and James were two different people.
As you will see, Jude’s focus is the presence of godless men and false teachers. He is distressed that these men have been able to infiltrate the church without facing opposition. Instead of writing a letter of joy and doctrine, instead he urges the church to stand up and fight in defense of the faith.
Do you remember the television program “Lost in Space?” The robot that was built to help the Robinson family was especially protective of young Will Robinson. His built-in sensors would detect some type of imminent danger and he would begin to sound an alarm. His coil-like arms would flail about wildly and the lights on his torso would blink on and off. Finally, in his deep robotic narrator-like voice he would begin to call out, “Danger! Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!”
Jude is doing much the same thing in this letter to the church. He is calling attention to the danger of false prophets and teachers. They were a danger to the real faith. They were a danger to the morality of the believers. They were bringing shame on the church. “Danger! Danger!” Jude calls out. “The heretics are among you!” His goal is to get the church prepared to stand up and begin protecting the church from heresy, from immorality, and from shame. Further, there are those who need to be rescued from the clutches of false doctrine and sinful practice.
If heresy enters your church, will you stand up and be counted? Will you contend for the faith? The Heretics are among us! DANGER! DANGER!
1- 2 Jude’s Humble Greeting
The book begins, as do all of the Biblical epistles except Hebrews, with the name of the author. Jude expresses himself much like his brother James. He claims nothing more than to be a servant of Christ and the brother of James.
My dad tells how many years ago he went to his birthplace, a small town in Oklahoma. While he was there he decided he would go and get a haircut. He went to the local barber shop. As the barber began to cut his hair he asked my dad, “Which one of Woody’s boys are you?” My dad had not lived there since he was a little boy, yet the family resemblance was still strong enough for this barber to recognize him and he used my grandfather’s nickname.
I doubt that we would have known that Jude was the brother of James without being told. However, once told we quickly see some family resemblance. First, we see it demonstrated by his humble spirit. Then we see it in his dogmatic approach to the people he was writing to in regards to their relationship with false teachers. Jude is obviously James’ brother because he preaches his message in a frank and straightforward manner, using very powerful terms.
To be a servant of Christ is not a small thing. The word translated servant can mean a servant who has chosen to remain a servant because of his love for his master. Christ taught that we were to serve one another. One of the most important concepts in Christian fellowship is that we exist to meet one another’s needs. We attend church for the purpose of encouraging one another to good works (Hebrews 10:25-26). We have responsibility and accountability towards one another. If I am a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ then I must be one that meets needs. I must comfort those who need comfort. I must help those in trouble. I must encourage the discouraged. I must point the right way to those who have wandered off the path. Being a servant is a wonderful thing when acts of servitude are performed out of a genuine love for one another.
The intended audience of this letter is believers. The Biblical idea of those who have been called leans toward those who have already responded positively to the call of God. God has called all because He is unwilling that any should perish, but all have not responded properly to that call.
The second verse also brings up a textual issue. Some manuscripts use the Greek word hegiasmenois which definitely has the strong connotation of being set apart or sanctified. However, most manuscripts have a similar Greek word egapemenois which refers to divine love. We can get bogged down in textual criticism here or accept the message Jude offers which is simply that Salvation is entirely the work of God. It refers to God as the initiator of salvation by issuing the Divine Call. It further refers to God as the One who keeps us by His call. Whether we are “set apart” (i.e. sanctified as in the King James Version) or “loved by God the Father” (as in The New International Version) is really not important. Both ideas and concepts are set forth clearly in other Scriptures and the key is that God is the one who is performing the action of saving, keeping us, and preparing us for effective service.
Jude offers as a greeting a three-fold blessing. He wants his readers to obtain an abundance of mercy, peace, and love. I particularly like the strength of the King James Version which uses the phrase multiplied to express this abundance. The Greek word is the root word for the rarely used word plethora meaning an excess. Despite the fact that his letter is going to be strong and dogmatic in style he wanted his readers that his desire was for God’s blessing. Jude wanted God to bless them with a blessing that would be like the Psalmist’s cup running over. He wanted God to bless them with “good measure, pressed down.” Jude will harshly condemn the actions and attitudes of the false teachers in no uncertain terms, but he still wants God to be merciful to the reader. He offers these folks God’s peace, or comfort. Peace is not the absence of conflict but instead it is confidence in God even in the midst of `conflict. Love is essential to the work of Christ and Jude wishes the very best for the group of believers that he is writing to. Despite the problems within the church his desire was for them to continue experiencing the blessings of God in a powerful way.
It is interesting that Jude leaves grace out of his greeting. Grace and peace were the traditional greeting of apostolic writing. Paul used it in all of his writings except Hebrews. (Yes, I know some folks reject the Paul as the author of Hebrews) Peter used it in both of his letters. John uses it only in his second letter. James only offers simple “greetings.” Was Jude simply emulating his brother James? That seems doubtful because he does take the time to offer mercy and peace as a greeting.
I believe Jude leaves grace out of his greeting because of his description of the false teachers in verse 4. There he describes how they have intentionally misused the grace of God as a license to sin. The intended audience may have a complete misunderstanding of the concept of God’s grace and Jude may not have wished to create more confusion and so he omitted the word grace in his greeting.
3 - 4 Jude’s Purpose for Writing
One Sunday morning, as I arrived at the pulpit, I realized that I the message I had prepared was not the right message for that morning. Yes, I had prayed over it, studied it, organized it, and prepared it. Several pages of notes floated before me as I recognized God’s Spirit leading in a different direction. I set the prepared sermon aside and preached from the familiar parable of the Prodigal Son. Lives were changed that Sunday because I set aside what I wanted to preach about. People repented and some prodigals were restored. I preached the other sermon at a different time.
Jude wanted to expound upon salvation but the Holy Spirit led him to write about a different subject. Instead of rejoicing about salvation Jude wrote a strong exhortation for believers to be prepared to stand up and fight for the faith. The word translated as “contend” is a Greek word which means to struggle or to wrestle. It wasn’t time to throw in the towel or to retreat. It was time to stand up and be counted. It was time to take a firm and unapologetic stand.
At this point, some folks are thinking of the Lord Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” Of course, the King James definition of the word “judge” really has more of the idea of out and out scorn and condemnation. However, the context of Matthew 7:1 should be examined more carefully to obtain the full meaning. Verse 2 goes on to say that if you condemn others that the same measurement that you use will be used to measure you. Then Jesus speaks directly to the hypocrites who wanted to condemn others unfairly and tells them to remove the log from their own eye before dealing with the speck of sawdust in the eye of another. He did not tell us never to help others deal with their error. He told us instead that we are deal with our own sin and error and then assist our brethren.
We must obey the words of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 7:15-21) when he tells us to watch out for false prophets. We are to examine the fruit of their lives. We are to determine whether they are sent by God or agents of Satan. We are to recognize that there are some people who claim to be servants of God that will never make it into Heaven.
Here’s a principle that every believer (but especially spiritual leaders) should apply from time to time. I call it “Marking the unruly.” It stems from Romans 16:17 which says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” The word translated as “mark” in the King James and “watch out for” in the New International Version comes from the Greek Word skopeo. Do you recognize this Greek word as the ancestor of our English word “scope?” It literally means to “take aim at.” Figuratively it means to regard or pay attention to these people.
The apostle Paul did more than pay attention to these destructive people. He warned them, but eventually broke fellowship with them and then warned others about them. He even named them. He named Hymenaeus and Philetus in II Timothy 2:14-19 and described their error and their condemnation. In II Timothy 4:14 he names Alexander the coppersmith as another destructive element. His counsel to Titus was to warn a false teacher (heretic) once or twice and then to shun him.
John, the Beloved Disciple, in his third letter writes a warning about a fellow named Diotrophes. He proclaims Diotrophes’ sin to be the desire to be preminent among the brethren and that he would deal very strongly with the man when he came to visit. No person who reads this letter can doubt John’s position regarding this troublemaker.
It is essential that believers take a clear stand against false teaching. I am reminded of Patrick Henry’s speech as he sought to convince his beloved colony of Virginia to join the Revolution that would eventually lead to America becoming a free and independent nation. As he spoke those rousing words, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” When he was through speaking, there was no doubt in anybody’s mind where he stood. It was bold and it was clear. It was such a bold and powerful speech that it was reprinted in many newspapers. His speech became a major recruiting tool for the colonial army. In much the same way I believe that Bible believing Christians must make a bold stand against false teaching in a way that makes their position abundantly clear. We must be bold in our declaration that we are prepared to defend the faith.
The faith is the collected body of truth that had already been presented to the church through the testimony and practices of the apostles. It had been transmitted and handed down to the church already. It encompassed the doctrines of salvation and a call to righteous living. The believers that Jude was writing to had paid little or not attention as sinful men had infiltrated the church and denied the faith by living immoral lives. They were looking for something new instead of protecting that which they had already been given.
A series of Warner Brother Cartoons features a sheep dog guarding a flock of sheep from a coyote. The sheep dog appears to be blinded by the hair hanging in his eyes but that does not prevent him from catching the coyote who tries everything possible to sneak in among the flock. The coyote digs tunnels, dresses as a sheep, pretends to be Little Bo Peep, etc. No matter what he does the dog catches him.
Sadly, the church had not been alert like the sheep dog. Jude’s warning has come a bit late. The coyotes are already among the sheep. The believers had not been aware and so now Jude was sounding the alarm. He has pressed the big red button that sounds the loud Klaxon alarm that rings out its annoying and penetrating sound. The bad guys are here!
It is a sad thing that these men have crept in. While Jude is distressed that these godless men are already present he does not blame the believers. There is no condemnation because these men had acted in stealth mode. They had smuggled themselves into the church. They were sneaks. They were deceptive and tricky. The church had not detected their presence.
I once heard a preacher declare that “more damage is done to the church by the termites on the inside than the woodpeckers on the outside.” We spend a lot of time focusing on the noisy woodpeckers outside the church, but rarely do we notice the quietly destructive termites.
Imagine for a moment that Satan has walked in now and has revealed himself to you with the mythical picture of a horned, hoofed being with a pointy tail and a pitchfork. Then he said, “Hey, you know me, I’m the devil. Why don’t you come and follow me?” Of course he doesn’t work like this. In a discussion of false apostles and teachers in II Corinthians 11 the apostle Paul declares that Satan’s modus operandi (method of operation –often used to describe criminal methodolgy) is to masquerade as an angel of light. Satan and those who follow him will always appear to be something that they are not.
One illustration of how false teachers get in would be found in the Greek story of the Trojan Horse. After an unsuccessful 10-year siege of the walled city of Troy, the Greeks built a huge figure of a horse, in which a select force of men hid. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the Horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the Horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greek army entered and destroyed the city, decisively ending the war. A "Trojan Horse" has come to mean any trick that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or place. In a similar manner, false teachers sneak in and then prepare the way for more false teachers. A congregation may “prize” these teachers and think that they have obtained something special but they are only preparing the way for more heresy and false teaching.
In the same way, Jesus declared (Matthew 7) that we would be able to recognize false teachers by the fruit of their lives. The false teachers were sneaky in their approach, but the believers that Jude was writing to had failed their responsibilities as spiritual fruit inspectors. Whether this failure on their part was out of ignorance or a misguided desire to be tolerant of different doctrines is unclear.
There are two ways that I believe false teachers get into the church. The first method is the one mentioned here in the book of Jude. They use deceit and disguise. The second method is that the church becomes overly tolerant. This is how the church at Corinth became so confused and allowed multiple sinful practices. They thought that tolerance was a demonstration of Christian love and therefore commended them before God. In I Corinthians Paul tells them that they should be taking a stand against sin.
Jude states the fact that these particular men had crept in. They had slipped in secretly. They were already present. Even though they had arrived via stealth they should have been expected. Jesus commanded his followers to beware of false prophets. Peter warned (II Peter 2:1)that false teachers were coming. John said that antichrists had come (I John 2:18) and even more were coming.
Much of the remainder of Jude’s letter is spent describing these men in no uncertain terms. We quickly learn Jude’s favorite adjective for these men and their behavior is ungodly. He calls them “ungodly” (godless in the New International Version) here and uses a form of the same Greek word four more times in his letter. This is one of the clear and certain terms that Jude uses to encourage believers to stand up for righteousness and proper doctrine.
There are two major tests that these false teachers have failed. First, they failed the morality test. They were using the grace of God as a license to sin. Paul also touched on this subject (Romans 6) when he asks if we should continue living in sin in order to continue to show the grace of God. His response was that this should never be the case. The King James Version’s rendition of Romans 6:2 is probably best because the Greek idea of this never coming to pass is very, very strong. In my opinion, the strongest English phrase possible to declare that something should never be is “God forbid!”
Do you remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the young preacher Titus? In Titus chapter 2 he explains to Titus that the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness. The New International Version says it teaches us to say “No!” Obviously, the idea of saying “No” to temptation did not originate with Nancy Reagen’s anti-drug campaign. The natural experience of God’s grace does not lead to continued sin. Instead, God’s grace always teaches us to depart from sin.
As we return to our text in the book of Jude we will discover that once again the King James Version is stronger than the more popular New International Version because it uses a harsher word, “lasciviousness” rather than simply calling it immorality. The Greek word. aselgeia, refers to unrestrained filthiness and vice. This of course is much, much stronger than “license for immorality” but both ideas are borne out in the Greek. The concept presented is that these people believed that they could continue in sin because God would forgive them based on His wonderful grace.
This is an important test and these godless teachers have failed it miserably by preaching God’s love and forgiveness but leaving out the call to holiness. God saves us and sets us apart to good works. He does not save us so that we can continue in sin. He wants to change us and mold us into His image. After we’re saved by grace through faith God’s purpose is that we walk in good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
The second major test that these teachers have failed is in their teachings about Jesus Christ. They have denied the Lord Jesus. Jude doesn’t tell us about this denial, but it seems apparent that these men had embraced the teachings of Gnosticism, which was a very prevalent doctrine sneaking into the church (and much of the subject of John’s first letter). Gnosticism believed that Jesus was a man and that God’s Spirit came upon him at the time of his baptism and then left him at the time of the crucifixion. It blatantly denies the deity of Christ as well as his atoning sacrifice on the cross.
Because the Gnostics taught both of these errors it is probably safe to assume that either these false teachers were Gnostics or held to a Gnostic-like doctrine. While one schism of Gnosticism taught self denial another such schism waswell-know for its advocacy of self-indulgence and denial of Christ as God in the flesh. They taught that you could separate the spiritual from the secular. Therefore they taught that one could indulge fleshly lusts and desires and still maintain a spiritual relationship with God.
The story is told of four college friends who stayed out late at a party and missed their final exam. They asked for a meeting with the professor and offered the excuse that they were traveling together and their car had a flat tire. They begged the professor to be merciful and let them retake the final exam. The professor agreed and had them all come in at the same time. He placed each of them in a different corner of the room and when they opened their test booklet they were dismayed to find the only question on the test was “Which tire was flat?”
These false teachers think that they have outsmarted God. They believe that they can sin and not be punished. They do not realize that a person cannot outsmart God. They will surely discover at the time of the great “final exam,” Judgment Day, that they have not outsmarted God.
5 - 7 Historical Examples of
God’s Judgment
Jude offers his readers some simple reminders that any Jewish believer would have been quite familiar with. He reminded them that God brought people out of Egypt who refused to enter the Promised Land. He had destroyed them because they had heard the call but refused to follow. They had hardened their hearts.
This is an excellent allegory for these false believers. They claim to have heard God’s call. The Hebrews left Egypt and claimed that they would follow God but then they hardened their hearts over and over again. (See Psalm 95:6-11) Paul used this same illustration in Hebrews 4 in calling Jewish believers to remain in the faith. If these false believers don’t come to a real and sincere faith then their judgment is certain. If God judged the very people he was trying to redeem why wouldn’t he choose to judge them as well?
The second example Jude offers is fallen angels. They chose to reject Heaven and a dwelling place that was in the presence of Almighty God. What caused them to do this?
We know that Jude refers to the extra-Biblical source of the book of Enoch at least once. This non-Biblical book expounds upon the idea that angelic beings somehow took upon themselves human form and intermingled sexually with human women (See Genesis 6:4). Jude offers several ideas that are presented in the book of Enoch but nowhere else within Scripture. He quotes directly from the book in verses 14-15. He refers to angels being placed in chains in a dark place under the earth. Jude may have believed, as some Jews of his time did, that some fallen angels had sexual congress with human women.
A few problems exist with that idea. First, it comes from a non-Biblical source. The early church fathers rejected it as being from an unreliable source. The fact that Jude likely references non Biblical sources (see the Appendix at the end of the book for a fuller discussion of Jude’s usage of non-biblical literature) doesn’t necessarily imply that the book of Enoch (which does describe Angels marrying human women) is inspired or even true. .
Another problem I encounter with supposed cohabitation is that it seems to violate the natural laws God Himself has established. First, in Heaven, it appears that angels are not procreative (Matthew 22:23-32) . They don’t marry and at least to my limited understanding that would strongly suggest that they don’t make little angels. They are all individually created beings. Besides that, to suggest that angels and humans could crossbreed is about as science fiction as one can get. Some would point out that the presence of giants in the land are indicated as offspring of this supposed coupling, however, if you look at Genesis 6 carefully the giants were there before and after this event is described.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. Genesis 6:4
Many commentators teach that the reference from Genesis 6 has nothing to do with angelic beings having sexual relations with humans, but rather serves as a reference to the godly line of Seth intermingling with the ungodly descendants of Cain. Since the context of Genesis 6 is in regards to the fallen nature of man and the coming destruction it seems likely that those references refer to how the godly line of Seth became ungodly.
It is possible that Jude was referencing a well-known story of his day to make a point. The people he wrote to would have been well-versed in this apocryphal material, especially those steeped in Gnostic tradition who would read and study any materials that they could possibly find relating to angels. I have a sermon I preach using Gilligan’s Island for illustrative purposes. This does not mean I consider the material set forth by Mr. Schwartz to be inspired. So, even if Jude was offering this as a reference it is possible it was only offered for illustrative purposes to a group of people who had heard it all before.
Even if angels did not cohabitate with humans we know that they choose to leave the glory of heaven in order to fulfill their selfish ambitions. God’s response to this was to put them in chains of darkness, bound until the Judgment Day. They are, essentially, being held without bail because their guilt is certain. The point is driven home once more. If God has judged his own angels so severely for their immorality then he will most certainly judge these false teachers who indulge their lusts and desires.
The third example offered is of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. These people were so far gone in their sexual immorality and perversion that God judged them with fire from heaven. Jude tells us that they are an example of God’s divine wrath and depict the judgment of eternal fire—Hell. The example of the fiery doom that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah is used about twenty times in the Scriptures.
No real allegory is offered in this example. It is simply a statement that sexual immorality and perversion is completely incompatible with the Christian walk and will bring God’s most severe judgment.
Sadly, many today want to ignore the judgment of God and the reality of a place called Hell. Jesus Himself warned against the terrible place of damnation. He spoke clearly about Hell in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16). He warned about suffering the fires of Hell in the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5:29-30)
Parents will teach their children not to steal. They will warn them against drugs. However, when the time comes to form religious beliefs some parents will suggest that they will let their child grow up and choose his own beliefs. I think it is sad that parents will tell their children how to stay out of jail but they won’t teach those same children how to stay out of Hell. This is an indication to me that they don’t really believe in Hell.
Why do believers date non-believers? I believe one of the reasons is that the believer does not truly accept that Hell is a real place where their loved one will suffer if they die without receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Why are believers such poor witnesses? If we really truly had a deep-seated faith in Heaven as being a wonderful and certain place for the believer we would share our faith more. On the opposite side of that coin, if we truly believed in the awful reality of a burning Hell then we would do everything within our power to keep people from going there.
People get saved when the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is proclaimed loudly, boldly and without apology. The church in America today has become overly concerned with social issues such as abortion or homosexual rights. Although I think we must take a Biblical stand on those issues it is even more urgent that we take a stand about the reality of Heaven and the certainty of Hell. Even more urgent is that we preach that the only way to get to Heaven is through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude wraps this up in a nice package. He offers the example of God’s judgment on the Hebrews, on fallen angels, and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah as a certainty that God will judge these false teachers who are in many ways much like those three examples. However, there is another common thread running through Jude’s historical examples. It was unnatural for the Hebrews to refuse to follow God who had rescued them from slavery. It was unnatural for angels to leave Heaven in rebellion. The men of Sodom and Gomorrah also had unnatural sexual lusts and desires. By implication, these false teachers are also conducting themselves in an unnatural manner.
Coming judgment is part of the overall message of God’s word. Jude wanted his readers to be certain that God was not ignoring the sinfulness of the false teachers and that He intended to bring judgment upon them. If we ever got a realistic glimpse into the judgment of God that is coming we would preach boldly like Jude. We would spend more time sharing the reality of that judgment.
8 – 10 The Nature and Character
of the False Teachers
Jude continues his idea of the unnatural desires and lifestyle of the false teachers with the connecting phrase “in the same way.” These teachers are guilty of the same unnatural behavior of the Hebrews, the fallen angels, and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
He calls them dreamers. The King James applies a contextual interpretation by adding the word filthy. After all, if they are defiling their own bodies sexually then their dreams must be filthy.
Being a dreamer may or may not be a bad thing. Joseph had dreams that were given by God to communicate truth. Joseph’s error appears to have been in the boastful manner he presented his dreams to his brothers, who thereafter sarcastically referred to him as the dreamer. However, his dreams were valid and God brought them to pass. Dr. Martin Luther King‘s most famous speech was about a dream of racial equality. It was a powerful speech and helped shape race relations in America for years to come.
In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter speaks of dreams as a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy of the Holy Spirit providing prophetic dreams. This same word is applied to these false teachers, implying that they are suggesting that their teachings come through prophetic dreams. This would be very consistent with Gnostic doctrines and practice. Jude wants it clear that these dreams do not have a divine source.
Harry Ironside said in his commentary on Jude, “Unholy ways always accompany, and indeed spring from unholy teachings.” The unholy “prophecies” of these men led directly to their unholy activity. Believers need to be aware that if a person’s behavior is unholy his preaching is likely suspect as well. He is either preaching a false doctrine or failing to practice what he preaches. However, Jude couples their teaching and living together. If the false teachers could convince the church that their sexual behavior was acceptable then the church could be fooled about their message as well.
Samuel told King Saul that “Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft.” (I Samuel 15:23) Rejection of authority is communion with the devil. The devil’s original sin was rejection of God’s authority and an attempt to claim lordship for himself. Therefore, when we demonstrate rebellion we are emulating Satan himself.
We live in a day in which all authority is questioned. Children openly curse and speak disrespectfully to parents and teachers. The policemen who risk their lives day after day are reviled and mocked as “pigs.” People don’t like to be told what they can and cannot do.
Respect for authority is one of the basic tenets of Scripture. Paul emphasizes it in his letters in regards to the family and the workplace. Paul declares that a believer is a good citizen and is obedient to the government.. Even Christians who were slaves or servants were told to respect their masters and to work hard to please them.
What makes a person in authority so special? The author of Hebrews declares, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do so with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.”
Our submission should be based on the principle that the person in authority has to account for himself before God. Our attitude towards authority should be based on an understanding that these people are watching out for us. Sadly, for many of us this understanding comes too late.
As a teenager, I did not understand many of the rules my father established for me. Once, I wanted to go to Disneyland on a day I was asked to work. My dad insisted that I follow the basic principle that we should work when there is work to be done. I did not understand at the time that if I was not available for my employer when he asked me to work then my employer would probably begin looking for someone who was available. Today, I know my father was looking out for me. He was trying to teach me life principles that would bring about blessing and advancement in my life. At the time, I just thought he was being mean and unreasonable. Today, I can plainly see that he was taking care of me.
If we can just understand the notion that those in genuine spiritual authority are seeking to be a blessing to our lives then we would accept their authority much more graciously. We would humble ourselves and listen. The false teachers could not see this powerful truth and so they rejected God’s authority as well as the authority and doctrines of the apostles.
The “dignities” (King James version) and “Celestial Beings” both refer to angelic beings. The Greek word expresses the concept of “glorious ones.” The Gnostics were deeply involved in angelic worship. In fact, much as a medium often claims to have a “spirit guide” some of these Gnostics claimed to have an angelic guide.
There is a great focus on angels today. People enjoy collecting images and statues of angels. For a time, a number of popular television programs focused on the work of angels. A number of books by well-meaning authors have been written about angels and their work. A mythology regarding angels has spread in our society. Some even believe that a deceased person may become an angel. Even some gospel music suggests that. “First Day in Heaven” is a great quartet song but strongly suggests that upon meeting St. Peter at the Pearly Gates the believer becomes an angel and learns how to fly with his new wings. I won’t spend the time to debate St. Peter’s role in acting as the gatekeeper of Heaven, but this is the sort of material that inadvertently causes even a believer to idolize angels.
Gnostics believed that God created Jesus, Jesus created the devil, and the devil created the next angel and so forth. (The Jehovah’s Witnesses share a similar doctrine.) Each angel created in succession was just a bit weaker than the first. Therefore, these Gnostics wanted an angelic guide that was as close to Christ as possible. Much like the mediums and spiritualists of the modern era they spoke to these guides. We know now that they were speaking to familiar spirits—fallen angels that we call demons. Can anything be further removed from God’s will?
The false teachers were guilty of disrespect towards angelic beings in much the same way as the men of Sodom were when they wanted to rape the angelic visitors who had taken refuge in Lot’s house. Although rape involves sexuality, it is really an act in which the rapist seeks to empower himself by taking power over another. The shameful attitude of the false teachers was all about power, too.
Jude tells about the Michael’s response to the devil in regards to the body of Moses. Note that Michael did not get insulting, demeaning, or even seek to take authority over the devil, but instead he appealed to the Lord to rebuke Satan. I think this is exactly how believers should respond to Satan.
The details regarding Michael and Satan’s squabble over the body of Moses is nowhere else recorded in Scripture. Most believe it comes from an apocryphal writing commonly referred to as The Assumption of Moses. There are those who believe that this particular writing is a corruption of the first part of Zechariah 3 because of some startling similarities. Yet, others state that Jude knew of this incident solely through divine inspiration. I personally think we can get caught up in an argument about where this illustration come from and miss the message. Jude’s message is to be cautious in our dealing with the demonic spirits.
Some preachers tell us that we are supposed to have the authority of Christ and be able to rebuke the devil. I believe that to some extent that this is a dangerous trend. If Michael, the archangel, (chief angel) did not think he should rebuke Satan perhaps we should be cautious as well.
First, Jesus never taught us to pray to demons. Instead he told us to address our prayers to our Father in Heaven. If we are praying to the Lord God and stop to address Satan it means that we have just allowed Satan to enter our prayer lives.
We should also note that Jesus told his disciples not to rejoice because evil spirits were subject to them (Luke 10:20). They were supposed to center their focus on the fact that their names were written in heaven as belonging to God.
That’s not to say that there are not those who are called to deal with demonic possession. The Apostles clearly had a ministry dealing with demonic activity and rebuked demons.
I think believers need to be on really solid spiritual ground before they get involved in this type of spiritual warfare. I prefer to submit myself to the Lord and declare that I belong completely to Him. I declare by faith that Satan has no right to my life because it belongs to the Lord God. I ask the Lord to rebuke Satan. I find spiritual warfare a less-than-joyous experience. I am grateful for victory, but I see some preachers talking about how they whipped the devil and I shudder. I’ve never whipped the devil, but I surely have seen God do it time and again.
The false teachers are condemned by Jude because they are living like animals, driven by instinctive behavior. These men are being driven by their sin natures and their very behavior is destructive. Sin brings destruction. Not just sometimes, but all of the time.
SIN D E S T R U C T I O N
11 Biblical Examples of Heresy
We’ve lost the meaning or the Biblical application of the word “Woe!” When a “woe” is pronounced it means a great judgment that carries with it great sorrow is coming. It is a strong and mighty pronouncement and not meant to be taken lightly.
Old Testament prophets used “woe” to describe the terrible and impending judgment of the Lord that was to fall upon Israel, Judah, and numerous pagan nations. Isaiah used the word to indicate his own feeling of impending doom when he saw the Lord in Isaiah 6. It is a word used to strongly emphasize the awesome judgment of Almighty God upon a sinful person or nation.
Jesus used it to refer to several cities that failed to repent under his ministry. (Matthew 11:20-21) He pronounced seven separate woes against the Pharisees and teaches of the law. (Matthew 23).
The apostle Paul used it to describe how important it was that he obey God’s calling to preach the gospel. (I Corinthians 9:16) He recognized that God would judge him severely if he did fulfill the call by preaching the word everywhere he went.
Jude cries “Woe!” to emphasize the imminent judgment upon these false teachers. However, we never see a “woe” pronounced without a reason for that woe. In this case, Jude offers a trio of valid reasons for his stern pronouncement of judgment upon the false teachers.
First, he proclaims that they have followed the path of Cain. This is not referring literally to Cain’s murder of his brother. Cain’s way was in respect to his sacrifice. When we read Genesis 4 we see that there is a distinctive difference between Cain’s sacrifice and that offered by his brother Abel. Abel made a careful choice from his flock. He offered fat portions from the first offspring of his flock. Cain simply brought some of the fruit of his labor. Cain expected God’s blessing on the work of his hands. God spoke to Cain, warned him, and then indicated that his heart was not right.
Cain harbored resentment and eventually hated his brother. This led to the first murder.
The false teachers followed the path of Cain. They expected God to be satisfied with whatever service they offered him. Then, they resented those that God was honoring. These people, like Cain, were creating their own religious ideals, practices, and doctrines. They expected God to respond positively to their constructed religion. They resented those who stood for correct doctrine and experienced God’s blessings. This is Cain’s path.
The second example that Jude offers is that of the prophet Balaam. (Numbers 22) Three kings came together and decided that the only way to defeat the children of Israel was to get Balaam to pronounce a curse upon them. At first, God told Balaam not to go with them and Balaam obeyed. Then, they sent more messengers offering more gold and Balaam prayed over it, this time obtaining the answer from the Lord that he could go with them but that he was only to say what God gave him to say. The next morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and started to go with them. However, his attitude must have been wrong because God became angry with him and sent an angel to stand in his way. The donkey saw the angel, but Balaam did not. When the donkey continued to turn away from the angel Balaam began to beat it. Thereupon God opened the donkey’s mouth. The donkey protested its innocence and Balaam had the nerve to threaten it. Eventually, God opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the angel. The angel told Balaam that the donkey had saved his life. Balaam’s response was that he would not go with the nobles if it was not God’s will. Finally, He was given permission to go, but only to say what God gives him to say.
Balaam arrived on the scene and offered to curse God’s people, but then he was unable to do so. Instead, he offered a blessing, defending his position to the kings by saying that he ccould only say the words that God gave him. We find more information in Numbers 31:15 which tells how the Midianites followed Balaam’s advice and drew Israel into sin. Revelation 2:14 specifies that Balaam provided a method of destroying Israel by teaching them to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols and involving them in sexual immorality.
Balaam’s error was two-fold. First, he was anxious to receive money for his work. He put on a good front about desiring to do God’s will, but he was really in it for the money. This is why he jumped on his donkey and headed out so quickly. Second, he thought he could adapt his message to one that was more profitable and in doing so avoid God’s judgment. While we do not know what happened to Balaam he is always spoken of in Scripture in a negative manner.
The false teachers have rushed into Balaam’s error. They have abandoned good sense and have poured themselves into Balaam’s error. They are teaching that sexual immorality will somehow be acceptable to God. Worse yet, they are doing it for monetary gain. They are, like Balaam, in a hurry to get paid for their dirty work. They, like Balaam, are willing to preach a message of sensuality and self-indulgence, especially if they are getting paid. The idea of rushing into the error reminds of how football players respond to a fumble. They pile on, often not even looking at who else is going after the ball.
The third example Jude uses is that of Korah. In Numbers 16 Korah’s rebellion is recounted. Korah, a Levite, was joined by about 250 other men in his claim to be on an equal footing with Aaron. They grumbled against Moses and declared that God considered the whole community to be holy. Moses attempted to reason with them, but they refused to listen. Moses warned the people to separate themselves from these rebels. God destroyed these men by causing the earth to split open beneath them and to swallow them whole.
The false teachers were rebellious. Don’t forget that one of the sins that Jude mentions in verse 8 is the rejection of authority. Jude uses this example to show how the judgment of these rebellious men is undoubtedly assured.
These three ideas are very important for believers. We should take note of those who, like Cain, resent their fellow believers. We must be on guard against those who would teach us to be self-indulgent and sexually immoral. Finally, we must remind ourselves of how terrible rebellion is in God’s eyes. Anytime a teacher attempts to promote these ideas and attitudes we must be prepared to stand up against their heresy.
Summary of the Biblical Examples
Cain:
Wanted God’s blessing on the work of His hands
Resentful of Abel’s right relationship with God
Refused to listen to God’s warning about sin
Balaam:
Only reason for ministering was to obtain money
Made his message one that would earn him money
Korah:
Rejected God-given authority
12-13 Metaphors for the heretics
Without pausing, Jude uses six powerful metaphors to describe the heretics and the damage they are doing to the church by their presence. These metaphors are meant to expose the false teachers for what they really are.
The false teachers are “blemishes” at your love feasts. They make what should be beautiful into something ugly. Do you remember high school? Can you recall those days when your face broke out with an especially large and noticeable pimple? For me, like many others, it was senior portrait day. I had a huge pimple on my forehead. It was ugly, nasty, and more prominent than Mt. Everest. I was so embarrassed. I was also blessed that the photo studio was able to work some photo magic and make it disappear.
Jude points out that these teachers were participating in church celebrations and the church apparently weren’t embarrassed by their presence. Of course, the false teachers were not embarrassed to participate either. They ate without the slightest qualm. They made what should have been a beautiful event into something ugly.
It should be noted that the “love feasts” of the early church were often, if not always, associated with the Lord’s Supper. Paul attempted to separate feasting from this important church ordinance by telling the church at Corinth that the Lord’s Supper and a meal should be separate events (I Corinthians 11:34). Paul also warned about approaching the Lord’s Table with disrespect and that is exactly what these false teachers were doing.
Paul gave the Corinthian believers some careful instruction about the Lord’s Supper. He indicated that it was to be a church event. He took the time to reiterate its meaning and purpose. He described the need to approach its observance with the utmost of respect. He warned that disrespecting the observance was to disrespect the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross. He also warned that God’s judgment would come upon those who refused to examine themselves and partook of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.
In the local church where I am privileged to serve as pastor we do our best to observe the Lord’s Supper with great care. First, the Lord’s Supper is never an “add-on” to an existing service. We plan a special service with the entire focus to be on the Lord’s Supper itself. We want people to be prepared to partake and so we begin announcing the Lord’s Supper several weeks in advance in order to provide people and opportunity to search their hearts and confess sin. For our local congregation the Lord’s Supper is a very special event. We often use candlelight or display an old rugged cross to provide a special atmosphere of worship. We believe it should be a beautiful event. We believe that any person who would disrupt the Lord’s Supper would be, as Jude and Peter both describe, nothing more than blemishes.
The second metaphor used is shepherds who feed themselves rather than caring for the sheep. Jewish believers who were familiar with the prophet Ezekiel might have been reminded of the prophet’s words:
“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.” Ezekiel 34:1-10
The very purpose of the shepherd is to meet the needs of the flock. The flock would be quickly consumed and eliminated if the shepherd just chose to live off of it and never provide for it. In the same manner, spiritual leaders who treat the flock as potential victims bring destruction to the flock.
However, Jude’s focus isn’t on the damage being done to the flock. He turns the spotlight on the selfishness of these teachers. They are not at all like Christ, the good shepherd (John 10). He wanted to reveal the selfish attitudes of the false teachers to a church that had simply accepted them.
The next metaphor that Jude uses is that of clouds without rain. In modern use we use rain to refer to a negative. One proverb says, “Into each life a little rain must fall” meaning that each life has some negative elements. We “put away a little money for a rainy day,” indicating that we need to save for bad times. How about “Every cloud has a silver lining,” that suggests that even bad times have positive elements. However, rain really is a positive thing.
If you enter any little café where farmers congregate you have a good chance of hearing a discussion about rain. When it’s dry they sit around and talk about how much they need rain. When it rains they will practically run to the rain gauge that they all seem to keep on their place to see how much rain they actually received. When it clouds up and doesn’t rain they are bitterly disappointed. I once heard one farmer complain because it rained at his neighbor’s place down the road but he had received “nary a drop!” He declared his disbelief that the other farmer had received rain by stating repeatedly that he had received “’nary a drop!”
At this writing, Southern California is once again experiencing a drought. Those who know the region will understand that this is a regular occurrence for this desert region. In fact, it seems that the Los Angeles area is always either recovering from a drought or entering a drought or worried about the possibility of a drought. When the clouds appear in the sky and the rain begins to fall people who are in a drought are appreciative. Imagine the disappointment when the clouds appear and no measurable rain falls from them. Even our silly weathermen get serious as they express how we desperately need the rain.
The false teachers are clouds without rain. They promise but don’t deliver. Just as clouds promise refreshment and life-sustaining water the false teachers really have nothing substantial to offer. They just can’t provide. They are nothing more than empty clouds. They promise blessing to the church but offer “’nary a drop!” Jude wanted the church to see that these men had nothing worth offering to the church.
In addition to being empty, these clouds were driven by the wind. These false teachers had no semblance of self-control. They were driven by their sinful desires to live in the ungodly manner that they were living and teaching. They are driven, like wild beasts, by their instincts. They don’t even think about what they are doing, they just live to please themselves.
Even the tamest dog will resort to its instincts. We used to have a Boston Bull Terrier that would get finicky about eating. My younger brother would get down and pretend like he was going to eat the dog’s food. That dog would come over and guard the bowl and viciously growl and snap at my brother. Once, Doug got just a little too close and the dog bit him right across the nose. The dog resorted to its instinctive behavior. It did not stop to think that this was its master. It did not stop to think at all. It just reacted.
People who are driven by their sin natures don’t really think about what they are doing. They just react according to that nature. They become like animals instead of conducting themselves as human beings who are able to submit their wills to a holy and righteous God. They are driven by their emotions, lusts, and instincts when they should be self-controlled.
Every believer should be aware that one description of the fruit of the Spirit offered in Galatians 5 is self-control. God wants to move us away from being the type of people who react and act in an out-of-control manner. He wants to grant us, through His grace, the power to control ourselves. He brings discipline into our lives.
These false teachers were out-of-control. They were driven by their own sinful lusts. They had nothing refreshing to offer. They were nothing.
Next, Jude uses the metaphor of fruitless trees. In the autumn, after the harvest has passed, trees that have borne no fruit are uprooted and destroyed. Fruit trees that do not bear fruit are of no value. Therefore, at the end of the harvest season they are removed and burned.
The Lord Jesus encountered a fig tree that was blooming and appeared to offer fruit but instead was fruitless. He cursed that tree and it shriveled up and died. (Matthew 21:18-19)
Christ also told a parable about a fruitless fig tree. In Luke 13:1-9 there is a discussion about some Galileans who were slain at the temple and their blood and the blood of their sacrifices was mingled in a way which was not only gruesome, but also considered a heinous act because it defiled their sacrifices. Jesus spoke the parable of the fig tree as a reminder of the need for these people to repent. He used the allegory of a fruitless fig tree as a picture of those who were not living righteously. The gardener asked the master for more time to dig around the tree and fertilize it and prepare it to bear fruit. Then, the gardener agreed, if the tree still failed to bear fruit he would cut it down. I offer this in contrast to Jude’s reference to the false teachers as being fruitless trees. They were beyond the help of any possible irrigation or fertilizer. They were dead and cut down—uprooted.
The believer has the responsibility to bear fruit (John 15) by remaining in Christ. These false teachers reject that responsibility. Because they refuse to bear fruit, Jude once again emphasizes that they are already judged. Jesus taught that branches that do not bear fruit will be cut off and burned in the fire. Jude suggests that the false teachers, having failed to bear fruit, have been uprooted and are in imminent danger of being cast into the fire. Indeed, they are, for these false teachers have no roots in Christ.
Jude now compares the false teachers to waves of the ocean. Once again, the waves, like the clouds, are driven. They make noise and come crashing out of control to the shore leaving behind a bit of foam and seaweed. Some of Jude’s Jewish audience might see a reference here to Isaiah 57:20. There, Isaiah describes the wicked to be like the tossing sea, unable to rest and leaving behind nothing more than mire and mud.
Once again, the emphasis Jude places on the false teachers is that of being driven by their baser instincts and lusts. In addition, he wants the church to note that they really have nothing worthwhile to offer, leaving behind nothing but foam. No matter how much noise they make they will crash to the shore and come to a bitter end.
The final metaphor offered is one of falling stars that blink and go out. They might seem spectacular for a moment, but they do not offer real light. They burn out and then they are gone.
Another possible interpretation is that they are heavenly bodies without a fixed location or orbit and thus useless for navigation on the oceans. I don’t really think this second interpretation is correct for several reasons. First, celestial navigation was, at best, in its infancy. While the Phoenicians used the stars to guide their way, the Greeks and Romans preferred to navigate with land in sight or using currents with known destinations. Some sailors knew how to use the stars for navigation, but it was a new science and not overly popular in the first century. The majority of the metaphors that Jude uses, especially the last few, refer to things that come to an end or go away. The fruitless trees are removed. The clouds blow away. The waves crash to the shore. I think it is clear that this metaphor makes reference to a falling star, a meteorite. This seems to be further emphasized by the reference to darkness. Once again, Jude speaks of their doom. They are going to burn out.
Counterfeit Christians have a tendency to burn out. I believe that one type of counterfeit believer is described in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9). The seed that fell upon hard ground with shallow soil is representative of this type of seed. The seed did not take deep root and so when the sun came out it just withered away. This is often the case with those who seem to receive the Word and seem to establish Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but soon just walk away, their enthusiasm quickly used up.
14-15 Enoch’s Prophecy
The prophecy from Enoch is not recorded in Scriptures except here. Almost every scholar believes that Jude is quoting the Book of Enoch, which was a very popular writing among Jews and Christians during the first century. A few scholars believe that this quotation came to Jude by divine inspiration while others suggest it was handed down through oral tradition.
Once again, it appears that Jude is referencing the non-canonical book of Enoch (See Appendix: Jude and the Book of Enoch). The major reason I offer that suggestion is that the Book of Enoch gives Enoch the honorific title “the Seventh from Adam” and Jude applies this title as well. Of course, this may have been an oft used description for Enoch used by Jewish folk. Enoch was the seventh person listed in the genealogy of Adam through Seth. Since seven was the number of perfection, this title may have been used by some to reference Enoch’s greatness in spiritual terms.
There is no mistaking that Enoch was a spiritual giant. One of the greatest testimonies of any man named in the Bible is offered of Enoch—“He walked with God.” Enoch is one of two men in the Bible who did not see natural death (the other was Elijah who was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind).
Before the idea that Jude quoted from a non-inspired book throws a monkey wrench into the machinery of your Bible Study you should probably note that this quotation is very generic and is backed up by plenty of other Scriptures. All the quotation really says is that the Lord is coming with angels to judge sinners. This is a good description of Judgment Day and well documented in other Scriptures.
So why quote from Enoch instead of some other Scripture? It appears that Jude was attempting to turn the mindset of the Gnostic teachers upside down. He used the literature that some of their distorted viewpoints had grown from in order to point out how foolish their ideas were. They weren’t going to be doing the judging because they were going to be judged themselves.
16 Specific Sins of the Heretics
Metaphors and illustrations are now set aside in favor of plain speaking. Jude launches a frontal attack on the sinful behavior of the heretics and names specific sins that they were involved in.
These men are described plainly as grumblers. The greatest challenge to Moses’ leadership as he led the Israelites in the Wilderness was their constant complaining. God judged them over and over again for their rebellion and he judged them at times for doing nothing more than complaining.
Complainers have an upside-down way of thinking. For example, the optimist says the glass is half-full while the pessimist declares it to be half-empty. The complainer declares that the glass has water in it and he wants iced tea.
The complainer does more than state negative facts-- he states them in a selfish and obstinate way. The Israelites did not state facts when they said that they had it better in Egypt. They declared that they would have been happier to be slaves in Egypt than to be free in the Wilderness. They did not just complain about a shortage of food or water. They took it to much more negative level by making allegations that were clearly exaggerations.
Believers are not to be complainers. In Philippians 2:14-16 Paul gives the command to do all things without complaining or arguing and then goes on to tell why. Our testimony before a sinful world is soiled and tarnished if our lives our characterized by whining, complaining, and arguing. We do not demonstrate a relationship with God with such behavior.
A complainer lives as though he has lost contact with God. To complain is to express doubt in God’s power, presence, and plan. A person who is a habitual complainer is not living in faith. His focus has become centered on circumstances that he just does not believe he truly deserves. A complainer has removed God from life’s equation and substituted blind luck. In fact, a literal translation of the Greek word mempsimoiros (translated as “complainers” in the King James Version) would be those who curse their luck.
The second issue offered in verse 16 is that these men are faultfinders. They are constantly seeking to tear down other believers. This does not mean that we are not to offer correction to brethren who have gone astray. Believers have a responsibility to assist each other. These men had gone out of their way to pick apart their fellow believers. Their purpose wasn’t to offer correction that would improve the lives of their fellow believers. They were tearing down and demeaning others so that they might feel better about themselves. This is underscored by the subsequent characteristics that Jude uses to describe the heretics.
Finding fault it pretty easy. If you look hard enough you will always find someone who is messing up. However, if your mission in life is to pick apart others then you are not building up the church—you’re tearing it down. Paul reminds us to only allow words to come out of our mouth which are helpful (Ephesians 4:29). This cannot be accomplished unless we are willing to pray over our words before we open our mouth. This cannot be accomplished unless we are willing to submit our attitudes and our words to God.
Next, Jude charges these people with following their own evil desires. Literally, they live based upon their passions. They live life based on their feelings. In this case they were living based upon their wrong desires.
I don’t know about you but I would like to sleep a little later every morning. I often would like to eat a larger portion. I rarely feel like exercising. I don’t always feeling like going to church. Perhaps I should be careful about living life by my feelings.
A woman came into the bedroom on Sunday morning and was shocked to find her husband still in bed. She told him he needed to get up and get ready to go to church. She was shocked when he declared that he was not planning to go to church. She told him not to be silly that he needed to get up and get ready for church.
“No,” he replied, "Everybody hates me, the sermons are boring and none of my friends ever come."
She answered, "First, everybody doesn’t hate you, there are a couple of bullies and you just have to stand up to them. Second, the sermons mean a lot to most folks. If you listened to them, you’d be surprised at how good they really are. Third, you have lots of friends at church. They are always having you over to their house. And finally, you have to go, you’re the pastor!"
Jude’s condemnation is more than a suggestion that these folks wanted to stay in bed on Sunday morning or have an extra piece of pie. The passions referred to are primarily those which lead to sinful indulgence. The strong implication is that these men were happy to indulge their sexual lusts and desires without regard for righteousness.
The next charge ascribed to these false teachers is that they were boasters. They speak with “great swelling words.” Their whole attitude is one of self-promotion. Their goal is to make themselves look good before man. Some people can only make themselves look good by making certain that their bragging also implies a defect in the character, nature, or actions of another.
A man from Boston visited San Antonio, Texas and while seeing the sites he stopped a man and asked him, “What is the odd-looking ruin over there?”
The proud Texan replied, “That is the Alamo. In that building, 136 Texans held off a Mexican army of 15,000 for ten days.”
“And the statue of that fellow on horseback on that hill over there?” asked the man from Boston.
“That is a statue of a Texas Ranger. He killed 46 Apaches in singlehanded combat and broke up 27 riots in his lifetime ... Where are you from, stranger?” asked the Texan.
“I’m from Boston. We have our heroes there, too. Paul Revere, for instance --” started the man from Boston.
“Paul Revere!” snorted the Texan. “Wasn’t he the one that had to ride for help?”
The Texan in the story wasn’t satisfied in bragging about his state. He felt the need to put down the Bostonian’s history. Bragging almost always becomes a contest. A braggart always seeks to make himself look better in the eyes of others and will not hesitate to knock someone else in order to do it. Bragging is a demonstration of pride.
James warns the rich men (James 4:13-16) to stop boasting about their business plans and describes boasting as evil. Paul lists boasting as one of the sins that demonstrates the terrible fallen condition of man in Romans 1. In II Corinthians eleven Paul writes in defense of his ministry. He uses sarcasm when he declares that the so-called “super-apostles” have pushed him into boasting so he could be like them. Never in Scripture do we find personal boasting to be a positive character trait.
A braggart is a shameless self-promoter. Believers are called to be Christ-promoters. We are to testify of His goodness and His work, not our own. We are to glorify His name instead of trying to improve our own name. Promoting yourself and promoting Christ are mutually exclusive. That means if you are doing one you aren’t doing the other.
Finally, these men are condemned as flatterers. Was it wrong to compliment others? If we look closely at the verse we recognize that they aren’t trying to build others up. They are using flattery to gain advantage over others. In other word, even the compliments that flow out of their mouths are for selfish purposes.
I feel confident that as the believers heard this portion of the letter being read they felt embarrassed. There is nothing more embarrassing than realizing someone’s supposed admiration was offered with the sole intent of using you. One of the most interesting examples of this is found in the fictional character of Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts on the old Andy Griffith Show. Crooks compliment his law-enforcement abilities and manage to commit crimes right under his nose. In one episode a woman flatters him and it leads to a breach of promise lawsuit against him. Barney grins and smiles when an old woman compliments him for his sweet nature as she sells him a car and winds up buying a piece of junk that breaks down on his first Sunday drive. I believe it is the sin of pride that leads believers to a Barney-like gullibility that allows them to be used by these sinful flatterers.
Everything Jude writes about these men in verse sixteen emphasizes their selfish behavior. They are grumblers, seeing every issue from their own selfish viewpoint. They are self-indulgent, following after their sinful lists. They promote themselves by their selfish bragging. Even their positive statement directed at others only serve to selfishly enhance their own social prominence and reputation.
17-19 The Apostles Warned That the Heretics Would Come
The tone of Jude’s message softens slightly as he moves his sights from the condemnation of the false teachers to a discussion of the response he expected from the true believers. The King James is a bit more literal here than the New International Version, rendering agapetos, as beloved. In modern English he might say “dear friends,” however, I think this is a case of the English language losing some strength in some areas. To be agepetos is to be more than close in fellowship, it is to be loved with a pure love that has a Divine origin. Jude has boldly demonstrated his distaste and disgust with the false teachers and now takes a moment to affirm his godly love for the believers and to offer some words of encouragement.
His first words of encouragement stem from the teaching of the apostles. He uses the command “remember” to bring to the forefront of their minds the knowledge that the coming of false teachers and scoffers was not unexpected. The apostles had already taught that false teachers would come.
The teaching of the apostles had included prophecies regarding fasle teachers. Jesus Himself warned of false teachers in Matthew 7. Jude is reminding believers that the idea of false teachers coming was nothing new. However, he also reminded his readers that the apostles prophetic teaching gave two clues to assist in recognizing the false teachers.
The first clue is that they would be scoffers. The first clue to recognizing the false teachers is their attitude. They would not only disagree with spiritual truth—they would mock spiritual truth. Their entire attitude and demeanor would deride, insult, and mock the values and doctrines that the church held near and dear. The mocking attitude was a direct result of their lack of respect for authority and spiritual things.
The second clue is their pursuit of ungodly desires. People who indulge their ungodly desires make all sorts of excuses. They claim that they are weak or they are “only human.” They claim that God would want them to be happy. Believers are not to live according to their sinful desires, but are to submit themselves completely to the Lord.
A recent news story told of a popular Catholic priest who was caught in an affair with a divorced woman. After several weeks of struggle, the priest has decided to leave the Catholic church and become an Episcopalian priest. The major issue seems to have been the violation of his vow of celibacy. The Episcopalian church seems to be receiving this man with open arms even though he has been guilty of sexual immorality. He indulged himself in the affair, but still claims to be a spiritual authority. He has said little or nothing to reflect a sorrow for his sin, but rather seemed to defend his “fall from grace” by suggesting that the Catholic tradition of celibacy for priests was just too much for him to comply with.
After citing the teaching of the apostles regarding the coming of the false teachers Jude specifies that the false teachers are the fulfillment of that teaching. He points out that these heretics had done nothing but divide the church, follow their sinful instincts, and even worse, they did not even have the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life is essential. Romans 8 tells us more of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 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, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:1-11 (NKJV)
Jude simply said that they did not have the Holy Spirit. When we view Paul’s writings we can see how important this is. Paul makes it very clear plain that if you do not have the Spirit you do not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9). Paul expounds upon this idea while Jude makes a simple statement. Why didn’t Jude stop and offer a careful dissertation on the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer? Jude expected his readers to understand that the lack of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of those was a terrible omission. They are unsaved men with unsavory character and the church is strongly warned.
TWO MAJOR CLUES FOR IDENTIFYING FALSE TEACHERS
1) Their disrespect for spiritual authority and Scriptural principles
2) Their pursuit of ungodly desires
20- 23 Instructions for the beloved
There are some who would criticize the overall negative tone of Jude’s letter. Most of the letter is a no-holds-barred attack on the false teachers. Some balance is necessary.
God’s Word is full of both positives and negatives. To those who would ignore one or the other, I would offer the reminder that if you disconnect either terminal, positive or negative, from a car battery then the car will not start. Jude has made his case. The false teachers are corrupt, evil and non-spiritual. Now he turns his full attention to offering some positive instruction to the believers.
Jude had no choice but to expose the false teachers. There was not a positive way to do so. If a rat gets in your house you don’t say “uh oh! That is such a shame! Please leave Mr. Rat and take your family with you.” I don’t know about you, but I chase the vermin out with a broom, set traps, and do everything I can to get rid of them.
Once again, Jude calls the true believers “beloved” indicating a desire to have a right relationship with them. He offers them some simple instructions to help them avoid falling into the sin-traps set by the false teachers.
His first instruction is to call for the believers to build themselves up in the faith. You might remember that we said earlier that the definition of “the faith” is that which had already been revealed and passed down through the apostles. We are to fortify ourselves with the truths of the Word. I believe that this definition is confirmed by the Apostle Paul.
“So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22 (American Standard Version)
Often, we seek that which is new and titillating when we should be immersing ourselves in that which we already know to be true. This is how disruptive and heretical practices such as Slaying in the Spirit and Holy Laughter creep into the church. People get focused on something that seems exciting. Without thinking jump into the practice head first. How do such practices draw a person closer to God? They are nothing more than emotional experiences (at best) that have little or nothing to do with a person’s walk with God. Those practices do not lead to spirituality. They don’t cause a person to forgive his enemies, to leave sin behind, to become more sensitive to the body of Christ, or to overcome lusts and sinful habits. They do not lead to righteous living. They have little or nothing to do with a personal walk with Almighty God.
Then how do we build ourselves up in the faith? One, we focus on obedience to the things we already know. Believers are always looking for some new prophet or teacher. They are always seeking some new truth. Personally, I find enough in the Bible to keep me busy. Before we move on to something new we need to fulfill what is in Scriptures and none of us will accomplish that this side of heaven.
We build ourselves up in the faith by focusing on the old truths and the Word of God. We become so well versed in the true faith that we recognize false faith. We create a foundation in real Christian living so that we are not tempted to join the immorality of the false teachers.
We will never really be built up in the faith if we allow it to become a weekend project. We must follow the advice of Psalm 1, rejecting evil distractions and meditating on God’s Word both day and night. When you get in the car do you tune in the all news—all the time channel, or do you make an effort to turn on some Biblical preaching? Where is your heart? I’m not suggesting that you should never listen to music, news, or sports. However, do you avoid God’s Word or make an intentional effort to make it a part of your life.
Modern technology has made it possible to continue hearing some of the most powerful preachers of the Twentieth Century, even after they have gone to glory. Between our radio, the internet, or even media players, we can hear sound Biblical teaching at almost any hour, day or night. Dr. J. Vernon McGee is still broadcasting. Adrian Rogers still preaches daily. Do you make an effort to both read and hear the Word? Then, do you seek to apply it in your life? If you do, then you are building yourself up in the faith.
The second encouragement that Jude offers is to pray in the Holy Spirit. We pray in the Holy Spirit when we pray with an attitude that is sincerely seeking God’s Will. Harry Ironside said, “Praying in the Holy Spirit can only result from a walk in the Spirit.”
To pray in the Spirit is to pray under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. It is to seek God’s Will rather than our own. It is to honestly communicate our hurts, our pains, but to come full circle into submission to God’s Will. We have a powerful example in the Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was honest before the Lord as in his humanity he asked for the Lord to reveal another way. However, He was completely in submission when He acknowledged His willingness to abide by the Father’s Will.
Jude’s challenge to the believers to pray in the Spirit is a sharp contrast to the behavior of the false teachers. They claimed to be spiritual but were completely devoted to pleasing the flesh. Their prayers would likely have been like those offered by the people James wrote to (James 4) who when they did pray they prayed selfishly. Everything Jude tells us about these heretics is that they were seeking not to fulfill God’s Will but to satisfy their own flesh.
The third command is to keep ourselves in the love of God. It should be noted that we cannot put ourselves in God’s love but we can keep ourselves there. We are to recognize that God has demonstrated His love towards us in such a mighty way that we have no choice but to be a funnel of that love so that it splashes out upon others.
How do we demonstrate love? First, to remain in the love of God is to be obedient to the command of our Lord Jesus. We are commanded to love one another (John 13:33-35). It is a command, not a request. To remain in the love of God is to allow the love of God to pour through us to others. This, once again, is in direct contrast to the behavior of the false teachers who sought to exert their superiority over others. For a careful description of the type of love that God expects us to demonstrate we can read I Corinthians chapter 13. Paul describes godly love as unselfish and seeking the very best for its object.
Jude gives us those three commands and tells us exactly how long we are supposed to live in obedience to them. We are to remain obedient to these commands until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are not baby-steps for the spiritual inferior. These commands are a basic part of the believer’s life and applying them brings us into spiritual maturity. Too few believers comprehend that basic Christian living is on-the-job training for Heaven. We begin to learn these basics so that they become an integral part of our life. We put them into practice so that we might acquire spiritual muscle. We are to live in this manner until the Lord comes. Some view waiting on Lord’s mercy as a separate command. I prefer to view this as simply as something like an adverb telling how long we should perform those actions.
Finally, Jude tells us to deal mercifully with those who are in doubt. In fact, literally the Greek describes those who are at odds with themselves. Some folks need time to come to a right conclusion. They take time in deliberate prayer and carefully consider each issue. When we are impatient or disgusted with these folks we have not allowed God time to work in their hearts. We still need to tell them what is right, but be gentle as we attempt to help them settle the issues.
Showing mercy is not the same as excusing those who cannonball into the heresy pool along with the false teachers. If we were to show mercy to all who err then Jude would have been acting in sin to speak so harshly against the false teacher. We can clearly see that Jude is telling us that some people are confused about the right and wrong of an issue and we need to continue to be kind and considerate. We show mercy by helping others keep their focus on the Lord, the faith, and the Scriptures.
Others, however, we are to snatch from the fire. I have heard one very odd interpretation of this and I don’t really think it should apply. It comes from an interpretation from the King James Version, which says (1:23a) “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;” This interpretation suggests that we should save people by creating fear in their hearts. I have also seen the same brother offer the strong admonition to unbelievers that they should prepare for reward or prepare for judgment! I believe to use this verse as a method for evangelism is a terrible abuse of interpretation. The context is not muddled or unclear. Jude is speaking about dealing with those who have been misled by the false teachers.
I believe that the fear Jude mentions is two-fold. First, I believer this fear is to be held by the rescuer. As we attempt to turn those who have been led astray we must recognize that there is a danger that we might be drawn into their sin as well. We snatch these people from the danger quickly so that we don’t dwell on their sinful activity or confused doctrine. I believe that Jude is mindful of the Apostle Paul’s warning (Galatians 6:1-5) regarding ministering to those who have fallen into sin. Paul offers a reminder that those who are ministering to fallen brethren must beware that they will not be tempted. I believe this is the fear.
Second, I believe we must have a sense of the danger that those who follow the false teaching are in. There needs to be a true sense of urgency in our hearts as we seek to pull them back from the danger of God’s judgment. Jude’s earlier warning of God’s judgment should have been ringing in the ears of the true believers as they heard this message.
Jude hammers on a Christian ideal that should be a part of every believer’s practice. We must hate the sin and its destructive effects while loving the sinner. Finding ways to demonstrate love to sinful people without condoning their sinful behavior is much like walking a tightrope. How can I be close to sinful people while despising their sin? How can I ever hope to accomplish this?
Jesus managed this overwhelming task somehow. He never condoned sin, though his detractors accused him of doing so. He was able to fellowship with sinful people and he met their needs while avoiding entanglement of sin. In fact, if you read the gospels closely enough he intentionally sought these people out. He was equally at home in the presence of Pharisees and prostitutes. He was able to communicate righteousness to both types of people without becoming a participant in their sin..
A firm stand against sinful behavior must be balanced with mercy. If only judgment and no mercy is offered there is no reason for a sinful person to even consider repenting. A way of escape must be offered even as we avoid allowing ourselves to become contaminated with the sinful doctrine and practices of those who have fallen away.
24- 25 A Doxology
This doxology is the light at the end of the tunnel for me. This letter has rightfully pronounced judgment on the false teachers. They have been exposed as agents of Satan. Their ungodly and unrighteous behavior has been condemned so soundly that the church may have been left sitting in shock as they listened to this being read for the first time.
Into this tension, Jude injects words of hope. He offers glory to the Lord with a bold declaration that God can keep us from falling into this sin and its inevitable judgment. Despite the deception of the false teachers, God remains able to keep us from falling. Some of the believers might have felt discouragement that they had accepted some of the heresy of these teachers. Perhaps, they felt that if they would fall for such obvious error they could fall for almost anything. Jude wanted to offer praise for the Lord and encouragement for the believer. God is able to give strength to those grown weary in contending for the faith.
Jude also focuses on the fact that God is able to clean us up from such error. Even if they had stumbled and fallen into sin they could be cleansed and stand before the Lord in righteousness and joy rather than the shame and sorrow some of them may have been feeling.
The believer is called upon to take certain actions. He is called to build himself up in the faith, pray in the Spirit, and demonstrate the love of God. However, the work of keeping us and cleansing us can only be accomplished by God.
Jude offers a verbal praise to God. He reminds the believer of the need to honor God for His glory, His majesty, His power, and His authority. By referencing both God the Father and Jesus Christ he reminds us that they are really one. God receives glory through Jesus Christ because they are one and the same. He uses a title reversal to remind the Jewish believer of this concept. God is referred to as the Savior in the Old Testament and Christ is usually the one this title is applied to in the New Testament.
God’s work continues through the ages. He will not be thwarted. He rules both now and in the ages to come. However, His work continues through Christ Jesus. The false teachers had denied Christ as God. They had denied that He deserved glory and honor. They had rejected his sacrificial work on the cross. Yet, everything God wants to accomplish has been summed up and demonstrated in Christ.
Jude’s final word is the familiar “Amen!” We have allowed this word to mean a lot of things. I have encouraged our local congregation to use this affirmation regularly during the preaching, not so much as to encourage the man who brings the Word (though I am certain all preachers will indicate that it does assist) but to indicate to others that the speaker is not the only “nut” who believes what is being proclaimed. It is an affirmation of agreement.
Jude offers his “Amen” as an affirmation of his belief that what he proclaimed was solid and trustworthy.
The book of Jude is short, but has a powerful message. Believers are not to be spectators when false teachers come into the church. Believers are called to stand firm in the faith. Believers are called to enter the fight for the faith.
Are you ready for the fight?
APPENDIX ONE:
Jude and the Book of Enoch
It is difficult for some folks to understand why Jude would reference a non-inspired book. Jude leans heavily on the apocryphal book of Enoch at the very least for illustrative purposes.
The book of Enoch was popular among Jews during the first century. It is considered to be a psuedograpical book meaning it is not considered to have been written by the named author. It was written much too late to truly be written by Enoch, the seventh from Adam.
This apocryphal literature describes angels intermarrying with human women. It offers a detailed hierarchy of seven archangels. Finally, Jude directly quotes Enoch, the seventh from Adam, and the quote is almost certainly taken directly from Enoch 1:9. Obviously, Jude was far more aware of the content of the book of Enoch than you and I are today.
That doesn’t mean that we should all run out and buy a copy of the Bible with a copy of the Apocrypha. It also doesn’t mean that Jude is declaring that the book is inspired. Jude was simply drawing upon a secular source that his audience would have been familiar with. Why?
Some of the teachings of the false teachers had likely grown out of the tales recounted in the book of Enoch. The Gnostics were deeply involved in angel worship. Jude emphasized that they had no real understanding of angelic beings (verse 10).
I believe that Jude used the book of Enoch because of the errors that had grown out of its teachings. Trying to obtain power through angel worship was clearly a theological error and Jude attempted to quash it.
One of the tales told in Enoch is about the man Enoch judging those angels who had sinned with women. We can now understand why Jude and Peter both condemn the false teachers who are not afraid to slander celestial beings. These teachers had placed themselves on the same level as Enoch and thought that they were prepared to judge angels, etc. Of course, even when Jude quotes (or appears to quote) from the book of Enoch it refutes this false idea. The Lord is coming with thousands of angels to judge. In other words, Jude manages to use the book Enoch to refute the very error that arose from the book.
Are the stories told in the book of Enoch valid? Jude validates the generic quote from Enoch about the Lord coming to judge the ungodly. Of course, that idea is most certainly confirmed through other Scriptures. He does not implicitly validate the theory of fallen angels marrying humans, though some may see that as implied. He does not endorse the supposed hierarchy of angels set forth.
When the early church was forming the canon, the book of Jude was under suspicion and in some circles was viewed negatively because of Jude’s references to the book of Enoch. However, when the church formed the official canon of Scripture they took note that the letter had been used and quoted in the early church. Therefore, they accepted it as part of the New Testament canon.
Do other Biblical writers reference non-Biblical sources? Paul mentions the names of the Egyptian sorcerers (II Timothy 3:8) and he had to obtain them from a non-biblical source or possibly oral tradition since they are never named in Scripture. He also quotes the Cretan poet, Epimenides, a pagan, (Titus 1:12) when referencing the character and natures of the Cretan people. This certainly does not declare the work of Epimenides to be inspired, even though Paul uses it to make his point.
Jude’s referencing of the book of Enoch does not validate it as fact any more than a modern minister’s passing reference to Star Wars, Pinocchio, or Hansel and Gretel would transform those stories into Biblical truth. Jude’s purpose in using any implied or direct reference is for illustrative purposes only. His readers were aware of the book and its content and Jude used it as a common reference point. Readers should be very careful not to ascribe any more importance to the matter than to note that both Jude and his readers would have been well aware of the material contained in the book of Enoch.
Finally, Jude also seems to reference another apocryphal reference which most scholars refer to as The Assumption of Moses. Only fragments of this book remain and Jude appears to quote from this reference when he describes Michael and Satan in conflict over the body of Moses. It is possible that Jude was aware of this conflict through divine inspiration or oral tradition.
The fear of most conservative scholars is that if we accept Jude as quoting from these sources then we begin a slow and steady slide down a slippery slope where we must accept the apocryphal literature that was rejected as inspired by the early church fathers. The book of Jude has found its authority being questioned at times because of its inclusion of these non-canonical references. The early church fathers rejected a great deal of apocryphal literature as being pseudographia, or false books. Obviously this book was not written by Enoch.
Perhaps the major difficulty for Bible students is the relation of Jude 1:6 to Genesis 6 and the book of Enoch. Many conservative scholars suggest that the Genesis 6 reference deals with the godly line of Seth marrying the ungodly line of Cain. The idea of angels choosing to mingle sexually with human beings is absolutely too abhorrent to some people to even consider. However, if we accept that Jude is suggesting it occurred we must also point out that whatever sins these angels committee were so vile that God chose to place them in chains of darkness until Judgment Day. Satan himself, as vile and despicable as he is, remains free to travel about the earth making trouble for God’s creation.
I have great respect for Dr. J. Vernon McGee and his radio teaching ministry on Through the Bible. Though Dr. McGee has gone to be with the Lord, his ministry continues to be heard around the world. People are still coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ because of this man’s efforts. His folksy manner is an inspiration as he always makes the listener feel that he is just sitting across a kitchen table, sipping coffee, and discussing the Word of God.
Dr. McGee disagrees strongly with the idea that angels mingled with human women. He made the following statement as he taught on Genesis chapter 6. “I recognize, and I want to insist upon it, that many fine expositors take the opposite view that the sons of God are actually angels. If you accept that view, you will be in good company, but I am sure that most of your want to be right and will want to go along with me. Regardless of which view you take, I hope all of us will be friends, because this is merely a matter of interpretation. It does not have anything to do with whether or not you believe the Bible but concerns only the interpretation of the facts of Scripture.”
Jude does not attempt to interpret his statements. He simply says that the angels choose to leave their glory. Other interpreters, right or wrong, suggest that he was expounding what folks already had read or heard from the book of Enoch.
Finally, Jude never claims that these writings are one hundred percent accurate or divinely inspired, but he does reference them. We can only assume that the sections he references are correct (or he would have said so) or that he used them solely for illustrative purposes.
Whether you believe Jude used the book of Enoch in an illustrative way or you accept that he believed the portions of the book he references, his message remains clear. The church needed to stand up and fight the heresy that was becoming prevalent among them. The corruption of the Gnostic teaching was despicable and could no longer be ignored. People were being destroyed by the false doctrine and the heretical practices of these false teachers. Jude exposed them as evil and called for the church to take action.
APPENDIX TWO:
Jude and the Book of II Peter
The following is offered to show the close relationship of Jude and II Peter.
Jude 4 & 2 Peter 2:1 Both writers offer references to false teachers, acting in secrecy. It is noted that they already judged and condemned.
Jude 6 & II Peter 2:4 both reference the judgment on certain angels who are being held for judgment.
Jude 7 & II Peter 2:6 Peter and Jude use Sodom and Gomorrah as an illustration of the surety of coming judgment.
Jude 8 & II Peter 2:10 The writers both reference the heretics rejection of authority.
Jude 9 & II Peter 2:11 Both discuss how angels are cautious in their dealing with the devil.
Jude 10 & II Peter 2:12 Both writers refer to the false teachers as being ignorant, brute beasts
Jude 11 & II Peter 2:15 Balaam is used as an example- Peter is a bit more descriptive about Balaam being rebuked by a beast
Jude 12-13 & II Peter 2:17 Peter and Jude both use the same imagery of clouds without water.
Jude 12 & II Peter 2:13 The false teachers are described by both writers as being blemishes at church celebrations.
Jude 16 & II Peter 2:18 The heretics are described as being boastful by both writers.
Jude 17 & II Peter 3:2 Both speak of the teaching of the apostles that false teachers would come
Jude 18 & II Peter 3:3 The false teachers are portrayed by both writers as being scoffers who follow their own ungodly desires.
Jude 24 & II Peter 3:14 Peter emphasizes the efforts of the believer to be found blameless in Christ while Jude describes this as God’s work. Not a disagreement, but a different emphasis
Jude 25 & II Peter 3:18 Both offer glory to the Lord Jesus Christ
It should be noted that even though the book of Jude is much shorter than II Peter there are places where the author provides more illustrations. For example, Jude mentions Cain and Korah (verse 11) while Peter only mentions Balaam. This seems to be a literary pattern for Jude as he often speaks in triads (groups of three) to provide emphasis.
Appendix Three: An Outline of Jude
1- 2 Jude’s Humble Greeting
The author identifies himself to be a servant and names his target audience as believers.
3 - 4 Jude’s Purpose for Writing
The writer says he wanted to write a doctrinal letter about salvation but was constrained by the Holy Spirit to write a letter of warning about false teachers in the church
5 - 7 Historical Examples of God’s Judgment
Jude offers three historical examples of God’s judgment to pronounce the certainty of God’s judgment upon the false teachers. The three examples are fallen angels, the Israelites in the Wilderness, and the men of Sodom and Gomorrah.
8 – 10 The Nature and Character of the False Teachers
The false teachers are described self-destructive, dreamers, rebellious, and having disrespect for angelic beings. They speak abusively in ignorance and are driven by animal instinct.
11 Biblical Examples of Heresy
The writer names three Old Testament examples of heresy that the teachers are following. He names Cain, Balaam, and Korah.
12-13 Metaphors for the heretics
The writer offers a number of metaphors to describe the evil of the false teachers. They are described as blemishes, selfish shepherds, wind-blown clouds without rain, uprooted trees, ocean waves, and shooting stars.
14-15 Enoch’s Prophecy
A quotation attributed to Enoch is offered to declare that Angels are coming to judge, not to be judged by the heretics.
16 Specific Sins of the Heretics
The writer names the sins of complaining, faultfinding, pursuit of lusts, boasting, and flattering others in order to obtain position and prominence.
17-19 The Apostles Warned That the Heretics Would Come
The false teachers arrival was a direct fulfillment of prophetic words offered by the apostles. As the disciples described them they were dividers who did not even have the Spirit.
20- 23 Instructions for the beloved
On a more positive note the believers were to build up their faith in right doctrine, pray in the Holy Spirit, remain in God’s love and continue to await the coming of Christ. They were to be merciful to those who were confused by the false teaching and seek to rescue them while avoiding falling into the sinful lifestyle of the heretics.
24- 25 A Doxology
Jude closes on a positive note of praise which affirms the power of God to keep His people from sin and offers praise and worship to the Lord for all time.
