CONTEND FOR THE FAITH (JUDE 1)
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CONTEND FOR THE FAITH (JUDE 1)
Cults are prevalent and persistent in Hong Kong. Mormons in white shirts are a common sight at Kwai Fong MTR station where I board. The Mormon Church has about 58,000 missionaries serving in 347 missions worldwide and they have lowered the minimum age of missionaries for men from 19 to 18 and for women from 21 to 19. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/28/mormon-missionaries-get-an-earlier-start-raring-to-go/1954261/
Jehovah Witnesses distribute their literature on the bridge connecting IFC mall and the Star Ferry piers and occasionally from 2pm below our church’s main hall. Lately the controversial Eastern Lightning cult from China has been pulling up their banners in Tseung Kwan O and other MTR stations and placing their ads in local newspaper.
The early church not only had to contend and counter on a regular basis against civil authorities and internal infighting but also false teachings. The last is hard to fight against because they are religious counterfeits and work undercover. They wear the cloak of religion and talk spiritual things, but they are not Christians.
What makes a cult a cult? How do you identify them? What strategies do they use? How shall deal with them?
Be Awake - Cults Will Prosper
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 1-4)
One time in Los Angeles a group of visitors came packed in a van. Before I could come out to greet them, they have left. They shook hands, gave out leaflets and CDs, and left before I could come out to greet them. Later I found they were the latest and hottest cult from China, Eastern Lightning.
The Eastern Lightning or the Church of Almighty God cult has an estimated 1 million adherents. According to the Christian Research Journal, a man named Zhao Weishan from a charismatic church founded the movement in Heilongjiang province in 1989. Zhao later moved to Henan province, where he began to teach that Jesus Christ had returned to Earth in the form of a Henan woman named Deng. Zhao reportedly immigrated to America in 2000.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/17/world/la-fg-china-doomsday-arrests-20121218
The group teaches that Deng (???) was to guide mankind for the third and last time, the first and second occasions being Jehovah of the Old Testament and as Jesus in the New Testament. The Chinese government arrested more than one thousand of its members because the cult controversially predicted that the world will end on December 21, 2012, in accordance with the Mayan calendar and
The cults’ extreme practices targeting Christians include kidnapping, torturing, and brainwashing their victims into conversion. In 2002, for instance, they kidnapped 34 of the leading members of the China Gospel Fellowship and held them for two months. (Wikipedia) They now have offices and churches in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and other metropolitan cities.
Jude’s urgency is understandable and not overstated, using a rare word in the Bible. “Contend” (v 3) occurs for the first and only time in the Bible, its root word is derived from Paul’s famous admonition to Timothy to “fight” the good fight (1 Tim 6:12, 2 Tim 4:7), but with a twist. “Fight” in Greek is agonizomai, not just show up but to struggle on, as to agonize in English, not to be aloof or apart. Contend (epagonizomai) and fight (agonizomai) are different in that contend has the preposition “upon/on” as the intensive prefix. The prefix epi means upon, beside, among. It implies to stand on one’s ground, not letting go or giving up, to be fixed and unmoved, unyielding, undeterred, not budging, backtracking or bending.
Why did Jude use such a dramatic one-time verb, to contend? What is there to contend for? What is the alarm? Who were the saints up against? There is only one “for/because” (v 4) in the book.
There are two prepositions and a noun for “secretly slipped in” (pareisduno) in verse 4. The second is “in,” but the first is “alongside” (para), meaning these false teachers slipped alongside you before they slipped “into.” The noun (duno) is the word “set,” as in sunset and settle, set for life. Cults line up along unsuspecting victims before they line up against them. They are hard to detect, dissect and differentiate, not easy to drive out and unlikely to disappear. They associate with you and, before long, affiliate with you. Cults are beside and around you, in and among you.
What do we know about these men and their methods (v 4)? Their two methods are in the present tense, known by their deed and doctrine, including changing the grace of our God into a license for immorality and denying Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. One has to with carnality and the second has to do with Christology. “License for immorality” has been translated as “licentiousness” (NASU, RSV), sensuality (ESV), lewdness (NKJV) and promiscuity (Holman). “Change” (metatithemi) means to place afterwards.
To deny (arneomai) means to contradict, oppose, disagree, reject, refuse, refute. Usually false Christs do not talk about the Savior, the salvation He offers for man’s sin. They opposed the ABCs – the substitutionary, atoning work of Christ, the virgin birth of Christ, the physical resurrection and the personal bodily coming of Christ to the earth, and the deity of Jesus Christ. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses say that Jesus is merely a god, and not God.
Be Assured - God Will Prevail
5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home - these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. 8 In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. (Jude 5-8)
Let me begin with some questions:
What is the hottest word in the dictionary? The answer is hell.
What is the hottest fire known to the world? The fires of hell.
A bad joke was asked, “Why do only 10% of men make it to heaven?” The answer is, Because if they all went, it would be hell.
Hell fire is not only the hottest, but it is more renowned in the Bible as the longest because the most popular adjective for fire is “everlasting” (Matt 18:8, 25:41, Jude 7). Hell is hotter than the sun, than any thing or place imaginable. It’s reserved for the atheists, the evildoers, the immoral, the overconfident, and the unrighteous.
Jude interjects with three reminders (v 5) from past history concerning people, angels and cities. Remind (hupomimnesko) is more than the mind, it comes with the preposition “under,” to submerge and soak in and not on the surface, not in and out the ear, wanting it to stick. The reminders serve as assurance rather than assertion.
The fate awaiting these three groups is either condemnation, confinement and consummation. On people there is a contrast between deliver/save (participle) and destroy (v 5), but the focus is on to destroy (indicative mood). On angels the verb is keep (tereo). Unlike people that were destroyed, the unbelieving angels are kept for judgment on the great day. All three have to do with time. The movement is into judgment of the great day, in with everlasting chains (v 6), eternal fire (v 7). Their judgment is sure, severe and swift. It is eternal, extreme, and excruciating. They will be persecuted, they will suffer pain, and Their pleasure will turn to pain. It implies no rescue, no refuge, no release, no relief, and no rest.
“Serve” (v 7) is translated as exhibited (NASU) and “set forth.” In Greek it means before lie or set before, in full view. Example (v 7) occurs for its only time in the Bible; it is for our examination, elaboration, education, encouragement and escape. “Eternal fire” (vv 7, 21) occurred previously in Matthew 18:8 and Matt 25:41, describing the everlasting fire that is prepared for the devil and his angels. The three adjectives are great day, everlasting chains and eternal fire – it has also the three “when” – day, everlasting, and eternal.
The object lessons in verse 6 and 7 are everlasting chains, darkness (vv 6, 13) and eternal fire (v 7). All are extremes because darkness is not the normal darkness (skotos) in Greek but the irregular blackness (zophos) in KJV. The imageries and instruments of rejection are vivid. Chains are to bind, darkness is to blind, and fire is to burn.
Ungodly Men Ungodly Deeds Ungodly Words
4 godless men
5 those who did not believe
6 angels
7 Sodom and Gomorrah
11 Cain
Balaam
Korah
15 all the ungodly
16 grumblers
faultfinders
4 secretly slipped in…
change the grace of our God into a license for immorality…
deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
7 gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion
8 pollute their own bodies
reject authority
slander celestial beings
11 taken the way of Cain
rushed for profit into Balaam's error
12 eating with you without the slightest qualm
feed only themselves.
15 all the ungodly acts done in the ungodly way
16 follow their own evil desires
15 all the harsh words
16 boast about themselves
flatter others for their own advantage.
It is important to understand what Jude is saying in verse 14, that the Lord’s judgment is ongoing and unending, not upcoming or impending. Verse 14 in NIV is in the present tense (“is coming”), but the text uses the past tense (aorist) and not present or future tense, unlike the present tense of KJV (cometh) and NIV (is coming) are saying. NASB, RSV and ESV sticks to the original aorist and translates it as “came.” God’s judgment is not only fierce, fast and furious, it is firm final and finished. It is promised, present and permanent.
“To judge everyone” is in contrast to the judgment in verse 9, where archangel Michael did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation (judgment) against the devil. The Lord, and not Michael, is the One to judge men, angels and Satan alike. His judgment is final, fair and fearsome.
Verse 15 uses four “all” to describe the conviction: to judge everyone (all), and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Enoch had to stand tall against all kinds of people, all forms of their practices and their sorts of persecution and prejudice. Besides four “all” in verse 15, the word “ungodly” (asebeia) occurs three times in the book, more than any other chapter or book in the Bible – the ungodly (Jude 15), their ungodly way (Jude 15), ungodly committed (KJV) and ungodly desires (Jude 18). “They have (ungodly) done” (asebeo)
The imperative “Woe” (v 11) is contrasted with the imperative “See/Behold” (v 14). The way of Cain is the path of destruction and dislike of others, Balaam is the path of deception and dishonesty, and the path of Korah is the path of dispute and defiance. All three were rebuked, but never repented – Cain forewarned by God, Balaam by a donkey, and Korah by Moses.
Be Active - Salvation is Present
17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 17-25)
A church was in need of a pastor. A candidate came who preached on hell. The next Sunday another candidate came whose sermon was also on hell, and his fundamental teaching was the same as that of the first one. When the members of the church were called upon to vote, they voted for the second candidate. When they were asked why, the answer was, “The first one spoke as if he were glad that people were going to hell, while the second seemed sorry for it.” (Illustrations of Bible Truths # 526)
I cringe each time I see Christians protest with passion instead of compassion. Lately I have a first-hand encounter with how gay activists work when I was an usher for a praise and prayer event in Hong Kong to pre-empt a legislation that would favor the group. First, the gay activists chant their slogans but, to their dismay, believers cried in unison “Jesus loves you,” frustrating and drowning their outcry. Then gay activists, unsurprisingly, barge into a human chain designed to stop them rushing the stage, but that did not work against the human fence that held its own. The final controversy was to cry molestation, which was what an activist did upon rushing into a male. The man was taken by police for questioning, followed by bail, and more follow-up for a few weeks.
Surprisingly, the final tone of Jude is not one of condemnation but care, redemption rather than reproof, hope instead of hostility. It implies showing action rather than attitude to a sinner, to offer compassion after the censure.
In the light of scoffers believers are commanded with imperatives to do four things: to keep themselves in God’s love (v 21) and be merciful (v 22), save them and show mercy (v 23). Snatch in verse 23 is a participle, addressing “how.” We can disapprove, distrust and disagree but we must not dislike, dismiss, or disdain them. We were once lost, loveless and lifeless.
Life is more than executing judgment and escaping hell, it is also extending salvation. What does it mean in our relationship with others? Jude 22-23 says, “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them (imperative); to others show mercy (imperative), mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” The last two imperatives in Jude focuses on the present, not the past or the future, which is “save” and “be merciful” in the present (Jude 22-23). Jude moved from past tense to present tense.
When you look at the ungodly I hope you look at them through the eyes of Jesus, not hateful but hopeful, not with shame but with sympathy, not with pride but in pity, not in condemnation but in compassion, and most of all not in mockery but with mercy. We were once disobedient, defiant and doomed, but God in his mercy sought and saved us, so there is only cause for introspection and outreach, examination of self and extension of salvation.
