Jude is a short book. One chapter. We don't know specifically who he was writing to. We're not entirely sure who he was. He says he's the brother of James, so we're pretty sure he was one of Jesus's brothers, but some argue for Judas (not Iscariot). Fine. One thing is clear, though. Jude was deeply concerned about false teachers in the church.
Not a big surprise, actually. Paul wrote Galatians to the church in Galatia because of the heresy of legalism, and his epistle to the Colossians addressed the error of Gnosticism. John warned of "antichrists" coming out from among us (1 John 2:18-19). Much of the New Testament was aimed at error cropping out right and left. Jesus Himself said, "Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matt 7:15) Jesus's description was "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name ..." (Matt 7:22-23) Big problem. So Jude's concern was neither trivial nor surprising.
Jude argued that the faith we were to defend was "the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." (Jude 1:3) Not something new. Not something developing. Not a faith that was yet to come. It matured, as shown by Paul's expansion to the Gentiles, but it was "once for all handed down to the saints" -- the end.
It was this faith, then, that was under attack. Jude said these teachers were "long beforehand marked out for this condemnation (Jude 1:4) and goes on to describe them. You might want to know what to look for. These try to turn God's grace into sensuality -- unbridled lust (Jude 1:4). These are the ones that will tell you, "It's okay; indulge your desires. God made you that way. Don't worry; He's a forgiving God." Jude links them to the sin of Sodom, indulging in gross immorality, pursuing strange flesh, rejecting authority, reviling angelic majesties, and defiling the flesh (Jude 1:7-8). "These men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct." (Jude 1:10) They are among us, part of our group; they are "hidden reefs in your love feasts" (Jude 1:12). They care for themselves and offer nothing -- "clouds without water." (Jude 1:12) "There will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit." (Jude 1:18-19)
They were there in Jesus's day, there in the day of the Apostles, there in Jude's day, and they're with us now. They attack the faith given once for all and replace it with their own passions. "Sure, that's what your Bible says, but I just don't feel that's right." They deny God's authority and common-sense morality. They serve themselves most of all and offer nothing to God's people but more of themselves. Oh, you stand on God's Word? They will mock you. They will cause divisions. Their worldview is a worldly one. You know them. You've seen them. You've talked to them.
Be ready. Stand in the love of God (Jude 1:21). Show mercy to the doubters (Jude 1:22) and snatch who you can from the fire (Jude 1:23). Remember, it is God who "is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy." (Jude 1:24) Don't get distracted with the error. Don't get lost in the new. Don't go down the path of self-service. We serve a mighty God. Count on Him.
2 comments:
If Jude truly was the "brother of Christ," it is ironic that he warned against false teachings given that Roman Catholics believe Mary was a perpetual virgin.
Sure, Catholics can try to justify this by claiming Mary's sons were from an earlier wife of Joseph, but in that case the Bible has to be seen as sloppy writing, since it would have been so easy for it to make such a situation clear to the reader.
I've never heard them make that case. I've heard, "It was just a way of saying 'cousins' or the like." The only way to conclude He had no actual brothers is to START with the perpetual virginity of Mary ... which isn't found in the Bible.
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