[:en]Jude was a brother of Jesus. He wrote to warn Christians about false teachers leading the people to live in sinful lives.
THE SIN AND DOOM OF GODLESS MEN (vs. 3-16)
Jude was warning against gnostic teachers who opposed two of the basic tenets of Christianity – the incarnation of Christ and the call to Christian ethics. They had changed the grace of God into a license for immorality and denied Jesus Christ as the only Sovereign God. Jude wrote to combat these false teachings and adhere to true doctrine and right conduct. God will judge whose who are twisting the Bible teachings to distorting the scripture.
False teachers emphasized on God’s love and had a light view of God’s holiness and justice. They taught that Christian could do whatever they like without fear of God’s punishment. Jude refuted by giving examples of rebellion:
1. Israelietes who refused to trust God and enter the Promised land. (Num. 14:26-39)
2. Those angels that gave in to pride and joined Satan to rebel against God (2 Peter 2:4)_
3. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah – the people were full of sins that God wiped them off the face of the earth by fire (Gen. 19:1-29)
If the chosen people, angels, and sinful cities were punished, how much more would those false teachers be surely judged?
Jude gave warnings to people who rebel against, ignore or reject God. They would suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
False teachers claimed that they possessed secret knowledge which was esoteric, mystical and beyond human understanding, thus giving them special authority. Although the nature of God is beyond our understanding, but God in His grace has chosen to reveal himself to us and His word and in Jesus Christ. So, we must seek to know all we can about what He has revealed even though we cannot fully comprehend God with our fiinte human mind. Nobody can claim to have all the answers.
Jude gave 3 examples of men who did whatever they wanted:
- Cain – who murdered his brother Abel out of vengeful jealousy (Gen. 4:1-16)
- Balaam who prophesied out of greed not out of obedience to God’s commands (Num. 22-24)
- Korah who rebelled against God’s divinely appointed leaders and wanted the power for himself (Num. 16:1-35)). These storeis illustrated attitudes typical of false treachers’s pride, selfishness, jeously, greed, lust for power and disregard of God’s will.
The Lord’s Supper was called a “fellowship meal” designed to be a sacred time of fellowship to prepare one’s heart for communion. However, the false teachers joined the meals and turned it into a time of gluttony, dunkeness and greed. They destroyed the unity. So, Jude described them as :
- clouds without rain blown away by the wind
- autumn tress without fruits and uprooted – twice dead
- wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame
- wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been served forever
False teachers are grumbler, fautfinders, proud and flatterers for their own advantage.
A CALL TO PERSEVERANCE (vs. 17-23)
Jude concluded with this advice: Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt. Snatch others from the fire and save them; to others, show mercy mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (vs. 20-22)
DOXOLOGY (vs. 24-25)
Jude encouraged the believers to remain firm in their faith and trust in God’s provision for their future. God will give everlasting joy to those who remain faithful. He will bring them into His presence.[:]