5 “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” (Jude 5–7 ESV)
The battle for truth on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 ESV).
The battle continues to this day. Jude fought this struggle in the first century church. However, it was a continuation of the war waged ever since that fateful day in Eden.
“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it…” Perhaps Jude had spoken to these believers before about apostasy. To remind (Ὑπομνῆσαι; hypomnesia) refers to causing someone to think again about something. It means to remember. Jude is reminding the church what was well known.
Jude provided three examples of apostasy. He reminded his audience of what the LORD did in the past to those who defected from the truth of God. The first example was Israel, after the LORD delivered His people from their captivity in Egypt.
Jude wrote “…that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”
The Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21) is precise in referring to Jesus. It was the Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, who not only saved (σώσας; sosas) Israel from Egypt but who also actively destroyed (ἀπώλεσεν; apolsesen) those who did not believe (πιστεύσαντας; pisteusantas) or trusted in, committed to, depended upon and worshiped the One, True LORD God Almighty.
To be saved, refers to Israel’s material, physical, and temporal deliverance from Egypt (Ex. 12:37-51). To be destroyed occurred at a particular point in time. It means ruin. The loss, not of being, but of well-being. The loss of well-being in the case of the unsaved is in the hereafter. However, in this context it also involved God not allowing many to enter into the Promised Land.
Why was unbelieving Israel judged? First, they worshiped idols (Exodus 32). Second, they murmured against God (Exodus 16:7-120. Third, they refused to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 13:25-14:4).
The Apostle Paul echoes this truth in I Corinthians 10:1-12. Paul said the spiritual rock which accompanied Israel through the wilderness was Christ. Those who Jesus judged were those who had no commitment to God, no reverence for God. no dependence upon God and no trust in God
“Egypt is mentioned as a reminder of the fact that most Israelites who left Egypt were not faithful. An entire generation perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief,” explains one commentator.
It is the same today. God deals sternly with those who reject what they know is true; those who commit the false teaching of unbelief (Heb. 3:1-9).
What can lead people, like Israel in the wilderness, to forsake God and the truth they profess to know?
- Persecution.
- False Teachers.
- Temptation.
- Worldliness.
- Neglect.
- Hardened hearts.
- Religion.
- Forsaking to assemble.
The historical context of Israel parallels the immediate context of Jude’s readers and the contemporary church. The apostasy of unbelief, though it may originate with one or a few, can have a devastating effect upon the whole community. We tend to forget the theology of community is so significant. Perhaps this is because we live in such a fervent, individualistic culture where the mantra “It’s all about me” predominates. However, within Israel and the church, an apostasy of unbelief can have devastating results.
Let’s recall some examples:
- The Sin of Achan (Joshua 6:15 -7:1).
- The Sin of David (2 Samuel 11-12).
- The Image of Leaven ((Matt. 13:33; 16:6, 11-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1; 13:21; I Cor. 5:6-8; Gal. 5:9).
Believers must be on their guard regarding the insidious and permeating impact false teaching can have upon an individual, a family, a church, a community, or even a country. What may believers in Christ do to prevent apostasy having an impact in their lives?
- Withdraw from apostates (false teachers) as soon as possible. Have nothing to do with them, but endeavor to share the gospel. Refuse to in any way validate the group for which you are being approached (2 John 9-11).
- Watch and pray. The enemy is already here and we dare not go to sleep. Spiritual leaders must be alert when candidates for church membership are interviewed, those seeking to be baptized, those appointed to be Sunday school teachers, youth sponsors, and other church leaders.
- Base every decision you make upon the Scriptures, and do not believe that the majority is always right. Believers must know the Word of God. Speak with your pastor in order to fully understand what the Bible says about any doctrine or teaching.
May the LORD’s truth and grace be found here.
Soli deo Gloria!
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