Author: drthomasclothier

^“But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.” (Jude 10 (ESV)

In this study of the Epistle of Jude, the comparisons between this epistle and 2 Peter are striking. Both writers addressed the issue of apostates and apostasy. The Holy Spirit used both writers to produce inerrant Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

“So close is the thought and situation of the two epistles that most scholars believe there is some kind of literary relationship between these two inspired books. Whether Jude used 2 Peter as a source for his letter or Peter used Jude as a source for his second epistle cannot be determined with absolute certainty. In any case, we should not be surprised if one of these men used the writings of the other. It is a common phenomenon for biblical authors to do this. The author of Chronicles, for example, used the books of Samuel and Kings as sources for his writings,” writes Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Today’s passage is a further example of the similarities between these two letters, as Jude 8–10 parallels 2 Peter 2:10b–12 in many ways. Note the way the false teachers described in each case blasphemed “the glorious ones.” The false teachers opposed by Peter appear to have done this by disregarding the power and influence of demonic spirits. Given the story related in Jude 9, it seems the false teachers he faced blasphemed by trying to rebuke demons on their own authority. Unlike Michael, who called upon the Lord to rebuke Satan, these false teachers “blasphemed” by regarding things closely identified with God (angels who, though fallen, were once holy) too lightly, presuming an ability to resist them under their own power.

In contrast to Michael the archangel, apostates “blaspheme all that they do not understand.” Jude referred to them as “these people.” This pronoun is in the plural form. There were several apostates plaguing the church to whom Jude wrote. A great number of defectors of the faith in Christ exist today.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1–3 (ESV)

 Whoever these men were, they exhibited a common characteristic. The mocked and scorned any and all they did not understand. To understand (οἴδασιν; oidasin) means to comprehend and to honor. In this case, these individuals did not grasp the person and work of God in the past. This lack of understanding continued in their present and future.

The tragedy of this lack of understanding is revealed in the rest of today’s text. Jude wrote, “…and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.”

To be destroyed (φθείρονται; phtheirotai) is a present, passive, plural verb. Something happens to apostates. They are corrupted and ruined by their own beliefs and behavior. What they understand instinctively (φυσικῶς; physikos) refers to their natural instincts or their fallen, sinful nature.

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1–3 (ESV)

Jude compared apostates to unreasoning animals (ἄλογα ζῷα; aloga zoa). Like animals, apostates lack the ability and capacity to reason or think properly. The Apostle Paul examined this condition of the lost in Romans 1:18-32.

“What things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them.” What is Jude trying to say? He means that persons without spiritual discernment are abysmally ignorant of reality and depend on instinct. That is, they have lowered themselves to the level of animals and in their sexual pursuits (see v. 8) are guided by instinct. Yet, unlike the animals which abide by the laws of nature, these godless men are destroyed by the very things they fail to understand. When men live by instinct, they abandon even natural law and consequently perish. They place themselves on a par with the animals, but because of their refusal to obey even the laws God has placed in nature, they are destroyed (compare Rom. 1:24),” explains Dr. Simon J. Kistemaker.  

“Whereas Michael did not dare accuse the devil, these apostates, by contrast spoke abusively against what they did not understand. This abusive speech may refer to their slandering of angels (v. 8). Their understanding was debased, for it followed only natural animal instinct. The apostates’ only “reasoning” was like that of unreasoning animals. Rather than comprehending what was above them (the angels), they really understood only what was below them (the animals). Jude thus demolished their Gnostic claim to superior knowledge. And their understanding—polluting “their own bodies” (v. 8)—was, like the sin of Sodom, self-destructive,” concludes Dr. Edward C. Pentecost.

Let us pray we are on our guard against false teachers. May the Lord’s grace and truth be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

“But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude 9 (ESV)

“False teachers creep into the church not because they look like false teachers but because they look like angels. They disguise themselves just as their master Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. When false teachers attempt to creep into the church, they typically don’t look like wolves because they wear sheep costumes and use some of the same language that the sheep use. They regularly quote Scripture, and they are often able to quote more Scripture than the average Christian.” – Pastor Burk Parsons.

One of the interesting observations when studying the Epistle of Jude is how frequently Jude mentioned angels (vs.6, 8). This pattern continues with today’s text. However, Jude does not refer to angels in general in vs.9, but rather to Michael the archangel in particular. He compared the humility of Michael, a God exalted angelic being, with the pride of the self-exalted apostates.

Jude stated apostates blaspheme the glorious ones (vs.8). They speak evil against and mock the LORD’s angelic messengers. Yet, Michael did not do such a thing when contending with the devil for the body of Moses.

Michael is God’s archangel (ἀρχάγγελος; archangelos) or chief angel (I Thess. 4:16). He watches over Israel (Dan. 10:13; 12:1). He leads the holy angels (Rev. 12:1-7).

“Very little is known about the organization or rank of angels (cf. Col. 1:17). While only Michael is named as an archangel (Jude 9), there seems to be more than one in the archangelic ranks (Dan. 10:13). Perhaps it is Michael, the archangel, whose voice is heard (I Thess. 4:16) as he is identified with Israel’s resurrection in Dan. 12:1–3,” explains Dr. John MacArthur.  

Jude’s reference to Michael contending (διακρινόμενος; diakrinomenos) is a present middle verbal participle. It means to presently and personally dispute, disagree and quarrel. This is what occurred between Michael and the devil concerning Moses’ dead body. This is the only place in Scripture where this event is mentioned.

“Moses died on Mount Nebo in Moab without having entered the Promised Land and was secretly buried in a place not known to man (Deut. 34:5–6). It would likely be that this confrontation took place as Michael buried Moses to prevent Satan from using Moses’ body for some diabolical purpose not stated. Perhaps Satan wanted to use it as an idol, an object of worship for Israel. God sent Michael, however, to be certain it was buried,” continues Dr. MacArthur.

Michael, even in his exalted position, did not presume (ἐτόλμησεν; etolmenen) or to be bold and presumptuous to pronounce a blasphemous judgment on the devil. Rather, he said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

“Rather than personally cursing such a powerful angel as Satan, Michael deferred to the ultimate, sovereign power of God following the example of the angel of the Lord in Zech. 3:1–2. This is the supreme illustration of how Christians are to deal with Satan and demons. Believers are not to address them, but rather to seek the Lord’s intervening power against them,” concludes Dr. MacArthur.

False teachers and their false teachings are a present and active concern for church leaders and congregations. This is why every true believer in Christ must earnestly contend for the faith (vs.3).

“False teaching is a real threat to the church. False teaching is not a threat only in certain circumstances, or only in churches with certain governmental structures, or only in certain places and cultures in the world. We must recognize it as a threat because the Bible continually warns us that it is a threat. Jesus warns us that false teachers will come from outside the community of believers, trying to hide their true intentions (Matt. 7:15–20). Peter tells us that false teachers can also arise from within the community of believers, bringing doctrine that is destructive and poisonous (2 Peter 2:1). The Apostle Paul continually warned the churches that he served that if false teachers in their midst were left unchecked, the results would be disastrous (Gal. 1:6–9; 2 Cor. 11:1–21; 1 Tim. 6:3–5). Simply put, false teaching is not just a problem for other people and churches out there; it is a problem about which all believers must be vigilant and against which they must be on guard.” – Pastor Fred Greco

One way to guard against false teaching is for pastors to take seriously the Apostle Paul’s directive to his protégé Timothy, and all pastors, found in 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1–5 (ESV)

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.” (Jude 8 (ESV)

“Jude is writing about apostate false teachers. Apostasy, meaning to defect, to depart, to abandon. Apostasy is defecting from the faith, hearing of the faith, knowing of the faith, knowing the true gospel, hearing the true gospel, maybe professing even to believe the true gospel, and then abandoning it. It is the most terrible of evils for which the hottest hell is reserved. To be exposed to the gospel truth and to reject it is to put yourself in the most severe place of eternal torment.” – Dr. John MacArthur

Jude provided a signature triad of historical examples regarding apostasy; Israel and their apostasy of unbelief towards God and His Word, fallen angels and their apostasy of rebellion, and Sodom, Gomorrah and the cities surrounding them and their apostasy of immorality (Jude 5-7). Jude then brought the argument to the present.

Jude transitioned from an examination of the past to the present situation of false teachers plaguing the church. In vs. 8-16, Jude addressed apostates and apostasy. Apostates today conduct themselves as apostates of history. There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:1-9).

He wrote “Yet in like manner these people also.” Whoever “these people” specifically were (Jude 4), Jude said they displayed the apostate characteristics of unbelief, rebellion and sexual immorality. Nevertheless, or likewise, (homoiōs) means equally or in the same way. Within the context it means to be like those who Jude previously identified from the Old Testament as apostates.

Having first examined the sexual immorality of apostates, Jude then addressed the issue of their rebellion against God. They “reject authority.”

To reject authority (κυριότητα ἀθετοῦσιν; kyrioteta athetousin) means to presently, actively and collectively declare invalid, deny and depart from lordship and dominion. It means to revolt and to do away with authority. The authority they deny, depart and revolt against is God’s lordship.

Like the sinning angels Jude mentioned in vs.6, these false believers reject all authority: civil, relational and spiritual. They reject all authority except their evil self-will. They pander and promote their individual authority.

When I served as a youth pastor, there was one student I will always remember. He professed to be a believer in Christ. He came from a Christian home and knew, or thought he knew, much of the Bible. He served at a Christian camp during the summer. However, he consistently displayed a rebelliousness to any and all authority but his own. As an adult, he now professes to be an atheist and is openly hostile to anyone who is a follower of Christ; even members of his extended family.

Man rejects the authority of God. They object to what God says regarding…

• Pure and commendable speech – Ephesians 4:25-5:21
• Lying – Ephesians 4:25
• Stealing – Ephesians 4:28.
• Putting to death the deeds of the flesh – Colossians 3.
• Purity in keeping one’s marriage vows – Matthew 5; 19; I Corinthians 7. Ephesians 5:22-33
• Being obedient to the civil authorities – Romans 13.
• Not polluting one’s body with unhealthy behavior – I Corinthians 6:19-20
• Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking – Ephesians 4:31.
• Being kind, tenderhearted, forgiving – Ephesians 4:31b.
• Obeying parents – Ephesians 6:1-4
• Honoring employers by doing a good job – Ephesians 6:5-9

We must understand many individuals can profess to be a believer in Christ. However, Scripture is clear that only those who evidence godliness are truly converted. See Matthew 7:15-23; Romans 6-8; James 2:14-26. Therefore, it is imperative for the believer to make certain of their calling and election by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (2 Peter 1:1-11).

Apostates have a contempt for the commands of God. They fight against the church, but they especially hate God. They endeavor to overthrow government, undermine the home, and deny the Word of God. They disregard the commands of God because they hate the God who has laid down His commands.

American Atheist C. Richard Bozarth states, “Evolution destroys utterly and finally the very reason Jesus’ earthly life was supposedly made necessary. Destroy Adam and Eve and original sin, and in the rubble, you will find the sorry remains of the Son of God…and if Jesus was not the redeemer who dies for our sins, and this is what evolution means, then Christianity is nothing.”

Much like the angels who did not keep their proper estate, but rejected God’s authority, so do apostates. Each day we must examine our lives to see whether or not we are evidencing an apostate spirit. Are we allowing false teachers to squeeze us into their mold of behavior? An example of their rejection of authorities, and in light of their rejection of authority, it isn’t enough for them to simply reject what they hate, but also to speak evil of those they hate.

Therefore, Jude additionally stated apostates “blaspheme the glorious ones.” In other words, like ancient Israel they display an evil heart of unbelief in what they speak (Hebrews 3:12).  

To blaspheme (βλασφημοῦσιν; blasphemousin) is a present, active indicative plural verb meaning to continuously speak profanely against sacred things or individuals; especially the LORD. It also means to take God lightly or dismissively. Apostates slander God and His people. This is what God’s enemies always do. It stems out of their hatred of God. Jesus warned His disciples of this reality.

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18–21 (ESV)

The glorious ones (δόξας; doxas) refers to angels held is high esteem. Jude will later use the archangel Michael as an example (Jude 9). This parallels 2 Peter 2:4-10 and James 2:4-7. 

“Throughout history, our enemy has raised up many false prophets and false teachers, but perhaps never before in history has the church itself raised up so many of its own false teachers, parading them and welcoming them into their homes and churches. False teachers abound on many of the so-called Christian television networks, and books by false teachers fill the shelves of many so-called Christian bookstores. And while many Christians are rightly concerned about the growth of religions such as Islam, the greatest threat to orthodox Christianity is not other religions but false teachers who creep into the church unnoticed.” – Pastor Burk Parsons, Saint Andrew’s Chapel, Sanford, Fla.

May each of us continue to guard our hearts from apostates and apostasy (Proverbs 4:20-27). May the LORD’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

Continuing our study in Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians, a new paragraph begins in Colossians 3:18-4:1. The truth of what believers “are” in Christ is to be balanced by how believers are to live for Christ. The practical truth of Jesus Christ as the only and all-sufficient Savior, and as sole source of the believers’ life, is now applied to specific groups and situations. What people groups does the Apostle Paul, and the Holy Spirit, have in mind?

Primarily, they were thinking of household groups. What we have in this extended biblical section is a kind of “catalogue of household responsibilities.” Even non-Christian moralists advocate mores of domestic, blissful behavior. Sometimes, Christians opt for secular advice rather than the word of God regarding family life. However, Paul was not adding to unbiblical opinions or philosophies. The apostle was not sugar-coating domestic relationships with a thin veneer of merely adding “in Christ”—which completely misses the point.

The following article is by Dr. Brian Cosby, senior minister at Wayside Presbyterian Church in Signal Mountain, Tenn. He entitled his essay Godly Parenting as a Witness to the World.

The Bible offers numerous instructions on how parents should raise their children, guiding them not only to live moral and upright lives but also to understand and embrace their identity within the home, church, and state. But godly parenting is also a witness to the watching world and is a distinguishing characteristic between those who belong to God and those who do not.

The Covenantal Context

One of the key distinctives of godly parenting is that its foundation is the bound relationship God has with His people, known in Scripture as covenant. The covenantal context emphasizes that raising children is not just about instilling good behavior, but about nurturing them in the fear and knowledge of the Lord so they can grow into their role as participants in God’s ongoing story of redemption. In the Bible, a covenant is more than just a contract; it’s a bound relationship between God and His people with both promises and obligations.

When parents realize that they are raising covenant children—children who are part of God’s covenant community—they understand that their parenting has a purpose beyond mere survival or success in this world. They are raising children who are meant to live in relationship with God, embracing the promises He has made to His people, and fulfilling their calling as children of the covenant.

Godly Parenting

“Godly” parenting assumes that the parents are believing, thinking, and living in such a way that reflects God’s will for them as revealed in His Word. They are marked by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23) and are fulfilling their role as parents according to the precepts and commands of Scripture. Deuteronomy 6:4–7 states:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

The command to infuse God’s Word into the lives of children requires continual effort. It is an active, daily responsibility. Parents are stewards of the children God has entrusted to them, which means more than just caring for their physical needs; it means nurturing their spiritual lives, guiding them to understand and embrace the truth of Scripture, and helping them to live out the implications of being part of God’s covenant people, the church.

The goal of godly parenting is not just to raise well-behaved children, but to raise children who know, love, and serve the Lord.

Discipline and Instruction

Godly parenting also involves discipline and instruction. The Apostle Paul writes, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Both the negative (discipline) and the positive (instruction) are in view here. Disciplining and teaching children involve more than just passing on biblical knowledge or enforcing rules. It means shaping their character and helping them to delight in the Word of God.

Proverbs 22:6 says,

Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Godly parents are to train their children in the paths of righteousness, helping them to understand the consequences of sin and pointing them to the grace and forgiveness found in Christ.

Parenting as Witness

When parents raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, with godly discipline and instruction, it demonstrates their values, priorities, and purpose—living to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A 1)—which stands in contrast to the values, priorities, and purpose of the unbelieving world. Moreover, when godly parents are fulfilling their calling as parents according to Scripture, it bears witness to the world about the truth, grace, love, and wisdom of God. These divine attributes find tangible application in a covenant family living for Him, and thus, bear witness to Him. Godly parenting also bears witness to the Lordship of Christ. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, He is also Lord of the home.

The goal of godly parenting is not just to raise well-behaved children, but to raise children who know, love, and serve the Lord. When Jesus told His disciples that they were to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8), this didn’t only mean formal preaching or teaching; it also meant in lives lived in conformity to Scripture. Parenting, though a basic reality for most people, becomes a witness when carried out for God’s glory and according to God’s truth.

Godly parenting requires reliance upon God’s grace, wisdom, and strength. It is about walking with God and with your children, trusting that He who began a good work in them will carry it on to completion at the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). As parents embrace their role in God’s covenant community, they can be confident in the glorious promises of God for their children, for they are to…

Tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done . . .
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children. (Ps. 78:4, 6).

May the LORD’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed LORD’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.” (Jude 8 (ESV)

“Jude is writing about apostate false teachers. Apostasy, meaning to defect, to depart, to abandon. Apostasy is defecting from the faith, hearing of the faith, knowing of the faith, knowing the true gospel, hearing the true gospel, maybe professing even to believe the true gospel, and then abandoning it. It is the most terrible of evils for which the hottest hell is reserved. To be exposed to the gospel truth and to reject it is to put yourself in the most severe place of eternal torment.” – Dr. John MacArthur

Jude provided a signature triad of historical examples regarding apostasy; Israel and their apostasy of unbelief towards God and His Word fallen angels and their apostasy of rebellion; and Sodom, Gomorrah and the cities surrounding them and their apostasy of immorality (Jude 5-7). Jude then brought the argument to the present.

Jude transitioned from an examination of the past to the present situation of false teachers plaguing the church. In vs. 8-16, Jude addresses present apostates and apostasy. Apostates today conduct themselves as apostates of history. There is nothing new under the sun.

He wrote “Yet in like manner these people also.” Whoever “these people” specifically were (Jude 4), Jude said they displayed the apostate characteristics of unbelief, rebellion and sexual immorality. Nevertheless, or likewise, (homoiōs) means equally or in the same way. Within the context it means to be like those who Jude previously identified from the Old Testament as apostates.

Jude also wrote these heretics were, “relying on their dreams,” This phrase (ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι; enypniazomenoi) is one word in the Greek. Grammatically, it is a present, middle plural participle verb. In other words, the behavior Jude described of the apostates was an ongoing, personal, collective group behavior.

Apostates rely on their dreams. as a source of authority and revelation. They were dreamers. They do not submit to the word of God, neither do they want the church to do so. They want true believers in Christ to submit to them and their false teaching.

“Jude calls these godless men “dreamers.” This term means either that they were mystics who claimed to have access to supernatural revelation or that as a result of their sexual immorality these men spent their time dreaming erotic fantasies,” explains Simon Kistemaker.  

We often witness this behavior among so called evangelical preachers today. Claiming to have a unique and direct access to God they make seemingly outrageous statements which, in their opinion, cannot be questioned because they claim God has directly spoken to them.

As Dr. Warren Wiersbe writes, “The cause of their rebellion is found in the word dreamers (Jude 8). These people live in a dreamworld of unreality and delusion. They believe Satan’s lie, “Ye shall be as gods” (Gen. 3:5). Having turned away from God’s truth, they feed their minds on false doctrine that inflates their egos and encourages their rebellion. Jude 10 informs us that the apostates are ignorant people who do not know what they are talking about! Jude echoed Peter’s description of these men as “brute beasts” (2 Peter 2:12, 22). Animals live by natural instinct, and so do the apostates. When men rebel against God, they sink to the level of beasts.”

In Jude 5-7, Jude showed his readers, including us, apostasy is nothing new. It’s as old as the children of Israel, angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Present day apostates, much like their historical counterparts, engage in the same pattern of ungodly behavior. Notice that in reverse order to what we have already read they…

1. Defile the flesh (σάρκα μιαίνουσιν; sarka miainousin) is a present, active indicative verb. This behavior is actively ongoing. Its root meaning is to stain, as in the staining of glass. It can also mean to pollute or spoil and contaminate. In the case of morality, it speaks of moral and physical defilement. The vices of the ungodly which contaminate a person in their involvement with the world. It refers to moral corruption. In the flesh refers to the physical body. The outward things which apostates practice are visible evidences of their inner, corrupted soul.

Titus 1:15 – “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.”

Hebrews 12:15 – “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”

Apostates portray themselves as people of God, but their behavior evidences a moral and physical defilement.  Like their counterparts in Sodom, false teachers are usually involved in sexual immorality (2 Peter 2:10-20). There may be exceptions, but that is rare.

False teachers may appear to be godly, but inwardly they defile the flesh. This remains a telltale sign of their spiritual condition. Believers must be wary and aware of the inner motivations of apostates.

Next time, we will examine two more traits’ apostates have paralleling rebellious angels and unbelieving Israel.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!  

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)

We previously examined the apostasy of Israel and angels. We now turn our attention to Sodom and Gomorrah and the apostasy of immorality. Genesis 18:16-19:29 chronicles God’s judgment upon these two cities and the land of the valley (Gen. 19:27-29).

Jude wrote, …”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.”

There is much discussion and dispute regarding the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. The principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture applies to all biblical subjects in general, and to this biblical text in particular. In other words, the chief way we determine whether our interpretation of a specific passage is right is to compare it to the rest of the Bible’s instruction.

“We must be careful to read the Bible holistically. We ought not to draw interpretations from the text that are against interpretations that the Bible elsewhere draws itself. The Bible interprets the Bible; the Holy Spirit is His own interpreter. If our interpretation of one text contradicts our interpretation of another text, one or both interpretations must be wrong. They cannot both be correct because God is not “a God of confusion” (1 Cor. 14:33), and He would not teach one thing in one passage and the opposite in another,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Jude, led by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21), wrote the words indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire in referencing Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin. This must mean the sin of these two cities, and the land of the valley, involved sexual immorality and unnatural desire. What do these two phrases mean?

The phrase indulged in sexual immorality (ἐκπορνεύσασαι; ekporneusasai) is one word in the Greek. It is a present, active plural verbal participle. It means to engage in illicit sex of any kind. The King James Version uses the word fornication. We derive the English words pornographic, pornography, etc. from this Greek verb. The Scriptures define sexual immorality as any deviation from God’s standard of a heterosexual marriage between a binary man and woman (Gen.1:26-27; 2:19-24).

Jude 7 also describes what kind of sexual immorality the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah etc. participated. The phrase pursued unnatural desire is three words in the Greek. Pursued (ἀπελθοῦσαι; apelthousai), unnatural (ἑτέρας; heteras), and desire (σαρκὸς; sarkos) all mean homosexual intercourse. The Holy Spirit, through Jude, is being emphatic as to what exactly was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah.

“There are many important considerations to weigh when trying to make sense of Sodom and Gomorrah. Most critical, however (at least for those with an evangelical view of Scripture), is how the New Testament understands the sin of Sodom. Which is why Jude 6-7 is so important,” states Pastor Kevin DeYoung of the Gospel Coalition.

“There is a case to be that Jude’s comment about sarkos heteras (“other flesh”)  is a reference to sex with angels not sex with other men. Verse 6 is likely an allusion to the sin of the angels in Genesis 6:1-4, which according to Jewish tradition, involved angels having sex with the daughters of men. So it is not far fetched to think that the “other flesh” in verse 7 is a reference to the men of Sodom trying to have sex with Lot’s angelic visitors. If this interpretation is correct, it makes it less likely (though not at all impossible) to see the sin of Sodom as being, at least in part, the sin of homosexual practice. Which, of course, would do nothing to invalidate the other verses that speak on the subject, but it would set aside the most infamous account of homosexuality in the Bible.’

“Having said all that, I still see good reasons to accept the traditional interpretation and conclude that Jude 7 is a reference to the sin of homosexual behavior,” continues DeYoung.

1. This interpretation is in keeping with prevailing Jewish norms in the first century. Both Josephus and Philo not only condemn relations that are “contrary to nature,” they explicitly understand Genesis 19 as referring to homosexual acts.

2. As a striking example of sexual immorality, it would certainly be more relevant in a first century Greco-Roman context to warn against homosexual behavior as opposed to the non-existent temptation to have sex with angels (cf. 2 Peter 2:6).

3. It would be strange to refer to attempted sex with angels as pursuing other “flesh.” Of all the ways to reference angels, the very physical, human, and earthly sarx seems an odd choice.

4. The men of Sodom did not know they were trying to have sex with angelic beings. Even if sarkos heteras could be taken to mean a “different species” (and I don’t think it does), the men of Sodom had no idea that that is what they were pursuing. Isn’t it more likely to think they were guilty of pursuing sex with other men (as they saw them), then that they were guilty of pursuing sex with angels (which they did not understand)?

5. If pursuing “unnatural desire” is a reference to seeking out sex with angels, how do we make sense of the beginning of verse 7 which indicts Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities of this sin? Were Admah and Zeboim guilty of trying to have sex with angels? It makes more sense to think that Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities all had a reputation for sexual immorality and that one flagrant example of such sin was homosexual practice. This is why the parallel passage in 2 Peter 2:7-8 can depict Lot as greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of these cities. They had a reputation for lawlessness which did not rely on angels to be manifested.”

“In short, the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole region was not just a one-time attempted gang rape of angelic beings, but, according to Jude a lifestyle of sensuality and sexual immorality, at least one aspect of which was exemplified in men pursuing the flesh of other men instead of the flesh of women,” concludes DeYoung.

Apostasy is wickedness dressed up to look like normal behavior. It permeates our culture and many churches today. It evidences itself, as we have examined, with disbelief in God’s commands and His Word, rebellion to the same, and the subsequent immorality which is the corresponding result of such attitudes as disbelief and rebelliousness.

The foundational of apostasy’s unbelief, rebelliousness, and immorality is a hatred of God. The danger of this hatred of God is not that it is outside of the church, where we encounter it and expect it, but rather within the church. This makes apostasy of unbelief, rebellion, and immorality all the more dangerous.

Have you personally received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord (John 1:12-13)? On the basis God’s sovereign grace and faith in the person and word of Jesus Christ and the gift of His imputed righteousness, do you desire to live a holy life, honoring and pleasing to Him (I Peter 1:13-16, 22-23)?

If so, you may be struggling with sin, and the influence of apostasy and apostates. You may be asking “How can I keep myself away from being influenced by apostate groups who seek to entice me with their heretical teachings?” Consider the following practical suggestions.

1. Withdraw from them as soon as possible. Have nothing to do with them, but endeavor to share the gospel. 2 John 9-11 Refuse to in any way validate the group for which you are being approached.
2. 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.
3. 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 the issue or teachings from the group.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

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)

“Many people today are tempted to surrender the fight for absolute truth, give up the belief that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and accept the plurality of beliefs around the world as valid ways of salvation. Sadly, churches have not been immune to such pervasive teaching, and indeed some have succumbed to the pressure, turning their backs on truth to embrace error. The letter of Jude, which has much to say about these issues, has often been neglected. Perhaps this is because the letter, though brief, is packed with difficult allusions that can be confusing. However, Jude’s message is especially needed today, for it reminds “those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1) to contend for the faith and continue in the faith,” writes Bible teacher and conference speaker Sarah Ivill

We previously examined the doctrine of angels. They are ministering spirits or messengers sent by God and are an order of God created beings superior to man (Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:5), belonging to Heaven (Matthew 24:36; Mark 12:25) and to God (Luke 12:8) and are engaged in God’s service (Psalm 103:20). Angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:14) in that they have no material bodies like human beings. They appear in human form when necessary (Luke 24:4; Acts 10; Daniel 9). They are called ‘holy’ in Mark 8:38 and ‘elect’ in I Timothy 5:21, in contrast to their original number (Matthew 25:41).

Attention is now given to the particular angels Jude has in mind. He mentioned angels who did not stay within their own position of authority. The phrase did not stay within (τηρήσαντας; teresantos) means to not continue, retain, or keep.

What these angels did not keep or stay within was their own position of authority (ἀρχὴν; archen) or their proper domain. They rebelled against God. They left their proper dwelling (ἴδιον οἰκητήριον; idion oiketerion). They rejected their proper estate and the rule and reign of God.

2 Peter 2:4 (ESV) says, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;”  

The statement “cast them down to hell” refers to Tartarus (ταρταρώσας; tartarosas). This is the lowest place found in Hell, the deepest pit, the most terrible place of judgment.

“The angels in questions rebelled against their God-given responsibilities and abandoned their areas of ministry or residence. Some take this to mean they left heaven and came to earth (Gen.6). It may refer to a primordial fall of angels at the time Satan rebelled against the Lord,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Now you have apostate angels. And again, in one sense you could wish that he (Jude) said more about this. But he doesn’t say more about it because it’s all by way of reminder, knowing that they already knew about this. He’s assuming that these people already knew about the angels that apostatized, the angels that rebelled, the angels that defected. They’d heard it before. Whatever this special, extraordinary, and terrible event was, they knew about it,” states Dr. John MacArthur.  

There are three predominant perspectives as to the identity of these apostate angels. First, a rebellion by angels we know nothing about. But how could Jude remind his readers of something of which they knew nothing? Second, the fall of Lucifer. Third, a rebellion recorded in the Old Testament (Gen. 6:1-3) of which Jude made no further mention because he did not have to. His audience would have known the circumstances of what he wrote. Regardless of the identity of these angels, or when they fell, the judgment of God upon their apostasy of rebellion is sure.

God has given these fallen angels a new home. “He has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness.” The phrase He has kept (τετήρηκεν; tetereken) is a perfect active indicative verb. It refers to a past completed action with continuing results. It is a place or state of being continually retain and guarded. It is a place of confinement or a prison.  

Eternal chains (δεσμοῖς ἀϊδίοις; desmois aidiois) is eternal imprisonment. Gloomy darkness (ζόφον; zophon) refers to a condition of despair and foreboding.

“Until the judgment of the great day.” Judgment(κρίσιν; krisin) means condemnation. The great day (μεγάλης ἡμέρας; megales heremas) is the intense court of justice.

The third and final biblical example Jude provided are the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19). We will examine Jude 7 when next we ,meet. Have a blessed day in the Lord and His Word of truth.

Soli deo Gloria!

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)

We live in troubling times. Christianity is under incessant attack and the attacks are intensifying. Political correctness, post-modernistic thinking, which elevates tolerance of everything as the highest of all virtues, continues to grow. Moral and social problems continue to rise. Truth is attacked, as are all who hold to objective, Biblical truth.

In the midst of all the swirling seas of moral ambiguity and embraced immorality, Christians are often on the defensive. Believers are scorned for their faith; biblical truth is attacked by the insidious tactics of false teachers who twist the Scriptures to say what they want it to say, and sin is embraced in all of its forms. A systematic indoctrination of immorality is marketed as alternative lifestyles and sensitivity training. To resist this trend is tantamount to breaking the law.

In the fallen worldly culture surrounding us, this pattern of heresy would be bad enough. However, this pattern of apostasy is infiltrating the church of Jesus Christ. The battle is not only in the outside world, but it is also within the church of Jesus Christ.

“Jude wrote with a heart of love and understanding, and with a note of concern and authority. He wanted to write on a joyful theme, ‘about the salvation we share’ (vs. 3) but was compelled to write a much more somber epistle. His love for believers who he saw endangered by encroaching adversaries move him to turn from the more pleasant theme to sound solemn warning” observes Dr. John Walvoord

“The predominant theme and warning Jude sounds in his epistle is that all believers need to avoid the pitfalls of denying Christ’s lordship, living immorally, rejecting authority, being divisive, and living for self.”

Jude provides biblical and historical examples of apostasy. Apostasy is a departure from the truth and revelation of God. Jude’s first example of apostasy was ancient Israel. His second example are angels. Who, or what, are angels and why did God create them?

Angels are created spiritual beings (Neh. 9:6, Col. 1:16) They exercise God’s moral judgment (2 Peter 2:4), possess intelligence (Matt. 28:5, Rev. 4:11), and are spirits without physical bodies (Heb. 1:14, Luke 24:39). Since they do not have physical bodies, they are not visible unless God permits (Num. 22:31, 2 Kings 6:8-20, Luke 2:8-12, 26-38). Sometimes they temporarily take on bodily form (Heb 13:1-2).

Biblical names for angels include Sons of God (Job 1:6), Holy Ones (Ps. 89:5, 7), Spirits (Heb. 1:14), Watchers (Dan. 4:13), and Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, and Authorities (Col. 1:16). Other names for angels include Cherubim (Gen.3:24, Ps. 18:10, Ex. 25:22), Seraphim (Isa. 6:1-7), and Living Creatures (Eze. 1:5-14; Rev. 4:6-8). God only identifies two angels by name. They are Michael (Dan. 12:1; Jude 1:9; Rev. 12:7-8), and Gabriel (Dan. 8:16, Luke 1:18-19).

Angels occupy only one place at a time (Dan. 10:12-14; Luke 1:26).  There are thousands of angels (Deut. 33:1-2; Psa. 68:17; Heb. 12:22; Rev 5:11) and perhaps individual guardian angels (Psa. 91:11-12). Angels do not marry (Matt. 22:30, Psa. 103:20, Eph 1:21, 2 Peter 2:11, Heb 2:7, 1Co 6:3). Angels are powerful (Psa. 103:20; Eph. 1:21; 2 Peter 2:11; Heb. 2:7; 1 Cor. 6:3). Who is the Angel of the Lord? Sometimes it is God Himself (Gen. 16:13; 31:11, 13; Ex. 3:1-6) or a God sent angel (2 Sam. 24:16; Psa. 34:7; Luke 1:11).   

God created angels before the seventh day of Creation (Gen 2:1, Ex. 20:11), perhaps on the First day? (Job 38:6-7). Angels rebelled before the Fall (2 Peter 2:1-4, Judges 1:6; Gen 1:31).

What do angels do? Angels display the greatness of God’s love and plan. Humans are more like God than angels because God created humanity “in the image of God” (Gen 1:26. Believers in Christ will have authority over angels (1 Cor 6:1-3). Angels cannot bear children (Matt. 22:30) and God does not save angels (2 Peter 2:4, Heb. 2:16, Rev. 5:9). The existence of angels reminds us the unseen world is real (Acts 23:8, 2 Kings 6:17; Heb. 12:22). Angels are examples for us (Matt 6:10; Rev. 5:11-12), they carry out some of God’s plans including Messages (Acts 8:26), Judgment (2 Chron. 32:21; Matt. 16:27), Patrolling Earth (Zech. 1:10-11) Warring against demonic forces (Dan. 10:13), and Proclaiming Christ’s coming (1Thess. 4:16; Rev. 18:1-2 5). Angels directly glorify God (Rev. 4:8; Psa. 103:20; Isa 6:2-3; Luke 15:10, 1 Peter 1:12).

What is the believer’s perspective to be regarding angels? We should be aware of angels in our daily lives (Dan. 6:22; Psa. 91:11-12; Act 12:7- 11). We should emulate their heavenly worship (Isaiah 6:1-7; Heb 12:22-23; Rev. 4-5). Believes should beware of receiving false doctrine (Gal. 1:8; 2 Cor. 11:14; 1 Kings 13:18-19), to never worship, pray to, or seek angels (Col. 2:18, 1 Tim. 2:5).

We will examine Jude’s reference to angels when next we meet. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

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:

1. The Sin of Achan (Joshua 6:15 -7:1).   
2. The Sin of David (2 Samuel 11-12).
3. 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?

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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!

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)

Apostasy is not something new. Denying the truth of God’s Word has occurred through the ages; not only on the earth, but also in heaven. Many mainline church denominations once proclaimed God’s Word clearly and held to it dearly. They have now fallen away from the truth.  This is not a recent trend but rather an age-old pattern of believing the pernicious lies of Satan and rejecting the truth of God.

The drifting from the truth has occurred throughout history. It has happened politically, economically, socially, athletically, educationally, militarily, theologically and religiously.

“Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. In the first stage of life the mind is frivolous and easily distracted; it misses progress by failing in consecutiveness and persistence.” — George Santayana, The Life of Reason [1905-1906], Volume I, Reason in Common Sense, Chapter 12, 1906

The Apostle Paul echoed these sentiments when in writing to the Ephesians. He stated in Ephesians 4:11-6:

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ^12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ^13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ^14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ^15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head Christ ^16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

Likewise, Peter also wanted his readers to not forget what they had learned. In 2 Peter 1:5-15 he writes:

^5 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹² Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. ¹³ I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, ¹⁴ since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”

It is easy to view today’s biblical text, from Jude 5-7, as a history lesson or recollection. However, the Bible teaches that not only has apostasy occurred in biblical history, but it also occurs today.

Jude gave three examples of well-known acts of apostasy from the Old Testament. Rather than individuals, which Jude focused upon later in his epistle, in these three verses he fixated on three distinct groups. Another triad by Jude is found here: Israel, angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah.

To begin with, we witness Israel’s apostasy of unbelief (vs. 5). We will examine this example when next we meet.

How can I contend earnestly for the faith (vs.3) and not forget the lessons of history concerning apostasy? Here are some suggestions.

• Support those who teach and preach the Word of God correctly. Those holding to the fundamentals of the faith; e.g. the Inerrancy of the Bible, the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, the Substitutionary Atonement by Christ on the Cross, the Resurrection of Christ, and Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. (Rom. 3:21-26).
• To evidence your personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ by a holy life. A holy life does not save you, but it demonstrates that you truly are a believer by the inner desire to live for God (I Peter 1:13-16)
• Do not listen to falsehood. Evaluate what you are reading, watching, and listening to and determine to no longer allow false teaching to infiltrate your mind.
• Study God’s Word daily and consistently place yourself under the teaching of a biblical pastor/teacher and church.
• Pray that God would give you the strength to guard your heart from false teaching and the immorality it breeds (Proverbs 4:23-27).

Soli deo Gloria!