Jude 1:11

• Cain was the first person to kill someone. He killed his own brother (Genesis 4:1-15). The false teachers are ‘killing’ the belief of other people. Cain killed Abel. But God had already warned Cain about his anger. *Jews in *New Testament times therefore remembered Cain as someone who did not believe in God’s judgement. But God did punish him. People who decide not to trust and obey God are like Cain. God will punish them, too.

• Balaam is the second example. Balak, king of Moab, asked Balaam to curse Moab’s enemies, the *Israelites (Numbers 22:7-18). At first, Balaam refused. But his *greed for the bribe (money) that Balak offered him was too strong. So he said that he would do it. But when he tried, he found that God made him bless the *Israelites instead of cursing them! (Deuteronomy 23:5). And later, Balaam tempted the *Israelites to break God’s law (Numbers 31:16). By *New Testament times, Balaam had a bad character as one who had led people away from God. Jude’s readers knew the story. So they would immediately understand what he meant.

• Korah was proud and jealous. He refused to accept the authority of Moses and Aaron. He also encouraged a large number of other people to oppose Moses. But God himself had appointed Moses to serve him. So Korah and those who were with him all died. The ground split open and swallowed them (Numbers 16:1-35). The false teachers were refusing to obey the church leaders. So they must expect God to punish them. He has already decided on their fate.

*Word-pictures of these wicked men

v12 These selfish and greedy men are like hidden rocks at your love-meals together. They care only about themselves.

They are like clouds that the wind blows. But they bring no rain.

They are like trees that produce no fruit even in autumn. This is because they have no roots. And they are dead.

v13 Their wicked *deeds are like rubbish that the wild sea throws up.

They are like stars that wander about.

God has prepared a place for men like that in deep darkness for ever.

Verse 12 Rocks are dangerous. They can sink ships. These men’s selfish behaviour was a great danger to the love-meals that the Christians shared to support each other. These men thought only of themselves. They felt no responsibility in love for other people.

Jude describes these dangerous men in *word-pictures. He takes examples from the four regions of the physical world: clouds in the air; trees on the earth; waves of the sea; stars in the sky.

• Clouds that promise rain, but produce none, are useless (of no value). These men do nothing to help other Christians to grow in their trust of Jesus.

• Trees that produce no fruit, even in autumn, are as good as dead. The farmer burns them (Matthew 7:19). These men are without roots, without true life in Jesus Christ. So, these men are ‘twice dead’.

• Waves The *Jews hated the sea. It could be wild and dangerous. The wicked are like the sea that never rests. Its waves never stop rolling, carrying dirt and mud (Isaiah 57:20). In a similar manner, these men never stop their wicked actions. They are like the dirty rubbish that the waves leave on the shore after a storm.

• Wandering stars Jude is referring to the book of Enoch. This book is not in the Bible, but was very popular in *New Testament times. Enoch identifies these wandering stars as fallen (bad) *angels. Enoch obeyed God and went straight to heaven (Genesis 4:17). The bad *angels did not obey God and they lost their home in heaven. God has prepared a prison for them in deepest darkness. The false teachers who do not obey God will suffer the same fate.

Enoch’s warning

v14 Enoch was the seventh in the family line of Adam. Enoch spoke against these men in his book. He said, ‘Look! The *Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones (*angels). v15 He will judge everyone. He will punish all wicked people for all the wicked things that they have done. The *Lord will punish these wicked men for all the hard words that they have ever spoken about him.’

Verse 14 Including the first man Adam, Enoch is the seventh name in the first family line (1 Chronicles 1:1-3). The *Jews considered seven was the perfect number. Genesis 5:24 tells us that Enoch ‘walked with God’, that is, he lived a holy life, very close to God. Enoch did not die, because God took him straight to heaven. Although he lived so long ago, Enoch speaks in his book of the return of the *Lord to judge everyone. In particular, he tells of the awful fate of wicked people who do not obey God. Jude keeps repeating the word ‘wicked’ to emphasise how bad they are in God’s sight. They were not Christians at all. They did not believe that God would judge and punish them. They are making a very great mistake.

v16 These men are always complaining about something. They are never satisfied. They live for their own selfish desires. They talk about themselves to impress people. But sometimes they want to get something from someone. Then they pretend to respect that person.

Verse 16 These men complain to God about their life. They complain about the church leaders. They are like the *Israelites in the desert who were always complaining to Moses. They forgot what God had done long ago to rescue the people from being slaves in Egypt. These men forget that God in Jesus has rescued men and women from being slaves to evil. All they want to do is to satisfy their own wicked desires. They love to impress other people by the way they talk about themselves in a noisy way.

The *apostles’ warning

v17 But you, my dear friends, remember that the *apostles of the *Lord Jesus Christ warned you. v18 They said to you, ‘In the last days there will be people who make fun of the *faith. They follow only their own desires. v19 These men divide you. They merely follow their selfish feelings. They do not have the Spirit of God.’

Verse 17 Jude has had much to say about the wicked words and behaviour of the false teachers. Now, to end his letter, he again speaks about his readers. They are his dear friends. He loves them, because they are like him. They believe in the *Lord Jesus Christ, as he does.

Jude has already appreciated their memory of the *Old Testament stories (verse 5). Now he commands them to remember how the *apostles, too, warned them about wicked men (Acts 20:29; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 3:3). Jesus also had warned about people like that (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11).

Verse 18 Memory was very important in the ancient world. Few people could read and any books were rare. So Christians must develop their memories. Jude’s readers must always keep clearly in their minds the good news of the gospel (what the *Lord Jesus Christ has taught and done for them). Only then will they be strong enough to defend their *faith against false teachers. Men who are as wicked as that only believe in their own ideas. They do not believe in what God teaches.

Verse 19 By their selfish words and actions, these evil men upset the unity of the church members. They did so by forming their own groups at the love-meals. They did so when they claimed to be superior Christians. They claimed that the Holy Spirit was guiding them. They certainly did not have the Holy Spirit in their lives. God’s Spirit intends Christians to love and to help each other and to keep together.

How to make trust in Jesus Christ strong

v20 My dear friends, go on making the base of your most holy *faith stronger and stronger. Pray in the Holy Spirit (he will help you). v21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, as you wait for his kindness to bring you to life in heaven with himself.

Verse 20 Jude ends his letter with words to encourage his readers.

He has warned them that their common Christian life is in great danger. The attacks on it are coming through what the false teachers say. And the attacks are coming by the way in which they live. But God offers Christians the resources with which to overcome attacks like that. That is God’s part.

Their part, as loyal Christians, is together to make full use of God’s resources. In this way they will build up a strong common *faith. Unity is strength. Then with God’s help they will be able together to oppose the evil ideas and *deeds of these wicked people.

Jude tells his readers what to do.

• They are to ask the Holy Spirit to help them to pray.

Their prayers must not be selfish or impatient. The Holy Spirit will teach them to know God’s desires, both for themselves and for other people. The false teachers do not have the Holy Spirit in their lives (verse 19). Otherwise, their behaviour would be holy.

• Verse 21 They must keep themselves in God’s love.

How do two people maintain their love for each other? They spend time together. They talk to each other. They listen to each other. They want to please each other. And the more that they do these things, the more their love for each other will grow.

We keep ourselves in God’s love in a similar way. We must spend time quietly with him. We must talk (pray) to him, even about the little things of life. We must listen to what he says to us in our hearts. We must obey what he tells us to do. We shall want to please him at all times. Because we are preparing for life with God in heaven. That life is the gift of Jesus Christ to loyal Christians on the day when he returns.

v22 Be helpful to those who may have doubts. v23 Rescue other people from the fire and save them. But there are other people, for whom you must show pity. But be careful. Hate even the clothes that their evil *deeds have made dirty.

Verses 22-23 Jude now speaks about three groups of people who need special help.

• There are those with doubts.

The false teachers have already damaged the *faith of some weaker Christians. Now those weaker Christians are not sure about what to believe or how to live. Jude urges his readers to be especially kind to those who have doubts. They need help to understand clearly how God wants them to live. They are to be holy, as God is holy. They are to care for other people, and not be selfish. At all times they are to trust God completely, and not their own thoughts.

• A second group needs help. These people have been too ready to listen to the false teachers.

Jude uses picture language. The people in this group are like a stick that is beginning to burn. Jude’s readers must rescue them quickly, before the fire burns them completely.

• A third group is also in great danger. These are people who refuse to turn to God.

Christians must pity them and be kind to them. But they must act with great care. This is in case the life without God that these people lead begins to appear attractive. Jude’s readers must hate these people’s evil practices as they would hate to touch their dirty underwear (clothes that people wear next to the skin).

v24 Praise God! He rescues you through our *Lord Jesus Christ from being guilty of doing wrong. He helps you not to trip again. He makes you innocent in his sight. And he fills you with a joy that never ends.

v25 Before time began, and now, and for all the future, God deserves all his beautiful light, and honour, and power, and authority! *Amen!

Verse 24 Jude ends his letter with a great shout of joy. God through Jesus is so wonderful, so powerful. He can protect his loyal friends against their enemies. Because of what Jesus has done, God prepares Christians to come to live with him in heaven. What a wonderful future that is! What great joy it gives us, now and always!

Verse 25 We shall never be able to praise God enough. In love, God controls all. He rules over all. He supplies every need of all who trust him.

faith ~ (1) trust in God; (2) belief; (3) facts about Christian belief.
faith ~ (1) trust in God; (2) belief; (3) facts about Christian belief.
mercy ~ God’s love and goodness.
forgive ~ to show pity and not to remember bad things; to set free from wrong things that we do.
salvation ~ God’s rescue of men and women from evil and its results.
grace ~ God’s generous free gift.
Lord ~ a name that we call God or Jesus; we call God or Jesus Lord when we do what they say.
angel ~ a servant of God in heaven.
mock ~ laugh in a bad way at something.
greed ~ when you want too much of something that you do not really need.
disobey ~ not obey.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ (1) trust in God; (2) belief; (3) facts about Christian belief.
greed ~ when you want too much of something that you do not really need.'word-picture ~ a description that helps you to imagine what a physical place or object would look like.
deed ~ something that we do.'word-picture ~ a description that helps you to imagine what a physical place or object would look like.
apostle ~ someone whom God sends to teach about Jesus.
Amen ~ we completely agree!

The letter of Jude

Danger from False Teachers

letter of Jude

Norman Hillyer

Chapter 1

The start of Jude’s letter

v1 This letter comes to you from Jude. I am a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to you because God the Father has called you to his service. He loves you greatly. And God is guarding you for Jesus Christ. v2 I pray that you will appreciate all God’s gifts to you. You always have God’s sympathy and *pity. He makes you so calm. And he gives his wonderful love to you. These generous free gifts from God are without any limit.

In verses 5-7 Jude mentioned three *Old Testament stories. He used those stories to describe the wicked behaviour of the false teachers in a general manner. Now Jude uses three more *Old Testament references in order to warn further about the false teachers.

• Cain, Balaam and Korah were three *Old Testament persons that were well-known, but for the same very bad reason. They led other people away from God.

Cain murdered his own brother (Genesis chapter 4). Like Cain, the false teachers are destroying life. But in their case it is the *spiritual life of people in the church. In other words, the false teachers are trying to ruin the church members’ relation with God.

Originally, Balaam refused payment to announce an evil fate against the *Israelites (Numbers 22:7-18). But in the end the offer of money became too strong (Deuteronomy 23:4).

Korah refused to accept the authority that God had given to Moses and Aaron. Korah and his followers all suffered an extraordinary death (Numbers chapter 16).

The danger of the false teachers

v12 The false teachers are very dangerous. They are like rocks that hide under the surface of the sea. The false teachers spoil the special ‘love meal’ when you share food with other Christians. You have come together to remember the last meal of Jesus. The false teachers care only about themselves. They have come to get a free meal. They have no thought of Jesus. The false teachers are like dry clouds that the wind blows along. Dry clouds bring no rain. The false teachers are like trees in autumn that are without leaves or fruit. Such trees are completely dead. There is no possibility of any life, because someone has even pulled them up by the roots. v13 The false teachers are like stormy waves of the sea as they throw clouds of water into the air. And so the false teachers cause their own shame. The false teachers are like stars that have wandered from their proper path. God has reserved for them the blackest darkness that lasts for always.