December

Unmasking Prophets for Profit (Jude 11–16)

In this passage Jude continues to warn us about false teachers.

A “journey into becoming an authentic Christian” requires knowing how to unmask prophets for profit.

In these verses, Jude gives us fourways to do this. First is …

Examine their company (11)

There is a lot of truth in the old saying: “Birds of a feather flock together.”

The Warnings against Apostasy: The Characteristics and Judgment of False Teachers, vv. 3–16)

11 (v. 11) Teachers, False—Cain: false teachers go after the way of Cain, the way of unbelief and lack of godly love.

Cain committed the very first murder on earth: he killed his own brother Abel (Ge. 4:1–15).

Why? Because Abel was a believer.

Abel believed God, that he was to worship God exactly like God said, by the blood of a sacrificial animal.

Cain did not accept such a belief.

He felt that if he brought the fruit of his own hands to God, then God would accept him because of his hard work and because he worshipped and gave offerings to God.

God accepted Abel’s worship and offering.

It was evident in his life by the way God blessed him and took care of him.

But God rejected Cain’s offering.

Cain did not have a real sense of God’s care or blessing upon his life.

Therefore, he became jealous and envious of Abel, and he killed Abel.

Three things are being said about false teachers.

Jude uses three Old Testament characters to identify false teachers.

Example #1: Cain.

Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain (11a).

The word woeis an exclamation of denunciation and impending doom (Isa. 5:8–9 & 1 Cor. 9:16). In Matthew 23, our Lord uses this word several times in His blistering sermon condemning the Pharisees.

Cain, the firstborn child of Adam and Eve, is the first person in the Bible who chooses to reject God’s way of worship.

As a result, he murders his brother Abel (1 Jn 3:12c).

Why, according to 1 John 3:12e?

Cain was religious, but he wanted to worship God his own way. Just as Cain murdered his brother, false teachers murder people’s souls with their deceit.

False teachers don’t care about their followers; they just want to worship God their own way—to get money.

Example #2: Balaam. False teachers and preachers abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error (11b).

As already discussed in Lesson Five, Balaam is the only person in the Bible whom God rebukes through a donkey (Num. 22:21–31).

Balaam was a spiritual mercenary hired by a pagan king, Balak, to curse the Israelites.

How does Revelation 2:14c describe his sin?

There are still many spiritual mercenaries who, because they love money, lead people into idolatry—teaching them to worship the idols of money and health.

Example #3: Korah’s rebellion (11c).

Korah led a revolt against Moses and Aaron’s authority (Num. 16).

By rebelling against God’s divinely appointed leaders, Korah and his 250 followers were actually rebelling against God.

Korah, plus 250 Jewish leaders, rejected the God-appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron in an attempt to impose his will upon God and the people.

Apostates will unquestionably meet the same end as Korah—divine judgment.

Sometimes underestimating God is as dangerous as rebelling against him.

Our sin may not be a matter of doing overt wrong but of being hesitant to pursue righteousness and to trust fully in the Lord.

Therefore, Moses tells the Israelites God will give a sign that Korah and his followers have despised the Lord (Num. 16:30).

As soon as Moses stops speaking, what happens (Num. 16:31b–32)?

Like Korah, false teachers set themselves up against spiritual leaders who faithfully preach the Bible and condemn false teachers.

These three examples describe false teachers of all generations. Like Cain, they are without love.

Like Balaam, they are greedy for money.

Like Korah, they belittle and attack those who truly preach the Gospel.

There is always something that sounds dangerous in the preaching of justification by faith only; so if our preaching does not sound dangerous in this respect, probably the gospel is not being truly preached.

Unless the gospel is preached with contemporary relevance it has not been preached.

No man who preaches the gospel without zeal is sent of God to preach at all.

The pastor who wants to keep his church full of people should first of all preach the gospel.

Then he should preach the gospel keeping the following three adverbs in his mind: earnestly, interestingly, and fully.

To unmask prophets for profit, examine their company and …

Examine their content (12–13)

False teachers and preachers are hidden reefs at your love feasts (12a).

The word translated reefs, or “spots,” (spilas, spee-las′) means “hidden rocks” and refers to reefs of rock in the sea.

The false teachers were like hidden reefs, ready to shipwreck believers.

(v. 12) Teachers, False—Pleasure Seeking: false teachers are spots and blemishes upon the fellowship of the church.

The Greek word for spots (spilas) can mean submerged rocks or hidden reefs that can wreck a ship.

False teachers are reefs within the church which can wreck the fellowship of the church.

Translators differ as to which meaning Jude intended.

Perhaps he meant both, for both are certainly true.

The love feasts referred to were called love feasts by the early church.

They were fellowship meals that the church celebrated after the services on the Lord’s Day.

Each family brought what food they could.

This, of course, meant that the wealthy brought plenty and the poor brought little or nothing.

Remember that many of the believers were slaves in that day, so some of them would not be able to bring any food whatsoever.

Some churches had the most joyful fellowship around the love feasts.

It provided a time when the believers could share the warmth of their hearts and grow in fellowship together.

It was a time when the Holy Spirit could draw the hearts of believers together in love and joy and care and sharing.

It was a time that the Holy Spirit could use to bind believers together in feelings for one another and in warmth and tenderness.

The point is this: fellowship among believers is a most wonderful time, a unique opportunity to grow and share together.

But when false teachers are present, the scene is entirely different.

They attended the love feasts, which were intimate fellowship meals, and ate with believers without fear of judgment (12b).

False teachers are also like waterless clouds, swept along by winds (12c).

Clouds bring the promise of rain and are always a wonderful sight in dry climates like the Holy Land.

However, false teachers are like clouds without rain; they profess to bring answers and hope, but they have nothing to offer.

How does Proverbs 25:14 describe such charlatans?

Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift

Is like clouds and wind without rain.

Proverbs 25:14

Jude also describes false teachers as being like fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted (Jude 12d).

Trees usually produce their fruit in the fall, or autumn.

False teachers are like fruit trees that look like they will give fruit but produce none.

False teachers are twice dead because not only are they fruitless, but like fruitless trees, they will be uprooted and burned.

False teachers are also like wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame(13a).

Have you ever seen polluted water and the scum it leaves on the shore?

False teachers produce the scum of their shame.

Jude might have gotten his illustration from Isaiah 57:20. Write it below:

But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.Isaiah 57:20

False teachers are always casting up the foam of their own shame, or scum, in the form of selfishness, greed, deceit, and immorality.

They are also described as wandering stars, or falling stars(13b).

You may remember the song, “Catch a Falling Star and Put It in Your Pocket,” made famous by Perry Como in 1957.

In Jude’s day, fixed stars were used for navigation, both on land and sea.

False teachers are like wandering, or shooting, stars that offer no guidance or helpful directions.

Jude describes their end: for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever(13c).

Prophets for profit have reservations for the worst places in hell forever.

To unmask prophets for profit, examine their company, examine their content, and …

Examine their condemnation (14–15)

Jude writes, that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these false prophets (14a).

We don’t know much about Enoch, but from what we do know, he was a wonderful follower of God. God was so pleased with Enoch, what does Genesis 5:24 record about him?

Enoch was a preacher of righteousness in the wicked era before the Flood.

He faithfully walked with God for over 300 years (Gen. 5:22).

Only Jude tells us what Enoch preached: “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (14c–15).

Enoch’s prophecy was fulfilled in the Flood during the time of Noah.

However, it is clear this prophecy also refers to God’s judgment at the end of time.

Our Lord says when the end comes, the world will be as were the days of Noah (Mt 24:37).

37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

(Mt 24:37).

At that time, what will Jesus do (Matthew 13:41)?

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

Matthew 13:41

To unmask prophets for profit, examine their company, content, condemnation, and …

Examine their character

Jude concludes this section with more descriptions of false teachers.

1. They are grumblers, malcontents (16a).

The word translated grumblers, or “murmurers,” means “one who complains.”

This describes people who complain about those who faithfully proclaim God’s Word.

Those who complain most are most to be complained of.

People who serve God faithfully can trust Him to meet their material needs.

People who complain that they don’t get all they deserve should congratulate themselves.

It is worth noting that in all the NT the word Church is never used to describe a ‘building’. It always describes a body of men and women who have given their hearts to God.

William Barclay (New Testament Scholar)

2. They follow their own sinful desires, or “lusts” (16b).

They have an insatiable lust for sensuality and monetary gain.

3. They are loud-mouthed boasters (16c).

The word boastersis literally translated “great swelling words” in the kjv.

They use an impressive religious vocabulary that makes them sound super-spiritual.

4. They show favoritism to gain advantage (16d).

They flatter people to get what they want.

They are amazingly good at telling people what they selfishly want to hear, making it all sound spiritual.

Paul warns the time will come when people have itching ears and will not tolerate sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3c).

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

2 Tim. 4:3c

How does the rest of that verse describe them?

Prophets for profit flatter people who have itching ears by telling them God wants them to be rich.

In addition, people are told that by sending money to these “prophets,” they can get much more money in return.

They spiritualize greed and selfishness to make it sound Christian.

 It is better to be divided by Truth than be united by error.

 It is wrong to tell a lie.

Even worse, to teach a lie.

But my friend, it is monstrous to teach a lie about God.

There is no greater crime than to be a false prophet or to be a false teacher.

God does not take it lightly.

To unmask prophets for profit, examine their company, content, condemnation, and character.