Jude: The Acts of the Apostates

Preface

Fighting Truth Decay: The Message of Jude First Word

Where you lived didn’t matter. How wealthy you were didn’t matter. Who you were didn’t matter. September 11, 2001 was a date we will all remember.

When those hijacked airplanes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, into the Pentagon in Washington DC, and into the ground in Western Pennsylvania, civilised people around the world were horrified. As an American, I was especially saddened when I watched those twin wonders of architecture crumble to the ground, knowing they were filled with people, many of whom would not know the Lord. The scene is indelibly impressed into my mind.

But there was another tragedy that day. It didn’t dominate the news for the next week or ten days. In fact, it didn’t make the news at all. This tragedy reveals more of the inadequacy of the Christian heart than the hatred of the radical Muslim heart. The tragedy of which I speak was the almost total inability of Christians to give adequate, biblical answers to questions about how this could happen. And not just American Christians; Christians everywhere were curiously at a loss for a ‘biblical perspective’ on the tragedies. Why?

Truth decay!

We have become so unfamiliar with God’s word in good times that we are often unable to summon its strength in bad times. Truth has become so twisted in the world. Not much makes sense anymore. But this is not new to the third millennium; it was true in the first century as well. The tiny epistle of Jude bears witness to that.

The beginning of the church-age is described in “The Acts Of The Apostles.” The end of the church-age is set forth in the little epistle of “Jude,” which might well be called “The Acts Of The Apostates.”

* In ACTS we see the deeds and teachings of men of God through whom Christ began to build His church.

* In JUDE we see the deeds and teachings of evil men who will be living on the earth as the history of the professing church comes to an end.

Paul spoke of the “falling away” from the faith of our fathers in the last days

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NKJV

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

2 Thess 2:

2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 NKJV

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–3 NKJV

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

Paul describes it as a “departure from the faith”

2 thess

1 Timothy 4:1 NKJV

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

And unwillingness to “endure sound doctrine”

2 Timothy 4:3 NKJV

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

2 tim 4:3

 In studying any book of the Bible, it is necessary for us to get the right perspective by learning as much as we can about the circumstances under which it was written:

1. The Writer: “Jude”—(v 1). “Jude” is the shortened English form of the name “Judas.” He was the brother of James, who was “the Lord’s brother” (). This means that Jude was a half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. (, )

2. The Date: Approximately A.D. 66—69

3. The Theme: Assurance for the Christian Believer in the days of apostasy. The word for “keep” occurs 4 times (vs. 1, 6, 21, 24).

This “apostasy” or “falling away” or “departure from the faith” is very widespread in our day. Sometimes people who were once attracted to Christianity drift away without ever making a genuine commitment to Christ Himself. Sometimes they actually leave the church, but many times they seek to remain in the mainstream of church life though they no longer believe in the basic truths of Christianity. These are the “apostates” about whom Jude warned us. THEY ARE “WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING”: PRETENDERS!

… They pretend to speak for Christ, but deny His deity and reject His Lordship.

… They pretend to believe the Bible, but deny its inspiration, reject its authority, and pervert its teachings to suit their own preconceived ideas.

… They pretend to serve God, but in reality are serving their own selfish interests and desires.

The thing that distinguishes “apostates” from other false teachers is that apostates claim to be Christian. APOSTASY IS AN INSIDE JOB! That is WHY it is so dangerous! Spiritual warfare would be so much simpler if all the enemies of the church were outside, but our ranks have been infiltrated by traitors (v 4) who are working for our defeat and destruction.

Jude writes to warn us about these apostates and to describe their characteristics in detail so that we will be able to recognize them. The book of Jude is “A SURVIVOR’S MANUAL” for Christians living in times of apostasy. No other book gives Christians such a clear picture of how God wants them to live when they find themselves in the midst of widespread apostasy. Yet, and this is sad, this little book is probably the most neglected, most unread, and therefore most unknown book in the New Testament to most Christians.

Listen as I read this short book, emphasis added by me.

Jude

Jude 1–25 NKJV

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

Jude 1–25 NKJV

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

common; koinos