Jude 17-19

IntroductionA pastor's work is manifold. However, there are two basic components:Warning:

Acts 20:28–30 (NASB95)

28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Leading/teaching/exhortation:

1 Peter 5:1–4 (NASB95)

Serve God Willingly

1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,

2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;

3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.

4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Thus, Jude begins to turn the corner from warning to teaching, or exhortation.

Begin with Titus 1:10-16!!!

Titus 1:10–16 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound (Hygienic - clean, pure, unmixed) in the faith,

14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

15 To the pure (those having pure/clean doctrine, unmixed with error as above), all things are pure (i.e. ceremonially clean-Acts 10); but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Paul's point is that those who have mixed truth with error have abandoned "sound" doctrine. "Sound" = hygienic, clean. Their teaching is mixed with Jewish myths, commandments of men, and are defiled. Titus had to deal with These men who were rebellious, empty talkers. They were deceivers, and they must be silenced. Why? Because their behavior and doctrine is upsetting otherwise "doctrinally-clean" households. They are introducing Jewish myths and commandments of men into their Christology and thus confusing the saints. They must be stopped. But how? How can we stop the infiltration? By remembering the words of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 17-1917 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Jude 17 (UBS4)

17 Ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀγαπητοί, μνήσθητε τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν προειρημένων ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

Main verb: remember the words…These are specific statements that are far from general.These are specific statements that refer to a time when the apostles verbally taught the people in this body. They were spoken beforehand They were spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. When were they spoken?2 Peter 3:1-2Peter is writing a second letter.This letter contains what was spoken beforehand in letter and in person (see 1 Peter 1:25). In fact, many prophets and apostles ministered in this little church (1 Peter 1:12). This again demonstrates why we believe that Jude was written before Peter. Jude is calling them to remember back when Peter made the same statements that Jude is making. What was spoken? We will see that in v.18.Who were the apostles?

These were specific representatives, servants, of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is more than simply Jesus picking some men to go about and preach. Although it includes that, there is more to this.

These men were chosen by Christ (John 6:70; 15:16, 19). They were chosen in order to bear fruit (John 15:16). Thus, we also are to bear fruit. Their ministry was that of teaching the church. They were not chosen because of their tie to the world. They were chosen as distinct from the world altogether (John 15:19). This is significant. Paul also understand this as well (1 Cor. 4:11-17). The apostles were not elite levels of men. Rather, they were, by nature of the office, slaves of the King and that King is coming in His kingdom. That kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), and thus their service is of the kingdom to come. It is different, and so is ours. These men were the foundation of the church, and still are. What does that mean? If we see the church as a building, a temple.If we understand that the building is built by the Word of God.If we understand that the process of this construction of the building is teaching, the truth about the Christ, whereby if men believe it, they will be "built up." Then we understand that their teaching is the foundation of the church.

They are not the foundation of the church in the sense that they, themselves, are something special. We know this because Jesus had to rebuke them so many times. They were sinful and, at times, ignorant of their Master's will. However, they had the Word of God. The example that best pictures this is the conversation Jesus had with Peter (Matthew 16:18f). It is their doctrine, teaching, that became the foundation of a true church. We see this in Acts 2:42f. We see this in Ephesians 2:20f. We see this in Ephesians 4:11f. We see this in Acts 1 when they gathered together in the upper room. We see this in the writings of the NT which were done by the apostles and their representatives.Further, their future is in the New Jerusalem wherein they will have foundation stones of the wall of Jerusalem etched with their names, all 12. They will sit upon 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel (Mt. 19:28; Lk.22:30). We ought to do the same. We ought to remember the words they spoke as well. Notice that the readers were not called to simply recall the words themselves. They were instructed to remember the meaning and significance of the words. The words of the apostles were inspired and therefore authoritative. v.18

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They were saying. Jude leaves no room for wondering what was said, or what Jude meant. "Upon the times of the last there will be ungodly mockers going according to their own lusts."The statement spoken of by the apostles of the Lord specifically stated that there would be ungodly mockers in the last of the times. How did they know this? According to 2 Peter 2:1, Peter surmised this from the testimony of the false teachers of the OT. There were false prophets then, there will be false teachers now. Peter knew this also because of the Lord's ministry. See "Jesus' Opposition" clipping. Who are these ungodly mockers?2 Peter 3:3-9Notice that Peter says basically the same thing. In the last times, mockers will come. These things were spoken about by the prophets, the apostles, and the Lord Jesus Himself. These mockers laugh at Scripture in light of what they see. They refuse to believe that judgment is coming because they don't see it now. They will not listen to the prophets and apostles.

Their mockery seems to be directed against the delay in the parousia, and consequently against the Church’s eschatology in general. Certainly 2 Pt. understood Jd. 18 in this way. Originally the term might have had a more general reference. The scoffer is the opposite of the righteous, and though each age and ecclesiastical trend has its specific opponents, who are condemned, the designation “mocker” does not mean that these opponents scoffed at specific Church views or doctrines, but simply characterises the attitude of these men as hostile to revelation, or ungodly

, vol. 5, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-), 636.

They follow their own lusts.

1 Peter 1:25Peter preached the Word of God. Peter preached to them and contained the summation of his teaching in his epistles.

They, and their teaching, is the result of their own lusts. See Galatians 6:12These false teaching, apostate, mockers like to ridicule the accurate, clear, unadulterated Word of God. 📷Further description of these apostates:Soulish =

"Epigrammatically one might say that the ψυχικός (soulish one) becomes a σαρκικός (fleshly one) when he confesses that he is a believer but is still exclusively set on what is earthly."

, vol. 9, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-), 663.

The idea is one whose heart and soul is from this world. That is, he born from humanity, not born again. This is why we need a new spirit. John 1:13; 3:3-7 1 Corinthians 15:50Those who are from this world are worldly. Those who are of the Spirit, i.e. born again, are spiritual. There is no in between.Romans 8:5f.