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"Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile theflesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. ButMichael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil andargued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounceagainst him a railing judgment, but said, ―The Lord rebukeyou!‖ But these men revile the things which they do notunderstand; and the things which they know by instinct, likeunreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.―(Jude 8-10)Jude – Contending for the Faith

Exposition of 11Doom of the ApostatesJude – Contending for the Faith

Questions to ConsiderWhat is the ‗way of Cain‘?What ‗pay‘ are the apostates hoping to receive?"Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and forpay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam,and perished in the rebellion of Korah.‖(Jude 11)What was the error of Balaam?What was the rebellion of Korah?Jude – Contending for the Faith

“the Way of Cain…”Cain = ―possession‖" Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain,and she said, ―I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.‖ Again, she gave birth tohis brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Soit came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit ofthe ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fatportions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for hisoffering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then theLord said to Cain, ―Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ―If you dowell, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at thedoor; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.‖ Cain told Abel his brother. And itcame about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother andkilled him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ―Where is Abel your brother?‖ And he said, ―I donot know. Am I my brother‘s keeper?‖ He said, ―What have you done? The voice of yourbrother‘s blood is crying to Me from the ground. ―Now you are cursed from the ground,which has opened its mouth to receive your brother‘s blood from your hand. ―When youcultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and awanderer on the earth.‖"(Genesis 4:1-12)Jude – Contending for the Faith

“the Way of Cain…”Instead of mastering sin, Cain ismastered and is prototypical ofthe apostates Jude writes about,who are engrossed in sin. Insteadof approaching God as He hascommanded and willed, Cainapproaches God after his ownwill, and is prototypical ofsomeone who rejects redemptionby blood. Cain is cursed by Godand is prototypical of those whofail to follow God as He hascommanded, such as theapostates who are also doomed.Jude – Contending for the Faith

“the Way of Cain…”"For this is the message which you have heardfrom the beginning, that we should love oneanother; not as Cain, who was of the evil one andslew his brother. And for what reason did he slayhim? Because his deeds were evil, and hisbrother‘s were righteous."(1 John 3:11-12)Jude – Contending for the Faith

Word Study – Rushed Headlongexechythēsan"Woe to them! For they have gone theway of Cain, and for pay they haverushed headlong into the error ofBalaam, and perished in the rebellion ofKorah.‖- Jude 11Interpretation & ApplicationGreek Meaning1 Pour out2 Cause to fully experience3 To give oneself totally incommitment, give oneself up toArndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000).A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testamentand other early Christian literature.These apostates, rather than be totally sold out and devoted the God (as a bond-servant would be),then instead have fully committed themselves to the a different path – one exemplified by a greedy anddeceiving prophet who said he would do or say nothing but what God told him to and yet, in the end, heended up advising Israel‘s enemies on how to pollute and infiltrate God‘s people. The apostates desireis to serve a different master – money – and as Jesus said, "―No one can serve two masters; for eitherhe will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannotserve God and wealth."(Matthew 6:24)Jude – Contending for the Faith

“Perished in the Rebellion of Korah…”" Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathanand Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, tookaction, and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel,two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men ofrenown. They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them,―You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them,and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assemblyof the Lord?‖ When Moses heard this, he fell on his face; and he spoke to Korahand all his company, saying, ―Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His, andwho is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose,He will bring near to Himself‖. . . . "As he finished speaking all these words, theground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth andswallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korahwith their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive toSheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of theassembly."(Numbers 16:1-5, 31-33)Jude – Contending for the Faith

• Cain – rebelled against God‘s authority in salvation• Balaam – rebelled against God‘s authority in separation• Korah - rebelled against God‘s authority in serviceJude – Contending for the Faith

Exposition of 12 - 13Doom of the Apostates, Part TwoJude – Contending for the Faith

"These are the men who are hidden reefs in yourlove feasts when they feast with you without fear,caring for themselves; clouds without water, carriedalong by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doublydead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting uptheir own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whomthe black darkness has been reserved forever."(Jude 12-13)Jude – Contending for the Faith

"These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast withyou without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds;autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting uptheir own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has beenreserved forever."(Jude 12-13)1. Hidden Reefs2. Clouds Without Water3. Autumn Trees Without Fruit4. Wild Waves5. Wandering StarsJude – Contending for the Faith

“Hidden Reefs in Your Love Feasts…”Hidden reefs speak of having a shipwreckin regards to faith. Some othertranslations than the NASB render this―spot‖ or ―blemish‘, which would convey adefilement.The "love feasts" were communal meals inwhich the early church ate together andobserved the Lord's Supper. Theywere the closest type of celebrationbeliever had. The apostates, from anexternal standpoint, seemed to fit right in."Without the slightest qualm" (aphobos,lit., "without fear") means that the falseteachers do not recognize the terror ofthe Lord against those who mock hisSon's death shown in Paul‘s discussionof the Lord‘s Supper (1 Cor. 11:29).Jude – Contending for the Faith

Word Study – CaringpoimainōGreek Meaning1 Serve as tender of sheep2 To shepherd"These are the men who are hidden reefs inyour love feasts when they feast with youwithout fear, caring for themselves; cloudswithout water, carried along by winds; autumntrees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;‖- Jude 12Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W.(2000). A Greek-English lexicon of theNew Testament and other early Christianliterature.Interpretation & ApplicationRather than follow the true Shepherd Jesus Christ, serve others, and care for the peopleof God (Christ‘s sheep), the apostates are only interested in feeding and caring forthemselves. They put themselves first and neglect others, which is a clear sign of them notbeing Spirit led. Leaders in the Church should be characterized by a servant‘s heart andnot be self-serving. A clear sign of a false teacher is they put themselves first and ignore thebody of Christ.Jude – Contending for the Faith

"―Son of man, prophesy against theshepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say tothose shepherds, ‗Thus says the Lord God,―Woe, shepherds of Israel who have beenfeeding themselves! Should not the shepherdsfeed the flock?"(Ezekiel 34:2)Jude – Contending for the Faith

“Clouds without Water…”Clouds that should promise rain, but fail toproduce what people hope for are adisappointment to those who desperatelyneed water. The apostates look like men whocan give spiritual help, and they boast of theirabilities, but they are unable to produce.Apostate teachers promise to bring the truespiritual blessing and refreshment from God,but they do not deliver on that promise. Theterm translated without water (anudros) alsooccurs in Matthew 12:43 in reference to thewanderings of evil spirits through dry andbarren places (cf.Luke 11:24–26). Bydescribing false teachers in the same way thatLuke describes demons, Jude reiterated theconnection between the apostates and theirsatanic sources.Jude – Contending for the Faith

"Like clouds and wind without rain is aman who boasts of his gifts falsely."(Proverbs 25:14)Jude – Contending for the Faith

“Autumn Trees without Fruit…”Autumn is the season when farmers andgardeners expect to harvest the final crops ofthe year. If nothing comes, they must enduredisappointment and hardship through thewinter. The next spring they can begin againthe painstaking process of fertilizing, planting,watering, and waiting for the crop to mature.With this in mind, the phrase autumn treeswithout fruit pictures the disappointing realityof a barren harvest.A fruitless tree that is uprooted is deadforever—thus it is twice dead. The deadcondition of apostate leaders was indicatedby two things: (a) they did not bear spiritualfruit in others, and (b) they were withoutspiritual roots themselves, and thus facedjudgment.Jude – Contending for the Faith

"―You will know them by their fruits."(Matthew 7:16)"―And the one on whom seed was sown on the goodsoil, this is the man who hears the word andunderstands it; who indeed bears fruit and bringsforth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and somethirty.‖"(Matthew 13:23)―Every plant which My heavenly Father did notplant shall be uprooted."(Matthew 15:13)Jude – Contending for the Faith

" How blessed is the man who does not walk inthe counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in thepath of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!But his delight is in the law of the Lord, Andin His law he meditates day and night. He willbe like a tree firmly planted by streams ofwater, Which yields its fruit in its season Andits leaf does not wither; And in whatever hedoes, he prospers."(Psalm 1:1-3)Jude – Contending for the Faith

“Wild Waves of the Sea…”―Wild‖ describes the quality of theapostates – they are untamed.The sea is oftentimes pictured inScripture as chaos and/or peoplewho do not have any realknowledge of God.Waves cast their foam or scum atthe seashore – it is their endproduct. Like waves of the sea,the end product of the apostatesis their shame which is available forall to see.Jude – Contending for the Faith

"But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For itcannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuseand mud. ―There is no peace,‖ says my God,―for the wicked.‖"(Isaiah 57:20-21)Jude – Contending for the Faith

" Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; forthe first heaven and the first earth passedaway, and there is no longer any sea."(Revelation 21:1)Jude – Contending for the Faith

“Wandering Stars…”The ancients called the planets"wandering stars" because of theirmovements. The reference here could beto meteors, shooting stars, comets, orplanets; but planets is the most likelymeaning. An unpredictable star wouldprovide no guidance for navigation sofalse teachers are useless anduntrustworthy. If any shipmaster would bestupid enough to follow one, he would beled astray. Similarly the prominence ofapostate leaders is short-lived, useless,and false. They do lead unwary followersastray, pretending to be what they arenot.Jude – Contending for the Faith

"―Let them alone; they are blind guides of theblind. And if a blind man guides a blind man,both will fall into a pit.‖"(Matthew 15:14)Jude – Contending for the Faith

“Black Darkness has been Reserved Forever…”The apostates Jude speaksabout have an eternal reservationthat has been by God for them – itis the outer darkness that is faraway from the presence of God.Furthermore, the placement of theapostates into such a place isforever – in the same way that truebelievers have eternal life, thosewho reject the faith have eternalseparation as their payment.Jude – Contending for the Faith

"―I say to you that many will come from eastand west, and recline at the table withAbraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom ofheaven; but the sons of the kingdom will becast out into the outer darkness; in that placethere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.‖"(Matthew 8:11-12)Jude – Contending for the Faith

Concluding Thoughts• Cain, Balaam, and Korah had one key thing in common: arebellious attitude towards God. Not coincidentally, Satan is arebel too. We all need to guard against rebellion against God‘s planof salvation (Cain), His commands for doctrinal and moral purity(Balaam), and His authority (Korah).• False teachers have all the same characteristics: a self-serving spirit,devoid of spiritual substance, no true spiritual fruit, no sense ofshame, and an untrustworthy teaching that leads people astray. AllChristians need to be watchful for such people in the Church asthey can be hard to detect at first.• Judgment for those who rebel against God is certain – their place inthe ‗black darkness‘ literally has been reserved already for them. Weneed to do what we can save those who are being led into judgmentby the apostate blind guides.Jude – Contending for the Faith

Concluding ThoughtsMany unbelievers say the God of the Old Testament is amean and wrathful God whereas the God of the NewTestament is loving and merciful…Jude – Contending for the Faith

Concluding ThoughtsJude‘s arguments from the Old Testament are applied to the Newindicating that God‘s justice is the same today as they were during theOld Testament – A fact demonstrated by the author of Hebrews inthis ‗ad fortiori‘ (argument from strength) statement:" For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we haveheard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spokenthrough angels proved unalterable, and every transgression anddisobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if weneglect so great a salvation? "(Hebrews 2:1-3)Jude – Contending for the Faith

JudeContending for the FaithDoom of the ApostatesJude – Contending for the Faith