Beware the Pretenders

Twice Dead Men, Part 2

Jude 12-16

INTRODUCTION

Jude wrote these words in verses 12 to 16 of his epistle: "These [false teachers] are spots in your love feasts, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear; clouds they are without water, carried about by winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."

That is a severe description of apostates, people who have departed from the faith. Throughout his brief epistle, Jude deals with those dangerous people. They sit in a position of destruction within the church of Jesus Christ.

A. The Reality of Hell

Jude 15 talks about the Lord executing judgment and verse 13 mentions "the blackness of darkness forever." Those severe words of God's judgment bring to mind thoughts about hell. The Bible teaches much about hell, which is one of two places that people go when they die. Some people find it very difficult to believe that hell is stated as a reality in Scripture. Even Christians, who talk so much about the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and the grace of God, tend to forget the reality of hell. It is interesting to note that our loving Savior had more to say about hell than any other person did in the Bible.

1. MATTHEW 5:22, 30--Much of what our Lord said about hell is found in the Sermon on the Mount. As He proclaimed God's principles, Jesus spoke about the reality of hell. He began with a reference to the "danger of hell fire." In Matthew 5:30, He stated that hell was so severe that the loss of a limb or an eye for life would be better than experiencing hell for an eternity.

2. MATTHEW 7:19--In the same sermon, Jesus also said, "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

3. MATTHEW 8:12--Jesus said that "the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and the gnashing of teeth."

4. MARK 9:43-45--"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into life maimed than, having two hands, to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter lame into life than, having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched."

Jesus described hell as a constantly burning fire of eternal torment. Yet it is a place of isolation in darkness, where one experiences tormenting remorse. The New Testament teaches the reality of hell, and the teacher who most emphasized it was none other than our Lord Jesus Christ.

B. The Retribution of Hell

There will be degrees of torment in hell. The suffering of some will be far more intense than the suffering of others.

1. MATTHEW 11:22-24--Jesus said, "But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you [Chorazin and Bethsaida]. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hades; for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." In other words, people of Sodom will find hell more tolerable than people from Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. The difference in the intensity of hell is directly related to a greater or lesser knowledge of the truth.

2. LUKE 12:47-48--"And that servant, who knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Again we find that the degree of punishment will relate to the amount of truth that one knows.

So, hell is a reality. It is a place of torment, isolation, darkness, and remorse. The hottest part of hell is reserved for those who knew the most and rejected it. That is precisely what Hebrews 10:29 teaches us: "Of how much more sorer [more severe] punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant...an unholy thing...?" It would have been better if those who rejected the truth had never known it. That is the case with an apostate who knows the truth of God but willfully turns away from it. Apostasy is the most serious of all sins, and the severest punishment is reserved for it.

Mixed Emotions Regarding Apostasy

I have mixed emotions when I see apostasy: I am angry at the apostate, but I feel broken inside over the godless eternity that he will experience. Do you know what it means for a person to sit in a church year after year, and never come to know Jesus Christ? Do you know what it means for somebody to study the Bible, and maybe even go to Bible college or seminary, and yet turn into a false teacher? For someone that close to the truth to live in torment for eternity is a sobering thought!

REVIEW

From verses 8 to 11 Jude characterized apostate false teachers. It's bad enough to be an apostate, one who rejects the faith; but it's even worse to be an apostate false teacher who rejects the faith and then teaches error. In the mind of the Holy Spirit, apostates are so dangerous and destructive that He used the most vivid language to describe them. We examined...

I. THEIR CONDUCT (vv. 8-10)

II. THEIR COMPANY (v. 11 )

In verses 12 and 13 Jude describes...

III. THEIR CHARACTER (vv. 12-13)

The words that Jude used to explain the character of apostate false teachers are so dramatic that I struggle to communicate the intensity of the anger he was probably feeling. At the same time, Jude must have recognized the terrible future of an apostate and therefore experienced a sense of sadness in his heart. Jude has employed practically every literary angle possible to describe apostates: He has talked about angels, compared apostates to animals, recounted biblical history, and now he moves into the area of natural phenomena. Jude says, "These are spots [hidden rocks] in your love feasts, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear; clouds they are without water, carried about by winds; trees whose fruit withereth [lit. `autumn trees'], without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." Those verbal metaphors are very vivid: hidden rocks, waterless clouds, autumn trees, raging waves, and wandering stars. That is how Jude describes apostate false teachers. Hidden rocks speak of the danger of apostasy. Waterless clouds refer to the false promises that apostates make. Autumn trees illustrate the barrenness of apostasy. Raging waves depict its wasted effort, foaming out nothing but shame. Wandering stars picture its brief and aimless course ending in darkness. What descriptions!

Commentator S. Maxwell Coder said, "one is reminded by way of contrast with the Lord whom these men deny. He is the Rock of our salvation; they are hidden rocks threatening shipwreck to the faith. He comes with clouds to refresh His people forever; these are clouds which do not even bring temporary blessing. He is a tree of life; these are trees of death. He leads beside still waters; these are like the restless, troubled sea. He is the bright and morning Star heralding the coming day; these are wandering stars presaging a night of eternal darkness" (Jude: The Acts of the Apostates [Chicago: Moody Press, 1958] p. 76).

Let's look at the specific descriptions of apostate false teachers:

A. Sunken Rocks (v. 12a-b)

The word "spots" is the Greek term spilades, which is best translated "rocks." It refers to rocks that jut out in the sea, or a hidden reef. The picture is of a ship sailing along that runs aground on rocks that are not visible on the surface. Jude warns his readers that destructive "rocks" are hidden in...

1. THE FEAST OF LOVE (v. 12a)

"These are spots [hidden rocks] in your love feasts..."

a. Analyzed

In the early church, the love feast was an exciting part of church life. It brought together the rich and the poor, the two dominant economic classes of the ancient world. The love feast allowed the rich to share what they possessed with the poor. For a Christian who was a slave, that feast might have been the only good meal he had all week. It was held on the Lord's day, prior to sharing in communion. Everyone brought what they could afford and tangibly shared with others as a demonstration of their love. Unfortunately, the love feast was abused, and its practice deteriorated by the end of the first century.

b. Abused

The New Testament shows us an example of its abuse in the church at Corinth. The Corinthian love feasts had deteriorated into a banquet of confusion marred with gluttony, drunkenness, and division. Some of the Corinthians would hoard their food rather than share it with others who had nothing at all. First Corinthians 11:17-22 says, "Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together, not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they who are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together, therefore, into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating everyone taketh before the other his own supper; and one is hungry, and another is drunk. What? Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not."

The church at Corinth had destroyed the meaning of the love feast. Do you know who was responsible? The "hidden rocks," the apostate false teachers who twisted the love feast to their own ends. The love feast should have been a time of choice fellowship, but wicked men were using it to provoke immorality. The feast served as a cloak as they gratified their own lusts. With increasing abuse, it wasn't long until the practice of the love feast in the early church was totally abandoned.

2. THE FEARLESSNESS OF LUST (v. 12b)

"...when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear..."

Apostate false teachers have no sense of conviction. Their conduct damages everybody else: When they came to the love feast, they selfishly fed themselves (Gk. poimaino). That is the same verb used of a pastor who shepherds or feeds his flock. False shepherds make sure that they have everything they need; they care nothing about anybody else. There are many false teachers in this world who only shepherd themselves. They attempt to destroy the church by disrupting its morality and fellowship as they seek to gratify their own lusts.

B. Waterless Clouds (v. 12c)

"...clouds they are without water, carried about by winds..."

Clouds bring promise of rain in most parts of the world. People in dry lands depended on the rain that clouds bring. But Jude compares apostate teachers to clouds without rain. In other words, they profess to have answers, but they had absolutely nothing to offer. How many people have you met who go to a church where they receive no nourishment? The ministers of such churches can be like clouds without rain: it may look like something good is going to come, but it never does. People may think they're getting something of value--but they're not!C.Barren Trees (v. 12d)

"...trees whose fruit withereth [lit. `autumn trees'], without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots"

When autumn trees lose their leaves, they appear barren and dry. In a similar way, apostates are devoid of spiritual life. They are unproductive. Because they are useless...

1. THEY WILL BE UPROOTED

In Matthew 15:13, the Lord said, "...Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." That's what barren false teachers are destined for; their false claim to have fruit is unmasked as soon as they are examined.

2. THEY WILL BE CUT DOWN

In Luke 13:6-9, "[Jesus] spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit on it, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none. Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he, answering, said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and fertilize it; and if it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Similarly, false teachers can receive all the proper training and influence, but they produce nothing but empty professions. Their teachings will never produce new creatures in Christ or build up Christians.

Apostate false teachers are void of spiritual life. They are "twice dead", according to Jude. In autumn, many trees appear to be dead. In spring and summer, those same trees were covered with leaves. But false teachers are not just dead in appearance, they are also dead in reality. Their fruitlessness is not only a sign of temporary death; it is also a sign of permanent death. Although seasons change, they will never produce anything. They will be plucked up and burned--their doom is sealed. They are totally dead and beyond any hope of recovery. The only thing to do is to get rid of them.

D. Raging Waves (v. 13a)

"Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame..."

The sea is very frequently used in the Bible as a symbol of those who don't know God. For example, Isaiah 57:20-21 says, "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Have you ever seen polluted water and the scum it leaves on the shore? False teachers produce something--but it's only the scum of their shame. As the waves of false prophecy roll in, one after another, they pile up the scum of their shameful deeds against God, and His Son, His truth, and His people. The scum is the expression of their religious harlotry.E. Wandering Stars (v. 13b)

"...wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."

When I was young, my dad would point out shooting stars that appeared as flashes through the sky and immediately disappeared. Jude likens apostate false teachers to "wandering stars," the meteors that appear as stars transversing space. However, true stars don't wander like shooting stars; they move in an orderly progression and appear to shine continuously. Hence, the Bible refers to God's people as stars that will shine forever (Dan. 12:3). In contrast, false teachers make a big flash and then burn out. They come and go like shooting stars. It is interesting to note that the word "wandering" has the same root as the word that is translated "error" in verse 11. False teachers are erroneous stars that flash across the sky in brilliance for a moment, but then disappear into an eternal night--never to be seen again.

There are a lot of them flashing around, aren't there? But the ones that we see today are different than the ones we saw ten years ago. They all come and go. False teachers appear for a little while, flashing erratically and rebelliously across man's sky just long enough to attract many who vanish with them into eternal darkness. Their destiny is the most intense, indescribable hell imaginable.

False teachers who say that God is something other than He revealed Himself to be, that Jesus Christ is not deity, that He was not born of a virgin, that the Bible is not the Word of God, that salvation is by works rather than grace--those are the individuals that Jude has been describing. They are the among the many apostates that have been attached to Christianity, but have rejected the truth. To be an apostate is bad enough, but to be a false teacher is the severest rebellion of all. Paul warned the Ephesian elders about false teachers who would seek to destroy the church: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Ac. 20:29- 30). The infiltration of the church with false teachers is Satan's plan.

Taking the warnings of Jude to heart can serve as preventative medicine. That is a lot better than trying to pick up the pieces after the damage is done. If you know somebody who knows the truth of Jesus Christ and is rejecting it, you better clarify what God has to say about apostasy. God will someday uproot apostate false teachers who have crept into the church with their empty promises and fruitless deeds, and cast them into outer darkness.

IV. THEIR CONDEMNATION (vv. 14-16)

A. By Enoch (vv. 14-15)

1. HIS IDENTIFICATION (v. 14a)

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam..."

Who was Enoch? Jude tells us that he was part of the seventh generation from Adam: Adam, Seth, Enos, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, and then Enoch (Gen. 5:3-19). Enoch was unique in the fact that God took him directly to heaven--he never died: "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him" (Gen. 5:24; cf. Heb. 11:5). Evidently, God was so pleased with Enoch that one day he was ushered into the presence of God. He is a prophetic picture of the rapture of the church.

2. HIS INSPIRATION (v. 14b)

"And Enoch...prophesied of these..."

a. Considered

Enoch was also a prophet. In fact, he was the only prophet we know about before the flood. His words have been preserved by Jude throughout the inspiration of Holy Spirit. Verses 14 and 15 record a prophecy that Enoch gave before the flood. That is why Jude ranks with the great men of the Bible; he was able to know things that no human being could have ever revealed. He is one of the "holy men of God [who] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:21).

b. Compared

1) To Moses

Moses was able to accurately record the whole account of creation. How did he do that? The Spirit of God revealed the specific information to him.

2) To Paul

In 2 Timothy 3:8, Paul mentioned the Egyptian magicians Jannes and Jambres by name, even though they aren't even mentioned in Exodus. I believe that he learned their names through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 20:35, he said, "...remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." When did the Lord say that? I don't know, because it's the only statement of the Lord recorded outside of the gospels. Although Paul wasn't around, he knew the Lord had said that. Perhaps the Spirit had revealed that to him as well.

3) To Peter

Peter said, "...Noah, the eighth person [saved from the flood, was] a preacher of righteousness..." (2 Pet. 2:5). Where did he get the information that Noah was a preacher? Genesis doesn't record that fact. I believe that Peter received that information from the Holy Spirit.

Moses, Paul, and Peter wrote things that only God could have revealed to them. So did Jude. When Jude wrote, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied...," he must have thought, "This is exciting!" I don't believe that Enoch's prophecy was preserved by oral tradition passed on through generations. I think that Jude received it as divine revelation.

3. HIS INDICTMENT (vv. 14c-15)

"...Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints [lit. `holy ones'], to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

That is the first prophecy in the history of man regarding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The first prophecy ever given through a man wasn't about the First Coming; it was about the Second Coming. There was the prophecy about the bruising of the serpent's head, but that was given by God (Gen. 3:15). Similarly, the last prophecy given in the Bible is recorded in Revelation 22:20. It also is a prophecy of Christ's Second Coming. The prophecies about the return of Christ deal with judgment--God wants men to know about it.

We learn four things from Jude's prophecy of Christ's return:

a. The Prophecy of His Coming

"...Behold, the Lord cometh..."

The verb "cometh" might be translated in the present tense in your Bible, but the literal Greek should be rendered "came." Whenever something was absolutely going to happen and couldn't be changed, it was spoken of as if it had already taken place. For example, Ephesians 2:6 says that God has already "raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." We may not be in heaven yet, but that promise is as secure as if you were there. Technically, Jude says, "The Lord came," because from God's perspective, Christ's Second Coming has already occurred. God lives in an eternal present.

The second thing we know from Enoch's prophecy is the identity of those who will be coming with Him.

b. The Persons at His Coming

"...with ten thousands [lit. `myriads'] of His saints [lit. `holy ones']."

When the Lord returns, He will not be by Himself. He's going to return with His holy ones.

1) Deuteronomy 33:2--"...The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; He shined forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints...." The myriad of holy ones who accompanied the Lord then were His angels.

2) Zechariah 14:5--"And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah; and the LORD, my God, shall come, and all the saints with thee." Here the reference is not so much to the angels, but to godly people.

3) Matthew 25:31--"...the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him...." You say, "How many angels are there?" I don't know, but there will be enough!

4) Colossians 3:4--"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Besides angels, saints will also be returning with Christ.

When I was a child, I always used to wonder whether I'd get to see the Second Coming or if I'd miss out on everything. I was afraid I'd get raptured and be in heaven when all the action was going on. Then I realized that when the Lord comes back, He's coming with the angels and the saints as well. The myriads include all the holy ones: holy angels and redeemed people.

c. The Purpose of His Coming (v. 15a)

"...to execute judgment upon all..."

Why is the Lord coming? To execute judgment on all. That is an example of the "infinitive of purpose" in Greek. The Lord is coming for the purpose of judgment. All rebels and unbelievers will be judged. The scope is universal. People will cry for rocks and mountains to fall on them so they can hide them from the wrath of God, but there will be no escape (Rev. 6:15-17). The Lord Jesus once came in humility to bring salvation; He will come again in judgment to bring His wrath.

Second Thessalonians 1:7-10 says, "And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe...." When the Lord comes, the saints are going to be glorified, but all others are going to experience the flaming fire of vengeance. I believe that demons will be judged then as well. That seems to be the indication of Isaiah 24:21 and Matthew 8:29.

We know that the Lord will come, we know who He will come with, and we know why He will come. But what will be the result of His coming?

d. The Product of His Coming (v. 15b)

"...[He will] convict all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

The Lord's Coming will result in tremendous conviction in the lives of ungodly people. They will all be convicted. The verdict will be: guilty. At the judgment, Jesus will say, "...Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Mt. 25:41). Enoch's prophecy vividly indicts unbelievers for their ungodly character, attitudes, actions, and words. That includes apostates who have spoken against God and willfully rejected Him. Of course, unbelievers who aren't classified as apostates will experience the judgment of God as well.

So, Jude quotes Enoch who, centuries ago, stated the terrible judgment on apostates and other ungodly people. It is something that God has been dealing with since before the flood.B. By Jude (v. 16)

Jude gives a summary condemnation of apostate false teachers. It appears to be an expression of his hatred of apostasy. He says, "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage [or, `flattering people to gain an advantage']." How do you recognize apostate false teachers? Jude gives another condemnatory description of them...

1. AS MURMURERS

The Greek word for "murmurers" is used in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament) to describe the murmurings of the children of Israel in the wilderness (Ex. 16:8). Those men griped discontentedly against God in sullen rebellion. John 6:41 says, "The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, I am the bread that came down from heaven." Later in the same chapter, we find that "many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him" (v. 66). First they murmured, and then they became apostate. Being discontent with God's truth and rebelling against His will is typical of murmurers.

2. AS COMPLAINERS

Complaining is loud murmuring. Whereas murmuring is a sullen, under-the-breath expression of discontent, complaining is a louder version of the same basic attitude. A compound Greek word is used here that means "to blame" and "fate." Therefore, to complain is to grumble about your life situation. Apostates are grumblers. They're always finding fault. They don't know the meaning of "godliness with contentment" (1 Tim.

That trait is exemplified many time in the Bible: The fallen angels were dissatisfied with their estate and habitation (Jd. 6). Israel was dissatisfied in the wilderness (Ex. 16:2-3). Korah was dissatisfied with the preisthood and mediator that God established (Num. 16:1-3). Cain was dissatisfied with God's plan for sacrifice (Gen. 4:5). Balaam was dissatisfied and decided to set aside God's will for money (Jd. 11). Apostate false teachers murmur and then complain in open rebellion about their situation and God's will. Instead of obeying God, Jude says that they walk "after their own lusts" (v. 16). They habitually seek to pacify their discontent with lustful self-satisfaction.

3. AS DECEIVERS

Apostate false teachers speak with "great swelling words" (v. 16). They are characterized by pompous verbosity that actually signifies nothing. Their speeches may sound like great oratory, but they consist of empty words that have the purpose of seducing people. Second Peter 2:18 says, "...they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh...."

4. AS FLATTERERS

The last thing Jude says about apostate false teachers is that they flatter people to gain an advantage. They say what people want to hear, acquiescing to popular opinion, in order to gain favor.

What makes teaching the Word of God difficult is that you have to say things that you know people aren't going to like. It is inevitable that people will be offended about some of the statements in the Bible. But I dare not neglect to teach passages that are confrontive. Some people say that they can't tolerate my preaching because I am opinionated about what I believe. I often receive criticism for my apparent lack of love. But I realize that I have to say things that can wound people. However, I'd rather stand before God and hear Him say, "You said the truth, MacArthur," than to have Him say, "You made everybody happy, but you didn't tell the truth." That's the only thing I can do to live with myself in peace and to honor the God that I love. It helps to have thick skin in the ministry; otherwise, criticism can destroy a pastor.

There is no excuse for Christians not to recognize false teachers. However, those who are new in the faith can be easily "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Eph. 4:14). I cringe every time I hear that someone who was saved is sitting under the teaching of an apostate. A Christian should know better. The evidence for recognizing such teachers is clearly presented in the Epistle of Jude. He warns us that apostates can destroy a church-- sucking the very foundations out of its life--unless we're vigilant.

Focusing on the Facts

1. Who had more to say about hell than any other person in the Bible?

2. What two things characterize torment of hell?

3. What is the difference in the intensity of hell related to? For whom is the hottest hell reserved?

4. What do each of the five analogies of Jude in verses 12-13 teach us about apostasy and its false teachers?

5. Contrast those analogies with similar analogies that S. Maxwell Coder used for Christ.

6. Explain how apostate false teachers are "sunken rocks."

7. What was the purpose of the love feast in the early church? How did it become abused? What eventually happened to it?

8. Whom do false shepherds really feed?

9. How do clouds without rain exemplify false teachers?

10. How do barren trees exemplify false teachers? What will happen to such trees?

11. Why are apostate false teachers described as twice dead?

12. What is the only thing that Jude says those "raging waves" leave behind? (v. 13)

13. In what sense are apostate false teachers like "wandering stars"?

14. What did Paul compare false teachers to in Acts 20:29-20? What is Satan's plan with regard to the church?

15. Identify the Enoch that Jude referred to. What is he a prophetic picture of?

16. What was the first prophecy that was ever given by a man?

17. How did the Greek language of the first century express something that was going to happen that could not be changed?

18. Who will accompany Christ when He returns?

19. What is the purpose of the Lord's return, according to Enoch's prophecy?

20. Why do apostate false teachers murmur and complain?

21. Why do apostate false teachers flatter people? What makes teaching the Word of God difficult?

Pondering the Principles

1. After having written about false teachers and scoffers, Peter concludes his second epistle with these words: "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing that ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ..." (3:17-18). What does Peter warn us about? What is it that we can "fall from"? Were you once more steadfast in the faith than you are now? Why? Perhaps you think that is because you reached a plateau in your spiritual life and felt content to stay there. Rather than becoming weaker, what does Peter say that we are to do to remain steadfast? Are you following his instructions? It has been said that the Christian life is like riding a bicycle: if you don't keep riding, you will fall off. Take the challenge to grow further by teaching other Christians about basic doctrine and how to live the Christian life. Teaching others and finding answers to their questions will cause you to grow more in the knowledge of our Lord than merely listening to someone else teach.

2. Although you probably aren't an apostate if you are reading this book, you might have some of the same character traits that apostates have. Jude said that they are "murmurers, [and] complainers" (v. 16). Complaining is easy to do; we may not even be aware that we are doing it. During the next week, listen carefully to yourself at work, home, and any other place that you spend a good deal of time. When you are faced with obstacles or bad attitudes of others at work, do you murmur and complain about them? Do you go home and repeat the same complaints to your family? If complaining is one of your weak areas, then try giving those you work with some compliments and encouragement. What should the words you speak do for others, and for yourself, according to Ephesians 4:29 and Philippians 2:14-15?