Jude 1

Study Guide 165: 2 Peter; Jude HERESY Overview Throughout church history, many who have been labeled heretics have been tortured and put to death, or driven from their homes. Even Luther called on the princes to repress a peasants’ movement for equality in his day. And Calvin did not hesitate to affirm the death penalty for an early unitarian in Geneva. But often those called heretics by the majority were the true believers! The followers of Huss were brutally repressed by the church, and the Huguenots (French Protestants) were mercilessly massacred. Wars on the continent and even in England were often motivated, or at least justified, by religion. This raises a question. What is heresy, and who is the heretic? How is the church to guard against heresy? And how is the heretic to be treated? These may seem irrelevant questions in our society. We value tolerance so much that taking a stand for truth, or for righteousness, is foreign to us. Yet the early church did take a stand, in a society much like our own. The early Christians insisted that Jesus is the only way to God. Certainly we do not execute heretics today, and we do not persecute those who differ from us. We don’ t want to. But we should be able to recognize heresy. And we should know how to respond to false teachers, like those against whom Jude and Peter warned, who creep into the church today, to introduce their still “ destructive heresies” (2 Peter 2:1).

Commentary The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines heresy as an “ opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine.” In Roman Catholic tradition, the reference continues, a heretic is “ a baptized Roman Catholic who willfully and persistently rejects any article of faith.” Both these definitions focus attention on doctrine, but in Scripture the word has a wider application. The Greek word from which heretic derives is hairesis, and means “ sect, party, or school” (as of a school of philosophy). It was used of the “ party of the Pharisees” in Acts 15:5, which Paul called “ the strictest sect of our religion” (Acts 26:5). In the Christian movement heresy came to refer to a dissenting faction or group holding some opinion or dogma that marked them off from the rest of the body (1 Corinthians 11:18-19; Galatians 5:20). In essence, heretics seem to be individuals within the church who hold to some way of thinking or living that sets them off from scriptural doctrine, lifestyle, and fellowship. As we saw in our last study, factions may develop over various teachings such as the Resurrection or the Second Coming, but the truly critical element in “ destructive heresies” has to do with the person of Christ. No doctrine that fails to give Jesus preeminence as God and Sovereign Lord can be considered “ Christian.” But heresy also involves variation in lifestyle. God’ s people are called to holiness. When we desert Christian attitudes and values, turning to a licentious following of old impulses and desires, we have also fallen into heresy. We have become a faction, dividing the body.

An Overview of Jude: Jude 1:1-2Even a cursory reading of Jude helps us sense how serious heresy is. Godless men (Jude 1:3-4). Jude intended to write an encouraging letter, but felt compelled to urge his readers to resist “ godless men” who had “ slipped in among you” and who both denied Jesus and twisted grace into a license for immorality. Judgment (Jude 1:5-7). Jude reviewed God’ s acts of judgment, and warned against modern outbreaks of immorality. False teachers (Jude 1:8-10). Jude portrayed the false teachers as ignorant of spiritual realities, reacting as “ unreasoning animals” in that they were driven by instincts rather than higher faculties. This failing was reflected in their contempt for authority. The reference to a dispute about the “ body of Moses” in Jude 1:9 is to a book called the Assumption of Moses. Jude did not suggest this book is Scripture: his point was that even in devotional literature a powerful angel like Michael does not show contempt for an angel of higher rank, Satan, but waits for the Lord to rebuke him. History of rebellion (Jude 1:11-13). Like Cain, these leaders harmed their brothers. Like Balaam they were moved by a passion for money. Like Korah they wanted to be leaders though God did not call them for leadership. Each of these suffered judgment — and so were the false teachers who troubled the church. Enoch’ s prophecy (Jude 1:14-16). Jude again referred to well-known devotional literature. Even here God is known as One who will judge the ungodly. Perseverance (Jude 1:17-23). The writer closed with a call to the true believers to persevere, faithful to and contending for the truth of the Gospel.

Analysis of Heresy: 2 Peter; Jude When we study the details of the Book of Jude, and compare them with 2 Peter, we gain a clear picture of false teachers and false teaching. Characteristics of false teachers. Paul instructed Timothy and Titus to officially recognize those in the churches who had matured in the faith and who demonstrated their reliability by adhering to sound doctrine, and by living exemplary Christian lives. Now Peter and Jude identified false teachers by the opposite characteristics. False teachers claim a special knowledge or interpretation that differs from the common core of belief in the Christian community. They charge that the doctrine recorded in Scripture is “ cleverly invented stories” (2 Peter 1:16). They also reject the authority of Scripture, and of the present leaders of the Christian community (2 Peter 2:10; Jude 1:8, Jude 1:10). False teachers can be recognized by their insistence that they alone have the truth. Sooner or later in their denial of apostolic teaching they attack the person of Jesus, and seek to rob Him of His centrality. False teachers also claim freedom to live a life moved by the old passions. They are competitive. Rather than serve, they use and exploit others. They rationalize their immorality and “ are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage” (Jude 1:16). At every point their characters lack the qualities Paul said are to be found in spiritual leaders. Jude warned that some “ have secretly slipped in among you” (Jude 1:4), which implied that neither the false teaching nor the sinful lifestyle may be evident initially. No wonder Paul warned that those considered for leadership “ must first be tested” and then serve an apprenticeship as deacons “ if there is nothing against them” (1 Timothy 3:10). He pointed out that while “ the sins of some men are obvious,” the “ sins of others trail behind them” (1 Timothy 5:24). Because flaws of character are not always readily apparent, selecting church leaders should never be a hasty or careless process. Appeal of false teachers. How does it happen that those who introduce heresies all too often find followers within the church? First, it’ s clear that their appeal is to the immature: those who are not deeply grounded in sound doctrine or the fellowship of the church. No wonder Peter began his letter with the exhortation to “ make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8) Growth in the disciplines of the Christian life must follow our initial step of faith if we are to resist the lure of false teachers. But what is their appeal? In part it is an appeal to pride in a superior and special knowledge that sets some apart from others. “ They may believe that, but we know better!” Yet the main thrust of heresy’ s appeal seems to lie in its promise of freedom to indulge our instinctual desires. “ They mouth empty, boastful words,” Peter said, “ and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity — for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2 Peter 2:18-19). Certainly it is inviting to “ follow mere natural instincts” (Jude 1:19). It’ s hard to surrender our desires to God for reshaping and to deny ourselves the sensations our old way of life has led us to crave. The false teacher justifies any and all behavior by corrupting God’ s grace into a “ license for immorality” (Jude 1:4). Some time ago on a talk show, a young challenger insisted to Billy Graham that sexual intercourse was the same as a ham sandwich. Sex and hunger are both “ natural” desires, he argued: when you feel a desire, you satisfy it. After all, if God has made an experience pleasurable, then it must be good. The false teacher seeks to encourage within the church a passion for pleasure that draws people away from the life of holiness and self-control to which the Christian is called. Some will become “ lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” Paul warned (2 Timothy 3:4) Yet the Christian life is not a miserable withdrawal or a dreary denial of every pleasant thing. But we are to find our pleasure in what God calls holy, not in distorted passions and desires. Scripture promises, “ At Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalms 16:11, KJV). Any invitation to share a special revelation that the rest of the church does not possess, or any promise of freedom to indulge our every “ natural” desire with God’ s blessing, should be a warning to us. We may have met a false teacher who seeks to shatter the oneness of the body in which God has placed us. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Each group member was asked to read these two short epistles in preparation for this session. Each was to identify characteristics of the false teacher and false teaching. Divide into teams to compare findings. Each team should be sure to include characteristics of doctrine, personality characteristics (2 Peter 2:10, 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:4, Jude 1:12, Jude 1:16, Jude 1:19), and characteristics of their ministry (2 Peter 2:17; Jude 1:16). If your group did not prepare before-hand, assign 2 Peter and Jude to teams for study at the beginning of your session.

Our Response to False Teachers Jude tells us that we are to “ contend” for the faith. To some in history, contending for the faith has meant to attack those who deviate from sound doctrine. Such an approach led to men and women burned at the stake, to wars, and inquisitions fashioned in order to enforce conformity. Yet there is no hint in the Bible of a crusade to exclude the deviate. How then do we “ contend” ? Here are several principles from these letters to help us. Stand on unshakable foundations. Paul reminded Timothy that in spite of doctrinal challenges from Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. . . . God’ s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “ The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “ Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness” (2 Timothy 2:17-19). We may proceed with the firm conviction that, while we may be uncertain who belongs to the Lord, He does know. But at the same time, one who confesses the name of the Lord “ must turn away from wickedness.” Open sin calls for judgment and discipline in the Christian community. Give gentle instruction. Rather than trying to silence the false teacher with shouting, Paul instructed, “ Don’ t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments” (2 Timothy 2:23). Debate may be exciting, but it is not productive. Instead, the leaders of the Christian community are to “ gently instruct” those who oppose (2 Timothy 2:25). We prayerfully communicate sound doctrine “ in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26). The fleshly approach of the false teacher is to attack, challenge authority, ridicule, strike out, and abuse. The Christian must respond with love, recognizing that he is not battling against an enemy but for a fellow human being. In this spiritual confrontation, the warfare is between God and Satan. As for us, we are to simply “ be merciful to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy mixed with fear — hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:22-23). Depend on divine judgment. Our response to heretical challenges to the Christian community should not be confused with compromise. There can be no retreat from truth, or withdrawal of love. God “ knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9). Both in this life and the life to come, the Lord involves Himself directly in the judgment of those who persistently rebel against Him. We can trust the false teacher to God and be free to concentrate on building ourselves up in the faith. These letters then not only warn of dangers from within the church but also describe safeguards. If we as individuals and fellowships are firmly committed to these principles, we can be confident that we will be immune to any heresy which might appear. So let’ s: Be aware of the characteristic of false teachers and false teaching, so we can recognize and reject each. Follow only leaders who meet the qualifications given by Paul in his letters to Timothy and Titus. Study to understand the apostolic doctrine preserved for us in Scripture. And commit ourselves to the holy way of life and the unique values to which God calls us in His Word. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Give a minilecture summing up how we are to respond to false teachers and false teaching, and the safeguards God has provided for us. Draw on 2 Timothy as well as Jude and 2 Peter, as in the commentary.

2 Peter To see even more fully God’ s plan of protection for His own, we’ ll trace the thought of 2 Peter. Peter began by reminding us that God “ has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus is sufficient; we don’ t need to look for something beyond a relationship with Him. 2 Peter 2:1-22 is devoted to a description of false teachers and their end. 2 Peter 1:1-21 and 2 Peter 3:1-18 encourage and exhort believers, showing us how to avoid the growing dangers from within. Growth vital (2 Peter 1:5-11). The faith that brings us into relationship with God marks only the beginning of our life with Him. We are to concentrate on maturing in character so that we are no longer attracted by the false teacher’ s alluring promise of liberty. If you do these things,” Peter said, “ you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). Apostolic teaching trustworthy (2 Peter 1:12-21). Peter reminded the readers that the sound doctrine of the church is rooted in reality. The apostles did not relate “ cleverly invented stories” but communicated historical facts to which they were eyewitnesses. All they reported is in harmony with the prophetic Word of the Old Testament. The two Testaments stand as one, giving sure witness to the foundational truths of the church. In this passage one phrase of 2 Peter 1:20 has been puzzling. The New International Version translates it “ no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’ s own interpretation,” while the King James Version renders it “ no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.” The original Greek supports either of these renderings, and both have suggestive implications. In the first case, we are reminded that it is God who spoke through His prophets and apostles. The Word is trustworthy because it is His own. In the second we are reminded that a false teacher may quote Scripture but give his own interpretation, which will differ from what the whole Bible teaches and from what the church has historically taught. When a sect, such as Jehovah’ s Witnesses, presents its own distinctive interpretation of Bible passages to deny the deity of Christ, we can look to the Word itself to refute the heresy. We can also look to the church as a whole, past and present, to see the voice of faith universally affirm that these verses teach that Jesus is God, fully human, and yet one with the Father from all eternity. While there have been, and are, differences in interpretation of minor details of doctrine, the core of apostolic faith, as represented in the Apostle’ s Creed, has been the joyful affirmation of the church universal. Judgment coming (2 Peter 3:1-18). This chapter is a striking affirmation of the trustworthiness of God’ s Word. Looking across the coming generations, Peter warned scoffers who will doubt Christ’ s return and question the certainty of judgment. They will insist that “ since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of Creation” (2 Peter 3:4). Yet God did intervene in the past to destroy the world in judgment, and this same God will intervene again, to destroy the works of human society (2 Peter 3:10-13). We are not to let scoffers shake us from our certainty that Jesus will keep His promises. Because this universe will pass out of existence, we are to concentrate on that which is eternal. “ So then, dear friends,” Peter urged, “ since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him” (2 Peter 3:14). As we concentrate every effort on pleasing Him who has delivered us into the kingdom of Jesus Christ, we will be untouched by the lure of false teachers. They offer only the fleeting pleasures of a world that will someday flare up, and then burn out. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Help your group sense the meaning of the coming destruction of this universe. Have teams of five brainstorm for five minutes to generate a “ complete list” of things we value. Give a few launching suggestions — our homes, a favorite vacation spot, a close friendship, etc. Write a combined list on the chalkboard for later analysis. Then work through 2 Peter 3:1-18 together, answering the following questions: What is the basic attitude of “ scoffers” to this world? Their attitude toward God? What might we suppose their values might be? What according to Scripture is the destiny of this world? What is to be the basic attitude of believers toward this world? Toward God? When your group members have come up with their answers to these questions, look at the list of “ things we value.” Work down the list, item by item. In view of what Peter wrote, what does your group think of each “ valuable” thing? Some valid conclusions that your group members may draw include: It is not wrong to appreciate any of God’ s good gifts, the temporary as well as the eternal. It is best to concentrate our efforts on those things which have eternal value. Most important of all is concentrating every effort “ to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with” God.

Teaching Guide Prepare You may wish to give a brief report on any cults active in your area, and their teachings.

Explore

1. Encourage any group members who may have once been influenced by false teaching to tell about their experience. What were the false teachers like? What did they teach? How and why were you influenced? What led you back to sound teaching and fellowship?
2. Hear reports from those who prepared for class, or divide into teams for direct Bible study of false teachers and teaching in Jude and 2 Peter 2:1-22. See “ link-to-life” above.

Expand

1. Give a minilecture on how we are to respond to false teachers and false teaching, and how God guards us against it.
2. Or give a minilecture on cults that are active in your area. Focus on the key heresy — their view of Jesus.
3. Or look together at 2 Peter 3:1-18, and help your group members evaluate the impact on their own lives of “ sound doctrine” concerning the Second Coming.

Apply Discuss together: “ What can we do to guard our family, friends, and church against false teaching?”