Jude Lesson 2

MEMORY VERSE: JUDE 1:21

READ JUDE 1:5-11 THE EXAMPLES OF APOSTASY

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM JUDE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT IN VERSES 1-4. IT WAS APOSTASY,FALLING AWAY FROM THE FAITH. IN VERSES 5-11 HE GIVES OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES OF APOSTASY SOWE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND IT.

1. THE ISREALITES IN THE WILDERNESS. (5) (NUM 13-14)

IT IS THE STORY OF THE 12 SPIES WHO SAW THE PROMISE LAND. HOWEVER, THE PEOPLE DEPARTEDFROM THEIR FAITH IN GOD WHO PROMISED TO GIVE THEM THE LAND. THEY CHOSE TO WANDER AND DIEIN THE WILDERNESS.

2. THE ANGELS WHO “KEPT NOT THEIR FIRST ESTATE” (THEY DID NOT KEEP THEIRPROPER DOMAIN -NKJV) (6)

THERE ARE TWO INTERPRETATIONS OF THIS VERSE BASED ON 2 DIFFERENT STORIES IN SCRIPTURE.BOTH OF THEM FIT THE TOPIC OF APOSTASY.

A. GENESIS 6:1-4

THIS SCRIPTURE TELLS US ABOUT AN INVASION OF EVIL ANGELS THAT ASSUMED HUMAN BODIES ANDHAD SEX WITH HUMAN WOMEN WHO PRODUCED GIANTS. BECAUSE OF THIS INVASION, GOD DESTROYED THEEARTH BY FLOOD IN NOAH’S DAY.

THESE ANGELS LEFT THEIR PROPER DOMAIN

WHEN THEY COHABITED WITH HUMANS. AS A RESULT THEY ARE CHAINED IN DARKNESS WAITING FORTHE FINAL JUDGMENT AFTER THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH.

B. REV 12:3-4

THIS SCRIPTURE TELLS US ABOUT THE ANGELS WHO FELL WITH SATAN WHEN HE REBELLED AGAINSTGOD SOME TIME BEFORE GENESIS 3.

THESE ANGELS LEFT THEIR PROPER DOMAIN WHEN THEY REBELLED AGAINST GOD TO FOLLOW THEANGEL, LUCIFER, WHO BECAME SATAN.

3. GENESIS 18-19

THIS SCRIPTURE TELLS US ABOUT THE STORY OF LOT AND THE

CITIES OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH. (7)

LOT WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN, A LEADER IN THE

GOVERNMENT OF THESE CITIES. HOWEVER, DESPITE HIS PRESENCE, HOMOSEXUALITY WAS A COMMONLIFESTYLE THERE. “STRANGE FLESH” MEANS = DIFFERENT FLESH.

THE PEOPLE OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH KNEW THIS LIFESTYLE WAS WRONG. IN FACT,

ROM 1:24-27 TELLS US THAT ALL PEOPLE KNOW

WITHIN THEMSELVES THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS WRONG.

THE PEOPLE OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH, THEREFORE, LEFT THE LIFESTYLE THAT GOD INTENDED TOFOLLOW A DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE. THEY ARE CONSIDERED APOSTATES WHO DESERVE AN ETERNAL HELL.

CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTATES: (8-11)

THEY ARE DREAMERS WHO MAKE UP THEIR OWN DOCTRINE HOPING THAT JUST BECAUSE THEYSINCERELY BELIEVE IT, THAT WILL MAKE IT TRUE.

THEY DEFILE THE FLESH (LIKE SODOM AND GOMORRAH).

THEY OFTEN INDULGE IN IMMORALITY AND TEACH IT.

THIS WAS TRUE OF MANY GNOSTICS IN THE EARLY CHURCH. THEY THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE THE BODYAND THE SPIRIT WERE SEPARATE PARTS OF MAN, IT DID NOT MATTER WHAT YOU DID WITH YOUR BODYBECAUSE IT WOULD NOT AFFECT YOUR SPIRIT.

THEY REJECT AUTHORITY (LIKE THE ISRAELITES WHO REJECTED MOSES IN THE WILDERNESS).

THEY MAKE THEMSELVES THE AUTHORITY AND REJECT THE AUTHORITY OF TRUE CHRISTIANS WITHINTHE BODY OF CHRIST.

THEY SPEAK EVIL OF LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST (LIKE THE FALLEN EVILANGELS THAT SPOKE AGAINST GOD TO FOLLOW SATAN).

THE INCIDENT OF MOSES’ BONES AND THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL. (9)

THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING VERSE WHICH SEEMS SOMEWHAT OUT OF PLACE. LET US SEE IF WECAN HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING ABOUT IT AND RELATE IT TO THE TOPIC OF APOSTASY.

DEU 34:5-8 TELLS US ABOUT THE DEATH OF MOSES. IT SPECIFICALLY TELLS US THAT GOD BURIEDHIM AND THAT NO PERSON KNEW WHERE WAS THE LOCATION OF HIS GRAVE.

MOSES IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSONS TO THE JEWS BECAUSE HE GAVE THEMTHE LAW. THE JEWS WERE ALWAYS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS. THEY EVEN MADE AN IDOLOF THE SERPENT ON THE POLE TO WORSHIP. GOD DID NOT WANT THEM TO MAKE AN IDOL OFMOSES’ TOMB, SO HE HID IT. IT SEEMS THAT MICHAEL, THE ARCHANGEL, WAS THE ONE WHOACTUALLY BURIED MOSES.

HOWEVER, HE HAD TO FIGHT SATAN FOR MOSES’ BONES. SATAN WOULD WANT THE PEOPLE TOMAKE AN IDOL OF THE TOMB. HOWEVER, THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN THAT.

MAT 17:1-9 TELLS US ABOUT THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS AND THE PRESENCE OF MOSES ANDELIJAH. GOD HAD THE EVENT OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IN MIND WHEN MOSES DIED. SATAN PROBABLYALSO KNEW ABOUT THIS PLAN AND SOUGHT TO DISRUPT IT BY STEALING THE BONES OF MOSES.

WHAT DOES MICHAEL AND MOSES’ BONES HAVE TO DO WITH APOSTASY?

IN THIS SPIRITUAL BATTLE BETWEEN MICHAEL AND SATAN, MICHAEL DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDEVERYTHING ABOUT GOD’S PLAN. THEREFORE, HE DID NOT ACCUSE AND REBUKE SATAN OVERSOMETHING HE DID NOT FULLY COMPREHEND.

BY CONTRAST, THE APOSTATES READILY SPEAK AGAINST THOSE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST EVENTHOUGH THEY DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY DO. REMEMBER THAT THE GNOSTICS THOUGHT THEYHAD SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE WHEN THEY DID NOT. (VS. 10)

MORE EXAMPLES OF APOSTASY:

1. THE WAY OF CAIN GEN 4:1-13

CAIN KILLED HIS BROTHER ABEL BECAUSE OF JEALOUSY.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF APOSTASY BECAUSE HE KNEW HE SHOULD BRING A LAMB FOR AN OFFERING.HOWEVER, OUT OF PRIDE HE WOULD NOT HUMBLE HIMSELF TO REQUEST A LAMB FROM HIS BROTHER. HE,THEREFORE, DID THINGS HIS WAY INSTEAD OF GOD’S WAY.

2. THE ERROR OF BALAAM NUM 22

BALAAM WAS A PROPHET OF GOD WHO PERVERTED HIS CALLING BECAUSE OF PERSONAL PROFIT TOCAUSE ISRAEL’S DOWNFALL. HE HELPED ISRAEL’S ENEMY.

BALAAM IS AN EXAMPLE OF APOSTASY BECAUSE HE LEFT THE FAITH TO GAIN PERSONAL PROFIT.

3. THE REBELLION OF KORAH NUM 16

KORAH IS AN EXAMPLE OF APOSTASY BECAUSE HE REBELLED AGAINST MOSES AND AARON , THEAUTHORITY SENT BY GOD, AND PERSUADED MANY OTHERS TO FOLLOW HIM.

THESE THREE EXAMPLES DISPLAY COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTASY.

1. CAIN

OUT OF PRIDE, MAN CREATES HIS OWN RELIGIOUS SYSTEM BASED ON WORKS.

2. BALAAM

OUT OF A DESIRE FOR WEALTH, APOSTATES USUALLY SELL THEIR SOUL FOR MONEY.

3. KORAH

OUT OF PRIDE APOSTATES REBEL AGAINST RECOGNIZED CHRISTIAN AUTHORITY TO PERSUADE OTHERSTHAT THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE THE TRUTH.

DISCUSSION: WHAT ONE THING DO ALL THESE STORIES HAVE IN COMMON?

HOMEWORK

JUDE 1:12-19

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

APPLICATION OF JUDE 1:5-11

WHAT ELEMENTS OF YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL LIFE BORDER ON APOSTASY?

DO ANY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES FIT YOUR OWN LIFE?

FORGIVENESS IS BUT A PRAYER AWAY. ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU AND GUIDE YOU INTO TRUTH.

PREPARATION FOR JUDE 1:12-19

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTASY DO YOU FIND IN THIS SECTION OF SCRIPTURE?

MEMORY VERSE: JUDE 1:17