REMEMBER YE THE WORDS SPOKEN BEFORE
Jude 17-19
Introduction: These verses along with the Jude 20-25, bring this brief book to a close. For such a brief exposition, the Epistle of Jude is packed with admonitions and exhortations to “. . .contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). One writer makes a crucial question. He says, “How can we as believers practically contend for the truth so that we will be victorious in a day of rampant falsehood?” The previous verses clearly emphasize the departure from sound doctrine, yet we in the current era find ourselves surrounded with false doctrine and teaching contrary to the revealed truth of the Bible. The epistles of Paul and the apostle’s writings have warnings yet they are the touchstone of the doctrines of the church and the exhortation to “. . . not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14). Jude’s primary exhortation is to “put you in remembrance. . .” of those times when there was a great propensity to depart from the instructions given to believers by God. Now Jude turns to an exhortation to “remember ye the words spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” (vs. 17). This verse is one of the statements that brings a question on the authorship of this epistle by Jude who was an apostle himself. Without delving into that issue again, it is best to launch into the content of this passage and how it applies to the 21st-century Christian.
- Remember, Jude 17. Note how Jude begins this verse, “But, beloved. . .” The tone of the epistle changes dramatically and Jude addresses the believers he has had a relationship with of their walk with the Lord in salvation. He uses the word “beloved” again in Jude 20. Jude wants the believers receiving this letter to remember the “words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There could be a possibility that many of them had heard the preaching and teaching of Peter or even Paul. They possibly had access to some of the writings of these two men. The Apostle Paul was constantly warning the churches and believers about the peril of false teachers as he did in Acts 20:29 where he told the Ephesian elders “that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-4 (KJV), “1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.” Pastor Green asked me to look at a link to a website, “braidedway.com,” which had an article titled “Rediscovering Sophia the Goddess in Christianity.” This article took the Greek word for wisdom, “Sophia” (σοφία), and set out to prove that this was a reference to a woman who was the “mother god” or God’s wife. He used a lot of Greek and Hebrew words to seek verification of his theses which is a method of deception. Wisdom in the Old Testament and New Testament is not the “mother god.” It is referring to God’s wisdom. With the internet, young people and older people, even Christians are easily deceived. Folks, we live in some dark days spiritually. People are departing from the faith as stated in Jude 3 (KJV), “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” These are some things we need to remember, the “apostles doctrine.” One of the characteristics of the early church in the account given in Acts is stated in Acts 2:42 (KJV), “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Note they “continued stedfastly.in the apostles’ doctrine.” The importance of what is taught in the “old black book,” the Bible, should always be our goal. In discussion with Pastors Green and Newby, we have discussed how quickly people will depart from the faith and believe teachings that are not found in the Bible. One of the real problems is the matter of “discipleship.” One who does not know the basic teachings of the Bible will quickly depart from being a follower of what has been taught in God’s word. John Phillips makes a statement that fits here. He says, “By the time Jude wrote, most of the books of the New Testament had been written and were in circulation. The church had no excuse for being deceived by the apostates. The great word is “Remember!” He continues with a great exhortation:
“But we cannot remember something that we have never known any more than we can remember someone whom we have never met. It is important, then that we lay a good foundation in the Word. God expects us to know, study, and memorize His Word. He expects us to have a systematic theology, a consistent hermeneutic, and a comprehensive grasp of revealed truth. Apostates trade on ignorance. We must pause here and lay again the foundation of our faith.”
Christians should be able to master, at least, the books of the New Testament. The Gospels tell us about the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for the sinner that he/she might have eternal life. Then the book of Acts, which is a transitional book taking us from the “Kingdom teaching” of the Gospels to the church, the body of Christ. This is taught in the “church” epistles of the Apostle Paul, Romans through 2 Thessalonians. Then we have the general epistles which teach how a believer should behave, followed by the Revelation of things to come. Can I ask, how well versed are you in these books of the New Testament? We should never, as believers, confess that we don’t know what is taught in the Bible, especially the New Testament.
- Recognize, Jude 18. The second thing found in Jude is the importance of being able to recognize false doctrine and those who teach it. Note how vs. 18 is structured. Jude points out in vs. 17 that the apostles had spoken about this and even gave instructions for the believer to understand and know. Then he warns of “mockers in the last time” (Jude 18). Interestingly, the Apostle Peter makes a similar statement in 2 Peter 3:3 (KJV), “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.” Note that “mockers” and “scoffers” are the same and both Jude and Peter indicate that these people are scoffing or mocking the word of God and they have “ungodly lust” motivating them. Have you ever considered the Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees all “mocked” and “scoffed” at the things Jesus said? Their motivation was their own “ungodly lust” for power over the people which they enjoyed. Look at what Paul warned the church at Thessalonica about in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (KJV), “1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Note also what Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV), “1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” Again, 2 Peter 2:1 (KJV), “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” John had some stern words about false teaching. He said in 1 John 2:22 (KJV), “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” Folks, doctrine is important. What you believe about who Jesus is should direct how we live.
- III.Remove, Jude 19. In this verse, Jude points out how these “separate themselves.” The word “separate” is an interesting concept. Note this word is associated (in this verse) with the word “sensual.” The “separation” they engage in is making themselves “aloof” or “better” than you. The idea is, if you had my knowledge and understanding you would accept what I teach, especially when it is contrary to the truth of the word of God. The idea is that if you knew things the way I do you would accept what I believe. That is what the fellow mentioned earlier with the document titled “Rediscovering Sophia the Goddess in Christianity.” His use of the Greek and Hebrew gave the sense that what he believed and taught was accurate and what God wanted you to know. After I finished seminary, I helped start a ministry called “Fair and Rodeo Evangelism.” We went to fairs and rodeos witnessing and seeking to tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ and the eternal life he can give. It was not some special knowledge we had but what was found in the Bible, the word of God. I was working at the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City and a fellow came by our display and began seeking to convince me that I was wrong with my understanding of how a person gets to heaven. He knew Hebrew better than most teachers of Hebrew. He was the same with Greek. His entire argument was built around what was stated in the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament. He was a “Jehovah [false] Witness.” This fellow wanted to convince me from what he “knew from the Hebrew and Greek” and not what was stated in the Bible. In fact his Bible, The New World Translation states John 1:1 in this way. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” That is not what your King James Bible says in John 1:1 (KJV), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” There is a world of difference. People like him are “sensual” and they “separate themselves” from the truth and note the last phrase of Jude 19, “. . .having not the Spirit.” That means they are not saved. They know not the Lord Jesus Christ and the eternal life He gives. Do you? This section is very important and you and I should use it as a measuring rod to evaluate where we are and what we believe.