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These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

The false teachers are grumblers, complainers or faultfinders. Who are they grumbling and complaining and finding fault with? The church and church leaders. But more importantly and historically, they are complaining and finding fault with God. When God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness, they complained or grumbled against Moses, but more importantly against God.

Fault finders complain about their lot in life. They blame God for their adversities, losses, and disappointments. They don’t have peace in their hearts. They are not content with Christ.

Why are the false teachers complaining against the church and God? Because of the restrictions and prohibitions placed on them by the church and God. The false teachers want to behave according to their own pleasures. False teachers who have broken orbit with the living Lord do not praise the Lord, but rather complain against Him.

Have you ever wondered why you sense the presence of God when your heart and lips are filled with praise? Have you also ever noticed that you are most likely to struggle and complain when you fail to worship and praise the Lord!

Twice Jude refers to false teachers as those who walk according to their own lusts (epithimia). Peter begged the early Christians to abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul. These are people who are enslaved to their own evil desires and consequently commit evil acts. 1 Peter 2:11 states, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”

Some false teachers warn you about walking in the flesh and in lust, but then they walk in the flesh and in lust. They are not only hypocrites in their words but also in their deeds.

“Their mouth speaks haughty words,” or literally, they boast about themselves. The literal translation is “and their mouth speaks haughty or bombastic things.” The idea is arrogant speech about or even directed towards the living God. These are empty, unsubstantiated, baseless boasts.

2 Peter 2:18, “For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. They are boasters and attempt to impress people not only by bragging, but use inflated, speech, trying to impress you with themselves. The apostates speak arrogant words to God and flattery to the rich.

The book of Proverbs tells us the truth about flattery; Proverbs 28:23says, “He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward Than he who flatters with the tongue” and

Proverbs 29:5 states, “A man who flatters his neighbor Spreads a net for his feet.”

"At best, flattery is a form of lying since it is exaggerated or distorted truth. A flatterer is a man that tells you your opinion and not his own.

Beware of a manipulator: he shakes your hand one minute and pulls your leg the next. Beware the opportunist: he has no use for people he cannot use.

In verses 17,18, Jude now begins to exhort the believer to listen to the teaching of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Jude calls them “dear friends,“ an expression he used three times in the letter; once in the beginning (v.3) and twice towards the end (vv.17,20).

It’s important to remember the gospel so you can be mindful of the attacks of the false prophets! You can effectively oppose the attack of the false teachers by presenting the true gospel of Jesus Christ!

Who are the apostles? Although Jude implies his apostleship, he mentions none of the other apostles by name.

The “last days” are not simply the apocalyptic end but the present and the future. Evil forces and false teachers are not going away. They will become increasingly visible and audible. We are aware of the deceptive ways of false teachers, we are also aware of the supernatural support we have from God through the Holy Spirit and through the Word.

Mockers are not people ignorant of God’s word, In fact, they can often quote chapter and verse. Because of their knowledge of the Bible they mock what is holy and sacred. Scoffing or mocking is not simply poking fun at God's people or God's Word; it is a serious attack on them. Scoffers demonstrate their contempt and derision for God by following their own ungodly desires! They reject God's authority, they reject God's judgment and opt for a lifestyle of sin!

Do you know it’s wrong to commit fornication? Do you know its wrong to live with a man or a woman who is nor your husband or wife without benefit of marriage? Why does Jude repeat the phrase "they follow their own lust"? Once again--he emphasizes their ungodliness-- thinking and behavior that does not meet with God's approval!

The believer's attitude is supposed to be the exact opposite! We are supposed to desire to do God's will and express our love and gratitude, but mockers purposely transgress the law of God to fill up the measure of their godlessness.

Sensual people live in the natural instead of the supernatural. They walk after the flesh instead of the Spirit. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Cor.2:14).

Jude comes to the end of his profile. Here division means the separation of believers one from another. Their basic problem is spiritual.

Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth. “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth“(John 16:13). The Word of God and the Spirit of God are the basic sources of Truth. Those who walk after the flesh do not have the Spirit. Therefore they cannot teach truth.

False teachers claim to have 'insights' from the Holy Spirit but Jude says they don't even have the Spirit. Effective ministry always takes place through the Lordship of Jesus Christ and one who is ministering in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. Those who do not have the Spirit are false teachers and should be called to account.

© 2007 by Gino Geraci

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