Warning of Apostates
1:11 Examples from history. Jude compared the present apostates to three historical apostates, all of whom have their counterparts today:
• Cain, who ignored God’s wishes and offered a bloodless sacrifice (see Gen. 4:1–7; Heb. 11:4; 1 John 3:12). Many today, while claiming to be Christians, ignore God’s Word.
• Balaam, the greedy prophet hired to curse Israel, who was reprimanded by his donkey (see Num. 22:1–25:9; Rev. 2:14). Many today make merchandise of the gospel.
• Korah, who slandered and rebelled against Moses (see Num. 16). Present-day apostates speak evil against those who speak for God.
1:12–13 Examples from nature. Apostates are self-serving, like clouds without rain, trees without fruit, or stars that wander and are therefore useless as guides for travelers.
1:14–16 Even Enoch saw it coming. Citing a prophecy by Enoch, Jude declared that God would someday judge these false teachers. Enoch predicted Christ’s second coming and judgment centuries before he came the first time. Even so, his prediction of Christ’s return “with thousands of his holy ones” bears a striking similarity to predictions made by Paul and John (see 1 Thess. 3:13; Rev. 19:11–14). Jude quoted Enoch’s prediction from the apocryphal book of Enoch, written c. 100 B.C.
Willmington, H. L. Willmington’s Bible Handbook. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1997. Print.
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