“What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion. When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness. Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.”
Jude 1:11-19 NLT
In this set of verses, Jude leans heavy into proving his point. Unlike many Christian speakers and teachers of the day, he does this rather intelligently. Jude’s method is to access narrative rather than direct emotion. Jude brings up stories that the Jewish community would have understood and agreed on by surveying biblical history to define judgement and character properly. These aren’t random stories but childhood stories carefully passed orally from generation to generation. They aren’t anecdote but evidence. Secondly, he doesn’t stay in the scripture but also adds the apocryphal texts of Enoch. This was a story that all knew well. It was akin to a well known TV drama. This highlights Jude’s want for all to be able to access his message. It is of paramount importance because the very future of God’s people are at stake. For many preachers, teachers or parents, we often lower the bar by using generic examples. But Jude ties it all together by surveying the gift of history and culture. This makes that history applicable for modern audiences while keeping them grounded in relevant material for their sources. More teachers would do well to follow his example.
JOSH McGARY. COM 