Exposing And Expelling Heretics (Part 18)

Today we pick up from where we left off last week on our expository journey through the Epistle of Jude having finished looking at the four characteristics of apostates that Jude outlines in verse 8 - that they appeal to their own revelations, are carnal, insubordinate, and blasphemous! Today we will move on into verse 9 which is both an example of how not to be an apostate, but also an intriguing story by itself! This is a part of my verse by verse exposition through the Epistle of Jude for our church plant in Denmark (Kristuskirken) and I must give much credit to John Macarthur's teaching on the Epistle of Jude which has been my major source of commentary.

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 1-13)

Based on the behavior of apostates as outlined in verse 8 the question still remains as to how we should treat these purveyors of false Christianity. John gives us the answer in his second Epistle:

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. (2 John 9-11)

Strong words there. Not the sort of thing you would find in a church growth manual. But a stark warning as to the immense danger of contamination via contact with these people and also the reproach on Christ brought about by association with apostates - oh wow, was that an elephant that just walked into the room? Anyway, moving on to verse 9 in Jude we see the stark contrast between the behavior of an archangel and the blasphemous contemptuous behavior of apostates:

But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." (Jude 9)

Does anybody remember that old song that was really popular in the Charismatic churches:

I'm goin up to the high places
I'm goin up to the high places
I'm goin up to the high places
and gonna tear the devil's kingdom down

Or how about that other spiritual warfare classic:

Well, I went to the enemy's camp and
I took back what he stole from me (x3)
I went to the enemy's camp and
I took back what he stole from me

You know
He's under my feet (x6)
Satan is under my feet



Nope, definitely could not see any archangels in that crowd!

Kenneth Hagin also weighed into the discussion with this theological insight:

That’s the way you have to deal with the devil — just tell him to shut up!

Somehow I don't think Michael the Archangel would have been too keen on any of these strategies or patterns of speech!

God is Sovereign and rules over all things including Satan. We see in the book of Job that Satan can do nothing without God's permission. Newsflash, we are not God, and Satan is not powerless. Michael the archangel understands this point but Kenneth Hagin clearly didn't!

More to come next week . . .

Go Back To Part 17
Go Back To Part 1