Jude, The Fate Of False Teachers

Jude 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Jude continues to assign attributes to the false teachers he warns the church about. They are blemishes or hidden reefs, waterless, wandering clouds, or twice dead trees bereft of fruit, courtesy of verse 12. Now, in verse 13, his accusations increase in intensity, again reflecting Peter’s writing from his second epistle.

Jude says of these false teachers that they are raging waves of the sea that foam up nothing but their own shame. Paul, writing to the Philippian Christians, spoke candidly about the ultimate state and end of godless men. He wrote, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame–who set their minds on earthly things,” Philippians 3:18, 19. When the Bible speaks of one’s walk it is a reflection of our lifestyle: it incorporates not only what we espouse, preach and teach, but how congruent one’s daily life is with said preaching and teaching. Paul singles these men out as enemies of Christ’s gospel, who serve their own belly (or material greed) and who will ultimately face eternal destruction, which grieves Paul to the point of tears. Imagine an enemy that thinks he’s done you a terrible slight, only to find that your reaction is lamentation because their actions betray their destiny, and no matter what they think they’ve won, they are lost.

Peter, in his second epistle, has much to say about such men as well. Beginning in verse 17 he attaches numerous attributes to false teachers. He calls them, “wells without water”, “clouds carried by a tempest,” the fate of whom is the reservation of eternal darkness, 2 Peter 2:17. He says these men speak, “great swelling words of emptiness,” and that, “they themselves are slaves of corruption,” 2 Peter 2:18, 19. Peter laments that it would have been better for such men never to have been acquainted with the truth of the gospel, than to have known it and rejected it, or turned from it, 2 Peter 2:21. The language is extremely reminiscent of Jude’s writing when describing these men. The idea being that they lack spiritual life and therefore have nothing beneficial to offer others. They are meager clouds caught in a tempest; when they speak their words are empty, but superficially appear grandiose or important. In short, they are loud orators. This terminology reminds me of televangelists and their flamboyant ejaculations and over-the-top energy. What they lack in substance they try to make up for in style. But there are no style points with God. The first men to go out conducting the gospel message were fishermen, tax collectors and others in lower societal positions. They did not try to be loud and flamboyant. They simply spoke the truth, and those who believed were saved as a result.

The idea of raging waves of the sea seems reminiscent of the energy cast out by said televangelists. It is a vapid, carnal effort whose purpose isn’t God’s glory and the salvation of men; it is for their own glory and the liberation of other people’s money. Religion is seen as a profitable racket, one that they want a piece of. What they fail to comprehend is that the beguilement of people is awful enough; but when one attempts to beguile God Himself for the sake of personal gain or aggrandizement, that is on another level. As Jude wrote, such men have no fear, and they would need to be fearless if they considered who they would inevitably have to answer to.

Jude further refers to such men as wandering stars, much like fallen angels when they chose to follow Lucifer in rebellion. Like the fallen angels, the blackness of eternal darkness is their reserved fate, Matthew 25:41. Such men are liars in regards to the gospel and Christ; and all liars have their portion in the Lake of Fire, Revelation 22:15. Not only does John record liars being outside of the blessed city and eternal life with Christ, but first and foremost are dogs. Using that inference, and returning to Philippians, we read, “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!” Philippians 3:2. Peter likewise refers to such men when he quotes Proverbs, “A dog returns to his own vomit,” 2 Peter 2:22, Proverbs 26:11. In context, a dog here is a false professor or teacher of the Christian faith. Paul calls them evil workers, or workers of evil things. They appear as Christian ministers, but are actually followers of Satan, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. And as they have sided with Satan’s promise of emancipation and independent godhood over God’s offer of reconciliation through the blood of Jesus Christ, they will share in their master’s fortunes, Revelation 20:10.