Parent: JesusWordsOnly
Jude Finds Paul s Ideas Heretical
Paul calls angels "weak and beggarly elements" (Gal. 4:8). He is severely putting them down. Paul also implicitly slights the angels for acting without authorization in bringing the Law of Moses to us. (Gal. 3:19; 4:7-8).
Paul's statements bring to mind Jude's condemnation of those who make "grace a license for immorality." (Jude 4). Jude was also a brother of Jesus. He mentions modestly his heritage in Jude 1 by saying he was a brother of James.
In warning us of teachers of a dangerous grace, Jude gives us a clue to identify such teachers. Jude says these same grace-teachers are also those who "rail at dignities." (Jude 8). The word dignities is literally glories in Greek. (JFB). Commentators concur Jude's meaning is angels. (Gill.) Thus, some translations say these "grace" teachers "slander celestial beings." (WEB). By Paul telling us that angels issued the Law, not God, and that they are "weak and beggarly," Paul is "railing at the glories." He is railing at the angels. Jude's letter appears directed at Paul on this point. This is especially evident when Jude describes the message of dangerous grace.
Jude's Criticism of A Dangerous Pauline Grace Teaching
Jude warned of wolves in sheep clothing who "have secretly slipped in among you." (Jude 4). They are putting down the angels-slandering them. (Jude 8). These false teachers are the same who teach "grace is a license to immorality." (Jude 4). Jude then defines this as a teaching that once you are a Christian we do not risk "eternal fire" (Jude 7) if we engage in "immorality" (Jude 4, 7).
- The Greek is active aorist participle of pisteuo. In context, it means "having not trusted/believed." See http://abacus.bates.edu/~hwalker/Syntax/PartAor.html (accessed 2005)(the aorist active participle for have means "having released.")
We can further deduce what this teaching was by studying the warnings Jude gave. Jude warns us from the example of Israel whom God "saved" initially from Egypt, but when they were afraid to enter the promised land, all but two "not having believed" became lost (Jude 5). 19 Jude warns us again from the example of the angels who "did not keep their appropriate habitation" in heaven, but fell away by disobedience. (Jude 6). The examples which Jude gives us are meant to identify an initial salvation, even presence with God in heaven, that is brought to nothing by sin/having lost faith. Thus, being initially saved and even being in heaven itself is not a guarantee one will be finally saved and not enter "eternal fire." Those who teach to the contrary, and guarantee salvation no matter what sin you commit after initially being saved, Jude says are false teachers who are "twice dead"- meaning they were dead in sin, then born again, and died once more by virtue of their apostasy. (Jude 12).
As a solution, Jude urges the reader to "keep yourselves..." (Jude 21). This reminds us of Jesus' words that those who "keep on listening" and "keep on following" cannot be snatched from Jesus' hand. (John 10:27-29). Your security initially depends upon your faithfulness to God. cf. (1Pet. 1:5) ("kept by the power of God through faith/trust.")
Jude explains your keeping yourself is to be an active effort at "contending earnestly"-a form of the word agonize -for the "faith" delivered "one time for all time." (Jude 3). By contrast, these false teachers " disown our only master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 4). The Greek meaning is disown (Greek ameomai ). (Weymouth New Testament). It means they were rejecting the authority of God's word, delivered "one time for all time." It was not that they denied the existence of God or Jesus, as some translations suggest. This is underscored in Jude 8 where it says they "despise authority." Instead, in disrespect of God's authority, these false teachers "speak proud things" about themselves (Jude 16) and disown the authority of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 4).
In summary, Jude says we must not stray from the words of God and our Lord Jesus by listening to these false teachers who rail at dignities (angels), deny God's authority (in giving the Law) and contradict Jesus' teachings, boast of their own accomplishments, and who give us an assurance that God's grace will protect us from any sin we commit after our initial salvation. (See website www.jesuswordsonly. com for further discussion "Of Whom Did Jude Speak?")
Unless Stanley's position in Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure? (1990) is wrong, Paul taught precisely what Jude condemns. Stanley insists Paul teaches that once you confess Jesus and believe He resurrected, you are saved ((Rom. 10:9)), and now there is "no condemnation" ever possible again of such a Christian (Romans 8:1), no matter what sin you commit. No sin that you commit can ever separate you from God again. Your inheritance in heaven is guaranteed. See (2Cor. 5:19); Eph. 1:13-14; 4:29-32; Col. 2:13-14; Phil. 1:6; 2Tim. 1:12; 1 Thess. 5:24; Rom. 5:1,9-10; 6:1, 811,23; 8:28-30,39.
Paul otherwise fits the characteristics of which Jude speaks. We have already seen elsewhere that Paul denies God's authority in giving the Law (ascribing it to weak and beggarly angels), that Paul boasts unabashedly of his own accomplishments and that Paul routinely contradicts the message of Jesus on salvation ( e.g ., the need to repent from sin). Jude appears to be certainly talking about Paul and his followers.