Cc-27. WHAT DOES JUDE 1:4 TRULY MEAN? Sadly, some Christians are only being taught ONE SIDE of the Bible. What do I mean by one side of the Bible? You see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, there is one side of the Bible that has statements of FACTS. And then, there is the other side of the Bible where verses are INTERPRETED. And thus, some Christians are only being taught what others have INTERPRETED the Bible to mean. So in this study of God’s word we will take a look at the FACTS that are stated in the Bible. And what I mean by facts is that there are many verses in the Bible that do NOT need any interpretation to understand what those verses mean in SIMPLICITY. But before we get into the plainly stated facts found in the Bible, let us read a verse where Paul is concerned that there are those in the church teaching ANOTHER Jesus that they did NOT teach. And also, the Bible warns us about preaching or teaching ANOTHER GOSPEL that the Apostles of Jesus did NOT teach. Please read 2 Corinthians 11:3,4. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY that is IN Christ. (Paul is worried or concerned that some Christians are being deceived to be drawn away from the TRUE Jesus and the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ that the Bible ITSELF teaches IN SIMPLICITY.) 4. For if he that comes preaching ANOTHER Jesus, whom WE have NOT preached, (Here is the KEY to knowing the TRUE Jesus that the Bible ITSELF teaches us IN SIMPLICITY. And this key is that any Jesus that is being taught in the Jesus today that does not AGREE 100% with the Jesus that the Apostles of Jesus taught in the New Testament of the Bible, then that Jesus is ANOTHER Jesus) or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or ANOTHER GOSPEL, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.” Now, when some Christians read this verse, they INTERPRET this verse to mean that if anyone comes along and teaches anything different from what their own church DENOMINATION teaches, then those Christians are teaching ANOTHER Jesus and ANOTHER GOSPEL. But that is NOT what this verse is saying. Paul is specifically defining another Jesus as being any other Jesus than what the APOSTLES of Jesus themselves taught. And Paul is specifically defining ANOTHER GOSPEL as being any teaching that the Apostles themselves did NOT teach. So then, does the Jesus and the GOSPEL that your church denomination teaches AGREE 100% with the Jesus and the GOSPEL that the Apostles of Jesus taught? And if your church doctrine, concerning Jesus, or the Gospel of Jesus, does not agree with the Jesus and his disciples taught in the New Testament of the Bible, then they are teaching ANOTHER Jesus and a FALSE GOSPEL. The title of this study in God’s word is a question. And that question is, what does Jude 1:4 truly mean? In other words, does Jude 1:4 teach Calvinism? Every false teaching that I have come across always quote verses OUT of the CONTEXT and then READ INTO the verse a presupposed church doctrine. And Calvinism is no different. In other words, Christians who believe in Reformed Theology or Calvinism read into verses what they have already been taught to believe. It is not that they intentionally do this. But rather it is because they sincerely believe that Jesus did not die for the sins of everyone in the whole world. So in their mind, the only solution is that God must have predestined certain people to be lost. Let us read Jude 1:4 out of its context first with words emphasized by Reformed Theology Christians so you can see how Predeterminism INTERPRETS this verse. Jude 1:4. “For there are CERTAIN men crept in unawares, who were BEFORE of old ORDAINED to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Again, in the minds of Calvinist Christians, they INTERPRET this verse to mean that God PREDESTINED CERTAIN individual people BEFORE the creation of the world to be ungodly and thus there is nothing they can do to be saved. And ALSO, according to Calvinism or Reformed Theology, certain select individuals were ordained to CONDEMNATION. In other words, Calvinism teaches that God chose or predestined some people to be lost and there is nothing that they can do to change their predetermined destination to be CONDEMNED to destruction in the lake of fire. The Greek word translated as CONDEMNATION is “KRIMA” Strong’s #2917 and it means decision, judgment, damnation, and condemnation. Some Christians argue that Jude 1:4 is not referring to eternal damnation but rather it is speaking of a temporary condemnation of the conscience. But to me, this same Greek word is translated as judgment and damnation in several verses that definitely speak of eternal damnation. Here are just a few verses. Keep in mind that the Greek word “krima” Strong’s #2917 is FROM the root word “krisis” Strong’s #2019. Romans 2:1-3. “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whosoever you are that judges (Strong’s #2919): for wherein you judge (Strong’s #2919) another, you condemn yourself (Also contains the root word Strong’s #2919); for you that judges (Strong’s #2919) do the same things. 2. But we are sure that the JUDGMENT (Or CONDEMNATION Strong’s #2917 the same Greek word used in Jude 1:4) of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3. And think you this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and do the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? (Or CONDEMNATION of God Strong’s #2917 the same Greek word used in Jude 1:4)” Hebrews 6:2. “Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal JUDGMENT (Or eternal CONDEMNATION Strong’s #2917 the same Greek word used in Jude 1:4).”
Please understand that the Greek word “krima” does not always mean eternal damnation or judgment. It is not over for anyone until they draw their last breath and die physically or the time of judgment AT the coming of Jesus. No matter who wicked a person may seem to us there is always hope that they will RECEIVE the truth and turn from their wicked ways. Let us read this same verse in Jude 1:4 from a few other translations before we place Jude 1:4 back into its context in order to learn its TRUE meaning. Does this verse mean that certain specific individuals are predestined to be wicked? Does this verse mean that certain individual people are predestined to be lost? Or does this verse mean that ALL ungodly people who are ungodly by their OWN choosing are predestined to eternal damnation if so be that they never turn from their wicked ways to live? “For some GODLESS people have slipped in unnoticed among us, persons who DISTORT the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways, and who reject Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. Long ago the Scriptures PREDICTED the condemnation they have received.” “Godless people have slipped in among you. They turn the grace of our God into unrestrained immorality and deny our only master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Judgment was passed against them a long time ago.” “For certain individuals, the ones written about long ago as being meant for this condemnation, have wormed their way in - ungodly people who PERVERT God's grace into a license for debauchery and disown our only Master and Lord, Yeshua the Messiah.” “What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license - which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master.” So you can see from some other translations that the Greek word translated as CERTAIN men does not mean specific certain individual people but rather means the KIND OF people. And the KIND OF people being spoken of in Jude 1:4 are UNGODLY people. Here is the meaning of the Greek word translated as certain in the King James Version. G5100 τίς tis tis An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object: - a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, -thing, -what), (+ that no-) thing, what (-soever), X wherewith, whom [-soever], whose ([-soever]). Total KJV occurrences: 457 And we can also see form these other translations that it was NOT that certain individual people are ordained to be wicked but rather that the wicked people are ordained to this decision of JUDGMENT of DESTRUCTION in the lake of fire on the final day of judgment. The scripture prophesied and warned us that there will be a great falling away in the last days. 2 Thessalonians 2:3. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” Here is the meaning of the Greek word translated as falling away. G646 ἀποστασία apostasia ap-os-tas-ee'-ah Feminine of the same as G647; defection from truth (properly the state), (“apostasy”): - falling away, forsake. Total KJV occurrences: 2 We do not know exactly what these ungodly men were teaching but is sounds like the extreme teaching of once saved always saved where a true born-again Christians can never lose their faith no matter what the do or do not do. And some of these extreme OSAS Christians sincerely believe that they can even DENY Jesus and NOT lose their salvation. This is not to say that all Calvinist and Reformed Theology Christians are “extreme” once saved always saved Christians. Please read the study “IS ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED BIBLICAL?” Let us read Jud 1:4 in its CONTEXT to see that what was ordained was the JUDGMENT for ALL ungodly people and NOT that God ordained certain people to BE ungodly. Jude 1:3-23. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (So then, the subject under discussion is the TRUE GOSPEL of salvation that is taught by the Apostles of Jesus Christ. And some ungodly men come into the fold and start teaching ANOTHER GOSPEL that the Apostles of Jesus did NOT teach) 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, TURNING the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (You see when people teach that it is alright to SIN then this is like crucify Jesus all over again. Please read Hebrews 6:6 “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” This particular verse is speaking about Christians converting to Judaism to DENY Jesus as the savior. But it would be equally true if a Christian converts to Islam to deny that Jesus is the Son of God. Muslims do not believe that Jesus died for their sins. All we know for sure about these ungodly men is that they are teaching a FALSE GOSPEL that it is alright to SIN so that they can excuse their OWN sins. I personally do not see a TRUE born-again Christian being that deceived. But I could be wrong. Let us continue.) 5. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. (This is COMPARING the chosen people of Israel where some FELL AWAY from God by their UNBELIEF. And thus God has no choice but to DESTROY them on the day of judgment. So then, these ungodly men MAY have been true born-again Christians that have fallen away from God. Whether they were or not you will see that the writer is teaching use to SAVE them by contending for the TRUE faith that is taught by the Apostles of Jesus Christ) 6. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Again, this a a COMPARISON of something good FALLING AWAY from God and their JUDGMENT will be DESTRUCTION in the lake of fire on the day of judgment) 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, GIVING THEMSELVES over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (And again, another COMPARISON of good men GIVING THEMSELVES over to the temptation from the enemy to SIN. And the destruction they received is a EXAMPLE showing the future ETERNAL destruction in the lake of firs on the final day of JUDGMENT) 8. Likewise ALSO THESE filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. (This is referring back to the ungodly men teaching a FALSE GOSPEL.) 9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke you. 10. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13. Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, PROPHESIED of THESE, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, 15. To EXECUTE JUDGMENT upon all, and to convince all that are UNGODLY among them of all their UNGODLY deeds which they have UNGODLY committed, and of all their hard speeches which UNGODLY sinners have spoken against him. 16. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. 17. But, beloved, remember you the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18. How that they told you there should be MOCKERS in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19. These be they who SEPARATE THEMSELVES, sensual, having NOT the Spirit. (This sounds to me like these ungodly men were NOT true born-again Christians. But yet they seemed to attend the church services) 20. But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22. And of some have compassion, making a difference: (In other words, do not sit idly by and allow these ungodly men to teach their false gospel. CONTEND of the TRUE faith having compassion on some which will make a difference in their life) 23. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” So then, the writer of Jude is NOT teaching Calvinism or Predeterminism because he is telling the good faithful Christians to defend the true faith having compassion on some of these ungodly men to make a DIFFERENCE and with the others SAVE using the FEAR of eternal destruction in the lake of fire on the day of judgment. So I conclude that these were ungodly carnal Christians in NAME only who TWISTED the scriptures to EXCUSE their own sins. They TURNED the true GRACE of God into a LICENCE to SIN. Sounds to mean like the once saved always saved false teaching on the extreme end where some Christians wrongly teach that no matter what we do or do not do we can never lose our salvation.. Again, I implore you to read the studies “CAN A CHRISTIAN LOSE THEIR SALVATION?” and “IS ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED BIBLICAL?” Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Mark. RETURN TO HOMEPAGE AT The NEXT VERSE we will study is Acts 13:48 in the study called |
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