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False Teachers in the Church
Read Jude 4 and Matthew 7:15.
Jude said the false teachers among his recipients had crept in unnoticed. What do you suppose that means?
“Crept in unnoticed" is from the Greek pareisdy(n)ō, which means “to settle in alongside, i.e. lodge stealthily … creep in unawares.”1 Clearly, the secret nature by which false teachers invade Christian churches is pervasive. Jesus told us that would be the case. We see it in the teachings of Paul as well. And in Jude’s epistle, among others, it’s confirmed: false teachers have come and will stay as long as they can. It’s their going “unnoticed” that allows them to continue leading and wooing Christians away from the faith that was delivered to them.
Why do you think false teaching and teachers are able to go unnoticed, and what should we do to ensure that when false teachers are among us, we will notice them?
Let’s reread a verse, but this time read a few of the sentences after it. Read Matthew 7:15-20.
How do you recognize false teachers?
In Jude verse 4, what word describes the character of the false teachers among them? UNGODLY.
What does ungodliness actually look like?
What did Jude say these unnoticed teachers were doing?
God’s grace has been misunderstood for centuries, especially among the early church (Rom. 1). Ungodly people among Jude’s recipients who had rejected God’s grace were now attempting to change the meaning and implications of God’s grace.
What do you think it is about grace that causes people to misunderstand it?
If Jude’s recipients were to contend for the faith, then they were to contend for the truth of God’s grace (an essential aspect of the gospel, the gospel being a part of the faith) and how God’s grace should affect the lives of those who’ve received it. Without a proper understanding of the grace of God, we, along with Jude’s recipients, would be susceptible to the teachings of those who would seek to pervert it.
1. “Definition of Crept in Unnoticed,” Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3921&t=ESV, accessed on July 2, 2019.
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About this Plan
In this 5-day study from Jackie Hill Perry, dive into themes of being called, loved, and kept, and learn how to point others to Jesus in grace and truth. We serve others well when we share the whole gospel with them, not just the parts deemed attractive by our culture. While often overlooked, the Book of Jude remains as relevant today as the time it was written.
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