Year of the Bible: Part Twelve of TwelveSample

Ungodly Infiltrators

Jude wrote this passage with colorful metaphors that described ungodly infiltrators. He warned the church about hypocrisy and false teachers. He explained how false teachers have personal agendas filled with greed and false hope and are not beneficial for the church.

When Jude referred to love feasts, he was referring to a communal meal the fellowship frequently had. The ungodly false teachers sometimes infiltrated these gatherings. Whether the false teachers knew it or not, their intentions satisfied the devil’s purpose. God’s judgment was upon them because they instinctively reacted to their selfish desires. Favoring their personal agendas, they ignored scripture.

Jude pointed out their greed by referring to them as shepherds feeding themselves. Shepherds should feed and care for their flock, as should a good pastor for his congregation. These false teachers were like clouds without rain during the harvest—their teachings led to false hope. The “fruitless trees” represent their lack of integrity, especially hypocrisy. Interestingly, the tree Jude references died twice: the judgment upon the false teachers was to die physically and spiritually. Jude knew about Jesus’ work on the cross and did not want the fellowship to be harmed by such ungodly infiltrators. Jude knew how to look out for the congregation because Jesus had looked out for him and warned the apostles about false teachers. Today, Jesus looks out for us through the Bible and our relationship with Him.

Question: What are some character attributes of an ungodly infiltrator, and how can you tell?

Prayer: Praise God that there is a guideline that exposes false teachers. Ask the Lord to reveal the guidelines of scripture that point out ungodly infiltrators and thank Him for the church, where we can draw closer to Him.