Jude Part 3

9-10. These verses emphasize the ungodliness of the creeps (v. 4) who had gotten into the church(es) who “...despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities” (v. 8). c/w 2PE 2:10-12. A. dominion: The power or right of governing and controlling; sovereign authority; lordship, sovereignty; rule, sway; control, influence. B. dignity: 1. The quality of being worthy or honourable; worthiness, worth, nobleness, excellence. 2. Honourable or high estate, position, or estimation; honour; degree of estimation, rank. C. These are intractable, rebellious, refusing to recognize or submit to ordained authority, contrary to 1TI 2:1-2; TIT 3:1; 1PE 2:13-14. 1. Magistrates, even Gentile magistrates, might interfere with their lasciviousness. 1CO 5:1. 2. Given the rabid nature of Jewish political zealotry in the 1st C., these creeps might have had designs to infiltrate and use the Christians in their opposition of Rome. ACT 21:38 even speaks of a violent faction of murderers (SRN G4607, sikarios) whom Josephus says operated as assassins who would infiltrate gatherings to clandestinely kill those who were obstacles to their political goals. 3. NOTE: those who despise dominion only do so until they have dominion. D. Jude sets forth a high example of respecting authority, even if it is flawed. Jesus likewise instructed disciples to submit to the office of the corrupt men who sat in Moses’ seat. MAT 23:2-3. E. Though not recorded in the O.T. record, there was once a contention between Michael the archangel and the devil concerning the body of Moses. 1. With Holy Ghost discernment, Jude manifests extra-biblical detail which then becomes inspired scripture. a. Paul did likewise concerning Jannes and Jambres. 2TI 3:8. b. The apostles had the Holy Ghost for such additions. Our rule is Scripture, and it is not only sufficient, it excludes traditions, fables, profane history, etc. 1PE 4:11; 2PE 1:16; COL 2:8. 2. archangel: An angel of the highest rank. 3. Michael the archangel is “...one of the chief princes...” (DAN 10:13), a heavenly warrior-defender. DAN 10:21; 12:1; REV 12:7. a. Jesus Christ is uniquely and solely THE chief cornerstone (1PE 2:6), chief Shepherd (1PE 5:4), Prince of Peace (ISA 9:6), prince of the kings of the earth (REV 1:5) over all powers and principalities (earthly or heavenly, EPH 1:21) Who as Lord God does have the right to rebuke the devil and condemn him openly. MAT 16:23; JOH 8:44. b. Therefore, Michael is not Jesus Christ (pre-incarnation or post-resurrection), he is a high-ranking angel under the Prince of angels. c. This mighty archangel under the authority of the Godhead would not rail (utter abusive language) against Lucifer/Satan, the “...anointed cherub that covereth...” (EZE 28:14-15). c/w ISA 14:12-14. (1) Lucifer/Satan was the apex of God’s angelic creation who still had access to heaven until REV 12:7-9. (2) Even the dignity of the devil was respected by Michael, a drastic difference from the attitude of the creeps concerning dominion. (3) It is interesting that when Michael justly warred against the higher authority, it was a resistance founded upon the sovereignty of Jesus Christ over all subordinate authority. 4. Michael disputed about the body of Moses. a. There are many theories about this, a reasonable one being that Satan took issue with the hiding of Moses’ body/sepulchre (DEU 34:5-6) which he would have loved to have the Jews make a shrine of to draw them back from Canaan and/or facilitate hero-worship-idolatry. b. But all theories without Holy Ghost-inspired revelation are just theories (and vain imaginations love to run wild with such). We do well to be cautious to not be as one who is “...intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind” (COL 2:18). F. What these creeps don’t know they defame; what they do know corrupts them. v. 10. 1. They call good evil. ISA 5:20. a. Paul speaks of such in the last days who are “...despisers of those that are good” (2TI 3:3). b. They “...speak evil of dignities” (v. 8), they know not the value of the commandment to “...not speak evil of the ruler of thy people” (ACT 23:5). c. They are not sincere defenders of righteous law to which both rulers and ruled are bound: they simply despise dominion. d. NOTE: It is not railing or speaking evil to frankly identify corrupt rule for what it truly is and/or challenge it on the basis of just law. 2KI 6:32; EZE 21:25; LUK 13:31-32. 2. Their knowledge is natural knowledge only, not spiritual. c/w 1CO 2:14. a. Theirs is not mere knowledge of mathematical or scientific principles and phenomena, the study of which can be beneficial. b. It is what they know naturally, as brute beasts: feeding and breeding. c. They may know the power of seduction, using lusts and wiles to accomplish their lust-oriented schemes. 2TI 3:6; 4:3-4; 2PE 2:18. d. They may by observation of nature know the judgments against promiscuity or sodomy but they don’t care: in those things they corrupt themselves and are past feeling. ROM 1:26-27 c/w EPH 4:17-19. 11. Jude likens these creeps to Cain, Balaam and Core. A. Cain played at religion but not according to faith. GEN 4:3-8 c/w HEB 11:4. 1. Cain was “...of that wicked one...” (1JO 3:12), the murderous devil. JOH 8:44. 2. Cain’s religion was more aesthetically pleasing to natural man: an attempt to do service to God with environmentally-friendly bloodlessness. GEN 4:3. 3. Cain’s offering being rejected by God seemed to him to be a servitude to Abel, which he could not endure. He despised that dominion. B. Balaam was a hireling prophet who subordinated righteousness to money. NUM 22-25. 1. Pious words and religion were for him a route to personal prosperity. NUM 24:1; 2PE 2:15 c/w 1TI 6:5. 2. God wouldn’t allow Balaam to curse Israel (as he was to be paid to do), so he figured out a way to the reward by counseling Balak, the king of Moab, to corrupt Israel’s morals and religion so that God would fight against Israel. NUM 25 c/w REV 2:14 c/w 2PE 2:15. 3. NOTE: Pure religion is an undefiled one (JAM 1:27), it does not overlook or sanction sexual fornication. But false religions have always tended to do otherwise. C. Core (Korah in the O.T.) and his cohorts could not be satisfied with eminency as Levites in Moses’ day and thus clamored for preeminence in opposition to God-ordained authority. NUM 16:1-3, 9-10, 31-35. D. The elements of despite of authority, false religion and fleshly lust represented by Cain, Balaam and Core are typical of these creeps who own no ruler other than their own will (self-willed, 2PE 2:10) and their fleshly lusts while pretending at religion’s form but without godliness. c/w 2TI 3:5.