Yet in like manner
these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject
authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.
THE STUDY:
Yesterday we looked at the word “dreams” and how it relates to the action
of the three following verbs. Relating to “these
people” it is on the basis of their delusional dreaming that they defile the flesh, reject authority, and
blaspheme the glorious ones. Jude compares the sinful behavior of his three
negative examples (vv 5–7) with the behavior of these dreamers.
Yesterday we talked about defiling the flesh (Sexual impurity)!
Today we are going to look at how these people, through their so called dreams,
would reject authority.
These false
teachers reject authority (kyriotēta: lordship). Kyriotēta can
refer to the rule of human authorities, the authority of a certain class of
angels (Col 1:16; Eph 1:21), or the lordship of God or Christ. Jude uses the
related term kyrios (“Lord”) in vv 4
and 5.
The rejection
of lordship here probably parallels the accusation that the false teachers
“deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (v 4). Since these people masqueraded as believers,
their rejection of authority was
probably not doctrinal. They probably did not overtly teach some christological
heresy. Their method of rejecting authority
was undoubtedly practical. Their immoral behavior implicitly rejected the
divine authority of the Lord who judges and punishes sin.[1] They
denied the lordship of God or Christ by the way they lived.[2]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that the way we live signifies who’s Lord of our life. Living an immoral life, meaning a life contrary to God’s word, implies a rejection to Christ lordship. Whereas, living a life that holds true to God’s word implies a submissive life to the Lordship of Christ.
CONCLUSION:
Many people may not know that Harvard
University’s main purpose for becoming an educational institution was to train
ministers for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Harvard’s “Rules and Precepts” (adopted in
1646), read: (1) Every one shall consider the main end of his life and
studies to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. (2) Seeing the Lord
giveth wisdom, every one shall seriously by prayer in secret seek wisdom of
him. (3) Every one shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a
day that they be ready to give an account of their proficiency therein, both in
theoretical observations of languages and logic, and in practical and spiritual
truths … ” And thus, 52% of the 17th century Harvard graduates became
ministers!
Today, may we
realize who is Lord in our lives and let that resonate from us so that others
may see Jesus. Let us not allow false teachers, with their underlying motive,
cause us to move toward immorality but through God’s word let us live a life
that reveals the character of Christ!
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2
Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible
Commentary (276–277). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.
[2]
Schreiner, T. R. (2007). Vol. 37: 1, 2 Peter, Jude (electronic ed.). Logos
Library System; The New American Commentary (456). Nashville: Broadman &
Holman Publishers.
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