Jude 11-13 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
These verses reveal the bad news for the false teachers. The “way of Cain” is about jealousy and revenge. The profit of Balaam is about money and swearing falsely. Korah’s rebellion was a rejection of God’s words and will. These Old Testament examples warn about the direction these people have taken. The readers must learn from the past sacred history of Israel and reject these people because they destroy the church and lead people away from Christ. The major issue is that the believers have accepted these false teachers into their midst and have done nothing about it. They have participated in the love feasts, which were a form of early eucharist. These people are shepherds who are all about self. They are in this for what they can get out of it. There is no shepherd’s heart but only selfish heart. They bear no fruit but only like the position. They even seem to boast in what they are doing, spewing out their false teaching like the foam of the sea.
There are leaders like this today who focus their ministry on themselves. This is a subtle temptation for any leader, especially a pastor/shepherd. Our selfishness needs to be constantly put on the cross where it can be crucified. Christ must be Lord of all of our lives. This is the only way to avoid the problems that these false teachers were having. Jude’s language is strong, but that is what may be needed in some places. We must take this warning seriously and do our best to ensure our leaders are staying close to the cross.
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