Recognizing False Teachers

Jude 12-13

Jude uses more imagery to explain the dangers of false teachers and prophets amongst the people.  It is important to take a look at these metaphors, as I don’t believe they are meant just to be a poetic picture, but rather explain how they are a hindrance to believers.  Let’s take a look at what each of them means.

Reefs in Love Feasts
“Love feasts” or suppers were specifically designed to be times of fellowship and growing in relationship with one another.  Otherwise known as a banquet, they weren’t really about the food!  Consider special banquets in our modern day.  Yes, food is provided, but they usually have a theme or purpose, not just to feed people.  They could revolve around a celebration of some kind, like the end of a sports season, an anniversary, or even special recognition of certain people within a group.  I remember in high school we would always have a football banquet at the end of the season to commemorate our hard work, honor the players who excelled, thank the parent volunteers, and thank the coach.  It was particularly special for the seniors, who would be moving on to college and leaving the team.  We also welcomed the newcomers who would be joining us the following year.  Banquets are special, and so were these love feasts.  Yet, the false teachers are recognized by Jude as reefs!  Reefs are particularly dangerous to ships, hidden just below the surface of the water as an unseen obstacle that could create destruction.  They would show up to feasts, not caring about the occasion or the people, but for free food and connecting with others to grow a bigger following.

Clouds Without Water
Rain was important back then, particularly to an agricultural society where crops were sustenance.  It’s important to us today as well, but the majority of us see it as a nuisance unless it impacts our livelihood like it does farmers.  Clouds without water blown by the wind is an analogy to expose hope for life and growth, but with no real promise.  Have you ever had someone promise you something and not deliver?  The easiest example in today’s theological landscape is the prosperity gospel, where you are promised more riches if you donate more money to the church.  The other side of that coin is condemnation by not having riches, basically condemning people by saying that they do not have because they either aren’t giving enough or God is angry with them.  All of this is false doctrine and Jude makes a point to reveal the false promises of these teachers and prophets.  It is also a way for us to be able to identify and discern a false teacher when we encounter one.

Autumn Trees Without Fruit
Jesus used this analogy as well, cursing the fig tree when it looked like it should have fruit but it didn’t (Matthew 21:18-22).  This is a picture of having religion but no real faith.  We can have the appearance of holiness and righteousness, but without a relationship with God, it is just manmade pomp and circumstance.  Jesus exposed this in His interactions with the Pharisees.  Jude certainly heard this analogy during his time spent with his brother, who spoke of it often.

Wild Waves of the Sea
If you think about waves of the sea, particularly large ones, what do they amount to?  They may seem majestic, overwhelming, powerful, and threatening even.  But eventually, they crash and level out, only to be left with a remnant of the foam that dissipates back into the sea.  They rise up, talk a big game, maybe even cause some destruction, then fade away.  This is the impact of false teachings and prophecy.  They wind up being ashamed of their words because they have little to no impact and then are forgotten by the next wave that rises.  Gamaliel knew this, when the Sanhedrin met to discuss if what the apostles were teaching was from God or not(Acts 5:34-39).  His encouragement was to not be so concerned with what they were teaching because if it was false, it would fade away and if it truly was of God, there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Wandering Stars
This reference is a little more obscure, but is not surprising because of the spiritual things Jude already presented to us.  “Stars” is also a term for angelic beings.  There are multiple references to angels as stars, and particularly the fallen angels that followed Satan.  Stars are also known as messengers, which usually refers to angels but can also be a symbol for a human voice.  Jude is comparing false teachers and prophets to fallen angels, referencing their ultimate destiny.  Stars are brilliant, extremely large, and we spend lots of time paying attention to them.  Yet Jude says not all stars are the same and, despite their brilliance, will spend eternity in utter darkness.  Does that sound like something worth spending your time and energy on?   

Jude does an excellent job of not only helping us to understand and identify false teachers and prophets, but also, with his metaphors, explains the danger of following them.  We must remain vigilant to not be deceived by them so as not to follow their path of fading away and burning out.