False Teachers Are Among Us - Jude

Jude 1:17-19 (ESV Strong's)
But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

False Teachers Are Among Us

Jude, the brother of James, writes one of the last letters of the New Testament.   The book was written sometime between 65-80 A.D.    This was at the height of persecution.    Yet, despite the persecution, there were false teachers coming into the church.

Jude 1:4 (ESV Strong's)
For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

In verses 12-16 Jude identifies them we several very bad metaphors.   He is calling them out, in public, for perverting the Gospel of Christ.    In the above passage he is reminding the church that the other apostles warned that this would happen.   Paul in particular wrote:

2 Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV Strong's)
Godlessness in the Last Days
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

The church needs to be aware that false teaching will become more and more evident.   Today’s false teachers are prominent in our churches.   Jude is warning us that they will come in an lead the weak to follow them.  We need to spend time in God’s Word, learn it, so that we can recognize when a false version of the Gospel is being presented.   Studying God’s Word and learning it is the antidote for false teachers.