QT 21 Nov 16, Jude 11-13, The motivations of false teachers

Jude 11–13 (ESV) — 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

NOTE: Jude's choice of examples for false teachers is quite interesting and instructive. He picks three: Cain, Balaam, and Korah. All three could probably be described as believers in God. Cain talked with God directly, and apparently believed in God enough to be sacrificing an offering. Balaam was known as a prophet of God and also talked to God, or at least heard from God. Korah was a leader among the people of Israel who passed through the waters and was saved (physically) out of slavery in Egypt. Each of them rebelled in a different way. Cain's situation is difficult, but it appears that Cain did not give the first fruit but rather gave out of his excess. The words first fruit are used for his brother Abel's offering but not mentioned of his offering. Additionally, Cain was upset that Abel's offering was accepted and his offering was not accepted. So his second sin would be comparison, which is simply pride. Cain's sins were greed and pride. Balaam's sin was trying to get rich off of his prophetic gift. The error was the advice he gave Balak to intermarry with Israel to draw her away from her worship of God and toward idolatry. Balaam combined culture with biblical truth to produce absolute error, but ultimately it revolved around greed and sexual sin (using the women to entice the men of Israel). Finally, Korah rebelled against God's annointed. Moses was designated by God to lead Israel. Moses was a humble man, and Korah took advantage of this perceived weakness to challenge him for authority. Korah and his followers took censors and approached the tabernacle--he and his followers were destroyed. Clearly, his problem was pride, but it was also believing in physicality trumping spirituality. Could he really believe God was so uninterested as to not intervene? Did he even believe in the personal nature of God? Was he a theist who believed in God, but that God has left us alone to our own devices?

In summary, pride, greed, and sexual sin characterize the totality of the stories. These are the same categories that John warns us to beware: 1 John 2:15–16 (ESV) — 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.