False Teachers: Their Motives

Again Jude uses examples from the Old Testament, but this time to explain the motives of false teachers.

• JEALOUSY:  Cain was so jealous of his brother that he ended up killing him.  Like Cain many cults and false teachers refuse to follow the truth, but they still desire attention and praise.  Often they will emphasize good works, or demand respect, or worship.
• GREED:  Baalam knew that Israel was God’s chosen people and He desired to bless them.  Still he really wished that he could curse them so he could receive huge sums of money from their enemy.  This same type of greed motivates false teachers to exploit their followers.
• REBELLION:  Korah rebelled against Moses caused he resented that God had put him in authority.  Many false teachers are motivated by nothing more than pure rebellion against the truth.

1. Bible Study Boy says:

   August 28, 2010 at 10:57 am

   I love the book of Jude. It is my favorite book speaking of those who speak evil of the things they know not, but what they know naturally as brute beasts. It speaks of these following Cain and Balaam, both of which deal with cursing. The bible tells us they who are of the works of the law are under the curse. Those who teach the works of the law do so through natural understanding. They do not understand the law of God is spiritual and is fulfilled through faith in Jesus alone. These seek to please God with their own works of righteousness in the flesh, the works of the law, the curse. For example, the bible tells us not to lie, 1 John 2:22 tells us the spiritual definition of a liar. This verse tells us a liar is one who denies Jesus is the Christ, which is unbelief in the gospel. When we believe the gospel, we do not deny Jesus is the Christ, which in turn makes us no longer liars. The same for stealing. Jesus told us to climb up any other way than through him makes us theives. If we go through faith in JEsus, we are no longer theives who steal spiritually. All the commandments are fulfilled through faith in Jesus. Salvation is by grace through faith, not works. Those in the book of Jude are those who do not understand the bible spiritually and seek to please God as Cain and Balaam by their own works of righteousness in the flesh, the works of the law, the curse as Balaam tried to curse Israel, these try to bring men under the curse of the law by works through false teaching, they bring cursed works to God as an offering as did Cain. God had cursed the ground from which Cain brought his offering representing these who follow the bible based on natural understanding. Here is an interesting bible study website that opens up the spiritual wisdom of the word of God.

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