When their teaching is healthy, but their behaviour isn't

What does it mean to 'contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints' (Jude 3)?

Here is a clear call to disagree, to argue, to oppose, to speak against, to condemn – but is this only a matter of doctrine?

We know that sound doctrine is indispensable for the health of God’s people. Many fierce and essential battles have been fought over this ground over the last 2,000 years and still are being fought today. But is it enough to look at someone’s doctrine and leave it at that? Are orthodox sermons a guarantee that a church or ministry leader is a true shepherd of the sheep?

A true shepherd of the sheep?

As ever with Scripture, context is a reliable guide. Jude wrote his letter to address the threat of certain false teachers – but what exactly did they teach?

Jude tells us that they 'pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ' (v4), so perhaps they taught a casual sexual ethic and a low Christology? As we know too well, that would sadly be highly applicable in our contemporary Christian scene.

However, it is equally possible to apply these words to those who 'profess to know God but deny Him by their works (Titus 1:16)'. In other words, their teaching may seem healthy but their conduct gives them away.

When conduct seems 'ungodly'

The conduct of these false leaders is certainly a major theme. Perhaps the word that sums them up is the word that comes in verse 6, four times in verse 15 and again in verse 18: 'ungodly'. Their words, works, desires, attitude and character all express the same deep hostility to Him, cloaked as it may be in a semblance of true religion.

Though they doubtless had a form of spirituality, there was nothing of the Spirit in it (v19). Their guide was their own sinful desires (vv10, 16,18); their preoccupation was with this world (v19). Like the angels who fell (v6) or like Korah who perished (v11) they rejected authority (cf v8). Like the men of Sodom (v7) they were capable of hideous sexual immorality, defiling the flesh (v8). They spoke with great arrogance (vv8-10, 16) an arrogance founded in deep ignorance (v10). Their teaching was full of complaints (v16) and mockery (v18) and its main tendency was to turn believers against each other (v19). Like Cain, they had an envious, murderous hatred about them; like Balaam they were prophets for hire (v11). If they were trees, they were fruitless, fruitless because irredeemably dead (v12). If they were guides, they were only as useful as 'wandering stars' to a mariner lost at sea (v.13). If they were shepherds, they were of the same stamp as those of Ezekiel 34:1-6 (v12).

Was all this obvious to Jude’s readers? No and yes. On the one hand we read that they 'crept in unnoticed' (v.4) while on the other hand they were bold and blatant 'as they feast with you without fear' (v.12). They were hiding in plain sight. No use waiting for them to start preaching rank heresy because their nature was already obvious to anyone who cared to see it. They needed calling out. They needed Jude’s readers to 'contend' with them.

Contending with bad behaviour

Here’s the takeaway. At some point in your church or ministry context you may encounter such problem people. When you see it, you may say to yourself, 'surely it’s not such a great problem as all that'. On the contrary, all the indications of Jude’s letter are that they will hurt the sheep, and in the end do great harm to everyone who trusted them. You may find their statement of faith impeccable and their teaching without flaw. But none of that gives them a free pass to continue unchallenged in a position of trust and responsibility when they so clearly resemble these people of Jude’s letter in so many other respects.

'Contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints' - when you see something manifestly unbiblical in your church or ministry context, don’t sit back and hope it will go away. Call it out.