The 11:45 Call by Joel F. Blakely

Author:Joel F. Blakely [Blakely, Joel F. Blakely, Brenda Klutz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781449750473
Publisher: WestBow Press
Published: 2012-07-12T00:00:00+00:00

Verse 12

“These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;”

These are spots in your love feasts

The early Christians had a practice of meeting together regularly for a time of food and fellowship. Today, we might call these meetings “potlucks” or “food faiths.” The early Christians called these meetings “love feasts.”

Jude is speaking of the apostates who “have crept in unnoticed” (verse 4), and without fear, they are causing spots in their love feasts. This describes a scene in which all is beautiful in a gathering of Christian love and sharing except for these ugly spots. Some commentaries also call these spots “rocks that are hard to get over.” These spots or rocks taint or spoil the beauty of Christian fellowship and relationships with both God and man.

An apostate has abandoned his or her religion and principles. An apostate commits apostasies, those things that show/demonstrate that one has turned from God.

Compare Jude 12 with 2 Peter 2:13–14.

2 Peter 13–14 “And will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.”

While they feast with you without fear

The apostates come in and feast (eat), not being afraid of being discovered or ashamed. These false Christians, whom Jude has already described as “ungodly” (verse 4), “brute beasts” (verse 10), and “dreamers” (verse 8), continue to mingle with the faithful with no fear of God or people. They act as if nothing is wrong and continue to serve themselves only. Their actions deceive both themselves and others.

Serving only themselves

The apostates are the ungodly, brute beasts, dreamers, and false teachers who seek only their self-satisfaction and therefore serve only themselves. They have turned from the way God planned.

In the previous verse, Jude gave the examples of those who served only themselves. Cain, Baalam, and Korah are examples of lives lived in the opposition to God’s plan for the Christian life and standard, which is to be a servant of God and a servant of others.

Mark 10:42–45 “But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Christians are to die to self and live unto God

Mark 8:34 “Who ever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me.

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