Study in the Epistle of Jude # 20: Verse 5

by Chris McCann

EBible Fellowship (http://www.ebiblefellowship.com)

Welcome to the Electronic Bible Fellowship’s Bible study. We are presently going through the book of Jude. We have come to verse 5, where God says:

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

We have begun to see how the New Testament church has misapplied one of the Bible’s fundamental teachings. The corporate body, the outward manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth during the New Testament period, has taken the wonderful doctrine that man is saved by grace apart from the works of the law and applied it to itself. The churches have come to believe, therefore, that they are permitted to be unfaithful. They can hold all manner of wrong doctrines, they think, and they can hold wrong conclusions, sometimes very grievous conclusions, regarding the Bible. Basically, they have come to conclude that they can do whatever they please. As far as error and unfaithfulness and rebellion against the Word of God are concerned, they have come to believe that they are above the judgment of God, and that they are beyond the judgment of God. They think that they stand by grace and that everything is forgiven. They believe that all of their wrong doings are overlooked and covered over by the blood of Christ.

That is an entirely wrong understanding of how the corporate body stands in relationship to the Law of God and to God Himself. It is very true that an individual sinner stands by grace. No matter what sin he might commit, it is forgiven. King David is a prime example of a man who was a true child of God yet fell into grievous sins of adultery and murder. He was forgiven. God overlooked those sins. The kingdom was not taken from him, and he did not die. This is pointing to the fact that true believers remain spiritual kings. They cannot lose their salvation and they will not die the Second Death because God has saved them (Romans 8:1). They have been recipients of the grace of God.

This is true of individuals, but not of the corporate church. The church completely misapplies this. They have forgotten (as we are reading in Jude 5) that God saved the people out of the land of Egypt then afterward destroyed them that believed not.

We have already looked a bit at 1 Corinthians 10. Let us read a few verses there. God has just finished a passage discussing His judgment that fell upon Israel, and then He says in verse 11:

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

“Admonition” is a word that means “warning.” God has written the Old Testament Scriptures for the learning, the profit, and the admonition (warning) of the New Testament church.

Verse 12 goes onto say:

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

It is interesting that God is speaking to the church. He is saying, “You think that you stand, but take heed, take warning, lest you fall. Do not forget the example of Israel.” That is what Jude 5 is trying to bring to our remembrance. We have to remember that example.

We find the same type of language as 1 Corinthians 10:12 in Romans 11. We read in verse 11 of the chapter:

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

This chapter is going to deal with the fall of national Israel, the cutting off of national Israel as a corporate body in the Old Testament. They were the earthly manifestation of the Kingdom of God; they were the people of God. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son to come and be the Savior of His people (Galatians 4:4), and at that time, He cut off national Israel. They ceased to be the holy people.

The question that Romans 11:1 starts out with is:

I say then, Hath God cast away his people?…

That was a very serious question at that time. Many people thought He had. Many thought that God was through with His people. The Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of God, is going to answer this question. He is going to say that no, God has not cast away His people. The true people of God are the elect, the remnant. Yes, He has cut off the corporate body, but that is because they were mostly unsaved individuals at the time that Christ came. The rest of Romans 11 is going to speak to this question, and in that context, we read verses 11-19:

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles…

We are seeing that God is discussing the Jews, who would be Old Testament Israel, and the Gentiles, who would be the New Testament churches. The vast majority of those who form the New Testament churches and congregations have been Gentiles. There have been some Jews, but overwhelmingly the New Testament church has been built by Gentiles and has been a ministry to the Gentiles of the world. We could say that the church is the nations, the Gentiles, and that God is addressing the church when He says, “I speak to you Gentiles.” God here is talking to the New Testament church. This is very important as we go on reading in Romans 11. We have to remember that God is addressing the entire church.

This passage goes on to say:

…inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

The picture that God is painting is that the natural branches are Israel. They were broken off; they were cut off. Once Christ went to the Cross, the veil of the temple was rent in twain (Matthew 27:51) and Israel ceased to be the holy people. Jerusalem ceased to be the Holy City. Israel was cut off and they lost salvation forever. Never again could someone go into a synagogue and expect to receive the blessing of God upon the Word that is preached there. Never again would someone become saved through the ministry of the Old Testament nation of Israel. Even as it progressed into the New Testament period, salvation was entirely gone from Israel and from its synagogues. God had left them and forsaken them. They were the natural branch broken off that the Gentiles might be grafted in.

Then verse 20 of Romans 11 says:

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Remember that in 1 Corinthians 10:12, we saw God warn the New Testament church. That verse says:

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

What does it mean to stand? God is telling us here, “Thou standest by faith.” The New Testament church was able to remain standing in the sight of God because of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They stood by faith, the faith of Christ. A church must stand before God based on their faithfulness to the Word of God, on how they are endeavoring to keep the commandments of God. Once a church became unfaithful, that individual church would be removed from God’s sight. It would be given up and become another gospel. That church or denomination could lose the blessing of God. God is warning again that because of unbelief, Israel was broken off; and “thou,” the New Testament church, “standest by faith.” He says to the church:

…Be not highminded, but fear:

“Be not highminded”—this is made up of two Greek words, which mean someone who has a high or lofty understanding. In other words, these people are puffed up in their minds and have come to a point where they think they are beyond judgment because they are the people of God. Being highminded is the same accusation that God leveled against Old Testament Israel from time to time. God would say that they had gained the mindset of being “holier than Thou” (Isaiah 65:5).

This is also the condition of the New Testament church in our day. They cannot believe—they refuse to even consider the idea—that God might be displeased and angry with them. They cannot believe that God might be furious enough to bring judgment upon them. They will not countenance the idea; they will not even look at it squarely. Yet, here, God is addressing the church and telling them in a very direct way, “You stand by faith. Be not highminded, but fear, fear God. Consider your example of Israel, and how they stood before God for nearly two thousand years, yet were cut off.”

The New Testament churches are now approaching two thousand years of being used by God to minister to the world. We are not surprised that, once again, God is bringing them to account. He is making them stand fast and face the facts of how they have been behaving and conducting themselves towards the Word of God.

Romans 11:21 lays this out very clearly. God wrote this nearly two thousand years ago, in the first century AD. The Holy Spirit moved in the Apostle Paul to write:

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

This is the same thing as what we read in 1 Corinthians 10:12, which says:

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

“Thou standest by faith. Take heed lest he that thinketh he standest fall,” God warns. He did not spare Israel, the natural branches, and He may also not spare the New Testament churches and congregations.

These are sufficient grounds to show that it is possible God might do to the New Testament church what He did to Israel. This verse alone shows that God has warned the church to take a look at Israel. The warning sounds, “Remember that He saved the people out of Egypt, but later destroyed them. Remember that they perished in the wilderness. They were our example. Do not forget this; remember it.” God is reiterating this again and again, warning the New Testament church not to be highminded. He is warning them not to be proud and arrogant and above reproach, above correction, above the judgment of God. It may be that the New Testament church could also be cut off and be judged as Israel was judged.

We find that language in Romans 11. God is definitely telling the church that there is a real possibility that they can suffer the same fate as Old Testament Israel. Do we ever hear this? Do we ever hear of pastors warning their congregations of this? Do we ever hear theologians writing their sections of their theologies on the topic that it is possible that the church might be cut off? We have never heard this or seen pastors or preachers teaching on it. It has been forgotten and overlooked by the church.

Verse 22 of Romans 11 says:

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness…

“Goodness” is a word that is translated as “kindness” in Titus 3:4. We read there:

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

It then goes on to speak about the Lord Jesus Christ and the washing of regeneration. This is the kindness of God—His Gospel, His plan of salvation. It is Christ Himself. “The kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared.” That happened when Jesus appeared in the fullness of time. God therefore is telling the church to “behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness.” This is the grace of God, the mercy of God. It is His Gospel plan that the churches will be recipients of His grace and carry forth His Word into all the world for many hundreds of years.

Let us now look at the last part of verse 22:

…if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

There we have it. There God is laying out for the church a very stern, severe, and definite warning. God is saying, “You stand in a works relationship with Me, and you must keep My commandments. You must continue in the true Gospel. You must be obedient to Me as I require.” If the church continues in His goodness, then it will continue to be blessed. It will continue to expect God’s great spiritual blessings to be showered upon it. However, the word “otherwise” is there. “Otherwise”—that is, if they do not continue in His goodness and in the kindness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, they also shall be cut off.

We have to remember what God is saying here. Earlier in this passage, He is speaking about Israel being cut off. How was Israel cut off? How were the natural branches cut off? Were ninety percent of them cut off? Did God only do away with and forsake all the unfaithful synagogues in the land, but keep ten percent of the reasonably faithful ones as His people? Or was it five percent, maybe? Did He cut off ninety-five percent of Israel and maintain five percent in the synagogues where He continued to let them operate with the ceremonial laws and sacrificial offerings? No.

What about ninety-nine percent—did God cut off ninety-nine percent of Israel? Did there not have to be some faithful synagogues at the time? Were there not at least a handful sprinkled here and there during these days? Was every single synagogue apostate, so that there were none that had the truth? Could that be? Is it possible that God cut off national Israel one hundred percent without exception and did not spare even a single synagogue? Can it be that He judged them completely and totally? What about those faithful ministers or priests or Levites in the synagogues? If they were faithful, then they would have left the synagogue and joined the New Testament churches and congregations. They would have come out of the nation of Israel, because Israel was cut off. When God finally cuts off a people and casts them away, it is a complete casting away.

This is what is in view as God speaks about the casting away of national Israel in Romans 11. When God then warns the New Testament church that if they do not continue in His goodness, they also shall be cut off; what can we understand by this? Can we think that God is referring to ninety percent of the churches, or ninety-five percent? No, it is the same warning. This warning that was given to the church is the same as was given to and carried out against Israel.

The severe judgment of God came down and cut off the natural branches. Now these other branches, the Gentiles, are being grafted in, and God is warning them, “Look what I did to Israel. Be not highminded. Do not be puffed up as they were, and do not develop high places. Do not place your minds above the mind of God.” That is really what being highminded is—establishing the thoughts of men above the thoughts of God. In actuality, it is completely the reverse. His thoughts are way higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). “But fear,” God says. “Continue in My goodness, and you will be blessed.” That is the implication.

Now we have to ask the question, “Has the church of our day continued in the goodness of God? Have they continued in the kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel?”

I am afraid that we know the answer to this. I am afraid that it is about as obvious as anything could be obvious. The church of our day has failed on every point of doctrine. It has failed in every way possible to continue in the goodness of God. It is no surprise at all, therefore, that God has now cut off the New Testament church. He has cut off those branches that were grafted in.

Next time, Lord willing, we are going to continue a little more along this line, and then return to our study in the book of Jude.