2/7/11 Isaiah 4,5; Psalm 115, 116; Jude
S: Jude14,15 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
O: Jude had been intending to write about salvation, but ended up having to write against some false teachers who had infiltrated the church. Some false teachers had been teaching licentiousness and disregarded the authority of the church leaders who taught a proper balance of grace and obedience.
Incidentally, Jude quoted a prophecy by Enoch, which is also found in the pseudoepigraphical (false authorship) Book of Enoch which dates from the 2nd century B.C. Does this mean that he Book of Enoch was inspired?
Not necessarily – firstly, was Jude quoting the Book of Enoch or did they both quote a known prophecy of Enoch?
Secondly, even if Jude quoted the Book of Enoch, it doesn't mean the Book of Enoch was inspired – after all, Paul quoted Aratus (Acts 17:28), Meander (1 Corinthians 15:33) and Epimenides (Titus 1:12) but nobody thinks that this means that those Greek philosophers were divinely inspired.
A: We must compare what we are taught with the truth of scripture. Many people have been led astray by false teachers in church, or even sincere Christians who are mistaken.
That is why it is so important for each believer to study the scripture and not rely on just what our pastors or priests tell us. Pastors and priests are just human beings – they can make mistakes, and some of them are actually deceivers.
P: Father, may I be diligent to study Your scriptures regularly so that I will know what Your Truth is. When I find a pastor teaching error, help me to be gracious in approaching them, with the right attitude, for correction and not for my own ego. In Jesus' name, amen.
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