Characterless People Series

09.11.23 Jude 1:16 Characterless People

Jude 1:16: “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.”

Murmurers and Complainers:

The words rendered "murmurers" and "complainers" occur nowhere else in the New Testament. The words are synonymous terms to express the same thought with more strength and emphasis. This Greek word found only here in the Bible, goggustés, or “murmurers.” It comes from goggýzo, or grumble, which is found elsewhere in the New Testament. It is an onomatopoetic expression derived from the sound of doves cooing. These people drone on in low and constant grumbles, just as a flock of doves seems to do. Jude also calls them, “complainers.” It is another word found only here, mempsimoiros, a word meaning “a portioned amount,” and thus it signifies those who moan about their allotted portion. Instead of striving to better and improve themselves, they grumble, moan, and complain. They are strictly blamers of fate, finding fault with Providence. They took, as it were, a pessimist view of their lot of life, perhaps of the order of the world generally. The Greek words used here reminded the readers of the stories of God's people "grumbling" against his authority during the wilderness (Numbers 14:27, 16:11, 17:10, Deuteronomy 1:27, Psalm 106:25).

Murmur against God and men, never contented with the allotments of Providence, and murmur with relation to God’s decrees, laws, providences, against the being of God, denying, or at least wishing there was no God, and his ordinations in the church. It is done secretly, inwardly, in a muttering way. The virtue that is opposed to contentment. The sense is that of repining or complaining finding fault with God's plans, purposes, and doings. Complainers literally means finding fault with one's own lot. Nothing is more common than for men to complain of their lot; to think that it is hard; to compare theirs with that of others, and to blame God for not having made their circumstances different. They murmur and complain in secret against God's ordinances but ministers in Church. They murmurers against men in civil authorities, and indeed against all men, their neighbors, and what they enjoy, and at everything that goes beside themselves.

Walking after their own lusts:

Their own foolish and mischievous desires. Giving unlimited indulgence to their appetites and passions. Jude continues his pointing out false teachers' evil character. They grumble and enjoy finding fault with all who believe in God's Word, and do exactly what their evil instincts prompt them to do. The false teachers were egotistical, despisers of God, immoral, manipulative, restless, and insatiable of their desires. These people reject the holiness and sanctity found in Scripture that asks them to forsake immorality and to conduct their lives in a manner worthy of being followers of Christ. Instead, they follow after their own unholy appetites, bringing their vile behavior into the church and promoting every other form of wickedness that is introduced. The only thing that cannot be tolerated is holiness and morality. This stands in connection with the foregoing as cause and effect. The temper of self-indulgence, recognising not God’s will, but man’s desires, as the law of action, is precisely that which issues in weariness and despair. Giving unlimited indulgence to their appetites and passions. They mind neither the law of God nor man, but make their lusts their law, and being wholly subject to them, and led by them (2 Peter 2:10).

Speak great swelling words:

False teachers are dreamers; they greatly defile and grievously wound the soul. These teachers are of a disturbed mind and a seditious spirit; forgetting that the powers that be, are ordained of God, Romans 13:1. Though they were slaves to their own lusts, they would speak big, and use high and exotic strains in their language, that they might be applauded and admired. This may point at their boast of knowledge, their great ostentation of learning, their vain and empty doctrines, their high flights, their rhetorical style, and their pompous language. Their oratory skills are exceptional. They may have a flawless presentation in their words. Their delivery of sermons may be without a stutter or a slur.

Admiring Men:

The admiration of men of high profile, rich, and prominent in society. They talk great about men of their own stamp for the advantage of the party, and giving flattering titles to men of wealth and riches, for the sake of their money. The Ethiopic version says, "They studied to please persons, to make a gain of them", and the Septuagint says “They were respecters of persons.”

(Ref: Bibleref.com; Study light; Bible study tools; Superior word; Biblia Work)