An insider threat occurs when someone inside a company or organization with authorized access uses their inside position to cause harm to that organization or government or even, if you could believe it inside a church and generally among the wider Christian body. This was a problem in the early church, and it is in our Bible because we need the same warning today and we need to have the same strategy in place Jude gave to the early church.
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. (Jude1-2)
Jude was a missionary along the lines of the Apostle Paul. In 1 Corinthians 9:5 Paul mentions that Jude took his wife along with him on his missionary journeys. Although he is referred to as Jude, this is a nickname for his real name Judas. It may be preferable to use the name Jude because even though the name means praise, Judas Iscariot spoiled that name.
Jude begins his letter by mentioning his family. He tells us that he is the brother of James.
Since Jude himself mentioned his family, I want to just talk about the other Bible references we know about the family of Jude. His brother James wrote the book of James.
These two brothers were the sons of Joseph and Mary. Their older brother Jesus is their half-brother. All three have Mary as their same mother, but Jesus is the Son of God and Joseph is not Jesus biological father like he is for James and Jude.
“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? (Matthew 13:55) (Mark 6:3)
No other mother, except Mary has two sons who wrote books of the Bible. Two of her sons James and Jude wrote letters that became books of the Bible. Her son Jesus words also make up our New Testament. The writing and speaking of Mary’s three sons make up a significant part of our New Testament.
Of course, if you have seen a red-letter addition of the New Testament, which has all the words of Jesus in Red you see just how much Jesus said making up our New Testament even though Jesus did not write a book of the Bible. There are 65,000 words in the Bible spoken by Jesus.
The influence of Jude’s family does not end there. Some of the words of Jude’s mother are in our Bible and a significantly long song from his mother are in our Bible. Mary’s song Luke 1:46-56.
We have the interaction of Jude’s father, Joseph with the angel Gabriel in our Bible. His words are not recorded in the Bible, but his thoughts are recorded in the Bible. Joseph thought about divorcing Mary quietly, but then the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and instructed him not to do that. Jude’s father obeyed the Angel Gabriel after he delivered that message.
We have some record in the Bible of Jude’s cousin John the Baptist, preaching fiery sermons. He told the people, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is here”, and he said of Jesus, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
We have the words of Jude’s aunt Elizabeth in the Bible (Luke 1:41-45) and the words and the song of Jude’s crazy uncle Zechariah. (Luke 1:68–79)
There was much trouble in Jude’s family too. Before Jude was born his parents had to flee to Egypt. His cousin John was beheaded. His half-brother Jesus was crucified. According to history Jude and his brother James were both martyred for their faith.
Jude wrote to Christians, called, sanctified, preserved. This is not a letter to any particular church, but this is a letter to the scattered Christians. At the time Jude wrote this there was severe persecution to the scattered Christians. It was the time of Nero when Christians were thrown to the lions.
But Jude is warning about another threat here and his audience is those scattered Christians. It was the threat that comes from imposters inside the church. Jude begins by encouraging them by the hope of and abundance of mercy, peace and love.
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 3-4)
Jude wanted to write about salvation, but because imposters who denied Christ were inside the church Jude pivots his message to warning about these fraudsters. We find out that these deceivers have slipped into the churches. They are ungodly people found of all places inside the church. These imposters deny Christ. They are spiritual double agents of the worst kind.
During the time of the bubonic plague many people thought it was caused by bad air. In precaution these people stayed locked inside their homes with their animals. The Bubonic plague was actually caused by the bite of an infected flea. They stayed inside their homes with their animals and were increasing their exposure and likelihood of becoming infected. Jude does not want them to be unaware of the real danger that is inside their own house of worship ready to pervert the grace of God.
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 5-7)
Jude is drawing the parallel from the Old Testament. The people of God were oppressed as slaves under the Egyptians. They cry out to God and were miraculously delivered through the parting of the Red Sea. Their enemy was destroyed. But there was another enemy. The godless unbelievers within their camp.
Where did the devil and his demons come from? From within the host of heavenly angels. They were angels who rebelled against God. This same internal threat has come from ancient times. Even the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah follows a similar theme. The fallen angels and Sodom and Gomorrah are examples that God will punish the wicked imposters.
In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 8-13)
There are Bible verses that Michael is the chief angel combating Satan (Daniel 10:13, Revelation 12:7–9). But Jude uses this example from Jewish tradition not the Bible. The main point here is that even Michael the archangel, does not slander the Devil, but said “the Lord rebuke you.” In contrast the imposters inside the church had such an arrogance to themselves rebuke the devil.
Jude’s older brother Jesus had some harsh words for the Pharisees, but Jude could call out these snake oil salesmen in the church with his own harsh condemnation. They would come to the fellowships, but they were clouds without rain. They were not what they appeared. They were fruit trees with no fruit. They had the appearance of something useful, but they were not. They will face judgement of black darkness. Their coming judgement Jude has already compared to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but only worse because their torment is forever.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude 14-19)
Jude’s reference to Enoch’s prophecy is about the Lord coming again and this time in Judgement. The day of the Lord’s coming is a day of harsh judgement for these imposters who have infiltrated the Lord’s people for the purpose of causing harm.
The fate of these scoffers is something that the apostles had already spoken about. Paul in 2 Timothy chapter 3 says of these imposters that they are treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure who worm their way into homes. They have been warned. We have been warned.
So, what do we do? Jude tells us. We are not playing defensively against these counterfeit Christians. Jude gives us our offensive plan.
Think about how anti-counterfeiters are trained to recognize counterfeit notes. They are warned that the counterfeiters are out there, and they know something about how they operate. But they are trained to immerse themselves in the real thing. They are so familiar with the true notes that they can spot a fake right away. The more you know the truth, the easier it is to spot the counterfeit. We need to stay in the Word of God. We need to immerse ourselves in prayer.
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 20-23)
You must be built up in the faith. How are you built up. You pray. You share your faith. You study the Bible. You fellowship with other believers in Christ. You disciple others to grow in Christ. Not only that they grow, but that is part of your own building up in the faith. You trust God and you walk by faith and live by the Spirit. You are waiting by faith for the return of Christ.
Jude gives us the prescription to be built up in Christ. No imposter is going to worm their way into your house when you live like this. Imposters do not want to be around such men and women of faith. We expose the hypocrisy of these imposters just by shining the light of Christ.
Jude gives us one of the greatest words of blessing at the end of his letter.
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24-25)
The Lord can keep you from stumbling. Abiding in Christ is our strategy for the insider threat. We are to remain in the glorious presence of our Lord Jesus. When we walk with Christ, we have a great joy.
Remember the teaching of the apostles. Stay in the Word. Build each other up in the faith as iron sharpens iron. Pray and remain in the love of God. Now and forevermore! Amen.
