Jude 1:17-18, “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’”

Interesting points:

1. In these verses, Jude reminds his readers that the apostles had predicted the emergence of false teachers who sought to indulge their own wicked desires. The apostles' predictions about the rise of false teachers can be found throughout the New Testament, to include Acts 20:29–30, 1 Timothy 4:1–3, 2 Timothy 3:1–9 and 13, 2 Peter 2:1–3 and 3:1–7. Jude's deep concern for his readers contrasts sharply with the false teachers' concerns for only themselves.

2. Unlike the false teachers who served only themselves, the apostles were committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was their Master (Lord), Savior (Jesus), and Messiah (Christ). The word Christ is really a title, derived from a Greek term christos, meaning "anointed one." This, in turn, is a translation of the Hebrew term meshiach. This refers to Jesus' position as God's anointed prophet, priest, and king.

3. The apostles predicted that "scoffers" -- who ridicule the Truth and morality so they could freely cater to their sinful passions would emerge in the "last times." As used in the Bible, this refers to the period of church history which began with the formation of the church in Jerusalem, 50 days after Jesus' resurrection, and continues until His return and the completion of God's ultimate plan for our redemption.

4. The term “scoffers” clearly refers to the apostates and false teachers who laugh at things they don't understand (Jude 1:10). The quotation made in Verse 18 is taken directly from 2 Peter 3:3, demonstrating that Jude’s warnings echo those of the apostles.

Application:

Brothers, as believers living in the last times, we know from Scripture that we will always be surrounded by a world full of scoffers and false teachers who are more concerned about self than the cause of Christ, people who lean on their own understanding versus God’s wisdom and almighty power, and those that despise the truth because it exposes the sin and brokenness characteristic of their lives. In John 15:18, Jesus told us that the world would hate us because they first hated Him.

God’s Word -- our standard – not only helps us know right from wrong, it provides us discernment when faced by all kinds of false teachers who try to convince us that the sin they engage in is not really or no longer wicked. The Holy Spirit’s transformational work in us not only changes our convictions concerning sin but strengthens us so that its allure no longer holds sway over our lives as it once did.

May we continue to hold up what we read, see and hear to God’s Holy Word, asking for wisdom and discernment so that we may cling to the truth in the face of false teachers and may God’s anointing be on us as we reach out to others and introduce them to our Lord Jesus Christ so that they too, may be plucked from slavery to sin!