Contending for the Faith.

' The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honoured among men.'

                                               Psalm 12 v 8.

    One of the principles that we often quote in our Bible interpretation is that of objectivity. What does the plain, objective meaning of this text mean? How would this have been understood by the original recipients?
   They are good questions. The problem is that as interpreters we are less objective than we think. We have all been shaped by parental background, education, social class, church history, and many other factors. If you gave this verse to ten different people, they would all have a different view on what was vile and honoured by men.
   A mother who had lost a child in a Bangladeshi work house accident, might suggest that aggressive Western Capitalism was responsible for her child's death. The poor working conditions, low wage, and exploitation of child labour in order to produce cheap clothing for the European markets could legitimately be seen as a vileness honoured in the West.
    A father from England who had lost a son fighting a war in some distant land might have a different view altogether. A single mother living as an asylum seeker in an inner city suburb, would have a different view to that of a middle class solicitor.
    From a personal perspective, my own interpretation has been shaped by a recent rereading of the Book of Jude. It is his exortation 'to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints' that is currently shaping my thinking. So if you were to ask me how I currently see Psalm 12 v 8, my answer would be that anything corrupting, polluting, hindering, dishonouring,or diluting the Gospel of Christ is a vileness that needs to be 'earnestly contested.'
    With that in mind I offer a few thoughts from the Book of Jude. On the surface the book can appear heavy going, but it's message is a very important one, and should be taken seriously.
     His primary concern in the first nineteen verses is to spell out the dangers of allowing false teachers to have a prominent place within the community of believers. He uses a series of triads to expose what lies behind their motives for ministry, and the effect their ministry has within the Body of Christ if left unchecked.
     The first trio of illustrations are the references to Israel's wilderness wanderings, the fallen angels, and the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. In verse eleven, there is another triad, referring to Cain, Balaam, and Korah. Arrogance and rebellion would be two adjectives that describe the common thread in all six of these examples. Jude goes on to describe these false teachers as being like 'late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots.' It is very strong language.
    An illustration that I found helpful to understand why Jude uses such strong language is taken from a medical paradigm. If there was a global pandemic killing millions on a weekly basis, and the antidote for that pandemic became known and available to all, we would be delighted and determined to get that antidote out into the world. However, if we became aware that the manufacturers of that antidote were diluting it down to make personal gain, and that the diluted antidote was now ineffective, we would be very angry that a small number were making gains at the expense of other peoples lives.
    In the same way, Jude is angered that the false teachers are polluting the gospel and rendering it ineffective in peoples lives. Furthermore, they are doing so for personal gain. So, in verse sixteen, Jude refers to them as 'grumblers,and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.'
     Jude's reference to Cain, Balaam, and Korah is sobering. I'm not sure that they intended to go down their chosen pathways to destruction, but all three were enticed and ultimately trapped in the course of time by their own personal Achilles' heel.
    Cain's sin is a lack of brotherly love, and the Apostle John writes in his letters on the seriousness of this sin. So, in 1 John 2 v 9-10, we read:
' He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.'
     A lack of love would account for the instability and destructive nature of these teachers. Jesus spoke very openly about the need to love one another. One of the characteristics of false teachers is a lack of Christ like love for the Body of Christ. We can't say we love the Head without also loving the Body.
     Balaam's error is to see godliness as a means to financial gain. When there is a preoccupation with money and vested self interest, the warning signs should be noted. It is worth remembering that the foundational sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not sexual immorality, but one of being 'arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy' ( Ezeikel 16 v 49 ). It was the over indulgent and idolatrous enjoyment of pleasures that then led them into the immorality that we more commonly associate them with.
     Korah and his followers had an attitude problem with Moses' leadership. They wanted to be preeminent. That is nothing new. John, in his third letter, refers to a character called Diotrephes who also wanted preeminence in the church. There is a divisive and unhealthy interest in being prominent that can characterize false teachers.
     Jesus said we would recognise a teacher and a prophet by the fruit in their character, and not on their doctrine alone ( Matt 7 v 15-30).   Towards the end of his letter, Jude gives another triad of characteristics that are associated with true spirituality. He exorts his readers to 'pray in the Holy Spirit, keep themselves in the love of God,and to look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us into eternal life'.
     The foundation of who we are is the mercy and love of God. The false teachers that Jude is warning of are those who hanker after position, power and status. We have no right or claims to any of these things. We can however legitimately call on the Lord for mercy and love to prevail in our lives. With that foundation of mercy and love in our lives, the Lord will bestow privilege and honour....but it is His initiative to give that, not ours to ask for it. Let us keep on contending for the faith, and in so doing promote the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.