What does Jude 1:18 mean?
Jude reminds his readers what the apostles predicted. The false teachers are described as emerging in the "last time." 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. Other New Testament writers refer to the last days in the present tense (Hebrews 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 2:18). This time will continue until the return of Christ, and the completion of God's ultimate plan for our redemption.These false teachers are "scoffers." They ridicule the truth and morality, preferring to cater to their sinful passions. This echoes an earlier statement made by Jude, indicating that apostates and other false teachers laugh at the things they don't understand (Jude 1:10). The quotation given here comes directly from Peter (2 Peter 3:3), demonstrating that the warnings Jude has given are the same as those heard from the apostles themselves.
Jude 1:17–23 lays out Jude's plan of action for recognizing, resisting, and defeating apostates. Prior verses were devoted to explaining how, and why, these false teachers were dangerous. Those who followed their examples were bound for eternal judgment. Here, Jude provides a means to avoid these liars, as well as their fate.
Jude's brief letter describes men at their worst and God at His best. Believers are already on the victorious side! Those who mock God's truth and who follow their own desires all while claiming to be Christians, are the most dangerous kind of unbelievers. These persons pose a danger to themselves and to any Christians they might influence. In response, Christians need to focus on understanding the truth of God's written Word and submitting to His will.
