What Jesus' Brother Jude Wanted Us To Know | Verse 16, Part 2 | Malcontents
In Jude’s summarizing critique of false teachers that, more or less, finishes this first half of his epistle, he uses a word that is closely tied to the first. In the last post we spent some time understanding the weight behind his calling them “grumblers.” In view today is the second word in his list that immediately followed: “malcontents.”
Like the rebellious angels Jude referred to in verse 6 who were discontent with their lot in life as “glorious ones” submissive to their Creator, false teachers first sinned by being discontent with God and the truth He has given us through His inspired and inerrant Word. Not content to exist in their own rebellious world, however, they have taken their wicked disposition into the church under the guise of being spiritually insightful teachers.
The Greek word, mempsimoiros, in use here is the only time it is used in the Bible, interestingly. The concept is not a new one, though. Much like Jude identified those who grumbled as grumblers, he now identifies the discontent spiritual imposters as “malcontents”.
Mempsimoiros essentially means to complain of one’s lot; to be querulous; to be discontented. To draw this out even more, the word querulous means to complain in a petulant or whining manner. You can see how the word grumbling is very much a part of this disposition.
A Greek lexicon tells us that mempsimoiros is a presumed derivative of memphomai, which means to blame or to find fault. In fact, the NASB translates mempsimoiros to “finding fault,” rather than “malcontents,” so that the reading renders: “These are grumblers, finding fault.”
It is also derived from the word moira, meaning fate, which is akin to the base of meros, which means destiny, lot, or a part due or assigned to someone.
Basically, when Jude etched this word into parchment, it was to communicate that the false teachers were those who blamed God for everything they didn’t like about their being creatures required to submit to His authority, thus they rebelled and sought to establish their own and gain a following in so doing.
This rebellious and discontent attitude is further manifested by their activity within Christian circles as they continue to ignore God’s rule, standard and requirements. Instead, they teach what they want to teach and ignore what they want to ignore. They establish a “church” that looks good to them, rather than organizing the church in a way that falls in line with His Word. Grumbling against what God has said as a result of their discontentedness, they pursue sinful alternatives. This is the disposition of every false teacher in history, which is why Jude goes on to say that they are those “following their own sinful desires,” or “following after their own lusts” (vs. 16).
As has been stated earlier, Jude’s reference to the fallen angels is meant to identify the precursor to all who rebel against God’s design. In an ultimate sense, all men and women are guilty of treason, yet the sad reality is that many—even professing Christians—make a practice of it.
We don’t have to look far to see this very mentality wreaking havoc in the visible church today. The feminist mindset is the epitome of God’s creature being discontent with their lot, thus choosing to rebel against it. Rather than seeking to be busy, “working at home,” (Titus 2:5) they instead seek to work away from the home and entrust the nurturing and raising of their children to someone else. This message becomes increasingly unpopular as a general disdain for God’s Word becomes even more popular, yet let the reader remember that it was the apostle Paul, personally taught by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, that wrote this for the church to heed. To rebel against it is to revile the Word of God he says.
The mother's love for her children is not in question, here. The issue is that the working Christian mother does not love the Word of God as she should, thus her love of the Lord is also wanting.
God has structured the family in a way that provides a sound environment for raising “godly offspring” (Mal 2:15) under the oversight of a godly father and mother. Daycare cannot and will not provide this. Both the father and the mother are supposed to work for the sole purpose of this task, i.e. raising godly offspring. Careful attention to this will put all of these familial commands into context.
Let me elaborate a bit on this issue of working moms. Our modern conveniences certainly make the home less difficult to keep orderly when compared to the first century church or to the Israelite's agrarian culture well before that. That being the case, assuming the kids are not homeschooled, does God allow women to work once the kids are in school?
Three things must be in view:
1) Is your number one goal in life to raise godly offspring? If not, then further reasoning from Scripture will prove difficult. Until one is convinced their lot in life is to invest in their children for the sake of their eternal lives, then one will be out to sea as to how to order their life to accomplish God's design for them (Mal 2:15).
2) Have you ever allowed the angst of unknown financial predicaments to be bathed in prayer, or have you quickly claimed that you "have peace" with pursuing a two-career home? When the children come home from school, do they have their mother available to teach them diligently when they sit in the house, walk by the way, lie down, and get up? Or is every morning and evening a rush because mom has given her best time of day to a lesser task?
3) Is the Proverbs 31 woman beneath the Century 21 mom? She worked harder than most modern women ever will. From wool, flax and satin she made her own clothes and her family's clothes (vs. 13). She made the bed sheets that kept them warm (vs. 22). She woke when it was dark and kept working until it was dark again (vv. 15, 18). She sells her home-made goods at the market (vs. 18). She buys real estate and plants a vineyard (vs. 16). The list goes on!
What is consistent throughout this passage is her continual presence at home. When you're rising before the sun to make food and clothes from scratch, running to the market for supplies, selling some of your own, cultivating your land and then making more meals, clothes and supplies for your family and staff, you simply don't have time to do anything else.
In the 21st century, there is still plenty around our homes that can be done, or plenty we can do for the home. When mom's aren't working they are available for their children at any time; available for whatever task, emergency, or need that arises. They are more available to support other moms who need their help and expertise. They are more available to help the church.
Undoubtedly, the modern Christian family needs to think more about increasing prayer, rather than the family paycheck. There is a lot more at stake with this issue.
Understandably, not all "feminists" are the same, yet Christian women would do well to avoid the term altogether. Their existence is not about them. My existence, as a man, is not about me. It is all about the glory of God. We should be content with "Christian."
Consequently, when the husband—the head of the home—“does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim 5:8). His love for God is in question if he can shirk His God-given responsibility to sacrifice for His family. The weight of this falls on him. God has equipped him to handle more strenuous activity so that he can do what needs to be done to support his wife's noble task of cultivating godly souls at home.
Both the mother and father have God-ordained tasks to contribute to the well-being of the home. For either one to neglect that task or to abdicate it to another would be tantamount to denying the faith and reviling God’s Word.
When men leave their families to pursue other desires, they suddenly throw everything into orbit and force their families into an emergency situation, i.e. mom has to work and thus the kids now have less time with both parents. This effect on society is all too well-known.
Let us not be men and women who are not content with the work God has given us, church. No other institution can raise godly offspring but the family that is available to teach their children diligently when sitting in the house, walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise (Deut 6:7).
Do we yearn as the Apostle John did over his spiritual children? "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 Jn 1:4).
Another glaring example of rebelling against God’s design is the homosexual lifestyle, or one that playacts the opposite gender. Even if God had not told us that He created Mankind as male and female (Gen 1:27), the fact that He did is self-evident, as is His creative genius in general (Rom 1:19-20; Acts 14:17)). Acting as if there is nothing wrong with perverting His intent is the very definition of rebellion.
Feminism and homosexuality are but two hot topics we can easily point to today that bear all of the marks of rebellion against God. While these are only two of many sins, they are certainly the culture's favorite right now, being pursued with more vigor, clamor and passion than most any other sin we could probably think of.
The immediate context of Jude’s epistle is that false teachers are those that contribute to, and condone, this very behavior. Almost daily we hear of more sexual scandals within the professing church, especially the leadership. Additionally, there is a softening in the tone of many evangelicals about the heinousness of homosexuality to the point that even secular news outlets are noticing. Not only that, but many prominent leaders in conservative circles have come out to recognize a type of intrinsic same-sex attraction in some people as a result of "fallen genes", rather than identifying sinful desires of the fallen heart.
For a full working out of this particular issue, see my series on Same-Sex Attraction.
Additionally, more and more in the professing church are inserting women into their pulpits and allowing women to take the role of an elder or deacon. Only a willful dismissal of the Bible’s authority and clear message could allow this as Paul had expressed what has long been practiced in biblical history: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man” (1 Tim 2:12).
Friends, those who condone these things are not in line with the Word of God, they revile the Word of God. Truths are hard only when they contradict our personal views. The challenge for us is to yield our will and hearts to the authority of our Creator.
Recently, Bill Hybels, the leader of Willow Creek Church for over 30 years, has finally identified two people to take the helm as “co-lead pastors”: a man named Steve Carter and a woman named Heather Larson. Both had already been considered pastors at the church, but are now even more prominent.
While we are not surprised at the consistent man-centered philosophies of Hybels, we must be deeply saddened at how he and his empire have been a type of model church for millions of people around the world. In reality, he is the very type of person Jude warns us about.
Hybels has come under scrutiny within the last few years due to several sexual misconduct allegations and while the investigations seem to clear him of actual sexual sin, the allegations that he had acted inappropriate at times when he was alone with certain women, linger.
Jude’s concern is over these very people that make these sinful ideologies an acceptable reality within the professing church. At the heart of these men and women is discontent, thus leading to a pursuit of sinful desires.
“These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.” | Jude 16
Take heed, church, that you also do not succumb to the easy temptations of the flesh. Additionally, take heed that you are not being influenced by spiritual leaders who bear the fruit of grumbling and discontentedness with God’s clear Word. Their end will certainly correspond to their deeds.
In Christ Alone,
Ben
