Jude describes false teachers as deceptive, ungodly men who have crept in unawares, speak evil of what they do not know, follow the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the gainsaying of Korah.
Jude warns that these ungodly men turn the grace of God into lasciviousness and deny the only Lord God, Jesus Christ. He calls them spots in love feasts, clouds without water, fruitless trees twice dead, raging waves foaming out their shame, and wandering stars reserved for blackness of darkness. Les Feldick says Jude gives probably the best description of false teachers anywhere in Scripture, and he notes that like Cain they rationalize from the human side.
Jude 1:4 — Jude's opening description identifies false teachers as ungodly men who have crept in unawares, deny Jesus, and turn grace into lasciviousness.
Jude 1:11-13 — These verses catalog Jude's three Old Testament examples followed by the nature metaphors that picture their empty, shameful end.
Jude opens his warning by saying, "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:4). He then says these teachers "speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves" (Jude 1:10). Jude pronounces woe on them because they "have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core" (Jude 1:11). Then, in verses 12 and 13, he piles up vivid descriptions: "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."
Les Feldick says Jude contains "probably as good a description as you can find anywhere in Scripture" of false teachers (Clip 5). He explains that these false teachers have crept into local churches unawares and were ordained of old to this condemnation; they turn the grace of God into lasciviousness and deny the only Lord God (Clip 2). They speak evil of the very things they have never studied, ridiculing Scripture while knowing nothing about it (Clips 1, 2, 3). Les compares their thinking to brute beasts, saying they are no higher than the animal world and corrupt themselves in the things they know naturally (Clips 0, 3). He also develops the Old Testament comparisons in Jude: like Cain, they rationalize from the human side, offering arguments that sound good but are not grounded in what God commanded (Clip 0). Like Balaam, they run greedily after error for reward — Balaam thought he could make Israel sin so God would curse them (Clip 7). Jude also points back to the Old Testament event of Korah's gainsaying, which Les identifies as another example of false teachers (Clip 7). Les ties Jude's warning to Paul's statement that he was not like the many who corrupt or hawk an adulterated product (Clip 5). False teachers are spots in love feasts, feasting with believers while feeding themselves without fear (Clip 3). They are masters at adulterating the Word of God, mixing paganism with biblical truth while fellowshipping with church people (Clip 4).
Jude 1:11 pronounces woe on those who "have gone in the way of Cain." Les Feldick explains that Cain's problem was that he rationalized from the human side: he reasoned that surely God would accept what he had grown rather than the sacrifice God required. In the same way, false teachers offer rationalizations that sound good to human ears but are not grounded in God's instructions (Clip 0).
Jude 1:11 says false teachers "ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." Les Feldick explains that Balaam's error was reward-driven: the false prophet thought that if he could make Israel sin and lose their separated position, God would have to curse them. Les also notes that Korah's experience was another Old Testament event Jude points back to in this warning (Clip 7).
Jude 1:12 describes them as "spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear." Les Feldick explains this means they come right into church fellowship and feast with believers while feeding themselves, even though they are filled with false teaching (Clip 3). In 2 Peter 2:13 they are called "spots... and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you" (Clip 4).
Cain-like Rationalization
Les explains that false teachers speak evil of what they don't know and, like Cain, rationalize from the human side — their teaching sounds good but is not what God instructed.
Speaking Evil of What They Do Not Know
Les connects Jude's false teachers to Paul's warning about those who hawk an adulterated product; they ridicule Scripture without having studied it.
Crept In Unawares
Les shows Jude's warning that false teachers have crept into local churches unnoticed and were ordained of old to this condemnation; they turn grace into lasciviousness and deny Jesus.
Brute Beasts and Love-Feast Spots
Les describes false teachers as no higher in thinking than animals and as spots in love feasts who feed themselves without fear.
Adulterating the Word
Les points to 2 Peter 2 to show false teachers fellowshipping with believers while filled with false teaching, adulterating God's Word by mixing paganism with truth.
Jude as the Best Description
Les says Jude gives probably the best description of false teachers in Scripture and that Paul had such teachers in mind when he said he was not hawking an adulterated product.
Last Days Warning
Les notes that both 2 Peter and the little book of Jude warn that false teachers will come on the scene in the last days, leaving average believers confused.
Balaam's Error and Korah's Gainsaying
Les explains the error of Balaam for reward and the gainsaying of Korah, showing how these Old Covenant examples describe Jude's false teachers.
Jude 1:4: For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the core warning that false teachers are already present among believers.
Jude 1:10: But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Jude says they ridicule what they do not understand and live on a natural, brute-beast level.
Jude 1:11: Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
The woe connects them to Cain, Balaam and Korah.
Jude 1:12: These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
The love-feast metaphor shows they pose as insiders while serving themselves.
Jude 1:13: Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
They end as useless, shameful wanderers under eternal darkness.
2 Peter 2:13: And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you.
Peter's parallel description uses the same 'spots' and 'feast' language as Jude.
Jude 1:4 says "certain men crept in unawares," and Les Feldick says they are so deceptive that the average church member just doesn't know what they are doing (Clip 2). He adds that they come right in and fellowship with church people while filled with false teaching (Clip 4).
Les says Cain rationalized from the human side; he reasoned God would accept what he brought from his own labor, rather than the sacrifice God required. This is the pattern false teachers in Jude follow — their reasoning sounds good but is not grounded in God's instruction (Clip 0).
Les Feldick says Balaam thought if he could get Israel to lose their separated position with Jehovah and to sin openly, God would have to curse them. Jude says false teachers run greedily after this same error for reward (Clip 7).
Yes. Les says Jude contains "probably as good a description as you can find anywhere in Scripture" of false teachers, and he connects it with Paul's warning about those who "hawk an adulterated product" (Clip 5).
Watch the Teaching: Why Unbelievers Can't Understand the Bible — 1 Corinthians 2 Explained