Verse 11 says, “Woe to them! Because they have gone in the way of Cain, and poured themselves out in the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” Here Jude refers to the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the rebellion of Korah. The way of Cain is the way of serving God religiously after one’s own will and rejecting heretically the redemption by blood required and ordained by God. Those who follow the way of Cain are according to the flesh and envy God’s true people because of their faithful testimony to God (Gen. 4:2-8).
Today some so-called Christians follow the way of Cain in that they serve God according to their own will. Because they like to do things a certain way, they do them that way. This is to serve God religiously after one’s own will.
We have pointed out that Cain rejected redemption by blood as required by God, and he was also envious of his brother, Abel. Abel was a true child of God, and his testimony was faithful to God and accepted by Him. God was pleased with Abel’s offering. But Cain envied his brother to such an extent that he killed him. In principle, this has happened throughout the last nineteen centuries. The ones accepted by God suffer at the hands of those who serve God religiously according to their own will.
In verse 11 Jude says that the apostates have “poured themselves out in the error of Balaam for reward.” For the apostates to pour themselves out in this way means that they gave themselves up to this error, rushed headlong into it, ran riotously into it.
The error of Balaam is the error of teaching wrong doctrine for reward, although the one teaching knows that it is contrary to the truth and against the people of God. The error of Balaam also involves abusing the influence of certain gifts to lead the people of God astray from the pure worship of the Lord to idolatrous worship (Num. 22:7, 21; 31:16; Rev. 2:14). Balaam knew that what he taught was against God’s truth and against His people, and he knowingly taught it for gain.
Today certain Bible teachers and preachers have fallen into the error of Balaam. Some of these know the deeper truths of the Word. However, fearing the loss of financial support, they do not dare to teach these truths. For example, in 1963 I had a pleasant fellowship with a particular preacher. He told me that he knew the truth concerning the church. But he said that he could not teach this truth, because if he did so, his organization would lose financial support. This indicates that he taught only those things that would enable him to receive financial support. At least to some extent, he practiced the error of Balaam.
If we know the truth, we should teach it and preach it at any cost. But if we dare not teach and preach the truth because we fear loss or because we desire financial gain, we are practicing the error of Balaam. What a shame that certain preachers do not preach the truth because they fear the loss of financial support! In principle, this is the error of Balaam.
In verse 11 Jude also speaks of those who perished in the rebellion of Korah. The Greek word translated “rebellion” here literally means contradiction, speaking against. The rebellion of Korah was a rebellion against God’s deputy authority in His government and His word spoken by His deputy (like Moses). This brings in destruction (Num. 16:1-40).
Moses was God’s deputy in authority and also in the speaking of His word. But Korah and two hundred fifty others rebelled against Moses’ authority and speaking. Actually, this authority and speaking were of God, not of Moses. Moses’ authority was God’s authority, and his speaking was God’s speaking. Nevertheless, Korah and his group rebelled against this. As a result, Korah and those with him suffered a serious judgment: the earth opened and swallowed them all.
We know from history that God always speaks through a deputy authority. To rebel against this authority and speaking is, in principle, to be in the rebellion of Korah.