Jude 1:11

"Woe to them" is an imprecation of doom (cf. Isaiah 5:8-23; Habakkuk 2:6-20; Matthew 23:13-29; 1 Corinthians 9:16; et al.). It is the opposite of a blessing.

"The doom of apostates is no less sure than the glorification of the saints." [Note: Coder, p. 72.]

Cain’s way was the way of godlessness and sensuality, violence and lust, greed and blasphemy, that led to divine judgment. It was the way of pride. Cain wanted to earn a relationship with God by his works, and he became a hateful murderer.

Balaam’s error was compromise with God’s enemies and teaching the Israelites that they could sin with impunity (Numbers 31:16; cf. Revelation 2:14). He counseled the Midianites to seduce the Israelites to commit idolatry and fornication (Numbers 31:16). His way was to use the spiritual to gain the material for himself. His error was thinking that he could get away with his sins. The false teachers also compromised God’s truth in a way that involved idolatry and immorality. They would likewise perish under God’s judgment, as Balaam did (Numbers 31:8).

"Balaam stands for two things. (a) He stands for the covetous man, who was prepared to sin in order to gain reward. (b) He stands for the evil man, who was guilty of the greatest of all sins-the sin of teaching others to sin. So Jude is declaring of the wicked men of his own day that they are ready to leave the way of righteousness to make gain; and that they are teaching others to sin." [Note: Barclay, p. 225.]

"Balaam was the prototype of all greedy religionists who lead God’s people into false religion and immorality . . ." [Note: Blum, p. 392. Cf. Charles H. Savelle, "Canonical and Extracanonical Portraits of Balaam," Bibliotheca Sacra 166:664 (October-December 2009):387-404.]

Korah’s rebellion was against God and His appointed leaders, Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:1-35). The false teachers were rebelling against God and his leaders, the apostles. Korah also perished.

According to William Barclay there was a sect of Gnostics called Orphites that regarded Cain, Balaam, and Korah as great heroes of the Old Testament. [Note: Barclay, p. 192.] Barclay regarded much of what Jude wrote as polemic against Gnosticism.

Each of these three examples shows a different aspect of unbelief.

"Cain, to show the arrogance, malice, and false piety of apostates, the example of religious unbelief; Balaam, to show the avarice, subversiveness, and seductive character of apostates, the example of covetous unbelief; and Core [Korah], to show the factiousness and sedition toward rightful authority, the example of rebellious unbelief." [Note: Lawlor, p. 83. Italics added for clarification.]

"Cain rebelled against God’s authority in salvation, for he refused to bring a blood sacrifice as God had commanded. Balaam rebelled against God’s authority in separation, for he prostituted his gifts for money and led Israel to mix with the other nations. Korah rebelled against God’s authority in service, denying that Moses was God’s appointed servant and attempting to usurp his authority." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:555. Italics his.]