Mysticism

Die hedendaagse en toeneemende belangstelling in die mistiek wat in die Kerk aangetref word is kommerwekkend wanneer kennis geneem word van die waarskuwings wat deur ex-New Agers tot die Kerk gerig word.

Dit het nou, seker meer as ooit voorheen, nodig geword dat Christene met erns sal kennis neem van Judas 3: "Geliefdes, ek was vas van plan om aan julle te skrywe oor die verlossing waaraan ons almal deel het. Maar nou voel ek my verplig om julle met my brief aan te spoor om te stry vir die geloof wat een maal oorgelewer is aan dié wat God vir Hom afgesonder het."

Let op dat Judas begin deur te skryf dat hy hulle wou herinner aan die verlossing, maar dan vermaan hy die Christene om te stry vir die geloof. Ons kry die indruk dat dit meer belangrik geword het omdat iets gebeur het. Hierdie "iets" is die indringing van dwaalleraars in die Kerk soos in die daaropvolgende verse opgelet sal word.

The current and increasing interest in mysticism in the Church should be, must be, of concern to all serious Christians, especially when the warnings of ex-New Agers to the Church are noted and taken seriously.

Mow, more than ever before, it has become necessary for Christians to take serious note of what Jude wrote to the Church in his time: "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."

Note that Jude says he wanted to write to them about the common salvation, but then he changes his mind and reminds the Church to contend for the faith, and be serious about it. We get the impression that something must have happened. This "something" is the fact that heretics have crept in, even unnoticed, into the Church.