What Is the Way of Cain? God has given us very few references to Cain in the Holy Scriptures, but they have meaning and lessons for us. The sub- ject has to be of vital importance to the church of God, because Jude 11 warns that false teachers, who have crept in unawares, have gone after the "way of Cain." This way is parallel to the "doctrine of Balaam" (cf. the IB), and the "gainsaying of Korah," who preached opposition to the way of God, Israel's true leader, whom Moses was only obeying. 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. (KJV) 11 ...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. (KJV) Certain ungodly imposters have crept into the midst of the holy church of God, who are not recognized as such by God's people. They teach that the grace of God includes license to sin. Follow- ing the way of Cain, Balaam, and Core, their lives and works deny our Savior. Jude 1:8-10 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 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. (KJV) Jude 1:12-16 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; 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. (KJV) Jude 1:18-19 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. (KJV) Jude excoriates those who follow the bad examples of Cain, Balaam, and Core with fitting and eloquent prophetic scorn. They are characterized as stealthy, ungodly, licentious imposters, rebellious, corrupt followers of the way of Cain. Their very presence defiles the church of God. They are perverse mockers, walking after their own lusts, their lives arrant parodies of the way of God. They exalt themselves, as Balaam did, as important and pious spiritual leaders. Jude 1:16 These are murmerers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage (KJV)...flatter- ing people for the sake of gaining advantage (NAS)...they flatter others for personal gain (Williams)...flattering people to gain advantage (NKJ). Flattery is excessive insincere praise or adulation; feigned devotion. They continually butter each other up. The sense of v. 16b is that such ungodly and unspiritual imposters find it to their material advantage to exalt one an- other, to form hierarchical orders of persons likeminded with themselves. They therefore "ordain" one another and build up false priesthoods, synagogues of Satan; they are however "or- dained to this condemnation" (v.4), that they pervert the grace of God into license to pursue their evil designs. Jude 1:17-19 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit (KJV)... these are the ones who cause divisions, not having the Spirit (NAS)...These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit (NKJ). Jude makes plain that noisy, loud-mouthed imposters in the church of God, who follow the way of Cain, Balaam, and Core, seek personal gain, and have not the Spirit of God. They organize into divisive parties, which they may call Churches, for the purpose of exploiting those whom they regard as the dumb sheep of the true church of God. The fake corporate organizations they set up are in reality synagogues of Satan that make merchandise of God's people by means of a false tithing doctrine (cf. II Pet 2:3 and the file on tithing). They flatter themselves that they constitute profes- ional ministries ascendant over ignorant and subservient laities. 2Pet:2:20-21 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (KJV) 2Pet 2:14-15 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (KJV) Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (KJV) Peter, in prophetically characterizing these same indivi- duals, says that they once had knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but have forsaken the way of righteousness and rebelled against the holy commandment delivered unto them (II Pet 2:20-21). Peter lays bare their motivations (vs. 14-15). They have turned to the perverse way of Balaam, the way of cov- etousness and greed, the way of idolatry (Col 3:5), the way of Cain, and of Korah. The way of Cain, who came first, was trodden by Korah and Balaam, as well as by the false ministers who have plagued the church of God from its inception. Cain, of course, once knew the way of God, just as Abel did, but he turned to the way of unrighteousness instead. I Jn 3:10-13 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. (KJV) The history of Cain and Abel is illustrative of Jesus' pre- cept: Ye shall know them by their fruits (Mat 7:16). Abel is called righteous not because he never sinned, for all have sinned (Rom 3:23), but because he overcame sin by following the way of righteousness. Cain was a servant of the devil and did evil works. We cannot look into men's hearts, but we can know them by the fruits they produce. Those who, like Cain, are of that wicked one, will produce fruits appropriate to the calling they have chosen. If they truly loved the brethren, instead of disdaining them, they would not abuse, exploit, and impoverish them, by means of the evil doctrine of Balaam, a doctrine of demons (cf. IB the Nicolaitane file). John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (KJV) John shows us that Cain was of that wicked one, and killed Abel out of envy and jealousy because Abel was righteous and he himself evil (I Jn 3:10-13). The way of Cain is the way of Satan, the spirit of hate and of murder (Jn 8:44). Any who are right- eous may therefore expect to become objects of hate, merely be- cause they are righteous. Their lives condemn those who are evil and evoke hatred from them. Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh (KJV). Cain killed Abel because Abel was righteous and Cain was jealous of him. Abel's sacrifice was acceptable with God, but Cain's was rejected. Able's legacy to us is his shining example, sealed with his blood. The account of Cain and Abel is found in Genesis four: Gen 4:1-5 1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (KJV) Though Abel's sacrifice pre-figures that of Christ, God might have accepted Cain's also, had it been offered in a spirit of humility. The New Testament references point out the fatal flaws in Cain's character that preclude God's acceptance of an offering from his hand. When his offering is rejected, instead of humble repentance, Cain conceives a seething rage in his heart that results in hatred of his brother, whose righteous- ness condemns Cain by its example (cf. Num 16:15). Gen 4:6-7 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (KJV) The Lord admonishes Cain that he is to overcome sin and learn to do well, in order to become acceptable before God. Righteousness has to do with sin and one's attitude toward it. Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (KJV) Cain's envy of Abel and Abel's acceptance with God turns into hate against his brother. He murders him, obviously with planned "malice aforethought." Does he think this has solved his problem? Gen 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? (KJV) When the Lord calls Cain to account for his sin, he lies to God and discounts his responsibility to love his brother. He has given in to his sin, being of that wicked one. The way of Cain is the way of the devil (I Jn 3:10-13, above). Perhaps he lied to himself before lying to God, rationalizing his wicked desires into a seemingly viable rationale for his nefarious ends. Gen 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. (KJV) Deeds speak louder than words--something we need to ever keep in mind in regard to false teachers who follow the way of Cain. By their fruits are they known (Mat 7:15-23). The enormity of the sin of Cain is testified even today by his brother's life-blood crying out to the Lord for justice. God has heard, and justice will prevail, even yet. Injustice ever cries out to God, and God hears, not in vain. Gen 4:11-16 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (KJV) We see a lot of self pity in Cain after he gets caught in his sin, but we do not see repentance and contrition. The way of Cain is self-oriented and wilful, perverse, indeed, as is the way of Balaam (Nu 22:32). One can't help feeling that it was good riddance when this evil character was driven away into a land of wandering and exile (cf. Jude 13). It is perhaps little wonder that the posterity of such a man as Cain eventually became so corrupt that God had to obliterate the pre-flood civilization. The land of Nod or exile and wandering may be a type of the fate of the evil angels spoken of in Jude 13, above. Comment In the history of Cain and Abel we see illustrated from the beginning the two ways of life resulting from the freedom of choice that God allows man. Having created us free moral agents, to coin a phrase, God leaves to us the choices we must make between good and evil. Some, like Abel, elect to do well, whereas others, like Cain, elect to do evil. God lovingly instructs us in the way that we should go, but the devil tells us, through his agents, that we can get away with doing evil. Thus, the fallacy of the way of Cain is the belief that one can do evil and get away with it. It is the way of rationalization as opposed to clarity of vision. The question arises, why do these ungodly imposters that Jude writes about elect to creep in among God's people? Why don't they just run off and live their sinful lives on the other side of the tracks? Jude 11 and the history of Balaam give us the answer. These ungodly followers of the way of Cain also practice the error of Balaam for reward, i.e. for money. They enter in among God's people, motivated by greed. They have discovered how to satiate their greed by exploiting the church of God, (cf. the Nicolaitane file). They present themselves as ministers of righteousness, but in reality they are motivated by Satan and his demons whose doctrines they teach (II Cor 11:13-15). Like Cain, they are of the evil one (I Jn 3:12). Though they appear ever so pious, they are bereft of the Spirit of God (Jude 19). They are false, im- posters and actors. They get money from God's deceived people, but they do not give to others (Jude 12). The"laity" give, and the "priesthood" get. They diligently feed themselves, but not the sheep of God's pasture; they rather devour them, (Ez 34p.). As Cain was motivated by hate, so are these ungodly priesthoods. Were they motivated by love of the brethren, they would not exploit them as they do. They would be giving to them instead of getting from them. Like Cain, these false prophets think they are getting away with their sin, but their judgment awaits them (II Pet 2:3; Jude 14-15). As the name Cain is derived from "a spear" and "material pos- session," so Cain may have thought to gain Abel's possessions by bringing about his violent death. Note Jesus' words in the parable, "...this is the heir, come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours," (Mk. 12:7). Though not specifically about Cain, the manner of thought is characteristic of God's enemies such as Cain--hateful, clever, greedy. This is similar to the perverse thinking of Balaam, and of false teachers who set up to exploit others (Jude ll;II Pet 2:1-3,15-17). Woe unto them, indeed, for God takes it very personally when evil imposters abuse his little lambs. It is not out of the question that such interlopers are toying with the unpardonable sin, for Jude writes of them as al- ready condemned, "...they have...perished in the gainsaying of Core" (cf. Num 16). Perhaps this is why Peter says of them, "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of right- eousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them," (II Pet 2:21).