Jude 1:8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.
Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Jude 1:10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
Jude had been citing previous incidents of God's judgement in the past. And, here he continues by describing the false teachers who have crept into the church, bent on changing the truth of God's Word around. Making it something God never intended it to be.
First of all, he calls them "these dreamers" And, there are three specific things said about them. They defile the flesh, and they reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.
So, what'a s dreamer? In this context, it refers to those who are filthy dreamers. They think about, and dream about sensual and sexual things, and then are carried away by these images to act in an immoral way. Their immoral thoughts and immoral actions are linked together.
And, they defile, or stain, pollute, and contaminate the flesh with sins. They soil their flesh as it were.
And, they reject authority. They despise it. They set it aside. They disregard it. They refuse it, they slight it.
And, they speak evil of dignitaries. Or they slander those in positions of dignity. They speak ill of those who are positions of honor and glory.
In contrast to these people Jude cites one of the archangels, named Michael. When he was contending with the devil himself, at the time of Moses's death, Michael would not dare bring a reviling accusation against him. The only thing he said, was "The Lord rebuke you" So, Michael is set forth as a contrasting example of what ought to be, and what was not happening in the lives of these men who were creeping into the church to harm it.
Going on, Jude says, they just go ahead and speak evil of whatever they don't know. And, the things that they do know naturally, they corrupt themselves in it. What a mixed up group of people, and what wasted lives they have. They really don't know what they are talking about, yet they blast away speaking evil. And, then the very thing that they do know, and know that they ought not to do, they do. They corrupt themselves in their own lives in the flesh, and seek to pawn this off as being ok for christians to do.
Woe to them says God through Jude. Judgement is coming is the idea. Whenever Woe is used, that's what it means. He says these men have gone the way of Cain, ( an example of hatred and murder. No eternal life in this kind of person ) And, they are not only hateful, but they are greedy for gain. And, then cites this example of those who perished in the rebellion of Korah. This man and a group of over 200 rose up against God's leader, Moses and sought to diminish his leadership, and or have him removed.
They fell into a opening in the earth that God created as they were standing there railing against Moses. This is generally what happens to people who follow the example of Korah. They fall into the hole that they have dug for others to fall into. They wind up being hung by the rope and gallows that they have created for others. The Bible tells this story over and over. I've seen it with my own eyes many, many times, and I'm sure will see more of it in the days ahead.
The main thing Jude is saying in his letter, is that not only do we need to be aware of this kind of person who comes into the church and seeks to corrupt it by their false teaching, and false living, but we need to know that God is going to judge them, He has in the past, and is now, and will be doing this in the future. This is just the way the Lord takes care of things.
We are to hold onto the Word of God, and keep ourselves in God's love, and mercy. And, make a difference in the world around us by the Word of God.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
