Beware Dreamers and Defilers

Jude 1:8-11

8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 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!” 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. 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.

Those who live lawlessly and have slithered comfortably into the congregation, teaching and living sin, these are further described.  They are dreamers, telling tales and spinning false webs offered as hope, while refusing to follow authorities, especially those of the church.  Because they reject church authority, they continue to mislead others as they slander and malign those setting laws, rules, and discipline.  The example of the angel not taking on God’s authority in dealing with the devil shows us how these rebellious ones by contrast argue with God as they speak badly about those they really know nothing about; they just want control and the preeminence like Diotrephes in 3 John 1:9.  They should be honoring Christ instead who has all the true preeminence (Colossians 1:18), but choose instead use fleshly logic of desire and dominance like “brute beasts,” as it is written here.  They corrupt themselves further in so thinking and acting apart from God’s Spirit as the believers have around them and which they lack so obviously.  They hate and murder as Cain slew Abel in the beginning after the Fall, and prophesy falsely for gain as Balaam (2 Peter 2:15) did long ago.  These will also perish eternally for their rebellion against God in misleading His people and dishonoring Him.  False teachers must therefore be confronted and put out of the congregation, or their bad example, counsel, and words will lead some astray and disrupt others.  Truth according to scripture and lives given to the direction of conformity to Christ must be present in all of us, but especially in those teaching others (2 Peter 2:1-4, James 3:1). We are to be valiant for the truth in wisdom to know the serpent’s tactics while as harmless doves dealing with error in love.