Three More Characteristics of False Teaching (Jude 8-10)
When Jude describes the nature of the false teachers and their erroneous teaching, three characteristics emerge: they defile the flesh, the reject the rule of authority over them, and they disrespect spiritual realities that they ought to respect.
Defiling the flesh literally refers to soiling oneself as one would soil a garment. False teaching encourages sin, and the picture of staining oneself illustrates the effects of sin quite well. The rejection of authority—be it the authority of God Himself or those He has placed over in one’s life—is at the root of sin itself. Rejecting God’s rule with one’s own is what sin is all about. And finally, the false teaching takes an arrogant, audacious position when it comes to spiritual realities. There is now respect, reverence, or cautiousness when it comes to the realities we cannot see.
Jude uses an apocryphal story surrounding Moses in Jewish tradition to point out that even Michael—the archangel—didn’t risk being flippant or presumptuous when dealing with the enemy. We ought never forget that we are creature, and not on parr with the Creator.
What is it that motivates all this false teaching? Jude says it is the dreams of the false teachers. Whether that refers to the desires and plans of the false teachers, or to their nightly, subconscious visions makes little difference. To base ones teaching on anything but God’s Word is playing with dangerous fire.
Defiling the flesh literally refers to soiling oneself as one would soil a garment. False teaching encourages sin, and the picture of staining oneself illustrates the effects of sin quite well. The rejection of authority—be it the authority of God Himself or those He has placed over in one’s life—is at the root of sin itself. Rejecting God’s rule with one’s own is what sin is all about. And finally, the false teaching takes an arrogant, audacious position when it comes to spiritual realities. There is now respect, reverence, or cautiousness when it comes to the realities we cannot see.
Jude uses an apocryphal story surrounding Moses in Jewish tradition to point out that even Michael—the archangel—didn’t risk being flippant or presumptuous when dealing with the enemy. We ought never forget that we are creature, and not on parr with the Creator.
What is it that motivates all this false teaching? Jude says it is the dreams of the false teachers. Whether that refers to the desires and plans of the false teachers, or to their nightly, subconscious visions makes little difference. To base ones teaching on anything but God’s Word is playing with dangerous fire.
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