Continuing in the Bible book of Jude, while we were introduced to an offending group’s sins earlier in this letter’s single chapter (per previous articles), we get more details about their behavior in Jude 8-11.
In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
Jude 1:8-10 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jud.1.8-10.NIV
Here are a few questions to ponder, concerning this group about whom Jude was warning his recipients:
- Do you think that these indulgent people thought that they were right?
- Do you think they figured that they were pretty smart for what they perceived as “working the system”, receiving God’s grace while doing whatever they wanted?
- Do you think that this group looked down on everyone who still seemed “bound” to actually following Jesus’ teaching?
Personally, I suspect that this group was pretty sure of themselves. You can be really sincere and really sure of yourself, though, while still being really wrong. In fact, this group’s choices prompted illustrations (per Jude 5-7) of unbelievers, demons, and those in Sodom and Gomorrah. Looking ahead to verse 11, these people are also compared to three more bad examples, from the Old Testament:
- Cain killed his brother Abel, and was cursed [see Genesis 4:1-16]
- Balaam advised Israel’s enemies to lead them into idolatry and sexual immorality, and he was killed [see Numbers 31:16 and Revelation 2:14; see also Micah 6:5 and Joshua 13:22]
- Korah rebelled against Moses’ and Aaron’s God-given authority, and was swallowed up by the earth [see Numbers 16]
Those are not people and groups that I would like to be associated with!
Let’s take a quick look at what they were doing. While we might separate their choices into different errors and sins, remember that these could also be one big mash-up of ideas and behaviors that have taken these people down the wrong road: a distorted overall worldview that negatively impacted their lifestyle.
To start with, apparently this group used dreams as a source of truth. Now, God provides visions to people when He chooses to, but sometimes a dream is just a manifestation of a spicy late-night snack. Today, some might say, “if you can dream it, you can do it” (although that’s usually talking about aspirational goals, not what we experience while sleeping). In fact, just because you dream something, doesn’t always mean you should do it.
In addition, this group polluted their bodies. Based on earlier verses, this likely included sexual sins, but they might have also put other poisons into their bodies, like getting “high” to see visions, or drinking too much because they didn’t think that there were any consequences.
These people also insulted other beings, like angels (whether angels that followed God, or those that didn’t, I suppose). Jude makes a comment about even Michael the archangel letting God handle a rebuke of the devil. (By the way, this account about Michael isn’t something from the Bible, but rather from another writing [“The Assumption of Moses”, per Holloway, p.139]. Sometimes, Biblical writers referred to extra-Biblical sources, when they were led by the Holy Spirit to do so.)
In addition to insulting angels, this group made fun of what they didn’t understand. That’s a popular and easy reaction, but instead of just insulting what we don’t understand, sometimes we need to listen, learn, or just trust God that He knows (and that He will tell us more details if and when we need to know).
And, this group apparently did whatever they felt like, to the point that their behavior was compared to that of animals.
So, rather than learning how to behave from these verses in the book of Jude, I think that we get a pretty good idea what not to do. A better alternative is described later in this book, but let’s at least check our behavior today and make sure that it is free from some of the corrupting sins that this group was indulging in!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for August 24, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – James & Jude, by Gary Holloway. © 1996 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 