Jude 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.
Jude now applies to his readers his illustrations of the rebellious exodus generation and angels, and the immoral Sodom and Gomorrah. The false teachers rely on their own thinking and imagination which has been distorted by their fleshly lusts. We have been created in flesh. Jesus came in the flesh. The flesh can become a tool for righteousness (see Romans 6:19). God’s will is for us to be sanctified in the flesh and not to let our rebellious heart lead us into slavery to sin. The result of this fleshly pursuit is that they reject authority and blaspheme. The reference to “glorious ones” is an odd reference and could refer to heaven and all who are part of it. Blasphemy is basically disrespecting and distorting the true meaning of something. Blaspheming heaven could involve distorting heaven to be all about oneself. It may involve seeing angels and even God as one’s servants to do as one wishes or heaven as the reward for certain activities in this life. These teachers may have taught that a person can follow fleshly desires and still get into heaven. If we confess our faith in Jesus, we cannot remain in sin. To think this or to act like it is a distortion of eternal life and our hope in Jesus Christ.
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