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Part Three: Description November 16, 2025 

Last Sunday, we looked at Vs. 5-7, where Jude cites three of God’s past judgments to show that the Lord will severely judge all who rebel against Him and reject His Word.  Today, we are going to examine Vs. 8-16, where Jude gives… 

The Description of False Teachers Vs. 8-16 

1st - Jude lists five characteristics of false teachers. Vs. 8-10 

“In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.”  (Jude 8, NLT)  

“In the same way,” connects what Jude said in Vs. 5-7 with what he is about to say in Vs. 8-10.  Jude wants his readers to see that the false teachers invading the church are just like the unbelieving Israelites, the rebellious fallen angels, and the immoral people living in Sodom and Gomorrah that God judged long ago.  

What ungodly characteristics do false teachers exhibit? 

1.  False teachers are dreamers.  Vs. 8a 

False teachers claim to have dreams/visions from God.  These special revelations supersede God’s Word and give them the authority to tell people what to do.     

2.  False teachers live immoral lives.  Vs. 8b 

Immoral means to defile or pollute one’s flesh through sexual sin (2 Peter 2:10, 18).  False teachers are inevitably involved in all types of twisted sexual relationships.      

3.  False teachers are rebellious.  Vs. 8c 

False teachers deny that Jesus is their Master (Jude 4).  They reject the Lordship of Christ because they want to rule their own lives.   

4.  False teachers are blasphemous.  Vs. 8d 

False teachers scoff at supernatural beings (2 Peter 2:10).  Scoff comes from the Greek word blasphemeo, which means “to slander,” or “to speak evil of sacred people, places, things, and activities.”  

In vs. 9, Jude contrasts Michael the archangel’s respect for supernatural beings with the false teachers' disrespect for them. 

“But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, 'The Lord rebuke you!”  (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)”    (Jude 9, NLT)  

After Moses died (Deut. 34:1-8), God sent the archangel Michael to bury his body, but the devil wanted Moses’ body.  Michael told the Devil, “The Lord rebuke you!” because he understood that only the Sovereign Lord had the authority to rebuke and judge Satan.  In contrast to Michael, the false teachers Jude spoke of had claimed to have authority over Satan and his demons.   

5.  False teachers are ignorant.  Vs. 10 

“But these people scoff at things they do not understand.  Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.”  (Jude 10, NLT)  

Like Peter (2 Peter 2:12), Jude likened the false teachers to unreasoning animals that operate on instinct.  Like unthinking animals, false teachers do whatever their flesh desires, which leads to their destruction. 

2nd – Jude compares false teachers with three ungodly OT characters.  Vs. 11 

“What sorrow awaits them!  For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother.  Like Balaam, they deceive people for money.  And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.” (Jude 11, NLT)  

The false teachers Jude wrote about were prideful like Cain (Genesis 4:1-16; Hebrews 11:4), greedy like Balaam (Numbers 22-24; 2 Peter 2:15-16), and rebellious like Korah (Numbers 16). 

3rd – Jude compares false teachers to six unhelpful things.  Vs. 12-13 

“When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you.  They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves.  They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain.  They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.  They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.” (Jude 12–13, NLT)  

False teachers are as dangerous as hidden reefs, selfish like shepherds who only care for themselves, unhelpful like clouds that do not produce rain, disappointing like trees that bear no fruit, disruptive like waves that bring trash onto the shore, and dark like a dead star. 

4th – Jude condemns false teachers for their ungodly words and actions.  Vs. 14-16 

“Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people.  He said, “Listen!  The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world.  He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”  These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires.  They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.”  (Jude 14–16, NLT)  

Before the Great Flood, Enoch (Gen. 5:21-24) prophesied that the Lord would judge the ungodly.  This prophecy is recorded in the book of 1 Enoch, an apocryphal work that was familiar to Jude’s first-century readers.  Jude’s use of 1 Enoch does not mean God inspired the book, but rather that Enoch’s prophecy, as recorded in the book, occurred and is true.  The Lord Jesus will return one day with His holy angels to execute judgment upon the ungodly (Rev. 19:11-21).   

What do you need to do to contend for the faith? 

• Study the Word of God. 

• Look out for wolves in sheep's clothing. 

• Defend the faith!