“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.”
In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on the glorious ones — the false teachers' behavior mirrors both the angels' transgression of proper boundaries and Sodom's sexual excess, with their conduct rooted in 'dreams' (enypniois, suggesting visionary authority claims that lack genuine apostolic grounding). Their threefold offense—defiling the flesh, rejecting authority, and blaspheming the glorious ones (doxa, likely angelic powers)—reveals a systematic rejection of cosmic order, institutional hierarchy, and the sanctity of creation. Their appeal to dreams as authorization suggests charismatic pretense masking deeper spiritual rebellion.
Church Fathers on Jude 1:8
Similarly to the same, he says, also those dreamers,--that is, who dream in their imagination lusts and wicked desires, regarding as good not that which is truly good, and superior to all good,--defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of majesty, that is, the only Lord, who is truly our Lord, Jesus Christ, and alone worthy of praise. They speak evil of majesty, that is, of the angels. When Michael, the archangel, disputing with the devil, debated about the body of…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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