‘Yet in a similar way these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities.'
Note his reference to their ‘dreamings'. This may simply be indicating their folly in the same way as we say, ‘dream on'. Or it may have in mind the taking of drugs in order to produce a sensual and ecstatic state. Or it may refer to claims that they made to have special dreams, citing Joel 2:28; Acts 1:17. The point is that he is emphasising that their ideas are unreal. Whichever it is it causes them to:
· ‘Defile the flesh.' By their behaviour and their manner of living they show that they despise the flesh, but thereby they are making themselves unacceptable to a holy God, and even wrecking the physical condition of their own lives. Many live like that today, even in the church.
· ‘Set at nought dominion.' The word ‘dominion' occurs also in Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 1:16; and 2 Peter 2:10, where it refers to heavenly powers. The word is kuriotes meaning ‘lordship' (compare kurios = lord). Here it may have God in mind, or the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Devil (it is in the singular, and plural dignities are separately mentioned), or indeed all authority combined, including God, the Lord, the Devil, heavenly rulers and the secular state, for they see themselves as enjoying total liberty. The idea may be that they are contemptuous of all because of what they feel to be their superior spirituality. Many today also reject God's full authority.
· ‘Rail at (revile, blaspheme, speak evil of) dignities (glorious beings).' The idea may have been in order to demonstrate their superior power over them. Possibly the word ‘glorious beings' refers to ‘good' angels, the idea being that they dismiss them as irrelevant or of no use to them. They claim that they do not need ministering angels (Hebrews 1:14).
This brings out their whole attitude of mind. Because they see themselves as on a high spiritual plain they see everything else as beneath them, and treat everything accordingly.