Deeds Meriting Punishment

Peter singles out ones who are especially reserved for God's judgment, namely, "those who go on after flesh with the desire to defile it and who look down on lordship."  We can almost feel Peter's indignation as he says: "Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble at glorious ones but speak abusively."  Jude writes that "these men,  . . indulging in dreams, are defiling the flesh . ..and speaking abusively of glorious ones."  (2 Peter 2:10; Jude 8)  Their dreams may involve impure sexual fantasies that encourage their pursuit of immoral sexual gratification. In what sense, though, do they "look down on lordship" and speak "abusively of glorious ones"?

They do so in that they despise divinely constituted authority. Christian elders represent the glorious Jehovah God and this Son and, as a result, have certain glory conferred upon them.  True, they make mistakes, as did Peter himself, but the Scriptures urge members of the congregation to be submissive in such glorious ones.  (Hebrews 13:17) Their shortcomings are no reason to speak abusively of them. Peter says that angels do not "bring against [false teachers] an accusation in abusive terms," although it would be richly deserved.  "But these men," Peter continues, "like unreasoning animals born naturally to be caught and destroyed, will in the things of which they are ignorant and speak abusively, even suffer destruction." -2 Peter 2:10-13. 

Next time: "While Feasting . . .With You"

From the Watchtower magazine, 1997