These are grumblers, complainers, who move about according to their own strong desires. And their mouths speak haughty words, and extraordinarily impress a presence for the sake of an advantage (Jude 16).
These men and women, who have secretly entered the Church, show their rebellious dissatisfaction in words. Jude deliberately links these false teachers to the generation of Israel in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:10; Jude 5); like the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:7–8), they murmur against God and His appointed leaders. Besides grumbling, they complain about the circumstances in which they find themselves and are dissatisfied with the way God has allocated things to them. This kind of complaining shows an unreasonable discontent with the portions which have been assigned to them and it is directed at the things they have not been given.
The complainers and discontented people act according to their own strong desires. Instead of living in keeping with God’s standards, their usual behavior is completely guided by the cravings which they themselves create. This is evident in their continual change of direction based on what feels good and their tendency to follow every trend in men’s teachings to gain more.
They aim at taking advantage of other people by means of an extraordinary and impressive appearance. To achieve this, they wear fine clothes, have big houses, and possess expensive things which they display. The way in which they claim to be godly is based on their possessions rather than on a state of contentment (1 Timothy 6:6). Using their inflated and boastful empty statements, they attract those who have escaped from those who live in error (2 Peter 2:18). Although they promise freedom to people through their self-help and teachings based on laws, they in fact bring about bondage (2 Peter 2:19).
It is amazing that among Christians this warning is ignored, which shows the influence that these false teachers can have over the saints. They say that they are “little gods” dwelling in human flesh, denying the Lord Jesus and proper doctrine while at the same time gathering a large number of followers. They assert that godliness consists in personal wealth since they finance their possessions by receiving donations from others and yet keep on requiring their followers to observe tithing and giving according to the law. On the basis of what you give, they make claims about being wealthy and happy. They also claim to have prophetic and supernatural powers and make grand declarations which divert those who follow them from the truth.
Even though their methods are different nowadays, their methodology is the same as it was two thousand years ago; they deceive the hearts of people who have no intention of doing wrong by means of grand and pompous statements together with elaborate showings of wealth, employing smooth speech and flattery (Romans 16:18). Christians are to turn away from such teachers (1 Timothy 6:5; 2 Timothy 3:5).
