Speaking Evil of Dignities: A Warning Against Despising Yahweh’s Order

A Scriptural Study on 2 Peter 2:10, Jude 8–10, Authority, Reverence, and Presumptuous Speech

Peter gives a severe warning concerning a class of men who are not merely mistaken, but spiritually lawless in heart:

“But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.”
2 Peter 2:10, KJV

Before we consider the phrase “speak evil of dignities,” we must first notice the earlier charge:

“despise government.”

This is the root.

The word does not merely point to civil politics, as men commonly think of government today. It points more broadly to lordship, dominion, authority, rule, and ordered governance. These are men who reject the very principle of righteous authority.

They despise governance because they despise being governed.

That is why Peter also calls them:

“presumptuous” and “selfwilled.”

A self-willed man does not want righteous order. He wants his own will enthroned. He may speak of liberty, but often he means freedom from accountability. He may speak boldly, but his boldness is not always faith; sometimes it is rebellion dressed as courage.

Jude gives the matching witness:

“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.”
Jude 8, KJV

Again, the order is important:

1. They defile the flesh.
2. They despise dominion.
3. They speak evil of dignities.

The corruption begins inwardly, moves outwardly against rightful authority, and then climbs into reckless speech against higher glories.

So the first lesson is plain:

Those who despise righteous governance are already walking in the spirit of rebellion.

This does not mean that all rulers are righteous. Scripture never teaches blind loyalty to wickedness. The prophets rebuked kings. Moses resisted Pharaoh. Daniel refused idolatrous decrees. The apostles said:

“We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Acts 5:29, KJV

e LSo Peter is not condemning righteous resistance to evil commands.

Rather, he is condemning the spirit that hates authority itself — the spirit that refuses correction, rejects moral order, despises accountability, and mocks the very idea that Yahweh has established ranks, offices, responsibilities, judgments, and boundaries.

Paul states the righteous principle:

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
Romans 13:1, KJV

And again:

“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.”
Romans 13:3, KJV

That is the ideal of righteous governance: authority as a servant of God for order, justice, and restraint of evil.

Peter likewise says:

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors… for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”
1 Peter 2:13–14, KJV

So there is a proper place for authority under Yahweh: to punish evil, praise good, preserve order, and restrain chaos.

The wicked men Peter describes despise that very order. They are not simply objecting to corruption. They hate being ruled, corrected, measured, or restrained.

This is why Peter’s warning naturally moves from despising government to speaking evil of dignities. Once a man rejects rightful authority on earth, it is only a further step for him to speak arrogantly against heavenly authorities and spiritual majesties.

The ladder of rebellion climbs upward.

First he despises correction.
Then he despises righteous governance.
Then he despises dominion.
Then he speaks evil of dignities.
Then he rails against things he does not understand.

That is why Jude says:

“But these speak evil of those things which they know not…”
Jude 10, KJV

And Peter says:

“But these, as natural brute beasts… speak evil of the things that they understand not…”
2 Peter 2:12, KJV

This is the basic reasoning we must settle first: the sin is not merely bad language. It is rebellion against Yahweh’s order.

The mouth reveals the government of the heart.

Where Christ rules within, the tongue is restrained.
Where self-will rules within, the tongue becomes reckless.

Only after this foundation is laid should we move into the deeper matter: what Peter and Jude mean by dignities, glories, and majestic beings, and why even Michael the archangel did not bring a railing accusation against the Devil, but said:

“The Lord rebuke thee.”
Jude 9, KJV

---

That places the “righteous governance” thought first, exactly where it belongs. The flow becomes:

1. Fleshly corruption
2. Rejection of rightful authority
3. Self-willed rebellion
4. Reckless speech against earthly and heavenly dignities
5. Michael’s example of restraint
6. Christ’s perfect example of entrusting judgment to Yahweh