Jude

Who wrote it

The name Judah (Gk. Judas; English Jude) was common among first-century Jews, and at least eight different individuals of that name are mentioned in the NT, including two of Jesus’ disciples (Luke 6:16)

The best clue to his identity is the description “brother of James” (v. 1). The only James known well enough in the early church to be referred to in this unqualified way is James the prominent church leader (Acts 12:17; 15:13), author of the epistle that bears his name, and half-brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19). If this identification of James is correct, the author of the present epistle is Jude the half-brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3), who, along with his other brothers, did not believe in Jesus until after the resurrection (Mark 3:21, 31; John 7:5; Acts 1:14)

Who was it written to

it is not immediately directed to any particular person, family, or church, but to the whole society of Christians of that time, lately converted to the faith of Christ, whether from Judaism or paganism

Perhaps Jude wrote his epistle as a circular letter to a number of churches whose conditions he knew from having conducted an itinerant ministry among them (cf. 1 Cor. 9:5)

Why was it written

To warn believers about apostate and false teachers who may deceive them

Jude confronts a threat similar to that opposed in 2 Peter: false teachers who were using Christian liberty and the free grace of God as a license for immorality (v. 4; cf. 2 Pet. 2:1–3)

Most of the epistle (vv. 4–19) is devoted to stern denunciation of the false teachers in order to impress upon his readers the seriousness of the threat.

It is designed to warn us against seducers and their seduction, to inspire us with a warm love to, and a hearty concern for, truth (evident and important truth)

To encourage believers to contend for the truth

Jude’s strategy is more than mere negative opposition. He urges his readers to grow in their knowledge of Christian truth (v. 20), to bear a firm witness for the truth (v. 3), and to seek to reclaim those whose faith was wavering (vv. 22, 23). This prescription for confronting spiritual error is as effective today as when it was first written.

Important and interesting points

Although his epistle is among the shortest books of the NT, Jude contributes much to our understanding of the person and work of Christ. In regard to the person of the Savior, the ESV translation of v. 5 states that “Jesus” delivered Israel from Egypt and destroyed unfaithful Israel in the wilderness. Normally, it would be expected that “the Lord” would be credited (as other manuscripts and translations read), but the ESV translation here reflects the best ancient manuscripts, which have the name “Jesus” instead of “the Lord.” Thus, Jude is identifying Jesus with Yahweh, the One who described in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy as delivering Israel from Egypt and judging the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness. This apostolic understanding of the activity of the preincarnate Jesus is comparable to 1 Cor. 10:4, where Paul says that Israel was “drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them [in the wilderness], and the rock was Christ.” In any case, Jude’s description of Jesus’ work in the exodus is a strong affirmation of the deity of Christ and proof that this belief goes all the way back to the earliest Christians. Other indications of Jude’s belief in the deity of Christ include the fact that he calls Jesus “Master and Lord” (v. 4). His omniscience, or at least His ability to foresee the future, is seen in his prediction of the coming of false teaching in the church community to whom Jude writes (vv. 17, 18), which had already begun. The end times that have been inaugurated by Christ will be consummated at His final coming, when He shows “mercy” to those who believed (v. 21; cf. v. 24). The epistle ends on a christological note: “to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude also gives us insight into the work of Christ, particularly His work in preserving us in the faith. Believers’ salvation is “kept for Jesus Christ,” presumably by the reality of their effective “calling” and the “loving” power of God (v. 1). Christ “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (v. 24). Jude’s short epistle, therefore, reminds us that from start to finish, salvation is granted, sustained, and consummated by Christ alone, according to the sovereign purposes of the Father and outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

it is the only letter in the NT to be extensively incorporated into another (i.e., into 2 Peter). Indeed, 2 Peter is the earliest evidence for the existence of Jude. Jude was circulated as a separate book in Egypt and Italy by the end of the second century, for both Clement of Alexandria and Origen cite it (both lived in Egypt), and it was included in the Muratorian Canon (which was Italian)

Its shortness, its apparent absorption into 2 Peter (although we will see that in reality each work has its own perspective), and its apparent lack of theological discussion all worked against it. In modern times its seemingly harsh tone has also contributed to its neglect. We will discover, however, that many of these issues are the result of reading an ancient work through later lenses, or the imposition of Reformation or modern concern or standards on a first-century work. Thus the neglect is more the result of our problems than of Jude’s problems.

Jude says Jesus is “our only Sovereign and Lord,” a politically explosive title, given that Caesar was known by those terms (it would be similar to calling Jesus “our only Commander in Chief and President” in the United States). This Sovereign has delegates whom he sends out with his message (Jude 17, remembering that “delegate” or “one who is sent” is the meaning of “apostle”). He is expected to come with mercy for those who keep themselves “in God’s love”; that is, he will bring them eternal life (v. 21). Finally, this Sovereign is the one through whom honor is given to God (v. 25), which means that he is viewed as a subking under God as high king.

When it comes to the human condition and its solution, the main problems mentioned are (1) the rejection of the authority of the Sovereign, whether in the past (as in the case of the angels who abandoned their honorable position) or in the present (as in the case of the false teachers who reject the authority of the Sovereign by their rebellious lifestyle), and (2) the giving in to desire (implied in v. 4 and stated explicitly in vv. 16 and 19). The charges of greed and slander are probably subspecies of these two basic charges. Salvation, or eternal life, is obtained by submitting to the authority of the Sovereign, which means holding “the faith,” a faith or commitment that was given to the “holy ones,” that is, those who are separate from impurity. Thus we have the contrast impurity (desire)—holiness paralleled by rebellion against—submission to the Sovereign. God grants grace or mercy so that one can shift from the dishonorable group into the holy/honorable group. This is the same mercy that the true believers received and thus should show toward the false teachers and their followers: they are not (yet) beyond hope. However, despite being capable of receiving mercy (and thus the believers are not to cut them off totally), the false teachers are polluting (apparently it is their sexual misbehavior that he views as especially polluting). It is polluting to the true believers to have these teachers in their celebrations of the Lord’s Supper (at that time a full meal); thus, when these followers of the false teachers respond to mercy and submit to the Sovereign (including his ethical standards), one must be careful not to allow their pollution to come with them. Here we have a first-century version of “love the sinner and hate the sin,” in which the focus is on rescue. While purity issues are not to be ignored, the main point is not “Kick these folk out and keep yourselves pure” but “Rescue as many as you can (but do take care, for they have a contagious disease)

The ultimate hope of the believing community (i.e., the description of the ultimate proper order) is for “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” That is, eternal life is in the future and not a present possession. This phrase apparently refers to the coming of Christ to usher his true followers into the full experience of his reign. What will happen to those who do not receive this mercy is never stated explicitly except in the words of 1 Enoch, which speaks about “these men.” Still, even without this more explicit statement, all of the examples given are of men or angels who experienced judgment and destruction as a result of their way of life and specifically as a result of their rebellion or living lives controlled by desire. Indeed, one wonders whether an explicit description of the fate awaiting them could be as dark as the implications from the repeated references to these well-known stories. Jude leaves it to the imagination of the readers to fill in the unexpressed blanks, and shudder.