Jude Introduction-The Epistle of Jude's Relationship to Second Peter
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday April 7, 2022
Jude Series: The Epistle of Jude’s Relationship to Second Peter
Lesson # 7
As many scholars have pointed out there is definitely a close relationship between Jude and 2 Peter.
This is indicated by a comparison of the contents of both letters which reveals the fact that they resemble each other in several places such as Jude 4-13, 16-18 and 2 Peter 2:1-18 and 3:1-3.
Jude
2 Peter
4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.
They … deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
2:1 There will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies.
even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them
4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago
2:3 Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment.
7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
2:6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly
8 these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.
2:10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings.
9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
2:11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
10 Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them.
2:12 But these men blaspheme understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
11 they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error.
2:15 They have left the straightway and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
12 These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves.
2:13 They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.
12 They are clouds without rain
2:17 These men are springs without water
13 for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever
2:17 Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
16 they boast about themselves
2:18 For they mouth empty, boastful words
17–18 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”
3:2–3 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
Most scholars believe that this relationship between these two epistles is therefore a literary one.
Many believe that Jude was dependent upon 2 Peter.
However, within the last fifty years, some have argued that 2 Peter was dependent upon Jude, which is the view most scholars hold today.
John Morris writes “A clear literary dependency exists between the epistles of Jude and 2 Peter, with 2 Peter appearing to include most of the body of Jude’s epistle. The Jude material in 2 Peter is not used in the same context, has rougher grammar, and is not stylistically as elegant. The most likely explanation for the parallels is that the author of 2 Peter copied Jude’s letter. Alternatively, Jude may have copied his material from 2 Peter, or both authors may have copied their material from some common written or oral source. The small sample size and lack of firm data results in no unequivocal answer to the question of literary dependency (Smith, “Peter a Plagiarizer?,” 38).”
Gromacki writes “There are obvious similarities between the major content of Jude (4–19) and the second chapter of Second Peter (2:1–3:3), but what is their connection? It is possible, but highly improbable, that they wrote on the same subject independent of each other. There just are too many similarities for that position to be held. A second view is that they both used a common source. This is conceivable, but there is no objective manuscript evidence of such a document. The most plausible view is that one writer, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, incorporated some material from the other’s book into his own Epistle. But who borrowed from whom? Did Peter write after Jude or did Jude use Second Peter? The second possibility is the more logical one. Jude indicated that his purpose in writing changed suddenly (3). The reading of Second Peter could have caused this change. Peter placed the advent of the false teachers into the future (2 Peter 2:1), whereas Jude saw them as already present (4). Jude’s reference to the apostolic warning about mockers (17–18) seems to refer to the counsel of Peter (2 Peter 3:2–4) and Paul (Acts 20:28–30; 2 Tim. 3:1–9). The fact that Jude quoted from other sources (9, 14–15) makes it more likely that he borrowed from Peter than vice versa. Since all Biblical truth is divinely revealed truth, it is the Spirit’s prerogative to direct two authors to write on the same subject for emphasis and/or to cause one to utilize another. In the final analysis, it is not one man copying another man’s work; rather, it is God copying God or God writing twice.”
I believe that in order to answer this question as to whether or not Jude borrowed from 2 Peter or vice versa one must compare the dates of the letters.
The contents of 2 Peter indicate that Peter was writing just before his martyrdom, which took place in approximately 65 A.D. as a result of the Neronian persecution of the church.
As noted previously, I also believe that the epistle of Jude was written between 62-66 A.D. just prior to the Jewish war with Rome between 66-70 A.D.
As we also noted, this is indicated by the fact that though possible, yet unlikely, Jude would never have written this letter which bears his name if his brother James was still alive since as we noted, James was one of the pillars of the church in Jerusalem who died in 62 A.D.
When he was alive James who again was one of the apostles of Jesus was the spokesperson of the church at Jerusalem and in Judaea (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal 2:9, 12; 1 Cor 15:7).
If a problem, as in these Zealots infiltrating Christian meetings, James would have dealt with them.
Furthermore, as pointed out by Bateman, Josephus assets that the high priest Ananius (ca. AD 62) had James stoned to death.
This created as void in the leadership of the Jerusalem church and Jude’s letter may have been a means of filling that void (v. 3).
Thus, Jude could have been written anywhere between 62-66 A.D. just prior to the Jewish war in 66-70 A.D. and 2 Peter was written just prior to Peter’s death in 65 A.D.
Therefore, I believe that 2 Peter was using Jude.