Jude

Overview

The book of Jude’s brevity, focus on false teaching, and strange references to nonbiblical Jewish literature could lead modern readers to skim quickly past this book in search of more immediately applicable passages. But Jude’s call “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1) in the face of false teaching is the task of the church in every generation.

Author

The name Jude/Judas was common in the first century, but the author further identifies himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James” (v. 1). This James is almost certainly the leader of the Jerusalem church and half brother of Jesus. Therefore, Jude is also a half brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55).¹ He likely refrains from calling himself the brother of Jesus out of humility and a desire to avoid the appearance of claiming special authority based on his biological rather than spiritual relationship to Jesus.

While some in the early church questioned which Jude wrote the letter, no one doubted its authenticity. Those who rejected its canonical status did so because it used apocryphal sources.² Today many critical scholars conclude, because of its excellent Greek style, that it is pseudonymous—written by someone else in order to deceive its recipients into thinking Jude wrote it. Critics assert that a Galilean craftsman could not have produced such a well-written letter. But such a claim underestimates the Greek proficiency Jude could have acquired as an itinerant missionary as well as the possibility that he used a scribe in writing the letter.³ Thus there are no substantive reasons to doubt that Jude the half brother of Jesus wrote it.⁴

Date and Occasion

The letter itself provides little help in determining its date. As a younger half brother of Jesus, Jude could have lived late into the first century. But if Peter used Jude as a source for 2 Peter, Jude must be dated no later than the mid-60s, since Peter was executed by Nero around that time. The letter could have been written as early as the mid-40s. Beyond this 20-year window, we cannot be more specific.

Although Jude writes to a specific church or group of churches, he does not identify them. Perhaps their most likely location is in a Gentile city somewhere in Palestine, such as Sepphoris or Tiberias, though in truth they could be anywhere in the Mediterranean world.⁵ Since Jude expects the recipients to be familiar with not only the OT but also Jewish apocryphal literature, they are likely Jewish Christians, or perhaps a mixture of Jews and Gentiles.

Sometime after the churches’ initial founding by someone within the apostolic circle (Jude 17–18), false teachers had infiltrated them. Basing their authority on dreams, these outsiders engaged in sexual immorality and were motivated by greed. They rejected the authority of God and perhaps even that of leaders in the church. As a result, the false teachers caused division in the church, luring the vulnerable to join them in their immorality.

Genre and Literary Features

Jude is an “epistolary sermon,” a hybrid genre that embeds sermon-like material into the main body of a letter.⁶ It is a real letter, addressed to a specific group of people facing a specific threat from specific false teachers. However, this identification as an “epistolary sermon” helps explain why the letter’s conclusion lacks the usual personal greetings and instead contains a doxology.

Jude uses a variety of literary devices. He favors vivid metaphors, especially those drawn from nature. OT examples and imagery are among his favorite tools to illustrate a point, and he even draws from other Jewish literature when it helps his cause (see Interpretive Challenges). Jude also employs several triads, such as mercy, peace, and love (v. 2); sets of three OT examples (vv. 5–7, 11); the Trinity (vv. 20–21); and faith, hope (“waiting”), and love (vv. 20–21).⁷ Jude’s “terse, picturesque, and impassioned style, propensity for the use of triplets, and use of OT and extrabiblical sources, in addition to the imagery, poetic rhythm, and abundance of hapax legomena . . . make Jude distinct among the writings of the NT.”⁸ Whether Jude’s good Greek style reflects a Hellenistic education or the help of a skilled scribe is uncertain.

Interpreting OT and Jewish tradition is a significant element of the letter. After introducing such texts, Jude transitions to his interpretation of the narratives they contain using the words “these people” (vv. 8; cf. 10, 12, 16). He also varies his verb tenses, usually introducing the text in the aorist tense and his interpretation of it in the present tense. Jude uses these texts typologically, seeing the biblical events not merely as historical incidents but also as patterns prefiguring the actions and fate of the false teachers.

On the relationship between Jude and 2 Peter, see Introduction to 2 Peter: Genre and Literary Features.

Theology of Jude

God

All three members of the Trinity are mentioned. The Father shows us love and grace but also judges the ungodly. Jesus saved Israel from Egypt, yet later he destroyed those who did not believe. On the last day, he will show his people mercy. The Holy Spirit empowers our prayers so that we can keep ourselves in the love of God.

Humanity

Apart from Christ, people are ungodly; their lives are oriented toward themselves rather than toward God. This ungodliness manifests itself in sexual immorality, rebellion against God’s authority, and greed. As a result, God’s judgment awaits them.

The Christian Life

Believers are “kept for Jesus Christ” (v. 1) yet they must keep themselves in the love of God. They do so by building themselves up in the faith, praying in the Spirit, and waiting for Christ’s mercy on the last day. In the meantime, believers show mercy to those around them, confident in God’s power to keep them from stumbling.

Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

Jude reminds us that as believers living between the cross and the new creation, we must persevere in the truth of the gospel. Earlier events in Scripture are types that instruct us as we await our appearance before the Lord on the last day.

Preaching from Jude

In every generation, Christians must contend for the truth of the gospel and resist false teaching. Preaching from Jude provides opportunity to stress both God’s power to keep his people and our responsibility to keep ourselves in God’s love. Jude also instructs believers concerning their response to false teachers and those influenced by them.

Interpretive Challenges

The most obvious challenge is Jude’s use of Jewish traditions not found in Scripture. He draws material from 1 Enoch (Jude 6, 14–15) and likely from the Assumption of Moses (Jude 9). This does not mean that Jude considered these works to be Scripture. Paul quotes from secular prophets because the words he quotes are true, not because those works are scriptural (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12). Jude likewise uses these writings because in these specific instances they say true things. Jude never refers to these writings as “Scripture” (graphē), nor does he introduce them with a citation formula such as “as it is written.” By the first century AD, the OT canon was essentially fixed, and neither of these Jewish writings was accepted as canonical.⁹ Jude likely cited these traditions because his recipients were already familiar with them.

Outline¹⁰

1. I. Greeting (vv. 1–2)
2. II. Purpose of the Letter (vv. 3–4)
3. III. Description and Condemnation of False Teachers (vv. 5–16)
   1. A. False Teachers Are Destined for Condemnation (vv. 5–10)
   2. B. False Teachers Live Ungodly Lives (vv. 11–13)
   3. C. False Teachers Will Be Judged on the Last Day (vv. 14–16)
4. IV. Stay True to the Gospel (vv. 17–23)
   1. A. Remember the Apostolic Warnings (vv. 17–19)
   2. B. Keep Yourselves in the Love of God (vv. 20–21)
   3. C. Show Mercy to Those in Trouble (vv. 22–23)
5. V. Doxology (vv. 24–25)