Jude describes himself as “a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of Jacob (James)” (1). Jude was the half-brother of Jesus and brother of James (Jacob) who also identifies himself as “a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ,” James 1:1). Though Jude and his other brothers grew up with their older brother Jesus in Nazareth, they did not believe in Him: “For not even His brothers were believing in Him” (John 7:5). Following Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, however, Jude came to see himself as a slave of Jesus, totally committed and humble in His Master’s service, the kindest Master of all.
These three brothers, Jesus, James and Jude, have many things in common including their teachings in line with God’s eternal wisdom trajectory we see clearly in the Wisdom Books and other Old Testament writings. They contrast the two ways: wise and foolish, righteous and wicked, truth and lies, true and false teachers (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, wisdom Psalms 1, 36–37, 49, 73, 112, 127, 128, 133, Matthew 5–7, 25, James 1–5, Jude). Jude starkly contrasts Christians who contend earnestly for the faith and build themselves up in the faith with the “ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (4).
The three brothers also bring us many prophetic apocalyptic messages we see and hear in Jesus’ sermons and teachings, and in James 5:1–5 and Jude. They all have a complete grasp of Old Testament history, moral exhortation and prophecy. Though the thought is unpopular in the church and wider religious circles today, Jesus, James and Jude, along with Peter, John and Paul, all sternly warn us about the reality of false teachers rising up in the midst of God’s people, within the church and what we must do in response.
In both these regards, Jude has much in common with 2 Peter. They both use powerful prophetic illustrations, allusions and object lessons from the Old Testament. Peter places his in chronological order, while Jude places his in the order he sees best to suit his first main reminder regarding God’s salvation of the righteous and eternal condemnation of the ungodly. Both have the same sense of urgency (2 Peter 1:2–15; 3:1; Jude 3. For a helpful chart comparing the two, please see https://app.box.com/s/cn78qaaizhn4yvxiktiuyj75ivz1qacj).
Both use features of apocalyptic writings, for example: vivid imagery, figures of speech, symbolism, primordial events of the past and future, upheavals in the last days, judgment and pessimism regarding the present age vs. optimism and hope regarding the future for the persevering and victorious righteous with God. (For more on the characteristics and content of apocalyptic writing, please see https://app.box.com/s/v166u7jqd7pt6vjptwtik0ef8ww0axlo). Both exhort Christians to be aware, be prepared, be active with God in His mission, and look up and forward to Jesus’ coming again and a glorious eternal future with God.
Jude‘s position in the New Testament is important. He is between the apocalyptic writings of 2 Peter and Revelation. At the end of the Old and the New Testaments there is an increase in apocalyptic writing. There is a strong relationship between the difficulties that Israel and the church faced. Both were threatened from external and internal forces and conflicts, idolatry and falling backwards. God needed to provide strong and clear messages of consequences: judgement on one hand and on the other hand salvation, peace, inheritance, reward and eternal security in His presence and glory.
Regarding their readers, Peter clearly identifies his in opening his first letter to whom he also wrote his second (“This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you,” 2 Peter 3:1). They were Christians dealing with opposition and persecution, “those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia (the province), and Bithynia,” all in Anatolia (meaning “east,” roughly the area later known as “Asia Minor”). Though the readers of both letters faced similar threats, Jude simply but importantly identifies his readers as “Beloved” in both major parts of his letters (3, 17).
While there is much debate about the date of Jude and Peter’s letters, and which came first, it is possible given their similar concerns that they wrote about the same time. If this is the case, a date in the mid AD 60’s is possible. Given their close relationship to Jesus while He was on earth, and their presence together (as noted from Matthew 13 above), it is certain that Peter and Jude knew each other and could well have communicated about their common concerns for God’s people.
Further on Jude’s identity, his name comes from the Hebrew יְהוּדָה (Yehudah), which means “praised,” Judah, the name of Jacob’s fourth child with Leah who upon Judah’s birth exclaimed, “This time I will praise the LORD” (Genesis 29:35 ). In Greek his name is Ἰούδας (Judas). We first learn of him in Matthew 13:55–57 in his and Jesus’ home town of Nazareth, “‘Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’ 57 And they took offence at Him. But Jesus said to them, “a prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his own household.’”
Judas is translated as Judah when referring to Jacob’s fourth son the patriarch. Others by this name include: Judas, the son of James, an Apostle (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus, Judas the Galilean who drew away people after him (Acts 5:37), Judas who had a house on Straight Street in Damascus where Paul stayed in his blindness from seeing Jesus (Acts 9:11) and Judas called Barsabbas who went with Paul and others from Jerusalem to Antioch with the letter from the Apostles and elders regarding the circumcision issue (Acts 15:22).
While Jude’s letter has a strong and clear overarching problem-answer structure, he richly illustrates both with an intricate and vivid series of illustrations and exhortations that make his message memorable. As Peter does, Jude gives his readers important reminders about God’s salvation and judgment and how to live in the last days:
Brief Outline
1–4 Greeting and Purpose
5–16 Denunciation of False Teachers
17–23 Exhortations to Live by Faith, Love and Mercy in the Last days
24–25 Glory to God for His Power to Save
Detailed Outline
1–2 Jude’s self-identification and Greeting: mercy, peace and love
3–4 Beloved: Contend for the faith against:
* certain ungodly persons
* who:
* turn grace to licentiousness
* deny our Master and Lord Jesus
5–16 Reminder 1 of God’s salvation in Jesus & destruction of the ungodly:
6 Angels
7–8 Sodom and Gomorrah
9 Archangel Michael’s dispute
10 Revilers
11 way of Cain, error Balaam, rebellion of Korah
12–13. hidden reefs in love feasts…
14–15 Enoch’s prophecy
16 grumblers…
17–19 Reminder 2 of the Apostles’ message of last time mockers
20–23 Beloved: build yourselves up in
* your holy faith
* prayer in the Holy Spirit
* the love of God
* mercy of Jesus on those doubting and caught in the fire
24–25 Glory to God who is able to
* keep you from stumbling
* make you stand in His presence blameless with great joy
* to Him be glory, majesty, dominion, authority
* before all time
* now
* forever
Jude’s holistic conclusion of time and eternity perspectives parallel Peter’s emphasis on sufferings and glories, past, present and future.
We are very grateful for all our author’s contributions and insights for this theme edition from Jude. While we await Jesus’ return and serve Him, may His bother’s letter be a constant guide and inspiration to “contend earnestly for the faith…know all things once for all…remember the words spoken beforehand by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ….build yourselves up in your most holy faith….”
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.