Introduction
The Book of Jude
Author
Date
Occasion and Purpose
Outline
Author
The author identifies himself as Jude (v. 1), which is
another form of the Hebrew name Judah (Greek “Judas”), a
common name among the Jews. Of those so named in the NT,
the ones most likely to be author of this letter are:
(1) Judas the apostle (see Lk 6:16; Ac 1:13 and
note)—not Judas Iscariot—and (2) Judas the brother of
the Lord (Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3). The latter is more likely.
For example, the author does not claim to be an apostle
and even seems to separate himself from the apostles (v.
17). Furthermore, he describes himself as a “brother of
James” (v. 1). Ordinarily a person in Jude’s day would
describe himself as someone’s son rather than as
someone’s brother. The reason for the exception here may
have been James’s prominence in the church at Jerusalem
(see Introduction to James: Author).
Although neither Jude nor James describes himself as a
brother of the Lord, others did not hesitate to speak of
them in this way (see Mt 13:55; Jn 7:3–10; Ac 1:14; 1Co
9:5; Gal 1:19). Apparently they themselves did not ask
to be heard because of the special privilege they had as
members of the household of Joseph and Mary.
Possible references to the letter of Jude or quotations
from it are found at a very early date: e.g., in Clement
of Rome (c. a.d. 96). Clement of Alexandria (155–215),
Tertullian (150–222) and Origen (185–253) accepted it;
it was included in the Muratorian Canon (c. 170) and was
accepted by Athanasius (298–373) and by the Council of
Carthage (397). Eusebius (265–340) listed the letter
among the questioned books, though he recognized that
many considered it as from Jude.
According to Jerome and Didymus, some did not accept the
letter as canonical because of the manner in which it
uses noncanonical literature (see notes on vv. 9,14).
But sound judgment has recognized that an inspired
author may legitimately make use of such
literature—whether for illustrative purposes or for
appropriation of historically reliable or otherwise
acceptable material—and such use does not necessarily
endorse that literature as inspired. Under the influence
of the Spirit, the church came to the conviction that
the authority of God stands behind the letter of Jude.
The fact that the letter was questioned and tested but
nonetheless was finally accepted by the churches
indicates the strength of its claims to authenticity.
Date
There is nothing in the letter that requires a date
beyond the lifetime of Jude the brother of the Lord. The
error the author is combating, like that in 2 Peter, is
not the heretical teaching of the second century, but
that which could and did develop at an early date (cf.
Ac 20:29–30; Ro 6:1; 1Co 5:1–11; 2Co 12:21; Gal 5:13;
Eph 5:3–17; 1Th 4:6). (See also Introduction to 2 Peter:
Date.) There is, moreover, nothing in the letter that
requires a date after the time of the apostles, as some
have argued. It may even be that Jude’s readers had
heard some of the apostles speak (see vv. 17–18).
Likewise, the use of the word “faith” in the objective
sense of the body of truth believed (v. 3) does not
require a late dating of the letter. It was used in such
a sense as early as Gal 1:23.
The question of the relationship between Jude and 2
Peter has a bearing on the date of Jude. If 2Pe 2 makes
use of Jude—a commonly accepted view (see Introduction
to 2 Peter: 2 Peter and Jude)—then Jude is to be dated
prior to 2 Peter, probably c. a.d. 65. Otherwise, a date
as late as c. 80 would be possible.
Recipients
The description of those to whom Jude addressed his
letter is very general (see v. 1). It could apply to
Jewish Christians, Gentile Christians, or both. Their
location is not indicated. It should not be assumed
that, since 2Pe 2 and Jude 4–18 appear to describe
similar situations, they were both written to the same
people. The kind of heresy depicted in these two
passages was widespread (see Date).
Occasion and Purpose
Although Jude was very eager to write to his readers
about salvation, he felt that he must instead warn them
about certain immoral men circulating among them who
were perverting the grace of God (see v. 4 and note).
Apparently these false teachers were trying to convince
believers that being saved by grace gave them license to
sin since their sins would no longer be held against
them. Jude thought it imperative that his readers be on
guard against such men and be prepared to oppose their
perverted teaching with the truth about God’s saving
grace.
It has generally been assumed that these false teachers
were Gnostics. Although this identification is no doubt
correct, they must have been forerunners of fully
developed, second-century Gnosticism (see Introduction
to 2 Peter: Date).
Outline
Greetings (1–2)
Occasion for the Letter (3–4)
The Change of Subject (3)
The Reason for the Change: The Presence of Godless
Apostates (4)
Warning against the False Teachers (5–16)
Historical Examples of the Judgment of Apostates (5–7)
Unbelieving Israel (5)
Angels who fell (6)
Sodom and Gomorrah (7)
Description of the Apostates of Jude’s Day (8–16)
Their slanderous speech deplored (8–10)
Their character graphically portrayed (11–13)
Their destruction prophesied (14–16)
Exhortation to Believers (17–23)
Concluding Doxology (24–25)