Jude
Name and Contents
Like some New Testament letters, Jude takes its name from the sender of the letter. Its contents can be outlined as follows:
Canonical Status
The earliest list of New Testament documents, the Muratorian Canon (late second century ce), includes the letter of Jude. Likewise, Tertullian, writing at about the same time, mentions Jude. Irenaeus, however, another contemporary writer, does not mention Jude, and sometime later Origen (ca. 253) puts Jude in the category of doubtful writings. The earliest surviving copy of Jude is in Papyrus 72, written about 300. Copies of Jude are also included in the biblical Codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, written about fifty years later. Athanasius (367) includes Jude in his list of New Testament writings. Since that time, Jude has been accepted by Greek- and Latin-speaking Christians as part of the New Testament, but it was not accepted by Syriac-speaking Christians until the sixth century.
Authorship, Date of Composition, and Historical Context
The author of the letter identifies himself as Jude. The English “Jude” translates the Greek “Judas” (Ioudas), the rendering of Hebrew Judah (Yehudah). The New Testament mentions six men named Judas who are associated with Jesus or his early followers, including Judas Iscariot and another Judas included in Luke's list of the twelve apostles (Lk 6.16). Since the author of Jude calls himself the brother of James, this Judas is most likely the one identified as a brother of Jesus, along with James, Joses, and Simon (Mk 6.3).
Some scholars doubt that Judas the brother of James and Jesus is the actual author of the letter; others think there is no sufficient reason to deny this. If he is the actual author, the letter would have been written between 50 and 80 ce, during the probable lifetime of Judas the brother of James. If the letter is pseudonymous, it probably dates to the end of the first century, certainly before the composition of 2 Peter, which dates to the early second century and uses Jude. The letter does not indicate the geographical location of its author or addressees.
Interpretation
Jude is an appeal to those it addresses to “contend for the faith” (v. 3) as they confront the influence of intruders who threaten that faith (v. 4). The author supports this appeal by implying that the intruders are destined to be punished by God like those who have behaved similarly in the past (vv. 5–8). The author also supports the appeal by criticizing the intruders as behaving differently than the archangel Michael (vv. 9–10) and behaving like notorious wrongdoers of the past (vv. 11–13). In addition, the appearance and destruction of these intruders were prophesied (vv. 14–19). In light of all this, the author urges the addressees to follow a different way of life than that of the intruders (vv. 20–23).
Apart from being used as a source for 2 Peter, Jude has not been influential. Martin Luther thought that Jude was a pseudonymous extract from 2 Peter and thus not an apostolic writing, but few have adopted this view.
Terrance Callan
1Jude,a a servantb of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, who are belovedc ind God the Father and kept safe ford Jesus Christ:
2May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.
3Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.e
5Now I desire to remind you, though you are fully informed, that the Lord, who once for all savedf a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which, in the same manner as they, indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust,g serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
8Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander the glorious ones.h 9But when the archangel Michael contended with the devil and disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slanderi against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct. 11Woe to them! For they go the way of Cain, and abandon themselves to Balaam's error for the sake of gain, and perish in Korah's rebellion. 12These are blemishesa on your love-feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves.b They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; 13wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.
14It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is comingc with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage.
17But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” 19It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. 20But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads tod eternal life. 22And have mercy on some who are wavering; 23save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.e
24Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 25to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.