Overview of the New Testament Book of Jude

May 24, 2010
Ronald G Falconberry

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The Bible book of Jude addresses the danger of false teachers in the church. Who wrote Jude, when was it written and does his message still apply today?

The book of Jude is the last of the New Testament's general letters and is the penultimate (next to the last) book of the Bible. Containing only 25 verses, this little epistle is clear about the serious danger of false teachers which faces the church and how Christians must deal with those dangers.

Who Wrote the Epistle of Jude?

In the first verse, the author identifies himself as Jude, "a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James." Jude is an English form of the name Judas and many Bible scholars believe that Jude is a brother of Jesus.

Not much is known of Jude. He is listed along with James, Joseph, and Simon as brothers of Jesus in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. According to John 7:5 Jude and his brothers did not believe what Jesus taught and they even thought that he was "out of his head" (Mark 3:21). Once Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to James (1 Corinthians 15:7) the brothers realized that Jesus was the Messiah. Luke records in Acts 1:14 that Jesus' mother Mary and all of his brothers joined with the other disciples in constant prayer.

When was the Book of Jude Written?

There is little evidence to support a firm date of authorship for Jude. Holman Bible Handbook suggests that if Jude were born early in the century, his epistle could be dated between A.D. 65 - 80. Other evidence exists to support this. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary indicates that Jude's admonition in verse 17 to "remember what the apostles foretold" suggests that the letter was written in the years after the apostles had traveled to the scattered congregations of the early church and taught them. This would place the writing near the end of the first century.

Who Was the Epistle of Jude Written To?

Jude addressed his letter to "those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ." Instead of targeting a specific group of believers or church, his epistle is more of a brief essay designed to be read by all Christians.

Book of Jude Warns About False Teachers

The book of Jude deals with the problem of false teachers in the church and is normally divided into four sections.

Greeting and the reason for writing (1-4)
Description of false teachers in the church (5-16)
Instructions on how to resist false teachers (17-23)
Doxology (24-25)

Jude pulls no punches regarding false teachers. Referring to them as "godless men" who reject authority, deny Jesus as their Savior, and "pollute their own bodies," Jude reminds his readers how God threw angels out of Heaven, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and punished the Jews for their rebellion and perversion. He writes that the false teachers who invade the church speak against things they do not understand and that they will suffer the same fate as those who God punished earlier. Jude simply states, "Woe to them!" (verse 11).

He calls upon his fellow Christians to remember the warnings of the apostles about men who would attempt to divide them and follow ungodly desires. To combat this, he encourages them to build themselves up in the faith, pray, continue in God's love so that they can inherit eternal life in Heaven and do what they can to "snatch others from the fire."

Summary of the Epistle of Jude

Jude, a younger brother of Jesus the Christ, wrote a letter useful to Christians of all ages warning them about the dangers of false teachers in the church. Jude reminds Christians of how God punished false teachers in the past, details the characteristics of false teachers and foretells God's future judgment of false teachers who divide the church. In the end, however, God will prevail and those who keep themselves in God's love while they persevere will be rewarded with eternal life (25).