Jude
Purpose
Jude is a single, urgent chapter written to "contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" against ungodly people who have "crept in unnoticed" and are perverting the grace of God into sensuality and denying the only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude piles image upon image and example upon example — Israel's wilderness rebellion, the angels who left their dwelling, Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain and Balaam and Korah, hidden reefs, waterless clouds, wandering stars — to expose the spiritual deadliness of teachers who boast, grumble, flatter for advantage, and divide the community while living by their own desires. Strikingly, he appeals to the Jewish writings of 1 Enoch and the Assumption of Moses alongside Scripture to press the certainty of their coming judgement. Yet the letter does not end on the note of exposure but on the most tender pastoral call: "keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ," and have mercy on the doubting, snatching some from the fire, while hating even the garment stained by the flesh. It closes with one of the Bible's grandest doxologies, praising him who is able to keep us from stumbling and present us blameless before his glory.
Author
Jude, "a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James," traditionally a brother of the Lord
Time Period
Written c. 65-80 AD
Key Themes
- Contending for the faith
- False teachers and judgement
- Apostasy
- Keeping in God's love
- The doxology of keeping
Outline
A single chapter: greeting and the call to contend for the faith; the warning against the ungodly intruders; the Old Testament and intertestamental examples of judgement (Israel, the angels, Sodom, the archangel Michael, Cain, Balaam, Korah); the expose of their character and boasts; the apostolic prophecy of mockers; the call to keep in God's love, build up, pray, and show mercy with fear; and the doxology to him who is able to keep us from stumbling.