Chapters
Introduction to Jude
Author - Jude, a brother of Jesus
Audience - probably Jewish Christians in an unspecified church
Setting - probably mid 60s AD
Theme - The church must defend the one true faith.
Since Jude addresses a situation similar to that addressed by 2 Peter and exhibits a literary relationship (probably as a source) to 2 Peter, the two letters are commonly dated in fairly close proximity. Therefore, while external evidence is sparse, Jude is best dated in the mid-60s A.D.
Given the apparent Jewish perspective of the letter itself, the audience of Jude is frequently identified as Jewish, or as a mixture of Jewish and Gentile readers where the Gentiles are familiar with Jewish traditions. However, any identification of the audience is largely conjecture.
Jude warns against following those who have surreptitiously gained entry to the church and are perverting the one true faith with false teaching. Indeed, the letter warns against allowing the false teachers to continue to have influence. Jude calls the church to defend the truth aggressively against this infiltration.
Jude accomplishes his purpose by interpreting the OT analogically, using the same principles of interpretation found in 2 Peter (and elsewhere in the NT). He also draws on Jewish apocalyptic traditions (he refers to 1 Enoch and the Testament of Moses) in building his case. Thus, as literature, Jude has a distinctively Jewish flavor.
Christian Standard Bible - Terry L. Wilder
Most likely, Jude was a well-known leader in the Jerusalem church and, perhaps, a brother of Jesus
Because of very similar subject matter, many scholars believe that Jude either referenced 2 Peter or the same source as Peter.
Some consider Jude’s message of judgment to be intolerant, unloving, and contrary to the message of love elsewhere in the New Testament. But some of the Bible’s most beautiful statements about God’s sustaining grace are found in verses 24-25. And they shine with a greater brilliance when contrasted with the false teachers who had departed from the Christian faith.
Jude’s audience is most likely Messianic Jews because the writing style assumes a deep knowledge of Hebrew OT scriptures as well as other popular Jewish literature.
The author intended to write a longer letter about salvation but changed his mind when he became aware of a crisis facing the church. He begins by explaining why he is calling for them to “contend for the faith” before explaining how they can do it.
Jude’s use of illustrations from 1 Enoch and The Testament of Moses may seem odd to us now, but they would have made a lot of sense to Jewish readers who were very familiar with this literature. The rebellion of these false teachers has ancient roots: rebellion against God’s authority, sexual immorality, and rejecting God’s messengers.
Jude is largely unknown and seldom read. The reason for its difficulty is that it is written out of a background of thought, against the challenge of a situation, in pictures and with quotations, which are all quite strange to us.
When we understand Jude's thought and disentangle the situation against which he was writing, his letter becomes of the greatest interest for the history of the earliest church and by no means without relevance for today.