Book of Jude
Summary of the Book of Jude
This summary of the
book of Jude provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing,
chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the
Book of Jude.
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 1:1 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.
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.
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).
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).
Jude 1 NLT
1 This letter is from Jude, a slave of
Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called
by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus
Christ.
2 May God give you more and more mercy,
peace, and love.
3 Dear friends, I had been eagerly
planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that
I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has
entrusted once for all time to his holy people.
4 I say this because some ungodly
people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous
grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was
recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus
Christ.
5So I want to remind you, though you already
know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt,
but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.
6 And I remind you of the angels who
did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place
where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness,
waiting for the great day of judgment.
7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah
and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind
of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a
warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
8 In the same way, these people—who
claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff
at supernatural beings.
9 But even Michael, one of the
mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply
said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the
devil about Moses’ body.)
10 But these people scoff at things they
do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts
tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.
11 What sorrow awaits them! For they
follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they
deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.
12 When these people eat with you in
your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous
reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only
for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any
rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no
fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.
13They are like wild waves of the sea,
churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars,
doomed forever to blackest darkness.
14 Enoch, who lived in the seventh
generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The
Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones
15 to execute judgment on the people of
the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have
done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against
him.”
16 These people are grumblers and
complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about
themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.
17 But you, my dear friends, must remember
what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted.
18 They told you that in the last times
there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly
desires.
19 These people are the ones who are
creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they
do not have God’s Spirit in them.
20But you, dear friends, must build each
other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,
21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves
safe in God’s love.
22 And you must show mercy to those
whose faith is wavering.
23 Rescue others by snatching them from
the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution,
hating the sins that contaminate their lives.
24 Now all glory to God, who is able to
keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious
presence without a single fault.
25 All glory to him
who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty,
power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond
all time! Amen.
Summary of the Book of Jude
This summary of the
book of Jude provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing,
chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the
Book of Jude.
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 1:1 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.
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.
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).
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).
Jude 1 NLT
1 This letter is from Jude, a slave of
Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called
by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus
Christ.
2 May God give you more and more mercy,
peace, and love.
3 Dear friends, I had been eagerly
planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that
I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has
entrusted once for all time to his holy people.
4 I say this because some ungodly
people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous
grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was
recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus
Christ.
5So I want to remind you, though you already
know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt,
but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.
6 And I remind you of the angels who
did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place
where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness,
waiting for the great day of judgment.
7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah
and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind
of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a
warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
8 In the same way, these people—who
claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff
at supernatural beings.
9 But even Michael, one of the
mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply
said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the
devil about Moses’ body.)
10 But these people scoff at things they
do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts
tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.
11 What sorrow awaits them! For they
follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they
deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.
12 When these people eat with you in
your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous
reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only
for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any
rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no
fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.
13They are like wild waves of the sea,
churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars,
doomed forever to blackest darkness.
14 Enoch, who lived in the seventh
generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The
Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones
15 to execute judgment on the people of
the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have
done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against
him.”
16 These people are grumblers and
complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about
themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.
17 But you, my dear friends, must remember
what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted.
18 They told you that in the last times
there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly
desires.
19 These people are the ones who are
creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they
do not have God’s Spirit in them.
20But you, dear friends, must build each
other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,
21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves
safe in God’s love.
22 And you must show mercy to those
whose faith is wavering.
23 Rescue others by snatching them from
the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution,
hating the sins that contaminate their lives.
24 Now all glory to God, who is able to
keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious
presence without a single fault.
25 All glory to him
who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty,
power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond
all time! Amen.
