Jude

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1 & 2 Peter, Jude, by Erland Waltner and J. Daryl Charles (Believers Church Bible Commentary)

Introduction

Relevance

Jude’s exhortation to his readers evokes Israel’s prophets as he urges maturity of Christian faith while denouncing those whose actions harm the community. On the one hand, Jude could be perceived as ranting like a rigid hardliner opposed to growth and change. After all, the author writes, “I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once and for all handed on to the saints” (v. 3 NRSVue, passim). In the present time, contending or fighting for what the community already believes often characterizes close-minded, intolerant religious zealots. On the other hand, in calling the recipients of his letter to not tolerate the corruption of their faith, Jude might be seen as a radical reformer. Early Anabaptists of the sixteenth century were radical reformers by resisting what they believed to be distortions of the Christian faith. Jude likewise points out how pollution of what the apostles learned of Jesus meant threatening the spiritual wellbeing of the community. Yet Jude does not only denounce those who perverted the teachings of Jesus, he also calls for unity, prayer, and mercy (vv. 19-23).

Author, Date, Setting

Jude and 2 Peter have striking similarities (e.g., Jude 4-16 and 2 Pet 2:1-22), and commentators often study them together (see chart in deSilva: 782-83 and The SBL Study Bible: 2124). The author of Jude (Ioudas in Gk., also translated Judah or Judas) calls himself a slave (or “servant,” NRSVue) of Jesus Christ and brother of James (v. 1). Even though the word “brother” often describes the familial relationship Christians have with each other, it seems likely that it is used here to indicate a biological connection. Christian tradition, followed by several scholars, understands James (here in Jude v. 1) to be the same person who wrote the letter of James, although there is debate. The author of that letter also refers to himself as a “slave” of Jesus Christ (James 1:1).

Some scholars argue that the letter of Jude is pseudonymous (i.e., written by someone after Jude’s lifetime, but writing in his name). Others consider the author to be the brother of the Lord Jesus and brother of James (v. 1; Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3), who rose to prominence in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13) and was counted among the apostles (1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 1:19; 2:9).

Dating Jude is difficult because of the letter’s lack of historical details. Furthermore, dating is related to the question of authorship. Scholars who consider Jude to be pseudonymous assert that the letter addresses concerns that arose in the second century, after the apostles died. Those scholars suggest that Jude denounces heresies that matured after the first century, such as Gnosticism. However, Jude seems to be denouncing the actions of certain individuals rather than a particular set of beliefs associated with Gnosticism. J. Daryl Charles notes, “Jude alludes to what the apostles have said (legein) and not what they have written (graphein). Nothing in Jude requires a considerable chronological gap between the apostolic and subapostolic era” (Charles: 279). Even if Jude is indeed the author, it is currently impossible to assign the letter a date. Some scholars who claim Jude as author suggest dates as early as the 40s (so Blomberg: 139) while others offer a range between the 60s and 90s.

Identifying the letter’s setting is as difficult as reckoning its date. Jude is well-situated among the general (or catholic, i.e., “universal”) epistles of the NT because their audiences are not named, and their content is applicable to a broad cross-section of early believers. Jude describes the recipients in general terms: “those who are called, who are beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ” (v. 1). Consequently, with few clues and no specific details, we can only speculate as to the identity of Jude’s original audience. There are, however, several references to ancient Jewish characters and events, which suggests the first readers had a background in ancient Judaism. Charles concludes that readers “In a first-century Palestinian environment” would have found the references to ancient Judaism to “be pregnant with meaning” (278–79).

Form and Structure

Jude conforms to the style of most personal letters of the ancient Greco-Roman world. While it is brief when compared to other NT letters (fourth shortest, after 3 John, 2 John, Philemon), it is closer to the length of typical personal correspondence in the ancient world. Most Pauline letters, for example, are much longer than extant Greco-Roman letters. Ancient correspondence was meant to be read aloud, and Jude’s passionate tone and colorful rhetoric feel sermonic. Some scholars further classify Jude as a pastoral letter of exhortation (Frey: 17; Charles: 274).

After a stereotypical greeting, Jude states the purpose for writing, then engages the issues with illustrations before moving to final exhortations followed by a benediction. Absent are salutations characteristic of most Pauline letters (e.g., Rom 16:1-23; Phil 4:21-22; 1 Thess 5:26).

Literary Analysis

As noted above, Jude’s message is reminiscent of Israel’s prophets, and Jude employs illustrations from Jewish tradition to make his point without explicitly citing the Old Testament (OT). Jude’s message is a prophetic indictment of those who creep among the people of God while perverting the way of Jesus (Jude 4). The short letter exhorts fidelity to the teachings of the Christian apostles. The sermon uses Jewish tradition not only to serve as a warning, but also as a reminder that corrupt religious practice has long been part of the human experience, and God allows the destruction of those who pervert the faith.

Jude looks backwards and draws comparisons to the current situation so his readers might resist an ungodly status quo and move forward as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. The heart of Jude’s contrast of then versus now comes from Jewish history, contained in both canonical Scripture as well as other written tradition; it also includes sayings from Jesus’ apostles.

Outline of Jude

I. Opening (vv. 1-4)

A. Author’s identity (v. 1a)

B. Spiritual identity of recipients (v. 1b)

C. Blessing directed to the recipients (v. 2)

D. Reason for writing (vv. 3-4)

II. Body of the Letter: Paradigms and prophecies from the past with contemporary application (vv. 5-19)

A. First paradigm (vv. 5-10)

1. Unbelieving Israelites in the exodus, fallen angels, Sodom and Gomorrah (vv. 5-7)

2. Application of the first set of examples (vv. 8-10)

B. Second paradigm (vv. 11-13)

1. Cain, Balaam, Korah (v. 11)

2. Application of the second set of examples (vv. 12-13)

C. First prophecy (vv. 14-16)

1. Enoch’s prophecy (vv. 14-15)

2. Application of Enoch’s prophecy (v. 16)

D. Second prophecy (vv. 17-19)

1. Apostolic utterances (vv. 17-18)

2. Application of the apostles’ prophecy (v. 19)

III. Closing (vv. 20-25)

A. Exhortations (vv. 20-23)

B. Benediction (vv. 24-25)

Summary and Comment

Fighting for the Faith (vv. 1-4)

Jude wishes an abundance of mercy, peace, and love to people whom God has called and loves. The readers are also described as being kept safe by or for Jesus Christ (the Gk. grammar is ambiguous). The former option pictures Jesus as guardian. However, many scholars prefer the latter option, which depicts God as watching over Jude’s audience until the time of Christ’s return and aligns well with the benediction in verses 24-25. God also called the ancient people of Israel, and Jude’s readers are to see themselves in continuity with those ancient people who are also described as loved by God (e.g., Deut 7:7-8; Jer 31:3; Hos 11:1). Jude explains that he was eager to write about the salvation that he and his readers have in common and felt compelled to emphasize the need to fight for the faith. Using a verb from the military and athletic arenas, Jude exhorts his readers to “contend” for “the faith” (v. 3), which is a shorthand way of referring to the Christian gospel. The gospel has been handed on to faithful people, but unfaithful intruders, who through their actions pervert the gospel and deny the lordship of Jesus Christ, threaten to undermine what the community had been taught.

Three Reminders of Divine Judgment and the Warning They Provide (vv. 5-10)

Jude calls on his readers to remember, and “Memory is a traditional principle of OT and Jewish faith” (Frey: 83). First, Jude references a grim episode within Israel’s exodus narratives to remind his readers that God punishes rebellion (Num 14:11-12, 29-30). Second, Jude mentions “the angels who did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling, an allusion to Genesis 6:1-4. Although the canonical OT does not describe the judgment meted out to these fallen angels, their fate is described in 1 Enoch, a Jewish writing quoted in Jude 14-15. They are condemned, shackled until the day of judgment (cf. 2 Pet 2:4). Third, Jude recalls the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:16–19:26), naming sexual immorality. Using the Greek word hōs (“likewise,” NRSVue), Jude compares the situation in Sodom to that of the angelic beings of Genesis 6. In both cases, sexual activity between humans and angelic beings is prohibited. Jude alludes to such activity by saying that the people of Sodom pursued “other flesh” (NRSVue fn.; text has “unnatural lust”; see Frey: 90–93). Jude leaves no doubt that his examples from Jewish tradition apply to the intruders of verse 4. The reference to Michael, the archangel, and his encounter with the devil, likely derives from the lost ending of The Testament of Moses, a work scholars date around the first century CE, preserved in a sixth-century Latin translation. The interlopers are “dreamers” (v. 8) because they base their authority on some sort of divine revelation, but verse 10 explains how they slander “whatever they do not understand,” showing that they are not spiritually enlightened even though they claim to be so.

Three Examples of Notorious Rebellion and the Warning They Provide (vv. 11-13)

Like an OT prophet, Jude opens verse 11 with “woe,” a stereotypical prophetic warning used throughout Scripture (e.g., Isa 1:4; 5:8, 11, 18; Ezek 24:6; Hos 7:13; Amos 5:18; 6:1). Jude references (1) Cain, who murdered his brother Abel and became the prototype of an unrighteous person who rejects wisdom (Gen 4; Wis 10:3); (2) Balaam, who gained a reputation as a sorcerer and false prophet (Num 22–24; Josh 13:22; Rev 2:14); and (3) Korah, who instigated a rebellion against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and was subsequently destroyed along with fellow insurgents (Num 16). With picturesque metaphors from nature, Jude denounces the selfish and deceptive intruders. The “deepest darkness” of verse 13 (and v. 6) is consistent with punishments throughout noncanonical Jewish tradition. For example:

And the inheritance of sinners is destruction and darkness,

And their lawlessness will pursue them unto Hades below.

(Psalms of Solomon 15:10, my translation; see also Tobit 14:15; 1 Enoch 46:6; Psalms of Solomon 14:9)

Enoch’s Prophecy and Its Application (vv. 14-16)

Jude references OT events and people, as noted above, but here is his only explicit textual reference. Jude cites 1 Enoch 1:9 as prophecy. The noncanonical text 1 Enoch “was known in both Jewish and Christian circles” (Lockett: 202). Yet Jude “has modified the tradition that he inherited and connected it with his own intended message” (Frey: 126). One modification is that the original text of 1 Enoch 1:9 has “God” as subject, but here it is kyrios (“Lord”) with reference to Jesus Christ’s second coming. The “holy ones” are likely angels—a heavenly army—who accompany the Lord to execute judgment on the “ungodly” (the Gk. word asebeia, “ungodliness” v. 15, and its cognates appear three times in this section; see also vv. 4, 18; 2 Pet 2:5, 6; 3:7). The Lord will judge the ungodly, or impious, because (1) they grumble against God like the Israelites did in the wilderness (Exod 16:7-12; 1 Cor 10:10); (2) they are arrogant boasters; and (3) they manipulate others through flattery.

Apostolic Utterances and What They Teach (vv. 17-19)

With another call to “remember” (cf. v. 5), Jude evokes apostolic teaching passed on to his readers orally, even if not written anywhere, that in the end times immoral mockers of the faith will emerge (see 2 Pet 3:3-4). These scoffers are not led by the Holy Spirit and cause schisms (see v. 12).

Final Exhortations (vv. 20-23)

Jude gives four exhortations to his readers for how they are to fight for the faith (v. 3). First, the community must “build” itself—an apt image of corporate unity, given that the intruders pursue division—in the faith noted in verse 3. Second, they are to pray “in” (under the guidance of) the Holy Spirit. Third, Jude instructs the church to “keep yourselves in the love of God,” which is to say the community is to help each other remain rooted in God’s love for them (cf. 1 John 4:16). Fourth, waiting on or “look[ing] forward to” Jesus’ mercy (v. 21) is the eschatological expectation that Christ will return. The goal of this waiting is eternal life—ultimate, climactic mercy. These four instructions include a common NT triad—“faith, hope, and love”—with a trinitarian subtext (mentioning the Holy Spirit, God, and Jesus Christ).

“The experience and hopeful expectation of mercy on the part of Jude’s readers is directly connected to the command to have mercy on others” (Lockett: 207). The merciful actions toward others are specifically:

1. Have mercy on some who doubt or dispute (“are wavering,” v. 22). The Greek participle diakrinomenous has the sense of being at odds. Being at odds with oneself is doubting, or wavering, while being at odds with others is dispute, or conflict. In verse 9, the same verb has the sense of conflict or dispute. Reese (70) views the three actions toward others as “a progression from bad to worse” and understands the recipients of mercy to be “doubters.” Yet it is possible that Jude exhorts mercy even to some of the intruders who threaten the stability of the fellowship (Lockett: 208).
2. Save some, “snatching them out of fire” (v. 23a; cf. Zech 3:2; Amos 4:11). The faithful are to assist those who are on the verge of judgment because they follow the intruders.
3. Have mercy on others—with fear—“hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies” (v. 23b). Mercy must be shown even toward the unrepentant intruders, but with a sober fear of God and disdain for the debauchery the intruders engage in.

Benediction (vv. 24-25)

The benediction is a doxology (praise) offered to God who has power to both protect the church against evil intruders and to usher them into God’s presence. It may be that Jude has Psalms in mind as he concludes. God can keep the faithful from stumbling, or falling, as in Psalm 121:3. In this case the metaphor refers to falling into the error of the interlopers. And Psalm 16:11 says, “In your presence there is fullness of joy,” which is part of the promise of Jude 24. God’s salvation is made known through Jesus Christ, and God alone deserves all glory, majesty, power, and authority.

Conclusion and the Anabaptist Tradition

Jude’s letter is a passionate appeal to fidelity that includes rejecting behaviors that are in direct contradiction to the way of life that Jesus and the apostles taught through words and actions. Early Anabaptists appealed to Jude’s writings to denounce hypocrisy and aberrant teachings in their own times. For example, both Dirk Philips and Pilgram Marpeck reference Jude several times to provoke readers to faithfulness and to point out the schemes of false teachers. Marpeck’s “Clear and Useful Instruction” is directed “toward fraudulent and sly spirits, who now go about in concealed manner in order to lead into error and deceive many pious hearts” (Marpeck: 70).

Recommended Essays in the Commentary

Apocalyptic Literature

Bibliography

• Bauckham, Richard. Jude, 2 Peter. Word Biblical Commentary 50. Waco, TX: Word, 1983.

• Blomberg, Craig L. A New Testament Theology. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2018.

• Charles, J. Daryl. “2 Peter, Jude,” 201–341, in Erland Waltner and J. Daryl Charles, 1-2 Peter, Jude. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale, PA: Herald, 1999.

• Davids, Peter H. The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.

• deSilva, David A. An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods and Ministry Formation. 2d ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018.

• Frey, Jörg. The Letter of Jude and the Second Letter of Peter : A Theological Commentary. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2018.

• Green, Gene L. Jude and 2 Peter. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008.

• Hubmaier, Balthasar. Balthasar Hubmaier, Theologian of Anabaptism. Translated and edited by H. Wayne Pipkin and John Howard Yoder. Classics of the Radical Reformation 5. Walden, NY: Plough, 2019.

• Lockett, Darian R. Letters for the Church: Reading James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude as Canon. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2021.

• Marpeck, Pilgram. The Writings of Pilgram Marpeck. Translated and edited by William Klassen and Walter Klaassen. Classics of the Radical Reformation 2. Walden, NY: Plough, 2019.

• Neyrey, Jerome H. 2 Peter, Jude: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible 37C. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

• Philips, Dirk. The Writings of Dirk Philips, 1504–1568. Translated and edited by Cornelius J. Dyck, William E. Keeney, and Alvin J. Beachy. Classics of the Radical Reformation 6. Walden, NY: Plough, 2019.

• Reese, Ruth Anne. 2 Peter and Jude. The Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007.

• The SBL Study Bible. New York: HarperCollins, 2023.

• Webb, Robert L., and Peter Hugh Davids, eds. Reading Jude with New Eyes: Methodological Reassessments of the Letter of Jude. Library of New Testament Studies 383. London, New York: T & T Clark, 2008.

Invitation to Comment

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—Dennis R. Edwards

—Published BCBC commentary by J. Daryl Charles