Epistle of Jude

Definition and Meaning

The Epistle of Jude is the book placed immediately before Revelation in the New Testament. It is a short letter consisting of a single chapter of twenty-five verses. Because it was addressed not to a particular church but to believers in many churches, it is classified among the General Epistles, also called the Catholic Epistles. In the Catholic Church it is called the "Letter of Jude." The author introduces himself as "Jude ... brother of James" (Jude 1:1). He is a different person from Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.

Biblical and Historical Background

Traditionally, the author has been identified as the Jude named as a brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3). Some scholars, however, hold that a later writer wrote under his name. Many date the letter to the late first century, though its exact date is unknown.

The heart of the letter is a warning against people who have crept secretly into the church. The author criticizes them for turning the grace of God into a pretext for licentiousness and urges his readers to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3). As warning examples he cites the Exodus generation, the fallen angels, Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam, and Korah. He also cites the account of Michael disputing with the devil over the body of Moses (Jude 1:9) and the prophecy of Enoch (Jude 1:14–15), material thought to derive from Jewish writings outside the canon. The prophecy of Enoch in particular corresponds to a passage in 1 Enoch. Because its content and wording overlap extensively with chapter 2 of 2 Peter, the relationship between the two books has long been a subject of study.

Because it quotes noncanonical writings, some in the early church hesitated to accept Jude as part of the canon. It was nevertheless ultimately included in the New Testament. During the Reformation, Martin Luther set Jude apart at the end of his German New Testament, together with Hebrews, James, and Revelation.

Use in Korean Churches

Because of its brevity, Jude is seldom the text of a continuous expository preaching series in Korean churches. Jude 1:3–4, however, is frequently cited in sermons and teaching that warn against heresy. The last two verses (Jude 1:24–25) form a short doxology praising God and are sometimes used at the close of worship services or in prayers.

The phrase "praying in the Holy Ghost" (Jude 1:20) is interpreted differently from denomination to denomination. Denominations in the Pentecostal tradition sometimes cite this verse in connection with praying in tongues. Presbyterian and other denominations generally understand it as referring more broadly to prayer that follows the leading of the Holy Spirit.