The letter of Jude was one of the disputed books of the biblical canon. The links between the Epistle and 2 Peter, its use of the biblical apocrypha, and its brevity raised concern. It is one of the shortest books in the Bible: only 1 chapter of 25 verses long. , containing the Epistle of Jude verses 4, 5, 7 and 8. Dated to the 3rd or 4th century.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this epistle are:
Jude urges his readers to defend the deposit of Christ's doctrine that had been closed by the time he wrote his epistle, and to remember the words of the apostles spoken somewhat before. Jude then asks the reader to recall how even after the Lord saved his own people out of the land of Egypt, he did not hesitate to destroy those who fell into unbelief, much as he punished the angels who fell from their original exalted status and Sodom and Gomorrah. He describes in vivid terms the apostates of his day. He exhorts believers to remember the words spoken by the Apostles, using language similar to the second epistle of Peter to answer concerns that the Lord seemed to tarry, How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts..., and to keep themselves in God's love, before delivering a doxology. Jude quotes directly from the Book of Enoch, part of the scripture of the Ethiopian and Eritrean churches but rejected by other churches. He cites Enoch's prophecy that the Lord would come with many thousands of his saints to render judgment on the whole world. He also paraphrases an incident in a text that has been lost about Satan and Michael the Archangel quarreling over the body of Moses.
Outline
I. Salutation II. Occasion for the Letter A. The change of Subject B. The Reason for the Change: The Presence of Godless Apostates III. Warning against the False Teachers A. Historical Examples of the Judgement of Apostates 1. Unbelieving Israel 2. Angels who fell 3. Sodom and Gomorrah B. Description of the Apostates of Jude's Day 1. Their slanderous speech deplored 2. Their character graphically portrayed 3. Their destruction prophesied IV. Exhortation to Believers V. Concluding Doxology
Canonical status
The Epistle of Jude is held as canonical in the Christian Church. Conservative scholars date it between 70 and 90. Some scholars consider the letter a pseudonymous work written between the end of the 1st century and the first quarter of the 2nd century because of its references to the apostles and to tradition and because of its competent Greek style. "More remarkable is the evidence that by the end of the second century Jude was widely accepted as canonical." Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and the Muratorian canon considered the letter canonical. The first historical record of doubts as to authorship are found in the writings of Origen of Alexandria, who spoke of the doubts held by some, albeit not him. Eusebius classified it with the "disputed writings, the antilegomena." The letter was eventually accepted as part of the Canon by Church Fathers such as Athanasius of Alexandria and the Synods of Laodicea and Carthage.
Authorship
The epistle title is written as follows: "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James". "James" is generally taken to mean James the Just, a prominent leader in the early church. Not a lot is known of Jude, which would explain the apparent need to identify him by reference to his better-known brother. As the brother of James the Just, it has traditionally meant Jude was also the brother of Jesus, since James is described as being the brother of Jesus. For instance Clement of Alexandria wrote in his work "Comments on the Epistle of Jude" that Jude, the Epistle of Jude's author, was a son of Joseph and a brother of Jesus. There is also a dispute as to whether "brother" means someone who has the same father and mother, or a half-brother or cousin or more distant familial relationship. This dispute over the true meaning of "brother" grew as the doctrine of the Virgin Birth evolved. Outside the book of Jude, a "Jude" is mentioned five times in the New Testament: three times as Jude the Apostle, and twice as Jude the brother of Jesus . Debate continues as to whether the author of the epistle is either, both, or neither. Some scholars have argued that since the author of the letter has not identified himself as an apostle and actually refers to the apostles as a third party, he cannot be identified with Jude the Apostle. Others have drawn the opposite conclusion, i.e., that, as an apostle, he would not have made a claim of apostleship on his own behalf.
Style
The Epistle of Jude is a brief book of only a single chapter with 25 verses. It was composed as an encyclical letter—that is, one not directed to the members of one church in particular, but intended rather to be circulated and read in all churches. The wording and syntax of this epistle in its original Greek demonstrates that the author was capable and fluent. The epistle is addressed to Christians in general, and it warns them about the doctrine of certain errant teachers to whom they were exposed. The epistle's style is combative, impassioned, and rushed. Many examples of evildoers and warnings about their fates are given in rapid succession. The epistle concludes with a doxology, which is considered by Peter H. Davids to be one of the highest in quality contained in the Bible.
Jude and 2 Peter
Part of Jude is very similar to 2 Peter, so much so that most scholars agree that there is a dependence between the two, i.e., that either one letter used the other directly, or they both drew on a common source. Comparing the Greek text portions of 2 Peter 2:1–3:3 to Jude 4–18 results in 80 words in common and 7 words of substituted synonyms. The shared passages are:
2 Peter
Jude
1:5
3
1:12
5
2:1
4
2:4
6
2:6
7
2:10–11
8–9
2:12
10
2:13–17
11–13
3:2-3
17-18
3:14
24
3:18
25
Because this epistle is much shorter than 2 Peter, and due to various stylistic details, some writers consider Jude the source for the similar passages of 2 Peter. However, other writers, arguing that Jude 18 quotes as past tense, consider Jude to have come after 2 Peter. Some scholars who consider Jude to predate 2 Peter note that the latter appears to quote the former but omits the reference to the non-canonical book of Enoch.
