Jude

About Jude

Jude is a short, urgent letter written when false teachers had slipped into the church, turning God's grace into an excuse for immorality. Jude had wanted to write about the salvation believers share, but instead calls them to contend for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. Drawing on stories of judgment from Israel's history, it warns against following such teachers and closes with one of the Bible's most loved blessings about God's keeping power.

Written by

The letter comes from Jude, who calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, traditionally understood as a brother of Jesus; some scholars question whether he wrote it himself.

When

Its date is uncertain; estimates range from the 50s to the 90s AD, with many placing it in the 60s to 80s.

Themes

• Contending for the faith
• Warning against false teachers
• God's judgment and mercy
• Kept by God

Key verses

• Jude 1:3Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
• Jude 1:24-25Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.