Exposition Of JudeÀpẹrẹ

Before we look more deeply at the content of the book of Jude, let's glance at who wrote it, what time period he wrote it in and what the overall message and purpose of it is. 

The author identifies himself as Jude, “brother of James” (v. 1). He would not be referring to James the son of Zebedee who was martyred at an early date (Acts 12:1-2). He surely means the well-known leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-21; Gal 2:9) and brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3). Therefore, Jude was also a brother of Jesus. Yet, he humbly calls himself a “servant of Jesus Christ” instead (v. 1). 

Historical Background

The readers of Jude’s letter were probably Jewish Christians because of his several references to Jewish history. He identifies them as “those who are called, loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ” (v. 1), which could be a general designation referring to believers anywhere. But he also calls them “dear friends” and addressed a specific situation, so he likely has a specific group in mind—perhaps several churches. Aside from this, we do not know who the recipients were.

It’s hard to determine the date of the letter. It must have been written within Jude’s lifetime, and we must allow time for the false teaching he addresses to have developed. A reasonable date would be between A.D. 65 and 80. Nothing in the letter points to a date beyond this period. 

Message and Purpose

Jude is concerned that God’s people be delivered from deceptive teachings. He originally intended to write them about their salvation. But when he learned false teachers were infiltrating the church, he changed his plans (vv. 3-4). So he urged them to contend earnestly for their Christian faith, warned them of the destruction coming on false teachers, and exhorted them to grow in Christ and help fellow believers. 

Would you like to learn more about the spiritual life? You can download this gift of a sermon by Tony Evans titled "A Life Well Planned." Simply visit this link.  Or you can take the full course on Jude, or other Biblical studies, at the Tony Evans Training Center.