Answer
The author of Jude identifies himself as “Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” (Jude 1:1, NLT). A very short letter, Jude is written with urgency, which accounts for its brevity. The name Jude shares etymological roots with Judas. Besides Judas Iscariot, the Gospels mention two Judases. One of them is an apostle, son of James (Luke 6:16), and the other is a brother of Jesus and James—a different James than the father of the other Judas (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). It is more likely that the author of Jude is Jesus’ brother, not the apostle, since he identifies himself as the brother of James. Though skeptical of Jesus during Jesus’ lifetime (John 7:3–5), Jude likely converted after the resurrection. While little is known about Jude as a person, it’s evident he held esteem in the early church, was married, and engaged in missionary trips (1 Corinthians 9:5).
Jude initially planned to write on the “salvation that we all share,” but switched to defending the faith in his letter instead (Jude 1:3). His tone reveals the seriousness of the situation, as seen in verse 4, “I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (NLT). Abuse of grace is a serious issue, whether it leads to licentiousness or legalism. Jude’s tone parallels that of Paul in the epistle of Galatians, with both letters leading to a similar conclusion: grace should never be abused.
The books of Jude and 2 Peter share similarities, leading some commentators to conclude that they were written around the same time. If so, then the date for both letters would be between AD 67 and 80. Both epistles warn against false teachings, emphasize steadfastness, and reference extra biblical sources. Jude cites the book of Enoch (Jude 1:9), likely also used by Peter (2 Peter 2:4).
Jude’s warning against falsehood remains relevant today. We are called to defend the faith, be committed to the truth, and recognize and reject falsehood.
