Jude 1

About Jude.

The Letter of Jude

Purpose

To urge readers to defend their faith in the face of false teaching

Author

Jude, brother of Jesus

Date

Unknown, possibly around the same time as 2 Peter (early 60s AD)

Setting

Written to a group of churches that had been infiltrated by false teachers who encouraged an immoral lifestyle

The short letter of Jude has one main purpose. Jude is warning Christians about false teachings. He is helping them remain faithful by describing these false teachers as full of pride, sin, and greed. These teachers will encounter severe judgment from God for denying and defying God. Who would want to follow them to their spiritual collapse? In a world with many views that distort true Christianity, we need reminders about the dangers of false teachings.

Setting

Jude wrote this letter to address false teachers in the early church. He focused more on their behavior than their teachings. Jude accused them of being libertines. This means they believed God's grace in Christ allowed them live however they wanted (Jude 1:4).

They did not respect authority and engaged in many sinful acts (1:8–9; 16, 19). These people, who claimed to follow Christ, were actually denying the Lord (1:4). As a result, God would condemn them to the same spiritual destination as all who rebel against him.

Summary

After the opening remarks of the letter, Jude explains why he wrote the letter (1:1–2, 3–4). The false teachers posed an immediate threat, so he had to write a different letter than he had planned.

In 1:5–16, Jude describes the character of these false teachers. This section follows an A-B-A’ pattern:

• Jude first uses three scriptural examples to show the condemnation these false teachers will encounter (A,1:5–10).

• He then provides three more scriptural examples to criticize their attitudes and behavior that do not honor God (B,1:11–13).

• At the end, Jude returns to their condemnation, using Jewish tradition to emphasize his point (A’,1:14–16).

Jude then directly appeals to his audience (1:17–23). He urges them to remain true to God's teachings and help Christians who might follow false teachers. The letter closes with a well-known prayer of praise to God (1:24–25).

Author

Jude calls himself "a brother of James" (Jude 1:1). This James is probably the "Lord's brother" (Galatians 1:19; see Matthew 13:55 and equivalent passage in Mark 6:3). He later became the leader of the Jerusalem church who wrote the letter of James (Acts 15:13–21; 21:18). Therefore, Jude was also a brother of Jesus ("Jude" is the same as "Judas" in Matthew 13:55 and equivalent passage in Mark 6:3).

Jude and the other brothers of Jesus did not follow Jesus during the whole time of his ministry on earth (John 7:5). But they became Christians after the Jesus resurrected (see Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:7). They traveled to spread the message about the Lord's resurrection (1 Corinthians 9:5).

Date and Destination

We know very little about Jude, so we cannot determine the exact date and destination of the letter. He probably wrote it after AD 45. This would allow time for the false teachings described to develop. Thus, he probably wrote it before AD 90. Even a younger brother of Jesus would have been old enough by then. The close relationship between 2 Peter and Jude suggests Jude and Peter might have written them around the same time (see 2 Peter Book Introduction, “Relationship to Jude”).

Meaning and Message

False Teachers

Over the years, many types of false teachers have troubled God's people. Jude's letter strongly warns about their potential harm to the community and gives a lively description their terrible fate. Jude uses the Old Testament and other Jewish traditions to describe these false teachers.

He compares them to:

• the Israelites who rebelled in the wilderness (1:5),

• the angels who rebelled against God (1:6),

• the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah (1:7), and

• Cain, Balaam, and Korah (see Genesis 4; see Numbers 22–24; see Numbers 16).

Like these examples, false teachers rebel against the Lord and will experience his judgment.

Defending the Faith

In Jude 1:3, Jude suggests that the early church has a core message that forms the foundation of Christian belief. Paul shares this view when he tells Timothy to “guard what God has entrusted to you” (1 Tim 6:20; see 2 Tim 1:14).

Being a Christian means having faith in God and loving others. It also means openly accepting the truth God revealed through Jesus Christ. We cannot truly show faith in God unless we recognize this truth. For this reason, early Christians, even during the New Testament times, created creeds to summarize key Christian beliefs (for example, 1 Timothy 3:16). These creeds often intended to oppose false teachings.

To follow Jude's call to "defend the faith," we must understand what that faith is. Many Christians focus too much on debating minor details and not enough on learning the important parts. By learning the essentials, Christians can explain their faith to others and protect Christian truth from false teachings.

Jude 1:1-2

• Following the typical structure of the beginning of a letter, Jude identifies himself, addresses his audience, and prays for them.

• kept in Jesus Christ: This phrase emphasizes an important point (see also 1:21, 24). It gives believers confidence when they face people who teach wrong things about God.

Jude 1:1

• Jude (or Judas) is the Greek version of the Hebrew name “Judah.” It was a common name. This Jude was a brother of James, who was also a brother of Jesus (see Jude Book Introduction, “Author”).

• a servant of Jesus Christ: Jude states he follows Jesus in all parts of life. This title also shows honor. Important leaders in the Old Testament were called slaves or servants of God (see Joshua 14:7; 2 Kings 18:12; Ezekiel 34:23).

• To those who are called: We do not know exactly who Jude wrote this letter to.

Jude 1:3-4

Instead of the usual thanksgiving that usually occurs at this point in New Testament letters, Jude explains his main purpose (see Romans 1:8–14; 1 Corinthians 1:4–9). False teaching was a serious threat to the faith of the people he was writing to (see Jude 1:22–23).

Jude 1:3

In the New Testament, "faith" usually means the act of believing, while "the faith" refers to Christian beliefs.

Jude 1:4

It is tempting to misuse God's wonderful grace by saying it lets us do wrong things (see Romans 6).

Jude 1:5-16

This section explains "designated long ago for condemnation" in 1:4 by using Old Testament examples of God's judgment on false teachers.

Jude 1:5

• Jesus existed before his birth and saved the people of Israel from Egypt. Later, he punished those who were unfaithful (compare 1 Corinthians 10:4).

• after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe: Most people did not trust God to keep them safe. Because they did not believe, God made that generation (except Joshua and Caleb) wander in the wilderness until they died (see Numbers 14).

Jude 1:6

The angels might refer to the fall of Satan and the angels who followed him, but no Old Testament passage clearly describes this event (see study notes on Isaiah 14:12–17; Ezekiel 28:12–19). Jude was probably referring to Genesis 6:1–4. Jewish tradition understood the “sons of God” in Genesis 6 to be wicked angels. They believed God punished these angels because they had sexual relations with women (see 1 Enoch 6–10; see also study notes on 1 Peter 3:19–20; 2 Peter 2:4). Jude later (in verses 14–15) quotes directly from 1 Enoch.

Jude 1:7

• God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah became well-known (see Genesis 18:17–19:26; Luke 17:26–29).

• the cities around them: Deuteronomy 29:23 mentions Admah and Zeboiim.

• sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh: this likely refers to sexual relations between people of the same sex (Genesis 19:5–10).

Jude 1:8

glorious beings: This likely refers to evil angels. In the Old Testament and Judaism, angels played an important role in judgment. The false teachers might have been minimizing the reality of a future judgment (see 1:18; 2 Peter 3:3–4) or denying the glorious origin of these angels who rebelled against God (compare 2 Peter 2:10).

Jude 1:9

Michael is one of the most powerful angels. In Jewish tradition, an "archangel" is the highest rank of angel (see also 1 Thessalonians 4:16). Michael is mentioned several times in the Bible (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Revelation 12:7). The story of him fighting the devil about the body of Moses is not in the Old Testament but is found in Jewish tradition (see Assumption of Moses).

Jude 1:11

• Cain: Refer to Genesis 4:1–16.

• Balaam: Refer to the study note on 2 Peter 2:15.

• Korah: Refer to Numbers 16:1–35.

Jude 1:12

The early Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper as part of shared fellowship meals with one another.

Jude 1:13

People once thought planets were wandering stars because they moved in irregular patterns across the sky. Similarly, false teachers wandered (by teaching things that were not true), and God condemned their actions.

Jude 1:14-15

Enoch was an early descendant of Adam (see Genesis 5:18–24; 1 Chronicles 1:3). Genesis 5:24 suggests that Enoch did not die but was taken directly to heaven (compare 2 Kings 2:1–13; see Hebrews 11:5). This special recognition from God and the limited mention of him in Scripture make Enoch an interesting character. Jewish literature contains several legends about him, and at least two books of apocalyptic visions written between the Old and New Testaments are attributed to him (1–2 Enoch).

Jude 1:17-23

After condemning the false teachers, Jude again encourages his readers directly (see 1:3–4). The apostles had warned them about false teachings (1:17–19). They should support each other in their faith (1:20–21). They should help those who might be misled by the false teachers (1:22–23).

Jude 1:17

what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: See Acts 20:29–30, 1 Timothy 4:1–3, and 2 Timothy 3:1–5.

Jude 1:18

In the last times: Jesus coming as the Messiah (God's chosen one) started the final part of God's plan. This is when Old Testament prophecies about the last days began to happen. Because of this, Jude uses the apostles' prophecy about the last times to address the current crisis caused by false teachers (1:19).

Jude 1:20

your most holy faith: As in 1:3, faith means the basic teachings that Christians believe. These teachings include both what Christians should believe about God and how they should live. False teachers threaten these beliefs, so believers must commit to them.

Jude 1:22-23

The Berean Standard Bible follows a manuscript tradition with three commands for different groups:

1. those who doubt,

2. those needing rescue from judgment ("by snatching them from the fire"), and

3. those needing mercy.

Some manuscripts mention only two groups:

1. those with wavering faith who need rescue from judgment, and

2. those needing mercy.

The Berean Standard Bible uses the three-part pattern found in other parts of Jude (1:5–7, 11).

Jude 1:22

those who doubt: Some believers were starting to doubt their faith because of what the false teachers were saying.

Jude 1:23

• save others: Some believers were so influenced by the false teachers that they were in immediate danger of being condemned.

• to still others show mercy: This group likely includes the false teachers themselves or those who followed their teachings. Showing mercy might involve praying for them (see Matthew 5:44).

• Believers must be very careful when showing mercy to false teachers and those who have adopted their sinful ways, as their sins can be tempting. See Zechariah 3:1–4; Revelation 3:4.

Jude 1:24-25

Jude ends his letter with a powerful praise to God, often quoted during times of worship. His words are perfect for the people who received his letter. They needed a renewed understanding of God. The believers needed to remember that God was powerful enough to help them stay faithful to him. They also needed to trust that God could protect them from being convinced by false teachings. God has the glory, majesty, power, and authority to bring them safely into his glorious presence forever.

Aquifer Open Study Notes © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.