New Testament · Letter · book 65 of 66 · 1 min read
The book of Jude
Twenty-five verses of warning that quote two books outside the canon and end with one of the most beautiful sentences in the New Testament.
“Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,”
At a glance
- Chapters
- 1
- Author
- Jude, describing himself as the brother of James
- Written
- Probably 60s to 80s AD
- Written for
- A church that had let the wrong teachers in
- Themes
- contending, false teachers, judgement, keeping
What it is about
Jude opens by saying he had intended to write about salvation and changed his mind because something urgent came up: teachers who had slipped in and were using grace as a licence.
The letter is short, angry and vivid — wandering stars, waterless clouds, autumn trees without fruit. Much of its content parallels 2 Peter 2, and the relationship between the two is a long-running puzzle.
It also quotes 1 Enoch and alludes to the Assumption of Moses, neither of which is in anyone's canon, which has made it a standing question in discussions of what quotation implies.
Where to start
The whole letter, and read the last two verses aloud.
The chapters worth knowing
- Jude 1 — The whole letter — a warning that changed subject at the last minute, ending in a doxology.
What people get wrong about it
That its quotation of 1 Enoch settles anything about that book's status. Ancient writers quoted material they found apt without thereby endorsing it as Scripture, and the letter makes no claim either way.
Questions
Why does Jude quote the book of Enoch?
Because the passage suited his argument. Quotation in ancient writing did not imply canonical status, and Jude makes no claim about 1 Enoch's authority.
How is Jude related to 2 Peter?
Much of Jude parallels 2 Peter chapter 2 closely. Whether one used the other or both drew on a common source has never been settled.