Page 84 - General Epistles (James through Jude) Textbook

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27, 32), and (5) “Judas,” the brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3; Matt. 13:55. “The Jude of verse 1” is
“certainly” the brother to James, the “prominent leader in the early church” (Acts 15:13-21; 21:18; Gal.
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2:9.

“The Muratorian Canon (AD 180-200?) includes the letter, and Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria
Consider it to be canonical.” “To be sure, Eusebius (H.E. 2.23.25; 3.25.3) lists Jude among the ‘contested’
writings.”
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Provenance (Place of Writing).
Due to “Jude’s association with the family of Jesus, Palestinian provenance is the most likely of the
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Aramaic-speaking regions.” Carson and Moo suggests “Palestine” as the origin of the epistle.
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Blomberg argues for the “Egyptian city” or, “Syria and Asia Minor” as locales for the writing. Palestine
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seems to be favorite place for the writing of the epistle.

Date.
Grounded on the content of the epistle, Jude’s content and 2 Peter’s are closely related (Jude 9/2 Pet.
2:11; 1:5/2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 1:6/2 Pet. 2:4). As a result, “The consensus of current New Testament
scholarship is that Jude was written first and then used in 2 Peter, which means that the latest date for
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the appearance of Jude would be somewhat before 2 Peter was written.” Carson and Moo date it “in
the middle-to-late 60s.”
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Recipients (Audience).
The letter itself makes its own claim that it is for “those who are the called, beloved in God the Father,
and kept for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1). Based on the content in the epistle, “a few scholars have observed
that the antinomianism of the false teachers suggests a Gentile audience.” 179 Blomberg says that “The
antinomian nature of the heresy afflicting the church . . . more likely represents the Gentile influences
more common in the Jewish diaspora than in Israel.” Grounded on the same content also, it appears
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that the Jewish readers are view (Jude 5-12).

“Eusebius (Church History 3:19.1-3.20.7) quotes Hegesippus as recounting how the emperor Domitian
summoned Jude’s grandsons at the end of the first century because they were related to Jesus and of
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Davidic descent.”

Occasion.
Caution against false teaching which “have crept in unnoticed” (Jude 3-4) could have possible prompted
Jude to write the letter.

Purpose.
He wrote it in order to implore them to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed
down to the saints” (Jude 3).

Message (Content) from Letter According to Jude.
Having introduced himself as the servant of Jesus Christ, his audience as those who have been called,
loved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ, Jude wished (or prayed) for them mercy, peace in
full.

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