Jude

JUDE

Author and Audience of the Letter. The sender identifies himself as Jude, the brother of James. It cannot be Judas Thaddeus, as the author distinguishes himself from the apostles (17). Among the ‘brothers of Jesus,’ there is a Jude (Mk 6:3; Mt 13:55), but he cannot be the author of the letter either, since a significant amount of time has passed between the apostolic era (3-4) and the letter’s composition.
The quality of the Greek language, characterized by its rich vocabulary and typical Greek syntax, along with references from apocryphal books concerning the views of Moses and Enoch, suggests that the author is a Hellenistic Jew who converted to Christianity and wrote toward the end of the first century or the beginning of the second century for Christians transitioning from paganism.
The letter’s canonicity was questioned early on; it was first cited as canonical around 180.

Theme of the Letter. The letter discusses the issue of certain false doctors, adopting a more aggressive tone than one that relies on solid arguments. It criticizes without effectively countering, making vague and broad accusations and citing alarming examples. However, the author attempts to soften his harshness with understanding and compassion (22-23). He teaches us that we must stand firm and be clear in opposing specific doctrinal and moral errors, especially when they cause division and discord within the community.
Identifying the profile of false teachers based on the traits outlined in the letter is difficult. We might have recognized details and confirmed certain hints if we had known in advance that they supported an emerging Gnosticism. Overall, the false teachers mentioned were followers of doctrines that strongly separated spiritual beliefs from material ones, allowing them to see themselves as spiritual people while leading lives full of moral licentiousness. Their approach appears to be nonviolent: “They have infiltrated themselves” (4) into Christian agape (12); they flatter (16).