Jude
Chapter 1
Greeting
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James, to those called to the faith, beloved by God the Father, and kept in Christ Jesus:
May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.
False Teachers
Beloved, I had wanted to write to you about the salvation we all share, but now I feel I must urge you to fight for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
Some individuals have slipped into your midst, godless people who were, long ago, marked down for condemnation. They make use of the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Although you may be aware of it, I wish to remind you that the Lord saved his people from the land of Egypt, but later delivered to death those who did not believe.
He did the same with the angels who did not keep their rank but abandoned their dwelling places. God enclosed them in eternal prisons, in the pit of darkness, until the great day of judgment.
Sodom and Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities that prostituted themselves and were lured into unnatural unions, are also a warning of the punishment of eternal fire.
Similarly, these people now do the same: in their ravings, they debase their bodies, scorn the celestial authorities, and slander the glorious ones.
When the archangel Michael fought against the devil and disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare insult him, but simply said, ‘May the Lord rebuke you!’
Not so these people, they insult and scorn what they cannot understand; what they know by instinct, like animals, they use for their corruption.
Woe to them! They follow the footsteps of Cain, and like Balaam, go astray for the sake of gain, and perish in the rebellion of Korah.
These are blemishes on your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by the wind; like trees without fruit at the end of autumn, twice dead and uprooted.
The scum of their vices is splashed like foam on the rough waves of the sea; they are like shooting stars, which the thick darkness engulfs forever.
Enoch, the seventh after Adam, said these words about them: Behold, the Lord is coming with thousands of his holy ones
to judge everyone and call the wicked to account for all the evil deeds they committed; he will punish all the injurious words, the impious sinners uttered against him.
All these are discontented, who curse their lot and follow their passions. Their mouths are full of arrogant words, and they flatter people for their own interest.
Recommendations
But you, beloved, remember what the apostles of Christ Jesus our Lord announced to you.
They said to you, ‘At the end of time, there will be scoffers, who will live according to their own godless desires’
These are those who cause divisions, they are worldly people, and do not have the Spirit.
But you, beloved, build your life on the foundation of your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
Remain firm in the love of God, welcoming the mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord, which leads to eternal life.
And have mercy on some who are wavering;
others you will save, snatching them from condemnation. Treat the others with compassion, but also with prudence, shunning even the tunic defiled by their bodies.
To the one God, who can keep you from all sin and bring you, happy and without blemish, in the presence of his glory,
to the one God who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord, to him be glory, honor, might, and power, from past ages, now and forever. Amen.
Commentaries
Greeting.
The sender introduces himself as Jude, brother of James. This is another example of pseudonymity. The recipients are not, as is often the case in New Testament letters, communities or individuals, but Christians in general, chosen and protected by God’s love and Jesus’s protection. The greeting in verse 2 replaces the usual expressions “grace and peace,” common in the letters of Paul and Peter, with ‘mercy, peace, and love.’
False Teachers.
Verse 3 begins with the adjective “beloved,” marking the third occurrence of the word ‘love,’ underscoring its significance in the letter and in Jude’s theology. It is from the foundation of love that the author encourages us to examine the themes of the letter: defending the faith and standing against those who threaten the harmony of the communities from within (3s). The struggle is not solely the responsibility of leaders but of all Christians, who are regarded as saints because of their received faith (3). The opponents are described as false, manipulative, ungodly, and apostate.
The author reinforces his accusations with four wisdom metaphors from nature (12ff) that highlight the contrast between the potential to be good and the enemies’ choice to not be so, instead opting for a barren, shameless, and unclear life: clouds that yield no rain, fruitless and dead trees, shameless waves, and stars that cast darkness.
Recommendations.
Jude returns to the exhortative and brotherly tone of verses 1-3 to emphasize the importance of remembering (cf. 5) what the apostles proclaimed (cf. 1 Tim 4:1) and to oppose the ‘infiltrators’ who mock everything, sow discord, live immorally, and lack the Spirit—’ruah,’ the breath of God—that gives life (Gn 2:7). In this way, they live as if they are dead (17-19). For Jude, memory is essential to stay true to God’s plan.
In verses 20 and following, he sets aside his opponents. He speaks directly to the believers, his beloved, encouraging them to draw from the treasure chest of memories as their best tools for remaining committed to the Lord’s path. This includes faith, prayer, love, mercy, and compassion for doubters, though with caution not to become contaminated (cf. Rev 18:4). It is important to note that, despite the author’s strong stance against the ‘infiltrators,’ he urges the community to show compassion toward them (22ff), but with great caution.