Jude 1:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

NIV: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

NASB: Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

CSB: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.

NLT: This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.

KJV: Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

NKJV: Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

Several views exist concerning Jude's identity, but the most commonly held view identifies him as a brother of the same James who wrote the New Testament book of James. Both of these men were half-brothers of Jesus. In the original language of the New Testament, Jude's name appears as Judas, the same given name as the disciple who betrayed Jesus, but the comparison ends there. The betrayer was the worst apostate of all time, whereas the writer of the book of Jude was an outspoken adversary of apostates. Jude does not appeal to any apostolic authority in order to gain his readers' attention and willingness to heed his words. This is among the reasons scholars identify him as Jesus' half-brother.

And yet, he humbly refers to himself as a servant of Jesus. The word "servant" in Greek is doulos, literally meaning "a bondslave." Jude assures his readers that he is totally committed to doing his Lord's will. He continues in verse 1 by pointing to the work of the Trinity by referring to their spiritual ministries: The Holy Spirit called the readers

Jude 1:1–4 begins this letter by identifying the writer and his readers. The author is a brother of James and a half-brother of Jesus Christ. In this introduction, he extends his personal greetings to his readers and explains his reason for writing to them.

Jude's brief letter describes men at their worst and God at His best. Believers are already on the victorious side! Those who mock God's truth and who follow their own desires all while claiming to be Christians, are the most dangerous kind of unbelievers. These persons pose a danger to themselves and to any Christians they might influence. In response, Christians need to focus on understanding the truth of God's written Word and submitting to His will.

Jude is a single-chapter letter which reflects earlier warnings about apostates and their false teachings. Other passages of Scripture describe evil men who taught that Jesus was not fully human or fully God (1 John 2:22; 4:1–3), that God's grace allowed them to live immorally (2 Peter 2; Romans 6:1, 15), that Jesus blood was not an adequate sacrifice (Galatians 1:6–9; Hebrews 3:12–19; 10:19), and sinners gain a right standing in God's sight by keeping the law of Moses (Galatians 5:4, 7–9). Jude's letter combats false teaching and exhorts readers to remain faithful to the Lord.

The book of Jude is a letter written by a half-brother of Jesus, likely later than AD 66–67, which was after 2 Peter was written. Its placement immediately before the book of Revelation is appropriate. This letter warns about false religion and evil men, whom Revelation describes as maliciously affecting political and religious conditions.

Accessed 4/28/2024 12:03:27 AM