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After the ascension of the LORD Jesus Christ, the eleven apostles gathered in the upper room. Jude is one of them according to Acts 1:13.
When was it written? It looks like it was around the time of Acts 15 when the apostles were all gathered in Jerusalem and deciding how to handle instructions in righteousness among Gentile believers.
Purpose of the letter was to write of the common salvation in Jesus Christ among Gentiles and Jews just like Paul said in Ephesians 2, but that became secondary to the issue at hand. Jude fires off a very clear warning that there are wolves among the sheep. The purpose of the letter became an instruction to earnestly contend for the faith. With warnings through the letter, Jude explains what he means by earnestly contending in verses 20-23. The warfare is just as Paul described it in Ephesians 6:10-19 as spiritual warfare.
There are some details in this letter that weren’t in scripture before. Such as a conversation between the devil and Michael the archangel about Moses’ body. The preaching of Enoch is new information. These things remind me that
Who is the author? Jude (Thaddaeus). Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James… Jude is an apostle who was also known as Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:13-16). He is the son of Alpheus and brother of James as he says here. Jude is the one that asks how Jesus Christ will manifest himself to his followers when He is gone in John 14:22-26.
Who is the audience? Christians. To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
- Sanctified – John 17:17-19 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
- Preserved – 1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Called
