Jude

The Epistle of Jude is one of the shortest books in the New Testament — just 25 verses — but it is among the most colourful. Its author identifies himself as "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James" (v. 1), traditionally understood as Jude the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3).

The letter is a fierce denunciation of unnamed false teachers who have infiltrated the community. Jude draws on a remarkable range of Jewish traditions to condemn them, including the fall of the angels (drawing on 1 Enoch, which he quotes directly in vv. 14–15), the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, the rebellion of Korah, and — most strikingly — a tradition about the archangel Michael disputing with the devil over the body of Moses (v. 9), apparently from the lost Assumption of Moses.

This willingness to cite non-canonical Jewish texts caused discomfort for later churchmen and contributed to the letter's initially uncertain canonical status. But its literary energy is undeniable — the denunciations build with rhetorical force, and the closing doxology (vv. 24–25) is one of the most beautiful benedictions in scripture.

The date and authorship remain uncertain. If authentically by Jesus's brother, it would date to the mid-first century. Many scholars, noting its developed language about "the faith once delivered to the saints" (v. 3), prefer a later date. 2 Peter incorporates most of Jude, which has led to much scholarly discussion about the direction of dependence.