 Previous Chapter |
 Return to Outline |
 Ask Questions |
 Next Chapter |
This letter is believed to have been written late in the first century. It is different in that it was not written to any particular church but seems to have been written to all Christians to warn them of a trend that was threatening to undermine the whole fellowship. They had perverted the doctrine of God's free grace into an excuse for immoral living. This heresy was an early form of Gnosticism. In the letter, Jude gives a 17-fold description of their perversion.
It is believed to have been written by Jude (Judas) one of the 4 half brothers of Jesus. James, Joseph and Simon were the other three. It appears that he did not accept Christ until after the Resurrection. He stresses his spiritual relationship with Jesus rather than his fleshly one.
In the letter, Jude quotes from two popular Jewish Apocalyptic writings that were well known in the first century Christian circles: One, the Book of Enoch, verses 6-14, and The Assumption of Moses, verse 9. There are certain parallels in this book and the book of Second Peter.
| Gnosticism Condemned | |
|---|---|
| Salutation | 1:1-2 |
| Reasons for the Letter | 1:3-4 |
| Condemnation of False Teachers | 1:5-16 |
| The Duty of Christians | 1:17-23 |
| Conclusion | 1:24-25 |
Previous Chapter |
Return to Outline |
Ask Questions |
Next Chapter |