JUDE, EPISTLE OF. The last of the twenty one Epistles of the New Testament. It is both an exhortation (3) and a reminder (5) to the beloved readers in view of the presence in their churches of ungodly men who deny Christ as the Lord and are full of lust. The reminder (5-19), based on references to God's dealings with the 'ungodly' in the past, is methodically ar ranged in five sections, in each of which the his torical ease.is first stated, and then followed by a clause introduced by the favorite apocalyptic 'these.' indicating the points of comparison be tween the present 'ungodly' and those of the past, namely, denial and list. In these two main points they are like the people in the Wilderness, the fallen angels. and the Sodomites (5-8), but are unlike Michael. who did not blaspheme (9-10) : they aro like Cain, the blasphemer; Salaam, the lustful ; Korah, the denier: but are unlike nature. which follows the divine order (11-131: they are like the 'ungodly' of Enoch (14-16) and the lust ful mockers of whom the Apostles spoke (17-19). The exhortation (20-23) bids them not only to preserve themselves in God's love, by building themselves up by faith, prayer, and hope, but also to act aggressively, though lovingly, with the 'ungodly,' to the end that those who are not too far gone may yet be saved. The contents reveal both in language and thought close affinities to apocalyptic literature, especially to Enoch (quoted in 14-151 and Assumption (Testament) of Moses (9), allusions to both of which books appear in almost every verse.
The emphasis on the denial and the lust of the 'ungodly' reveals the presence in the churches of a mischievous tendency which in general may he called Gnosticism: that is, a one-sided intellec tualism which is chary of the ethical imperative. The theoretical aberration does not seem to have advanced so far as the Docetism of the Johannine and Ignatian Gnostics. hut seems rather to he Antinomianism. the well-known and popular cari cature of Paul's doctrine of freedom. At all events, it is the practical rather than the specu lative heresy which receives the brunt of the author's serious denunciations. Unlike the Gnos tics of John and Ignatius. who are simply sepa ratists and individualists, caring nothing for brotherly love, these 'ungodly' are both separat ists (10) and gross materialists—lascivious, glut tonous (12), and avaricious (II. 16).
The author was on the point of writing a gen eral homily on 'our common salvation.' hut, on hearing of the conduct of the 'ungodly' at the love-feasts (12). writes instead the specific re minder and exhortation. Possibly, but not cer tainly, the people addressed are to be sought in Antioch of Syria. a theory which would account for their acquaintance with Paul and the Apos tles, for the prevalence of Gentile vices, and for the apparently sudden appearance of the Gnos The style of the author is clear and me thodical. influenced largely by the apocalyptic type, with which he is at home. His thought, though mainly Jewish-Christian in tone, is not uninfluenced by the Pauline Christianity. Ilis ethical feeling, with its prophetic emphasis on mercy and love, is vigorous and wholesome. Were it not for the words 'brother of James' in the first verse, we should be perplexed to know what Jude was meant, as there were many of that name in the first century. Assuming, however, the genu ineness of the words, there is nothing in the. rest of the letter which absolutely excludes the tradi tional ascription of authorship to Jude, the brother of the Lord; for the author still uses freely the Jewish apocalypses. and the Gnos ticism is of an incipient, undeveloped character speculatively. There is no reference to the Temple, no reference to persecutions. A date between A.D. 70-SO after Nero and before Domi Han is not improbable. That Judo is earlier than IL Peter may be confidently asserted. It is, however, an open question whether II. Peter borrowed from Jude or both independently from a third unknown apocalyptic source. Consult: Spitta, Der zweite Brief des Petrus mend dcr Brief des Judas (Halle, 1SS5) : Zahn, Einleitung in das Yeue Testament (2d ed., Leipzig. 1900) ; Bigg, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of Saint Peter and Saint Jude (Interna tional Critical Commentary, New York, 1901) ; Von Soden. Handkommentar zum Yeuen Testa ment, vol. iii., part 2 (Freiburg, 1S92) Kith], Die Bridle Petri and Judie (6th ed., G6ttingen, 1S97).