Jude the Uncertain Author

Follow the nudges the Spirit gives you. At least twice in the last 24 hours God has turned me from saying/texting/posting/writing something and pointed me to silence or to say something else. When you ask for guidance daily in your life, He gives it.

Welcome to a post on Jude…the shortest book of the Bible. It doesn’t even have chapters. Had you ever heard of Jude, the person? Even Bible scholars are not certain who Jude really was as it lists ‘author uncertain’. The first verse tells us all we need to know, however.

“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James.”

Jude 1

He was the the insignificant brother of James (who was an apostle of Christ) who is never mentioned again in the Bible and likely in history, and a self-proclaimed Servant of God, not even an apostle. But he was a clear believer in Jesus and the Comforter that Jesus said He would send afterwards. He writes his letter “To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.” verse 1.

(As is always the case, I encourage you to read this book in the Bible for yourself. I am choosing to summarize the points that have struck me today.)

These Biblical letters that we call books of the Bible served commonly as sermons for gathering home Christian churches. There were no elected or hired pastors and no church buildings for the believers. They were a minority and the distain of the organized Jewish church and government. As we read other letters from apostles in the New Testament, they commonly include guidance and encouragement to the fledgling church. Jude, though not an Apostle, writes for similar purpose.

“Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”

verses 2-4

Remember that the Bible is ageless; the men which Jude talks about who were polluting the early church are without a doubt also found in the Christian church today. Who were these ‘men’? Jude describes them, how they were misleading then…how they are misleading now. Jude says God led his chosen people out of Egypt but He Himself destroyed those who did not believe (v 5). These ‘unbelievers’ are ones who give ‘themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion’ like Sodom and Gomorrah (v 7). “These dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings” v 8. (Before we say this is just speaking badly about angels, Jude specifically says that the archangel Michael did not even dare to speak evilly to the devil, once the most beautiful angel in heaven). They “speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct (i.e. common sense)…they destroy them.” v 10 These people ‘”eat with you without the slightest qualm–shepherds (leaders) who feed only themselves (do not share the revelations that God has given to them)….. These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.” verses 12 and 16. These people are “‘scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires’ …who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” versus 18 and 19, as Jesus, Himself, is quoted.

Jude says that Enoch, the follower of God who never died but was taken to Heaven before death, prophesied about these people. “‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands up thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.'” verses 14 and 15. And Jude is saying that these people are in our church; we are to be watchful for them.

Jude guides the individuals reading his letter to persevere in their Spiritual walk and be watchful for these people specifically by building ” yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” We are to study for own faith and pray. “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait”. We should surround ourselves with God’s love.

Jude has already spoken about those hidden amongst the church members who act like they believe but are truly ungodly. Now to those who we are around who do not believe Jude gives three directives: “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear–hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” vs 22-23. In the Message translation this reads “Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.”

This is uncertain Jude’s one place in history; his one documented letter. He spends twelve of the total 25 verses warning against the ungodliness that has come into the church. It is that important for us to realize the same. He spends two verses telling us to persevere, reminding us of what we already know to do; church / pastors / fellow Christians, this is where we tend to spend most of our time, rehashing and repeating what we already should know. It makes us feel like experts, talking about what we already know. But if it’s what we already know, keep moving, don’t stop here! And then he spends another two verses (equal to that of ‘persevering’) guiding us on how to act towards those who do not believe. Since we as Christians should already be studying and keeping ourselves surrounded in God’s love, we also ALREADY SHOULD KNOW ALL OF THIS. This is not brand new information. It should be instinctual.

In the second-to-last book of the Bible, before Revelation, recognition of those who are trying to pull us away from God is talked about six-times more than maintaining our own faith or our interactions with others.

And now…the humble Jude, the ‘uncertain author’ and servant of Jesus…closes his solitary letter with his tribute, his reason and conviction. He had wanted to write about Jesus, only Jesus. But with conviction he allowed himself to write as the Spirit had led. He possibly put the writing device down several times. Writing surfaces not being the disposable substance they were today, did he start writing, scratch it out, dare to use another one? It is likely that Jude was the younger brother of James, a powerful Apostle. Being a younger sibling myself, there is a hesitation, a need to keep the peace. But Jude has finally persevered, with the strength of the Spirit, to write what needed to be said. And he closes his letter unlike any other author in the New Testament and thus, the Bible.

And Jude sighed. Wiped his eyes. Set down his writing utensil, his whole body trembled a little. He prayed as he packaged his short letter. And sent it to the fellow believers. Amen.