Author

Jude, also known as Judah, one of at least four half-brothers of Jesus and the brother of James, was the self-proclaimed author of this epistle (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55). James would have been the eldest brother of the full clan of Jesus' half-brothers and pastor to the church at Jerusalem. It would seem James and his brothers did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah until after His Resurrection (Acts 1:14). 

After Jude gave his allegiance to Christ, he and his wife appear to have become traveling teachers. 

No doubt there are other options as to the identity of Jude, but most likely he was Jesus' younger brother. 

Literary Technique

Interestingly, Jude loved to write in triads, which are abundant for such a short letter. Here are some examples:

• Recipients of Jude's letter - “called,” “believed,” “kept” (1)

• Initial prayer for those in God - “mercy,” “peace,” “love” (2)

• Description of those who fall away - “ungodly,” “pervert,” “deny” (4)

• Examples of those who fall away - “people,” “angels,” “Sodom and Gomorrah” (6-7)  

Jude continued with this style throughout his letter.

The material in this letter and that of 2 Peter 2 are incredibly similar. We can conclude that Jude or Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, incorporated the same material in the composition of their letters. It seems most plausible that Jude copied from Peter, as he reminded his audience of the predictions Jesus’ apostles had made (17). Also, Peter declared, “There would be false teachers coming to the church” (2 Peter 2:1), while Jude affirmed, “There are men who have already crept in.” It is believed Peter wrote his epistle in 67-68 A.D., so Jude was likely written after that date and up to a decade later. 

Audience

Most believe Jude was writing to an audience he was familiar with by traveling and similar to the audience of Peter and James: Jewish Christians settling in the Babylonian area. 

Purpose

It would seem Jude was getting ready to write his own historical account of Jesus' life when he heard the faith of his audience was being threatened, which led him to write a completely different kind of letter. 

He had come to understand some false teachers had made their way into the church and were perverting the grace of God while also denying the Lordship of Jesus. Jude, incensed in no small way about this, penned this correspondence to the churches.

The philosophies the church had accepted included: 

• refusal to recognize the Lordship and the supremacy of Jesus Christ (4)

• authorization of the pursuit of sensual pleasure as an acceptable lifestyle (4, 8, 16, 18)

• declaration of the honor of those in positions of divine authority as invalid

• justification of greed as an acceptable trait (11-12, 16)

This was all the pervasive influence of Gnosticism, which taught that the spirit was good and the material world evil. Gnostics taught that they should cultivate their “good” inner inclinations even if such gave vent to the desires of the flesh. 

To the Gnostics, the true Lord was not Christ and His word, but their good inner inclinations. Expressing freedom of inclination was supreme, even if those expressions pursued sensually gratifying goals. Any authority who denied individual expression of those good inclinations was scorned. The good-intentioned pursuit of gain was justified, so greed, in a way, was extolled as a virtue. All of this Gnostic philosophy ended up perverting God's grace into a license to follow one's good intentions. 

Jude wrote his letter first to warn how the philosophy of “good intentions” (Gnosticism) could deceitfully enter the fellowship without people’s awareness of gospel perversion.

Then, Jude wrote to reveal the consequences of those who perverted God's grace and exalted “good intentions” (4-7). 

Jude continued by revealing the consequences of those who falsely taught and encouraged such a philosophy (8-16). 

Jude encouraged the church to live in pure devotion to Christ in a world where false teaching was so prevalent (17-23).

Jude gave his readers seven charges to aid in abstaining from forming the “good intentions” into God-philosophy.

• Contend for the faith (3).

• Remember the apostles’ warning (17).

• Build yourselves up in the most holy faith (20).

• Pray in the Holy Spirit (20). 

• Keep yourselves in the love of God (21).

• Wait for mercy (21). 

• Show mercy (22-23).