Final Instructions and a Soaring Doxology

Bibleproject Jude Translation

View our full translation of the Letter of Jude.

Reflection Questions

• What can we gather about the culture and tradition of the early Church from Jude’s paraphrase of the apostles’ teaching in verses 17-19?

• In Jude’s summary of the apostles’ teaching, how do the words “mockers,” "irreverent desires,” “division,” and “bound-to-the-senses” align with what he’s already said about “these people”?

• How do verses 20-21 build on the idea in verse 3 of contending for the faith?

• What wisdom do we find in Jude’s guidance to show mercy to doubters, rescue others from the fire, and to show mercy with caution?

• How does love in the letter’s introduction and praise in its concluding doxology help frame the middle of the letter?

Chapter 1: Letter Recap And Words Of The Apostles

Tim and Jon review the letter and then pick up in Jude 1:17-19. After referencing a prophecy from 1 Enoch and applying it to “these people,” Jude now paraphrases Jesus and the apostles’ collective warning about false teachers and “mockers.” Their warning is consistent with all Jude has said up to now: these corrupt intruders follow only their bodily desires, create division, and lack the Holy Spirit. Jude’s paraphrase of Jesus and the apostles’ warning captures their sentiments found in the Gospels, Acts, and various New Testament letters (see Matt. 24:24-25; Matt. 7:15-20; Acts 20:29-30; 1 Tim. 4:1-2).

Chapter 2: Building Yourselves On Your Most Holy Faith

In Jude 1:20-21, Jude finally gives the Church community some positive instruction: build yourselves up in the faith, praying in the Spirit and keeping yourselves in the love of God. Jude is tapping into a long Scriptural tradition of architectural language, portraying God’s covenant people as a temple where his presence and glory dwell (Eph. 2:19-22; John 2:18-21; Matt. 12:6). Jude commends his audience to wait patiently for the Lord’s judgment day, which will feel more like mercy than punishment for those who align themselves with Jesus. This section echoes the idea in Jude 1:3 to “contend for the faith.”

Chapter 3: Showing Mercy To Some And Rescuing Others

In Jude 1:22-23, Jude offers three practical instructions to the faithful: show mercy to the doubting, rescue others who are morally compromised (as if snatching them from fire), and show mercy with fear, maintaining caution for one’s own holiness. The second two instructions are connected to a vision of Zechariah about rescue from exile, for the purpose of restoring faithfulness to God (Zech. 3:1-5).

Chapter 4: Closing Doxology

Jude concludes his letter with a doxology that centers on God’s ability to protect his people from stumbling and make them stand blameless with joy before God (Jude 1:24-25). The conclusion uses “Now to him” doxology language that expands into exalted praise and attributes eternal glory, majesty, power, and authority to the one God who rescues through Jesus the Messiah. We find similar language in the conclusions of other New Testament letters (Phil. 4:20; 1 Tim. 1:17; Rom. 16:25-27). Though Jude’s letter is written with urgency, it ends with great confidence in God to protect and strengthen his people in the midst of adversity.