▸ AUTHOR: In spite of its limited subject matter and size, Jude was accepted as authentic and quoted by early church fathers. It is unlikely that the author is the apostle Jude (Luke 6:16), but rather Jude the brother of Jesus and James (called Judas in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3). Because of the silence of the New Testament and tradition concerning Jude’s later years, we cannot know where or when this epistle was written.
▸ TIME: c. A.D. 66–80
▸ KEY VERSE: Jude 3
▸ THEME: Jude’s letter is hard-hitting, short, and right to the point. False teachers are on the loose in the church and Jude wants to make sure his readers understand the destructive implications of their teaching. He urges Christians to resist these false teachers and to defend the faith and the body of truth received from the apostles that they have come to know and believe. He finishes by reminding them of the hope they have in knowing Christ is coming again.