1:1 Who is Jude and to whom is he writing?

'CP' denotes 'compare passage'

Like James, author of the epistle James, Jude is a half-brother of Jesus (cp Mt 13:53-56). Again, like James, Jude did not believe that Jesus was Messiah during Jesus' lifetime. He thought that Jesus was just a religious fanatic (cp Jn 7:2-5 with Mk 3:20-21, 31-35).

Friends in Mk 3:21 (KJV), means family, which we see in V 31-35 are Jesus' mother and brothers. After Jesus ascended to heaven, Jude waited with those assembled in the upper room, together with Mary and Christ's other brothers, for the coming of the Holy Spirit (cp Ac 1:13-14).

Apart from Mt 13:55 and Jude 1:1, Jude is not mentioned by name in scripture; he is only included in the term "the brethren of the Lord" (cp 1 Cor 9:5).

See also comments on Mt 12:46-47, Mk 3:20-21, Jas 1:1.

Jude wrote this epistle to all Christians in all ages "...to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called", warning them to beware of false teachers (cp Jude 1:3-4).

Faith here refers to the pure faith of true christianity; the truth about God in Christ which has been handed down from believer to believer since the apostles. Every Christian is responsible for maintaining that truth uncompromisingly, and carefully committing it to others (cp Mt 28:19-20 with Php 1:27; 1 Ti 1:5, 18-19; 6:12-14; 2 Ti 1:13-14).

Jude's exhortation to believers in Jude 1:3 to earnestly contend for the faith, impresses upon us the importance of believers being thoroughly grounded in God's word. Every believer must be capable of taking a direct stand against those in the professing church who deny the absolute truth of scripture or distort the pure faith of true christianity as taught by Christ Himself (cp 2 Pe 2:1; 1 Jn 2:22-23; 5:4-5).

However, believers must also be prepared to accept martyrdom if need be in their defence of the faith (cp 2 Ti 4:6-8)