1He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; 3Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ 8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. 9Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. 10Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. 11Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go on. 12As you enter into the household, greet it. 13If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. 14Whoever doesn’t receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
16“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. 18Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 19But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. 20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. 23But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man has come.
24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. 25It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! 26Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. 28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
29“Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. 32Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. 33But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.
34“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. 35For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36A man’s foes will be those of his own household. 37He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. 38He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me. 39He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
40“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 41He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.”
As is typical with Pauline letters, the epistle of Jude is named by its author, Jude, a common practice of first-century Greek letters. That Jude identifies himself as “a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James" (vs. 1) is interesting. First, it is possible that Jude simply calls himself a brother of James, on the one hand, and a “bondservant of Christ,” which literally means “slave” on the other. This humble expression of service and loyalty removes any focus on Jude’s identity as a half-brother of Jesus. Thus, Jude’s focus is on Jesus, his Lord, and not on himself or his sibling relationship with the Savior.
Moreover, to establish further the likelihood that Jude wrote this letter, there are only six persons in the NT named Jude. Scholars have concluded that only two of these individuals may qualify to be the author of the letter. One, spoken of in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13, we read was most likely the brother of the Thaddaeus spoken of in the gospel of Matthew, 10:3. Our second candidate is the brother of James, the half-brother of Jesus, named in Matt 13:55. Finally, we have the opinion of Clement of Alexandria, who refers to Jude as being the half-brother of Jesus.
As for the dating of this small epistle, a precise or even rough date is difficult. Jude mentions no known historical event within which to date our epistle. Thus, any date ranging from A.D. 65 to 80 is possible. Some speculate that it might have been written prior to A.D. 70 since Jude does not mention the destruction of Jerusalem. The same is true of John’s apocalypse. However, the fact that Jude seems to address a solely Jewish audience, evident from his Jewish history and the Book of Enoch, seems to rule out a sizable group of Gentiles being a part of this particular church. Therefore, if that is the case, then Jude may have been written early.
Jude’s recipients are "those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Christ" (vs. 1). Although these could be Christians anywhere at any time, Jude also referred to his audience as "beloved" three times, evidencing a close relationship with them. He also used Hebrew history and Jewish pseudepigrapha (the Book of Enoch), pointing to a Jewish-Christian audience. Beyond this designation, it is impossible to be more precise regarding Jude's audience.
This small epistle is one of the most powerful letters in the NT in its unqualified manner of calling out heretics. Jude does not hold back. He teaches that their days are few and numbered, and a pending doom is coming. The message is one of standing against false teachers and their heresies. He identifies them, their errors, and warns of their impending doom, while encouraging his audience to deeper holiness.
Most interestingly, given divine inspiration, Jude writes that he had planned to write on salvation, but apparently got a report of false teachers infiltrating the congregation and threatening to lead them astray. He wanted to blunt these false teachers and encourage his readers not to fall into their evil ways.
Jude also encourages this body of believers to build themselves up in the most holy faith, always praying in the Holy Spirit, all the while keeping themselves in the love of God and in prayer looking for the mercies that are only available and attainable in the Messiah, who is able to keep them from stumbling forever more.