Jude fragments: Who is Jude Addressing?

There are three interpretations of whom Jude is addressing in his short letter. The first group of scholars believe Jude is addressing Gnostic teachers. Most of these scholars are not of an evangelical persuasion and consequently they believe Jude was written in the second-century addressing a future group of Gnostic false teachers. There are even some who affirm that Jude is speaking prophetically in the first-century about a group of Gnostics who will create schism in the church in the second-century.

The second group believes that Jude is addressing false teachers who have slipped into the Christian community bringing with them their false views of the world including a vast resume of sexually immoral practices. These teachers seek to tear the Gospel with their rebellious ways and Jude urges Christians in the first-century to contend for the faith and help those who are easily seduced by such false doctrines. Commentators like Bo Reicke^a suggest that Jude’s language parallel II Peter’s exhortation against false teachers, and thus Jude continues the same trajectory but with different concerns. As a side note, many commentaries combine II Peter and Jude assuming that both are tackling the exact same agenda against false teachers.

The third group, which I find myself compelled, is that Jude is not addressing false teachers (though there is an implied aspect), but he is mainly equipping the church to detect zealots who seek rebellion in the days before the destruction of the temple in AD 70. The revolts in the mid 60’s would support this assessment since Jude’s Judean audience in the 60’s would be surrounded by zealots wishing to overthrow Rome and start a war. These zealots posed great danger to the cause of Christ and Jude urges them to contend for the faith. These revolutionaries are not intent on preserving the cause of Christ, but they slip into Christ’s community and seek to instill a spirit of rebellion turning faithful Christians to a cause which can bring no good for the Church.

1. In the Anchor Commentary, Reicke suggests that Jude’s book was written in later first century  (back)