Jude

As the brother of James and a half-brother to Jesus, Jude identified himself simply as a servant of Christ when he wrote his compact epistle to warn the early church against ungodly men who had crept in unawares, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. His urgent message draws on vivid Old Testament judgments to remind believers of the need to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints while building themselves up in holy faith and looking for the mercy of the Lord unto eternal life. Within the redemptive narrative this brief letter serves as a steadfast guardrail, urging the church to preserve doctrinal purity and compassionate witness in the face of creeping apostasy.