Who was Jude in the Bible?

Jude, also known as Judas or Judah, was one of the brothers of Jesus, as mentioned in the Gospels (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3). He is traditionally identified as the author of the short New Testament letter called the Epistle of Jude.

Why is the Epistle of Jude important?

The Epistle of Jude is a crucial warning against false teachers and ungodly influences that had crept into the early church. It encourages believers to contend for the faith and builds up their spiritual foundation (Jude 1:3).

Was Jude one of the original 12 apostles?

No, Jude was not one of the original Twelve Apostles. He was a brother of Jesus who came to faith after the resurrection. The apostle named Judas was a different person (Luke 6:16), which is why the author identifies himself as 'a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James' (Jude 1:1).

Jude

New TestamentNew TestamentMaleBrother

Jude, a brother of Jesus, was the author of the Epistle of Jude and is mentioned in the lists of Jesus' siblings.

Jude

Biography

Jude (also spelled Judas) was a brother of Jesus, listed among Jesus's siblings in both Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. Like James and other siblings of Jesus, he initially did not believe in Jesus during His earthly ministry (John 7:5), but after the resurrection, he became a committed follower (Acts 1:14). He is traditionally identified as the author of the Epistle of Jude, a short but potent letter written to warn the early Church against false teachers who had infiltrated Christian communities and were perverting the grace of God into licentiousness. Remarkably, Jude identifies himself not by his familial connection to Jesus but as "a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James" (Jude 1:1), displaying a posture of humility and genuine faith over blood relationship. Church tradition suggests he was eventually martyred for his faith.

Significance

Jude's transformation from unbelieving sibling to apostolic letter-writer and martyr is a powerful testament to the resurrection's power. His letter stands as one of the New Testament's most urgent defenses of sound doctrine, calling believers to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3). His refusal to trade on his biological proximity to Jesus, instead calling himself a servant, models the kind of humility that authentic discipleship requires. Theologically, Jude's life illustrates that family connection to Jesus holds no salvific advantage; only genuine faith and surrender to Christ's lordship transforms a person and qualifies them for Kingdom service.

Verse Appearances (3)

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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