Who Was Jude (and Why Does His Short Letter Matter?)

The Letter of Jude E1 — Jude is one of the shortest writings in the New Testament. It comes from one of Jesus’ own brothers (or cousins, or stepbrothers, depending on the tradition). Written in the early years of the Jesus movement, the letter addresses a Jewish community in Jerusalem or Galilee, made up of disciples who likely grew up with Jesus and knew his family. Jude (or Judah in Hebrew or Judas in Greek) is deeply rooted in the Hebrew Bible. His writing shows these roots through consistent biblical language and tons of hyperlinks. But who was Jude, and what do we know about his family and ancestors? In this episode, Jon and Tim introduce the background of this short letter and the larger world surrounding its author.

Full Show Notes:
For chapter-by-chapter summaries, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode → https://bible.to/jude-e1

Timestamps:
Jude’s Identity and the Brothers of Jesus (0:00-8:29)
Jesus’ Brothers in the Gospels and Early Church (8:29-24:01)
James, Jude, and Their Descendants (24:01-44:15)

Referenced Resources:
Panarion by Epiphanius of Salamis
The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary: Against Helvidius by Jerome
Proto-Gospel of James
Commentary on Matthew by Origen
Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus
The Church History by Eusebius of Caesarea

Show Music:
“afternoon reads.” by Lofi Sunday, PAINT WITH SOUND.
“date night” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits:
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.