Apostle Jude’s Epistle and Reading the Old Testament

By Biblicist Jacob R. Blandford

If anyone ever asks you why a New Testament Christian should read the Old Testament, you could turn to Rom. 15:4 or 1 Cor. 10:11, but did you know that you could also turn to Apostle Jude’s General Epistle? Well, you can, and I’ll explain. In verses 17-18 Jude writes, “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.” The question is then, where and when did an apostle other than himself warn about “mockers in the last time”? Well, the answer is Apostle Peter—in his 2^nd Epistle to be exact. Read 2 Pet. 3. In verse 3 Peter predicted that “that there shall come in the last days scoffers”. A “scoffer” is the same thing as a “mocker”; and this is an eschatological prophecy, so this is the one Jude was referring to (also Jude’s Epistle borrows a bit of the information from Second Peter). But back to my main point, how did Jude commend us to the Old Testament? Well, in the midst of the prophecy he just referred to, Peter, in 2 Pet. 3:2, also commends to the writings of the “apostles” (the New Testament Books) like Jude did in Jude 17, but also to “the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets”—that would be the sacred Books of the Old Testament written by the prophets. So there Jude indirectly told you to read the Old Testament, even though you’re a New Testament Christian; and if you miss it brother, you’re missing out on a wealth of theological truth; AND the Lord will certainly point it out to you at the Judgment Seat of Christ! Amen.

Part Two: the apostolic authority of the General Epistle of Jude

Now I quote Apostle Peter: “That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts”. In other words, what Peter is saying is that: the declaration that there will be scoffers in the last days is an APOSTOLIC declaration. That’s why I believe Jude was an Apostle, because he makes the exact same apostolic declaration (see Jude 17-18). The Epistle of II Peter and Jude borrow from one another because both Peter and Jude were apostles. Since both II Peter and Jude are both General Epistles—there would not be an equivalency in their writings if they were not both Apostles. Otherwise they would not have been of the same level of authority. But these passages are both from Catholic (or General) Epistles and they are both “holy scriptures” (2 Tim. 3:15-16). When the New Testament canon was being formed at Hippo and Carthage, the saints on those councils would not accept any New Testament Epistle if it did not have apostolic authority. But Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus), James (son of Zebedee), Peter (son of Jona), John (son of Zebedee), and Jude (son of Alphaeus) were all apostles; so certainly their letters made it into our Christian Canon. James and John Zebedee were the sons of thunders, and they were both in Jesus’ inner circle (along with Peter); so it makes sense they would all write Scripture. Jesus’ half brothers James and Judas were not apostles. They didn’t even believe he was the Christ until after his resurrection. (John 7:5) By why do the scholars fight the apostolic authorship of James and Jude? The Apostle Jude declared why, they “despise dominion” (Jude 8). Amen.

Jude wrote “The General Epistle of Jude” (cf. Jude 1). We also know that before Judas Iscariot’s transgression he was also named Judas, but he probably changed it to Jude after Judas Iscariot had made the name infamous.

By consulting the scriptures we can also see that he went by two other names “Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus” (cf. Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18). We also know the Apostle James was his brother (cf. Luke 6:16; Jude 1), therefore Alpheus was also his father (cf. Luke 6:15). He is also called Judas in Acts 1:13 and John 14:22.  ¶ Jude, being an apostle like Paul, knew speaking in tongues was a prayer of the Spirit and it would build us up (cf. Jude 20; 1 Cor. 14:4, 14).  ¶ Both apostle Peter and apostle Jude wanted our peace multiplied (1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:2; Jude 2). ¶ Both apostle Peter and apostle Jude discussed the fallen angels, Sodom & Gomorrha, and Balaam. ¶ David Hoffman in the Common Man's Reference Bible and Bro. Peter Ruckman in the Ruckman Reference Bible both taught Jude the Apostle (one of the twelve) was the author of the General Epistle of Jude.

Moreover it’s not a strange thing that he was surnamed several different names because we see also that Matthias, who replaced Judas Ischariot, had several surnames (cf. Acts 1:23). Simon was also surnamed Peter and Cephas (cf. John 1:42; Matthew 16:17-18).