WHO WROTE:  Jude.

 

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  54 A.D. (?) - 70 A.D. (?).

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  This Epistle was written sometime after 68 or 69 A.D. according to “Fausset’s Bible Dictionary.”  Focusing upon the Books of First and Second Peter, the dating of from 63 to 67 A.D., specifically focusing upon 65 A.D., are attributed to those Books, but also using the same dates for the Book of Jude, according to “Smith’s Bible Commentary,”  However, Dr. Philip Schaff [Be careful of Schaff] and “The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,” date this Book as late as 75-80 A.D.

 

Acording to “Albert Barnes Notes On The Bible,” we learn:  “Benson supposes that it was written before the destruction of Jerusalem [70 A.D.], a few weeks or months after the Second Epistle of Peter; Mill, that it was written about 90 a.d.; Dodwell and Cave, that it was written after the destruction of Jerusalem, in the year 71 or 72 a.d.; L’Enfant and Beausobre, that it was between the year 70 and 75 a.d.; Witsius and Estius, that it was in the apostle’s old age; Lardner, that it was about the year 65 or 66 a.d.; Michaelis, that it was before the destruction of Jerusalem; and Macknight, that it was in the latter part of the apostolic age, and not long before the death of Jude.”

 

In, “A Popular Commentary On The New Testament,” “. . .the probable date of the Epistle is between 64 and 66 A.D.  It must have been written late, and yet prior to the date of Peter’s Epistle; and that apostle died about A.D. 68.”  And in “The Preacher’s Commentary,” it has “the approximate date was sometime between A.D. 67 and 70.”  While “The Pulpit Commentary” states:  “Renan, who discovers anti-Pauline feeling in the Epistle, would carry it as far back as A.D. 54.”

 

Lardner puts it between 64 and 66 A.D.  Others would place it somewhere between 70 and 80, and some take it to have been written after all the apostles, save John, had died.  The most probable conclusion seems to be that it was composed before A.D. 70, but how long before that year it is impossible to say.

 

In “Through The Bible With Jay Vernon McGee,” McGee has it as being “written around A.D. 66-69.”  While “Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary” states, “that the Book was written between A.D. 60-64.  It was almost certainly written before A.D. 70, since Jude does not make any reference to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.”  In “The Peoples New Testament,” it agrees with “this Epistle was written between A. D. 65 and 70, or shortly before the siege of Jerusalem.”  The “Life Application New Testament Commentary,” and the “Life Application Study Bible,” have it “in about A.D. 65.”  “The MacArthur Bible Commentary” states: “Since no mention of Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70 was made by Jude, though Jude most likely came after 2 Peter (c. A.D. 68-70), it was almost certainly written before the destruction of Jerusalem.”

 

Whereas, “Adam Clark’s Bible Commentary” has a definitive statement, in that:  “it was written after the Second Epistle of Peter; but how many years after, whether between 64 and 66, as Lardner supposes, or between 70 and 75, as Beausobre and L’Enfant believe; or, according to Dodwell and Cave, in 71 or 72, or so late as the year 90.”  And according to the “Believer’s Bible Commentary,” speaking of the Second Epistle of Peter:  “. . . it is probable that Jude is the later writer.  A date between 67 and 80 is likely.  Since Jude makes no mention of the destruction of Jerusalem (a.d. 70), this could suggest it was yet to happen, making a date of 67-70 likely.  It could also mean that it had happened some time ago (if Jude was written in a.d. 80, or even 85 -- assuming Jude lived that long).”

 

I may have missed a few Commentary’s, but according to Peters own statement in Second Peter 1:12:  “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things,” has most Bible Commentators agreeing that Peter’s Second Epistle would not have taken more than a year to write from the First Letter.  Therefore, what we have established here is that the Book of Jude was definitely written after Peter’s Second Epistle (68 A.D. or 69 A.D.)

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  What is interesting to note is that in all of Paul’s Epistles (Romans; First Corinthians; Second Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; First Thessalonians; Second Thessalonians; First Timothy; Second Timothy; Philemon; Titus; Hebrews), Paul begins his Letter/Greeting with the word (phrase beginning with) “Grace.”  By contrast, in the Book of Jude, Jude begins with the word, “Mercy,” verse 2.  Mercy equals, “Not getting that which we deserve,” while Grace equals, “Getting that which we do not deserve.”  See Psalm 103:10.

 

This Book should be read side-by-side along with Second Peter, Chapter 2, because of the almost identical properties, wording, and similarities contained in each Book.