Why the Jewishness of Jude Matters, Part 2

The apostles Jude and Peter each wrote letters to different churches about a similar topic. The subject concerned heretics and their defective and dangerous understanding of the gospel. But as we discussed in last week’s post, Peter addressed Gentile Christians while Jude instructed Jewish ones. Same topic but different audiences.

I believe the Jewish tone of Jude’s letter is significant, but first, I had to establish that the apostle was in fact writing to Jewish believers in Jesus. That’s what we covered last week, but it still seems odd to me that Jude would feel the need to warn them about this heresy.

Why is that?

Because the New Testament is pretty consistent in showing us that the Jews who were distorting the gospel were doing so in a legalistic fashion. 

This started early in the history of the church. Luke reports that “certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved’” (Acts 15:1). The apostle Paul and others fought against this claim (Acts 15:2).

Paul repeats his resistance to this legalistic interpretation of the gospel in several of his letters.

Most of the churches he started were of mixed ethnicity. Congregations consisted of Jews and Gentiles brought together through their faith in Christ. But within these fellowships, Jewish issues, particularly about the role of the Mosaic Law, showed up quite a bit. Bible scholars ascribed the label “Judaizers” to those in the church who prioritized the Law to the detriment of the gospel.

For example, Paul informed the Galatians that “we who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles ¹⁶know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:15-16).

And in the next chapter, he wrote that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’ ¹⁴He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:13-14).

To the church at Colossae, Paul insisted, “do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17).

The New Testament is clear, then, that some Jewish believers tried to reduce the gospel to the strictures of the Law of Moses. In their minds, legalism was the key to holiness. By contrast, Paul asserted the sufficiency of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What’s strange to me is that in his own letter, Jude warns Jewish Christians about an opposite error, what we might call a “libertine” heresy. The behavior of its proponents, described in vss. 4, 12, and 16, is quite fleshly and selfish. These heretics advocated the fulfillment of one’s passions and desires without restrictions.

This is the opposite of legalism!

So why did Jude alert fellowships of Jewish believers about this teaching? It seems they wouldn’t have been tempted by such appeals. If anything, strict obedience to the Law of Moses might be more in line with their upbringing and mindset.

Yet Jude seems worried that Jewish followers of Jesus might succumb to a corrupt gospel that permitted, even demanded, the unfettered pursuit of fleshly lusts.

I understand why the apostle Peter, writing to Gentiles, might show such concern. After the Lord delivered them from pagan excesses, they could fall back into old habits.

But Jewish Christians?

It doesn’t fit!

So it leaves me wondering why Peter and Jude, overseeing two different church constituencies, would warn both about a heresy that ostensibly would only appeal to Gentiles.

The apostles explain that the arrival and conduct of these false teachers has Old Testament precedent. Although the heresy might seem new to the churches, it has a long pedigree. God has dealt with similar problems in the past, so He can and will handle this one, too.

In the next post, we’ll go over the passages in each letter that lay out the Old Testament context for heretics in the New Testament. But for now, let’s remember that spiritual battle is an unavoidable aspect of life in the Spirit. Our loyalty to Jesus puts us at odds with the world, the flesh, and the devil, and we feel their backlash.

The good news is that Christ, Whom we trust, is able to deliver and vindicate us. He gives us the authority and wisdom we need to combat spiritual opponents and come out victorious.

As we stand together in the Word, we can overcome the tests of our faith, even those that don’t seem all that difficult. Actually, it’s at those times we need to be most careful. As Paul advised the Corinthians, “if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Good advice for Gentile Christians and for Jewish Christians, too!