The Salutation
“Jude, bondman of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the called ones, beloved in God [the] Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: mercy to you, and peace and love be multiplied” (vers. 1, 2).
THERE seems no good reason to doubt, and every reason to believe, that the writer of this solemn yet comforting letter is the “Judas, the brother of James,” mentioned in the list of the apostles, as given twice by Luke (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), but who is called by Matthew “Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus” (Matt. 10:3), and by Mark simply Thaddeus (Mark 3:18). John distinguishes him in a special way by speaking of him as “Judas, not Iscariot” (John 14:22). It is evident, from the way Paul writes of this James, the son of Alpheus, that he was a very near relation according to the flesh, to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus. After mentioning his first interview with Peter, he says: “But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother” (Gal. 1. 19). James the Great, the son of Zebedee, had met a martyr’s death earlier than the visit here referred to; consequently it becomes plain that James the Less is meant. The term “the Lord’s brother” does not necessarily mean all that it would, had the epistle been written in our language; still it implies very close relationship. Lot is called Abram’s brother, when actually he was his nephew. Yet even so, had Jude been desirous of making a fair show in the flesh, he who was so closely related to the Lord as man, would not have written of himself as he does here, “Jude, bondman of Jesus Christ.” He had known Christ after the flesh; had been linked up with Him by ties of kindred common to few; but he knows Him so no more. Gladly he owns Him as God’s anointed, his Lord and Master. Another writing of him might, out of courtesy, have used the same term as Paul applied to Jude’s brother; but writing of himself, he is simply the “slave of Jesus Christ.” James speaks of himself in the same way—” a bondman of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).
What a withering rebuke are these two lovely examples of devotion to Christ to those who thoughtlessly speak or write of “our brother Jesus,” or use similar terms, all calculated to detract from the glory of Him who, once a lowly man in this scene of His humiliation, is now, as man, by God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, made, in resurrection, both Lord and Christ. His own words to His disciples, after performing the lowly work of washing their feet, were, “Ye call Me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am!” (John 13:13). How abhorrent is the pride that leads some today to call themselves “Christadelphians” (Christ’s brothers), as though He were—what indeed they believe —but a creature like themselves!
True it is that in infinite grace having been, as the Captain of our salvation, made perfect through suffering (now crowned with glory and honor), “He is not ashamed to call [us] brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren” (Heb. 2:11, 12). But this is a very different thing from calling Him “Brother,” or speaking of ourselves as His brothers. If any object to this, let them search the Scriptures; both those portions which portray His walk on earth and those parts which present Him in resurrection, and see if any ever so spoke of or to Him. James and Jude, who might be thought to have a good right so to do, scrupulously avoid such familiarity, and own themselves His bondmen, or slaves. And this is made all the more prominent in Jude’s letter, as he immediately adds, for the purpose of identification, “brother of James.”
He addresses himself to “the called ones” of God. It is a common title of those whom grace has saved. The Lord’s words to His disciples while on earth were: “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16); and some accounted it a hard saying, when He declared, “Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (John 6:65). All such are called by His grace, as was Paul (Gal. 1:15), and thus attracted to Christ from a world that lieth in the wicked one. Unspeakably great is the favor thus conferred. For who is it He calls? Those who have some goodness to plead? —some merit to commend? No; but those who know themselves utterly vile and corrupt, and own their lost estate. All such are “called unto the fellowship of His Son.” “And whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified” (1 Cor. 1:9; Rom. 8:30). There can be no failure here. He who called has justified, and will have every called one in the glory for eternity.
Such are “beloved of God the Father.” The A. Ver. reads, “sanctified,” but editors generally favor the other word. Both are true; but it is to our place in the affections of the Father that we are here directed. Would we know the measure of that love? Our Lord has Himself declared it, for He said, when addressing His Father on that last night ere He was crucified, “The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me” (John 17:22, 23). Nothing less than this is the measure of the Father’s love to every child of grace. There are no degrees in His affections for them. The feeblest and the strongest are alike “beloved of God the Father” as truly as His Son is the Beloved of His heart.
From this flows our preservation— “Preserved in Jesus Christ.” Whatever may be the difficulties of the way, however great the trial of our faith, in this love of God we are preserved by the One who has saved us. He it is who, “having loved His own which are in the world, loves them to the end.” Were it not for His preserving grace not one saint would persevere; but “He is able to save evermore all who come unto God by Him, seeing that He ever liveth to make intercession for them.’ Here is no ground for self-confidence, or fleshly elation; but such grace calls for reverent and adoring gratitude, and a walk that corresponds to the loving-kindness thus lavished on creatures so unworthy.
Jude uses a different greeting from that of the other apostles. It is not “grace and peace,” nor yet “grace, mercy, and peace,” which he invokes upon the saints; but “mercy to you, and peace and love be multiplied.” They were already in the enjoyment of these precious things; he would have them abundantly increased, and thus their souls filled with holy joy.
Mercy each saint will need all along the way, while passing through a world like this. It necessarily implies failure on the part of its object. Peace is his portion while abiding in Christ, who has said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). In the enjoyment of that peace the soul can pass quietly on its way amid all the strife of tongues and the confusion of the evil day, resting in Him who is over all, and who “sitteth o’er the water-floods.”
Love is the outflow of the new life. God is love; and the divine nature in the believer, which is from God, cannot but produce love; though this is very different from mere sentimentality, as the epistle goes on to show. “Love in the truth” is that which is according to God.
Abundant is the provision for each tried saint who has to meet the soul’s enemy in a world of iniquity and corruption. If mercy, peace and love are ever lacking, it bespeaks, not a stinted supply of grace, but a failure to enter into what is freely bestowed upon all who receive with thanksgiving what our God so delights to give. He never casts a trusting, honest soul upon its own resources, but has pledged Himself to meet every need according to His riches in glory, through Christ Jesus. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Never will that time of need be over until we reach that scene where strife and warfare are past forever.