1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. (Jude 1:1-2 KJV)
Greetings to the Called
Here we have the preface or introduction, in which we have an account of the writer of this epistle, Jude, or Judas, or Judah. He was named after one of his ancestors, the patriarch-son of Jacob, the most prominent though not the first-born of his sons, from whose lineage the Messiah came. This was a name of honor and distinction.
He had a wicked namesake—Judas Iscariot (one of the twelve), the traitor who betrayed the Lord. The same names can be shared by both good and bad people. It is valuable to be named after godly individuals, but that alone does not determine our character, though it may reflect the hopes of our parents.
Our Jude was a different man. He was an apostle and a sincere disciple of Christ, unlike Iscariot. He was a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, not his betrayer; therefore, the two are carefully distinguished. Dr. Manton notes that God is concerned with preserving the good name of his sincere and useful servants. Why then should we carelessly harm our own or each other’s reputations?
Our apostle calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ, considering it a title of great honor. It is more honorable to be a faithful servant of Christ than to be a powerful earthly king. He might have claimed physical kinship with Christ but instead rejoices in being his servant.
It is a greater honor to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ than to be physically related to him. Many of Christ’s natural kindred and ancestors perished, not because he lacked affection but because of their unbelief. This should make the descendants and relatives of godly people watchful over themselves. A son of Noah might be saved from temporal destruction but still be lost eternally. Christ himself said that only those who hear his word and obey it are truly his family (Matthew 12:48-50).
The apostle Jude, though an apostle, still styles himself a servant. It is a great honor even for the least sincere minister—or any upright Christian—to be a servant of Christ. The apostles were servants before they were apostles and remained servants afterward. Ministers of Christ should not seek lordly authority over one another or their congregations. Let us remember our Lord’s words: It shall not be so among you (Matthew 20:25-26).
Jude also identifies himself as the brother of James, likely the one called the first bishop of Jerusalem. Josephus mentions James’s character and martyrdom and attributes the destruction of Jerusalem partly to the cruelty shown to him. Jude considered it an honor to be his brother, whether literally or in a broader sense. We should respect those superior to us in age, gifts, grace, or office—not envy or flatter them, nor follow them blindly if they act wrongly. Thus, the apostle Paul opposed Peter when he was in the wrong (Galatians 2:11ff), despite his high regard for him.
We are also informed to whom this epistle is addressed: to those who are sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
Called—that is, those recognized as Christians in the judgment of charity, which is as far as we ought to go in forming opinions about one another. What is hidden is not to be judged by the church, lest misguided zeal do more harm than good. The tares and the wheat must grow together until the harvest (Matthew 13:28-30), when Christ will separate them. We should think the best of everyone until proven otherwise and avoid spreading or inventing harmful reports about fellow believers. This is part of the apostle’s teaching on charity (1 Corinthians 13), and we must act accordingly. Until we do, churches will remain plagued by envy, strife, and disorder (James 3:16).
The apostle may also refer to their being called through the preaching of the word, which they received and believed, and thus were received into the church—Christ being the head and believers his members. Christians are the called: called out of the world and its spirit, called to higher things—heavenly, eternal things; called from sin to Christ, from vanity to seriousness, from impurity to holiness, and this according to God’s purpose and grace—for those whom he predestined, he also called (Romans 8:30).
Those who are called are also sanctified—sanctified by God the Father. While sanctification is usually attributed to the Holy Spirit, it is here ascribed to the Father because the Spirit works as the Spirit of the Father and the Son. All who are effectually called are sanctified and made partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), for without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Our sanctification is not our own work. If we are sanctified, it is by God—not excluding the Son or the Spirit, for they are one God. Our sinfulness is our own doing, but our sanctification is from God. If we perish, we bear the blame; if we are sanctified and saved, all glory belongs to God. Though hard to fully explain, we must not deny necessary truth simply because we cannot reconcile all its parts. By that logic, we could deny we move at all—though we do so constantly.
The called and sanctified are preserved in Christ Jesus. As God begins the work of grace, so he continues and perfects it. Though we may be unstable, God is constant. He will not forsake the work of his hands (Psalm 138:8). Therefore, we must not trust in ourselves or our past spiritual experiences but in him, using every appointed means to remain faithful.
Believers are preserved from the gates of hell and for the glory of heaven. All who are preserved are preserved in Christ Jesus, who is their refuge and stronghold, and this preservation continues only as long as they abide in him and through their union with him.
We also have the apostolic benediction: Mercy to you, and peace, and love be multiplied. From God’s mercy, peace, and love flow all our comfort in this life and our hope for the next. The mercy of God is the source of all the good we have or hope for—mercy to the miserable and the guilty. Peace follows mercy—true, lasting peace that comes from reconciliation with God through Christ.
And from peace comes love: God’s love to us, our love to him, and our brotherly love to one another—a grace too often neglected. The apostle prays that these may be multiplied, so that Christians will not settle for small portions but be filled with these blessings. God is ready to supply all grace and fullness in each grace. If we are lacking, the limitation is not in God but in ourselves.