MBS 131 - The Book of Jude by Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum
There are five epistles called the Messianic Jewish Epistles that were written especially to deal with the needs and specific issues facing Jewish believers. While these needs and issues are applicable to all believers, they deal primarily with unique issues among Jewish believers. These Messianic Jewish Epistles are: Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude. They were written to instruct believers by letter rather than by personal instruction and were meant to be circulated among the congregations.
In the wider historical background, the first century Messianic Jewish community was faced with two major problems: first, persecution; secondly, false doctrine. Persecution took place within the Land of Israel and also among the believers of the Dispersion or the Diaspora.
To deal with the problem of false doctrine, two epistles were written: 2 Peter and Jude. The Book of Jude was written from the Land to those living in the Dispersion.
