Judas (Jesus' brother, letter writer)

Servant of the Lord and letter writer

La Iglesia primitivaLeaderServantc. 1–65 AD

Judas was one of Jesus' half-brothers and the author of the Epistle of Jude in the New Testament. He did not believe in Jesus during his earthly ministry, but later became a believer and an important voice in the early church, where he warned against false teachings and urged believers to contend for the faith.

Familia

Hechos clave

Mentioned as Jesus' brother

Judas is mentioned as one of Jesus' brothers along with James, Joses, and Simon. The people in Nazareth knew his family.

55"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ τέκτονος υἱός; ⸀οὐχ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ λέγεται Μαριὰμ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ Ἰάκωβος καὶ ⸀Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Σίμων καὶ Ἰούδας;

The Brothers' Unbelief

During Jesus' earthly ministry, his brothers, including Judas, did not believe in him. They urged him to show himself publicly in Jerusalem.

3so his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples can see the works you are doing.
εἶπον οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ· Μετάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ μαθηταί σου ⸀θεωρήσουσιν ⸂σοῦ τὰ ἔργα⸃ ἃ ποιεῖς·
4For no one acts in secret while wanting to be known in public. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.
οὐδεὶς γάρ ⸂τι ἐν κρυπτῷ⸃ ποιεῖ καὶ ζητεῖ αὐτὸς ἐν παρρησίᾳ εἶναι· εἰ ταῦτα ποιεῖς, φανέρωσον σεαυτὸν τῷ κόσμῳ.
5For not even his brothers believed in him.
οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπίστευον εἰς αὐτόν.

Together with the Disciples After the Resurrection

After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, Jesus' brothers were gathered with the apostles and Mary in prayer, which shows their conversion.

14They all devoted themselves with one mind to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
οὗτοι πάντες ἦσαν προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν τῇ ⸀προσευχῇ σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ ⸀Μαριὰμ τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ⸀σὺν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ.

Author of the Epistle of Jude

Judas identifies himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James in his letter, where he warns against false teachers who have slipped into the church.

1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
Ἰούδας Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος, ἀδελφὸς δὲ Ἰακώβου, τοῖς ἐν θεῷ πατρὶ ⸀ἠγαπημένοις καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ τετηρημένοις κλητοῖς·
4For certain people have slipped in among you—people long ago marked out for this condemnation—godless men who twist the grace of our God into a license for sensuality and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
παρεισέδυσαν γάρ τινες ἄνθρωποι, οἱ πάλαι προγεγραμμένοι εἰς τοῦτο τὸ κρίμα, ἀσεβεῖς, τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν χάριτα μετατιθέντες εἰς ἀσέλγειαν καὶ τὸν μόνον ⸀δεσπότην καὶ κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀρνούμενοι.

Encouragement to Contend for the Faith

Judes exhorts the saints to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, and to hold fast to the apostolic teaching.

3Beloved, while I was eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
Ἀγαπητοί, πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ποιούμενος γράφειν ὑμῖν περὶ τῆς κοινῆς ⸀ἡμῶν σωτηρίας ἀνάγκην ἔσχον γράψαι ὑμῖν παρακαλῶν ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει.
17But you, beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀγαπητοί, μνήσθητε τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν προειρημένων ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ·
20But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit,
ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀγαπητοί, ⸂ἐποικοδομοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει⸃, ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ προσευχόμενοι,
21and keep yourselves in the love of God as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
ἑαυτοὺς ἐν ἀγάπῃ θεοῦ τηρήσατε προσδεχόμενοι τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

The Great Doxology

The Epistle of Jude concludes with one of the Bible's most beautiful doxologies, where God is praised as the one who can keep us from falling.

24Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glory without blemish and with great joy—
Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ φυλάξαι ⸀ὑμᾶς ἀπταίστους καὶ στῆσαι κατενώπιον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἀμώμους ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει
25to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, now, and forever. Amen.
⸀μόνῳ θεῷ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν ⸂διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν⸃ ⸀δόξα μεγαλωσύνη κράτος καὶ ἐξουσία ⸂πρὸ παντὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος⸃ καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.