When was Jude written?

Although Jude is one of the shortest books in the New Testament, its message is profound. In the early decades of the church, Jude wrote to Christians influenced by false teachers who promoted doctrine contrary to the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. The letter urges believers to contend for the faith and reject unbiblical teaching. The evidence suggests that Jude wrote the letter between 68 and 70 AD.

Knowing who wrote Jude helps determine when the book was written. In the first verse, Jude identifies himself and mentions his family connection to Jesus: “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” (Jude 1:1). The Gospels of Matthew and Mark also refer to their relationship, listing “Judas”—another name for Jude—among Jesus’ brothers (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). This Jude is not Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus and handed Him over to the authorities for his arrest.

Since Jude has only 25 verses, it offers limited evidence for determining its date of writing. As a result, part of the reason for the book’s date relies on what the letter does not say. Specifically, Jude makes no mention of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. This is significant given how drastically that event altered the lives of thousands of Christians.

Most scholars believe that Jude was written after 2 Peter, which narrows the time for its composition. For instance, 2 Peter warns believers that false teachers “will secretly introduce destructive heresies” and “bring the way of truth into disrepute” (2 Peter 2:1–2). Yet Jude reveals that these teachers had already arrived. He writes, “certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you” (Jude 1:4).

Jude also reminds his readers, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires” (Jude 1:18). Jude may even quote 2 Peter directly (cf. Jude 1:17–18; 2 Peter 3:3). Jude’s reference to 2 Peter suggests that he was referring to the exact problems Peter had anticipated.

Although some in the early church questioned Jude’s inclusion into the New Testament, the book’s connection to Jesus through Jude and its theological alignment with other books secured its place in Scripture. The Muratorian Canon (170 AD) includes Jude, and early church leaders like Clement of Rome and Clement of Alexandria affirmed its authority. Jude’s own transformation after the resurrection (Acts 1:14) and his close relationship to Jesus add to its importance.

The shortest books of the Bible, such as Jude, can be hard to date because they often have less content and offer little information about their author, setting, and circumstances. However, the internal evidence of Jude and its relationship to 2 Peter suggests it was written between 68 and 70 AD. Amid the influence of false teachers, it reminds readers to trust God, “who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 1:24).