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The message of the epistle, that the biggest danger to the church is from the inside, is "ever relevant and needs to be heard by the church today if it is not to be increasingly riddled with the same problems."<ref>Pawson, J. David op cit p.1211</ref>
The message of the epistle, that the biggest danger to the church is from the inside, is "ever relevant and needs to be heard by the church today if it is not to be increasingly riddled with the same problems."<ref>Pawson, J. David op cit p.1211</ref>
==Author==
In the address of the Epistle the author styles himself "Jude, the servant of [[Jesus Christ]] and brother of [[James the Just|James]]", indicating that the author is the half-brother of Jesus, a position which while previously strenuously denied by the [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic]] church in particular, is now considered the most likely.<ref>Charles, Daryl J. ''Literary Strategy in the Epistle of Jude'' (Scranton, PA; University of Scranton Press; 2005) ISBN 0-9408-6616-1</ref><ref>Gray, James M. [http://mb-soft.com/believe/txs/jude.htm ''Epistle of Jude''] Home Bible Study Commentary/Believe. Accessed 16 March 2008</ref> From the style, it is certain that the author was a [[Messianic Judaism|Jewish Christian]], and is very familiar with such Jewish-apocalyptic writings as the ''Ascension of Moses'', the [[Enoch]] ''Apocalypse'' and Jewish legends.<ref>Kummel, Werner Georg ''Introduction to the New Testament'' (SCM Press; 1991) ISBN 0-3340-0705-4</ref> The author's reference to the apostles implies that he was not one of them, and the purpose of the epistle "surely would have constrained him to assert the authority of his apostleship if he were one. The only Judas who elsewhere in the New Testament is said to have had a brother called James is Judas the brother of the Lord. James was a half-brother of our Lord. ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%2013:55;&version=9; Matt. 13:55], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206:3;&version=9; Mark 6:3], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012:46-47;&version=9; Matt. 12:46-47]). While during His earthly life the brethren of the Lord Jesus did not believe on Him, they are found among the disciples at the beginning of Acts and James became a foremost leader in the assembly at [[Jerusalem]]."<ref>Cross, Edwin N. [http://www.biblecentre.org/truthtestimony/2001/enc_jude.htm ''The Catholic Epistle Of Jude''] Biblecenter. Accessed 16 March 2008</ref>
==Language==
==Language==