Jude greets his audience as mutual recipients of the grace of God. Jude, Jesus’ own half brother, formerly rejected Jesus. But now, by God’s grace, acknowledges Jesus as his Lord and King! Likewise, his audience having failed in contending for the gospel, are addressed by their identity in the gospel: called, beloved, and kept. Jude desires that everything he writes, though corrective, would work to multiply mercy, peace, and love among them.
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For not even his brothers believed in him.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,