Letter of Jude, The: A Wake-up Call to Christians in the Twenty-first Century

This commentary on The Letter of Jude engages the Greek text and is designed for pastors, theological students, and lay readers. Jude, a brother of Jesus, warns members of the early Jesus movement against intruders in their midst and exhorts those believers not to deviate from the fundamental tenets of “the faith” in behavior and belief.

It also provides a unique analysis that links Jude with 1 Corinthians in terms of their authors’ literary style, Jewish backgrounds, and closely correlated descriptions of the errorists described in both letters.

The Letter of Jude is highly relevant to Christians in the twenty-first century. Even many of those now calling themselves evangelical have abandoned any pretence to adhering to biblical doctrines. This commentary seeks to emphasise Jude’ message: contend for biblical truth, and live so that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is alive, true, and liberating.

262 pages.

Selected Endorsements:

• “Biblical exegesis and theology are not disciplines solely for academic scholars. In this commentary on Jude, Guy Manuell shows how someone active in church life and a businessman, can apply himself to commenting on the Greek text of a New Testament book. This he does with competence and freshness, and is able to apply it in a manner often missing in commentaries. He is able to show how relevant the book of Jude is for the contemporary church. Wide reading has enriched his study, and now his commentary is going to be a stimulus to others as they approach Jude."
  • Dr. Allan M. Harman | Research Professor of Old Testament, Presbyterian Theological College, Melbourne, Australia.

• “This deeply researched and briskly argued study does not limit itself to describing Jude's meaning for its first-century readers. It is equally concerned with calling attention to "a cancer that is ravaging the body of Christ" today. Making creative comparison between ills addressed in Jude and problems evident in Paul's Corinth, Guy Manuell furnishes an exposition of Jude that enlightens, provokes, encourages, challenges, and most of all instructs. It interprets a pastoral letter with pastoral insight yet scholarly grasp of Jude's language, historical setting, and contemporary interpretation. I recommend it highly for those who teach and preach in the church, as well as for any others who are willing to see the desperate decadence of our times (including, often, in churches) and the glory of God's call to repentance and godly living through the true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whom Jude exalts, serves, and pungently proclaims."
  • Dr. Robert W. Yarbrough | Professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

• “Guy Manuell takes us on a deep but guided tour of the all too often neglected Letter of Jude. With an eye constantly on Jude's historical setting, and a desire to spell out the social and cultural implications of the letter today, Manuell makes judicious use of scholarship in opening up God's word. While clearly based on his reading of the Greek text, he presents his conclusions in a way that can be easily followed by non-specialists. Not interested in merely rehashing previous views, this commentary presents serious readers with a thought-provoking interaction with Jude."
  • Hefin Jones | New Testament Lecturer, Koinonia Theological Seminary, Philippines