Is There A Heresy That Necessitated Jude’S Letter?

Abstract

The letter of Jude is written not only in support of a group of believers, but also in reaction to 'certain men, some' or 'those', who alternatively are called in the literature dissidents, heretics, enemies, opponents, Gnostics, ungodly people. This chapter presents the structure of the letter, because composition is one of the major rhetorical elements to influence the readers or audience. It focuses on a more specific aspect of rhetorical strategy, viz. the technique of the author to give himself authority. Biblical exegesis over the last thirty years has been greatly influenced by narrative and rhetorical criticism and by sociological interested approaches. For those who are in search for appreciation of the relevance of literature like the letter of Jude, reader response criticism can offer some interesting perspectives. Keywords: Biblical exegesis; letter of Jude; rhetorical criticism; rhetorical strategy