Godlesses blasphemers in the Epistle of Jude

Abstract

In the presented study, the author answers the following questions: Who are “those people” who “infiltrated” the community of the addressees' Church? What type of abuse does Judah condemn, and why do they make those people “ungodly”? Thus, how does he understand “godlessness” himself as he puts “these people” in such a blatantly evil light? “The godless are mockers of the crucial end times.” They are mostly characterized by pride, audacity, disbelief, disobedience, debauchery, impertinence, arrogance, jealousy, greed, cynicism, sterility, and uselessness, although they remain formally in the community of the Church. By acting in such a way, they “blaspheme” God the One Ruler and the Lord Jesus Christ because, by their way of life, they proved that they had rejected the grace of salvation offered to them in the faith passed on to them by the Apostles. Consequently, they condemn themselves to severe judgment and the penalty of eternal damnation, intended for centuries for such people, because God's justice demands it (v. 4: 7,17–18).