“certain men” (e.g., v 4).165 This stirred Jude to write what Dean Alford has called “an impassioned invective, in the impetuous whirlwind of which the writer is hurried along … laboring for words and images strong enough to depict the polluted character of the licentious apostates against whom he is warning the Church.”176 It is for this content that S Maxwell Coder calls the book of Jude “The Acts of the Apostates.” Read verses 3, 17, 21, and 22 for Jude’s commands to his readers in view of the threatening situation D CANONICITY Like and John, Jude was not recognized as canonical as early as were the longer books of the New Testament Its brevity, nonapos-tolic authorship, polemical character, and apparent use of apocryphal sources delayed the church’s acceptance But the acceptance came, and the epistle deservedly found its place among the other inspired New Testament books.18 E REFERENCES TO OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY For background to Jude’s references to past history, read the passages cited in the accompanying chart JUDE’S REFERENCES TO THE OLD TESTAMENT XXVIII SURVEY OF JUDE A READINGS First mark paragraph divisions in your Bible beginning at verses 1, 3, 5, 8, 14, 17, 24 Read the epistle once or twice for initial observations What are your rst impressions? Assign a title to each paragraph What is the general tone of the epistle? What is Jude’s main burden? How much Old Testament history does Jude use to support his message? What paragraphs mainly have an Old Testament historical association? What paragraphs diagnose the times of Jude’s writing? Observe every appearance of the word “beloved” and the phrase “but you, beloved.” Compare the rst two and the last two verses Where is there a main turning point in the epistle? Jude has been called the “vestibule to the book of Revelation.” What future events are cited? 10 From the things Jude says, how intimately did he know his readers? B SURVEY CHART Study Chart 119 carefully, and compare outlines and observations with those you made in your survey studies How is the turning point shown on the ... of apocryphal sources delayed the church’s acceptance But the acceptance came, and the epistle deservedly found its place among the other inspired New Testament books.18 E REFERENCES TO OLD TESTAMENT. .. appearance of the word “beloved” and the phrase “but you, beloved.” Compare the rst two and the last two verses Where is there a main turning point in the epistle? Jude has been called the “vestibule... background to Jude’s references to past history, read the passages cited in the accompanying chart JUDE’S REFERENCES TO THE OLD TESTAMENT XXVIII SURVEY OF JUDE A READINGS First mark paragraph divisions