Question About The Epistle of Jude

[Tiber_Pilgrim]

I have a question about the Epistle of Jude and what the Catholic Church holds. I have read some Catholic sources that indicate many believe (and tradition teaches) that this epistle was written by St. Jude Thaddaeus, one of the Twelve. These sources also indicate that “Servant of Jesus Christ” means “apostolic minister or laborer”.

However, I read the introduction to this epistle in the NAB-RE, and it states that he “is not identified as an apostle, this designation can hardly be meant to refer to the Jude or Judas who is listed as one of the Twelve (Lk 6:16; Acts 1:13; cf. Jn 14:22). The person intended is almost certainly the other Jude, named in the gospels among the relatives of Jesus (Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3), and the James who is listed there as his brother is the one to whom the Letter of James is attributed.” This seems to support the Protestant interpretation that Jude and James were not Apostles but “brothers” of Jesus.

So does the Catholic Church hold that St. Jude Thaddaues most likely wrote the Epistle of Jude or that another Jude wrote the epistle? Thanks for your help.

 

[Tiber_Pilgrim]

Ok. So many believe that St. Jude Thaddaeus is the author but the Catholic Church has no “official” position/teaching regarding who the author is, correct?

One other question…why have that note in the NABRE casting doubt on the author of Jude being the apostle when other Catholic sources strongly imply it is the apostle? Is not the NABRE approved by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops?

(btw, I’m not questioning its canonical status. I’m just studying about St. Jude Thaddaeus and this came up in my studies.)

 

[Genesis315]

This seems to support the Protestant interpretation that Jude and James were not Apostles but “brothers” of Jesus.

I don’t see how this follows. The Bible mentions a Jude and a James who were Apostles, and a Jude and a James who were “brothers” of Jesus. St. Jerome concluded that James, the “brother” of the Lord, is the same as the Apostle James, the author of the canonical Epistle of James. It is also a somewhat common opinion that the two Judes are also the same person.

However, even if one of the “brothers” of Jesus was not an Apostle, but wrote an epistle, that would not be a problem, from our point of view. Neither would that make him another son of the Blessed Virgin.

Also, see this on the meaning of “brother” in this context:
catholic.com/tracts/brethren-of-the-lord

 

[Genesis315]

One other question…why have that note in the NABRE casting doubt on the author of Jude being the apostle when other Catholic sources strongly imply it is the apostle? Is not the NABRE approved by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops?

Because it’s an open question where there are different permissible opinions. I think the intent of these notes are to present the current state of scholarship on these topics. I take all footnotes and prefaces, etc. in any translation as the opinion of their author, not as the position of the Church or as the position of even an approving bishop (since they just usually care that there is no doctrinal error).

 

[Tiber_Pilgrim]

I take all footnotes and prefaces, etc. in any translation as the opinion of their author, not as the position of the Church or as the position of even an approving bishop (since they just usually care that there is no doctrinal error).

Ok, so even thought the translation has been approved by the Bishops, the notes are separate. That is what I figured, I just wanted to make sure. Just created some confusion.

And btw, I agree Genesis with your first post on this thread. What I meant by that statement is that every time I heard the author of Jude mentioned in the Protestant environment that I have been a part of, he was always referred to as the “brother of Jesus, like James”. He was never referred to as the apostle (that I can recall). That isn’t to say there are not Protestants who don’t hold the author is the apostle, just speaking from my own experience. I also don’t believe that either James or Jude were sons of the Blessed Virgin.

Thanks for your help…and thank you too (name removed by moderator)!