Jude was the brother of Jesus (see Mark 6:3; Jude is sometimes translated as Judah or Judas). Yet he did not presume upon this relationship to lend weight to his letter. Instead, he identifies himself as ″a slave of Jesus Christ″ (Jude 1:1, NLT). I prefer this translation to the NIV rendering of ″servant″, which brings to mind a modern-day servant or domestic helper. That was not what a doulos was in the first century AD. A slave could be bought or sold by his master, had no rights, and owed total allegiance to his master. This was how Jude regarded himself in his relationship with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as did Paul, Peter, and Jesus' brother James (Romans 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; James 1:1 NLT). This was the basis of Jude's authority to write this letter.

Jude does not tell us the geographical location of his readers. Instead, he uses three phrases to describe them:

Firstly, they are called (Jude 1:1). God has called them to Himself, to be His holy people (see Romans 1:7). The call was God's initiative, and they responded.

Secondly, Jude's readers are loved in God the Father (Jude 1:1). This speaks of the intimate love that Christians experience in their relationship with God. In New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham's words: ″Those whom God loves are taken into the intimate fellowship of God's love, embraced and enfolded by his love. To be in God's love is to be 'in God'.″¹⁷ God is the Father and we are His dearly loved children (Ephesians 5:1).

Thirdly, Christians are ″kept for Jesus Christ″ (Jude 1:1). God the Father protects His children and keeps them safe for Jesus. Paul says something similar in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: ″May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.″ This is in keeping with Jude's purpose for writing this letter–to warn his readers about the false teachers who have secretly slipped into their midst and are teaching heresies. Jude is confident that God is able to keep them from stumbling (Jude 1:24). However, while they are being kept for Jesus, they too must do their part to keep themselves in God's love as they wait for the coming of Jesus (v. 21).

Before launching into his attack on the false teachers, Jude reassures his readers through his opening greetings that God has called them, loves them, and preserves them for Christ.