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Jude
Jude calls believers to stand firm in their belief in Jesus' messiahship, even when various forms of rebellion occur around them. In this comprehensive volume, Herbert Bateman examines the historical, cultural, and literary context of Jude's letter, identifying the "godless" as Zealots and other Judaeans caught up in an insurgence against Rome. At the same time, the letter admonishes readers to extend mercy to those who inadvertently rebel against God, both inside and outside the church.
The Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series incorporates the latest in critical biblical scholarship and is written from a distinctly evangelical perspective. Each comprehensive volume combines historical and literary explanations with insights for understanding the text within the Bible's larger story and applying it to everyday life.
The Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series incorporates the latest in critical biblical scholarship and is written from a distinctly evangelical perspective. Each comprehensive volume combines historical and literary explanations with insights for understanding the text within the Bible's larger story and applying it to everyday life.
512 pages, Hardcover
Published November 8, 2017
4 people want to read
About the author
Herbert W. Bateman IV
25 books2 followersBorn in Camden, New Jersey, Herb Bateman grew up in Pennsauken, a suburb of Camden. He attended and graduated from Pennsauken High School in 1974. During those years, he played the trombone in the school’s orchestra and marching Band as well as wrestled for their athletic department.
After graduating from high school, Bateman worked as manager of Kushner’s Hardware Store in Pennsauken. He spent five years developing skills in retail business before attending college. Although skeptical about his academic abilities, he graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University (PBU) in 1982. It was there that he met his wife, Cindy Ann (nee Ohner), and was married 1 September 1979. They celebrated their first anniversary in Jerusalem where Herb was completing a one-year study program at Jerusalem University College in Israel (1980-1981).
After graduating from PBU, Herb and Cindy moved to Dallas, Texas in 1983 to attend Dallas Theological Seminary where he earned a four year masters degree and subsequent doctorate degree in New Testament Studies. After living in Dallas for twelve years, he accepted a teaching position in northern Indiana where he taught predominately at Grace Theological Seminary. In 2008, he accepted a position at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, left the Midwest, and returned to Texas where he currently resides.
After graduating from high school, Bateman worked as manager of Kushner’s Hardware Store in Pennsauken. He spent five years developing skills in retail business before attending college. Although skeptical about his academic abilities, he graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University (PBU) in 1982. It was there that he met his wife, Cindy Ann (nee Ohner), and was married 1 September 1979. They celebrated their first anniversary in Jerusalem where Herb was completing a one-year study program at Jerusalem University College in Israel (1980-1981).
After graduating from PBU, Herb and Cindy moved to Dallas, Texas in 1983 to attend Dallas Theological Seminary where he earned a four year masters degree and subsequent doctorate degree in New Testament Studies. After living in Dallas for twelve years, he accepted a teaching position in northern Indiana where he taught predominately at Grace Theological Seminary. In 2008, he accepted a position at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, left the Midwest, and returned to Texas where he currently resides.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 15, 2017
These early volumes of the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (EEC) series are impressive. Just think, if they hadn’t decided to start printing these formerly digital-only volumes, I would’ve missed it completely. This volume on the Book of Jude by Herbert W. Bateman IV is of the same high quality of the earlier volumes I’ve seen.
Bateman has turned out a fine Introduction to the Book of Jude. I love the way he clearly expresses his conclusion at the end of each section. He begins with discussing some of the textual issues before he jumps into authorship and place of writing. As you would expect, he discusses which Jude this book is about and other theories of authorship. His conclusions are conservative. When he addresses the recipients of the letter, he seems to feel that we are to decide between either Jewish or Gentile Christians. He concludes a Jewish ethnicity of Jude’s readers and that affects everything he discusses thereafter. He next discusses dating the letter and has an outstanding overview of other scholarly opinions. He sees it as written during the apostolic period.
He reaches a unique conclusion that the revolutionary forces of the Judean rebels are the false teachers, or opponents, of Jude. To be honest, I wasn’t convinced of his conclusion, but found it fascinating. You couldn’t accuse this volume of being a regurgitation of some other commentary for sure. The Introduction is thorough and including the bibliography almost reaches 100 pages.
The commentary is outstanding and holds up well with any major exegetical commentary. The depth is good, the options well-defined, and the conclusions are carefully stated. He interacts with scholarship both ancient and modern in this carefully researched volume. Every passage receives an introduction, textual notes, translation, and detailed commentary, followed by biblical theology comments and application and devotional implications.
If you pick up this commentary, I think you’ll agree that it has to be in the running for the best exegetical commentary we have on the Book of Jude today.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Bateman has turned out a fine Introduction to the Book of Jude. I love the way he clearly expresses his conclusion at the end of each section. He begins with discussing some of the textual issues before he jumps into authorship and place of writing. As you would expect, he discusses which Jude this book is about and other theories of authorship. His conclusions are conservative. When he addresses the recipients of the letter, he seems to feel that we are to decide between either Jewish or Gentile Christians. He concludes a Jewish ethnicity of Jude’s readers and that affects everything he discusses thereafter. He next discusses dating the letter and has an outstanding overview of other scholarly opinions. He sees it as written during the apostolic period.
He reaches a unique conclusion that the revolutionary forces of the Judean rebels are the false teachers, or opponents, of Jude. To be honest, I wasn’t convinced of his conclusion, but found it fascinating. You couldn’t accuse this volume of being a regurgitation of some other commentary for sure. The Introduction is thorough and including the bibliography almost reaches 100 pages.
The commentary is outstanding and holds up well with any major exegetical commentary. The depth is good, the options well-defined, and the conclusions are carefully stated. He interacts with scholarship both ancient and modern in this carefully researched volume. Every passage receives an introduction, textual notes, translation, and detailed commentary, followed by biblical theology comments and application and devotional implications.
If you pick up this commentary, I think you’ll agree that it has to be in the running for the best exegetical commentary we have on the Book of Jude today.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
January 21, 2025
This was my second foray into the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series having read Esther earlier this year. Jude rarely gets his own volume and I can appreciate when commentary series give each book of the Bible its own volume and wow! Bateman may be unprecedented in the amount of exegesis he pulls out of the 25 verses of Jude. This book is over 400 pages. That’s roughly sixteen pages of content per verse. This commentary did what I wish all commentaries would do, make me love the Bible even more. Who would have thought there was so much richness in the Book of Jude! This gave me enough content and confidence to preach through the Book of Jude and probably do it in about six to eight sermons.
My only real criticism is that some of his “Application and Devotional Implications” sections were a bit odd. He gets surprisingly pastoral and touches on some difficult and controversial subjects, which feel a little bit like they come out of the blue and don’t even match exactly with the chapters content. Having said that, my hat is off to Bateman’s level of expertise and scholarship on the Book of Jude. Highly recommended.
My only real criticism is that some of his “Application and Devotional Implications” sections were a bit odd. He gets surprisingly pastoral and touches on some difficult and controversial subjects, which feel a little bit like they come out of the blue and don’t even match exactly with the chapters content. Having said that, my hat is off to Bateman’s level of expertise and scholarship on the Book of Jude. Highly recommended.
July 30, 2022
Engagement with Greek syntax and second temple literature is excellent. Overall view that the opponents Jude is writing about are Judean Zealots is not persuasive.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews