A Structural and Exegetical Analysis of Jude

A literary analysis of Jude resulted in the following macrostructure: Because of the threat false teachers may have on the church, believers must contend together for the faith, while recognizing the ministry of Christ on their behalf. The basis for this interpretation is a thematic chiasmus. A discourse analysis unearthed the text-based cues that chart the discourse and mark structure. Recognition of a Greco-Roman Letter format complements this analysis. There are several significant cues that help the reader identify not only the five major paragraphs of the letter, but the peak of the letter in the Body portion and the distinction between the Body and Ethical Instruction. Together these cues establish the rubric around which Jude composes his thematic chiasmus.