SLANDERING THE ANGELS: the message of Jude
By John Benton
Evangelical Press (Welwyn Commentary). 192 pages. £6.95
ISBN 0 85234 424 4
Jude is quite a difficult little letter, and so is rarely read, and even more rarely preached through. It is a pleasure to welcome a non-technical exposition which should help to put Jude back in the pulpits and Bible studies of our churches, and also help towards encouraging that his unique message is acted upon.
Benton guides his readers through Jude's exegetical difficulties with a sure touch, and with an evident awareness of the secondary literature. Given the complexity and sensitivity of the issues surrounding Jude's allusions to apocryphal material, some background work is essential, and Benton handles it up-front and well. It is no doubt for these reasons that his book is surprisingly long for such a short letter, but the individual chapters are quite punchy and laid out for group study. Overall, he manages to cut a commendably uncluttered path through some rather dense woods.
