In his work “On Illustrious Men,” Jerome mentioned how a number of people in his time were calling into question the canonical status of Jude:
Jude the brother of
James, left a short epistle which is reckoned among the seven catholic
epistles, and because in it he quotes from the apocryphal Book of Enoch it is
rejected by many. Nevertheless by age and use it has gained authority
and is reckoned among the Holy Scriptures. (Jerome, De Viris Illustribus,
4)
What is interesting is that Jerome
mentions how it is reckoned among the Holy Scriptures due to its reception over
time by believers. This is hardly a typical “Protestant” understanding of the
nature of scripture and canon.
