Jude Chapter 1, Verse 3
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3: αγαπητοι πασαν σπουδην ποιουμενος γραφειν υμιν περι της κοινης σωτηριας αναγκην εσχον γραψαι υμιν παρακαλων επαγωνιζεσθαι τη απαξ παραδοθειση τοις αγιοις πιστει
3: Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and
exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith
which was once delivered unto the saints.
3: Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your
common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech
you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.
With πασαν σπουδην ποιουμενος compare the language of 2 Pet 1:5, 2 Pet 1:10, 2 Pet 1:15, 2 Pet 3:14. The repeated phrases have caught St. Jude's ear.
επαγωνιζεσθαι is not used elsewhere in the New Testament; the preposition merely strengthens the verb, but the simple agonizestai is as strong a word as could be found. For paradotheise cf. Acts 16:4; 1Cor 11:2, 1Cor 15:3; 2 Pet 2:21; Spitta thinks that the use of the word here is suggested by this last passage.
hagioi. "The saints" is here another name for Christians, as in Acts 9:13, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Rom 12:13; Heb 6:10; Rev 5:8, but the word is not used as a substantive by Mark, Luke, John (in Gospel or Epistles), James, or Peter. See Hort, Christian Ecdesia, pp. 56, 57. he pistis, in defence of which men are to contend, is not trust or the inner light, but a body of doctrine, dogmatic and practical, which is given to them by authority, is fixed and unalterable, and well known to all Christians. It is "your most holy faith," Jude 1:20, a foundation on which the readers are to build themselves up. It combined intellectual and moral truth. See Sanday and Headlam on Rom 1:17. It had been attacked by men who turned the grace of our God into lasciviousness, that is to say, by Antinomians; but these men were mockers, Jude 1:18, and, from the emphasis with which Jude introduces his quotation from Enoch, Jude 1:14, we may presume that they mocked at the Parousia.
Jude's language about the Faith is highly dogmatic, highly orthodox, highly zealous. His tone is that of a bishop of the fourth century. The character may be differently estimated, but its appearance at this early date, before Montanism and before Gnosticism, is of great historical significance. Men who used such phrases believed passionately in a creed.
Lachmann, and some of the older school of commentators, placed a comma after umin, and took peri tes koines emen soterias with graphai: but recent scholars generally reject this unnatural punctuation.
St. Jude says that he had been busy with, or intent upon, writing to his people πεÏι της κοινης σωτηÏιας, an ordinary pastoral Epistle dealing with general topics of instruction and exhortation, but found it necessary to change his plan and utter this stirring cry to arms. Evidently he is referring to some definite and unexpected circumstance. News had been brought to him of the appearance of the false teachers; possibly he had just received 2 Peter; if so, we can understand the use which he makes of that Epistle.
De Wette, Bruckner, Spitta, Zahn think that the writing referred to by the graphein was not an ordinary Epistle, but a treatise of some considerable length; but the age was hardly one of treatises, and there is nothing in the text to support the idea.
Beloved. An expression of strong affection used by the apostles when addressing their brethren, Rom 1:7 1Cor 4:14, 1Cor 10:14 1Cor 15:58 2Cor 7:1 2Cor 7:9, 2Cor 12:19 Phil 2:12 Phil 4:1; and often elsewhere.
When I gave all diligence. When I applied my mind earnestly; implying that he had reflected on the subject, and thought particularly what it would be desirable to write to them. The state of mind referred to is that of one who was purposing to write a letter, and who thought over carefully what it would be proper to say. The mental process which led to writing the epistle seems to have been this:
(a.) For some reasons -- mainly from his strong affection for them -- he purposed to write to them.
(b.) The general subject on which he designed to write was, of course, something pertaining to the common salvation -- for he and they were Christians.
(c.) On reflecting what particular thing pertaining to this common salvation it was best for him to write on, he felt that, in view of their peculiar dangers, it ought to be an exhortation to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to them. Macknight renders this less correctly, "Making all haste to write to you," etc. But the idea is rather that he set himself diligently and earnestly to write to them of the great matter in which they had a common interest.
To write unto you of the common salvation. The salvation common to Jews and Gentiles, and to all who bore the Christian name. The meaning is, that he did not think of writing on any subject pertaining to a particular class or party, but on some subject in which all who were Christians had a common interest. There are great matters of religion held in common by all Christians, and it is important for religious teachers to address their fellow Christians on those common topics. After all, they are more important than the things which we may hold as peculiar to our own party or sect, and should be more frequently dwelt upon.
It was needful for me to write to you. "I reflected on the general subject, prompted by my affectionate regard to write to you of things pertaining to religion in general, and, on looking at the matter, I found there was a particular topic or aspect of the subject on which it was necessary to address you. I saw the danger in which you were from false teachers, and felt it not only necessary that I should write to you, but that I should make this the particular subject of my counsels."
And exhort you. "That I should make my letter in fact an exhortation on a particular topic."
That ye should earnestly contend. Comp. Gal 2:5. The word here rendered earnestly contend -- epagwnizesyai -- is one of those words used by the sacred writers which have allusion to the Grecian games. See Barnes "1Cor 9:24, seq. This word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means to contend upon -- i. e. for or about anything; and would be applicable to the earnest effort put forth in those games to obtain the prize. The reference here, of course, is only to contention by argument, by reasoning, by holding fast the principles of religion, and maintaining them against all opposers. It would not justify "contention" by arms, by violence, or by persecution; for
(a.) that is contrary to the spirit of true religion, and to the requirements of the gospel elsewhere revealed;
(b.) it is not demanded by the proper meaning of the word, all that that fairly implies being the effort to maintain truth by argument and by a steady life;
(c.) it is not the most effectual way to keep up truth in the world to attempt to do it by force and arms.
For the faith. The system of religion revealed in the gospel. It is called faith, because that is the cardinal virtue in the system, and because all depends on that. The rule here will require that we should contend in this manner for all truth.
Once delivered unto the saints. The word here used (apax) may mean either once for all, in the sense that it was then complete, and would not be repeated; or formerly to wit, by the author of the system. Doddridge, Estius, and Beza, understand it in the former way; Macknight and others in the latter; Benson improperly supposes that it means fully or perfectly. Perhaps the more usual sense of the word would be, that it was done once in the sense that it is not to be done again, and therefore in the sense that it was then complete, and that nothing was to be added to it. There is indeed the idea that it was formerly done, but with this additional thought, that it was then complete. Compare, for this use of the Greek word rendered once, Heb 9:26ff, Heb 10:2 1 Pet 3:18.
The delivering of this faith to the saints here referred to is evidently that made by revelation, or the system of truth which God has made known in his word. Everything which He has revealed, we are to defend as true. We are to surrender no part of it whatever, for every part of that system is of value, to mankind. By a careful study of the Bible we are to ascertain what that system is, and then in all places, at all times, in all circumstances, and at every sacrifice, we are to maintain it.
