Jude 3

Jude 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 you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

a. NLT: Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.

b. NIV: Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.

c. YLT: Beloved, all diligence using to write to you concerning the common salvation, I had necessity to write to you, exhorting to agonize for the faith once delivered to the saints,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. [But] I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort [you] to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith which is that sum of Christian belief which was delivered verbally to the holy people of God].

e. Worrell Translation: Beloved, while giving all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, I was constrained to write to you, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

f. Wuest Translation: Divinely loved ones, when giving every diligence to be writing to you concerning the salvation possessed in common by all of us, I had constraint laid upon me to write to you, beseeching you to contend with intensity and determination for the Faith once for all entrusted into the safe-keeping of the saints.

1. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation,…”

a. Beloved [Strong: 27 agapetos ag-ap-ay-tos' from 25; beloved:--(dearly, well) beloved, dear.]

b. when I gave [Strong: 4160 poieo poy-eh'-o apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct):--abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do(-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.]

c. all [Strong: 3956 pas pas including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.]

d. diligence [Strong: 4710 spoude spoo-day' from 4692; "speed", i.e. (by implication) despatch, eagerness, earnestness:--business, (earnest) care(-fulness), diligence, forwardness, haste.] [Zodhiates: Speed, haste, earnestness, diligence, zeal.]

e. to write [Strong: 1125 grapho graf'-o a primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively, to describe:--describe, write(-ing, -ten).]

f. unto you [Strong: 5213 humin hoo-min' irregular dative case of 5210; to (with or by) you:--ye, you, your(-selves).]

g. of [Strong: 4012 peri per-ee' from the base of 4008; properly, through (all over), i.e. around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period):--(there-)about, above, against, at, on behalf of, X and his company, which concern, (as) concerning, for, X how it will go with, ((there-, where-)) of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-)state, (as) touching, (where-)by (in), with. In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through).]

h. the common [Strong: 2839 koinos koy-nos' probably from 4862; common, i.e. (literally) shared by all or several, or (ceremonially) profane:--common, defiled, unclean, unholy.]

i. salvation [Strong: 4991 soteria so-tay-ree'-ah feminine of a derivative of 4990 as (properly, abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally):--deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.] [Zodhiates: Safety, deliverance, preservation from danger or destruction.]

1). Scofield Reference Bible: “The Greek and Hebrew words for salvation imply the ideas of deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness.

2). The salvation we have in Christ Jesus is “common” only in the sense it is available to all. The definition of salvation clearly shows that it is a great salvation. So says the writer of Hebrews.

a). Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

2:3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation;

b). neglect [Strong: 272 ameleo am-el-eh'-o from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3199; to be careless of:--make light of, neglect, be negligent, no regard.] [Zodhiates: a-without; melei-to show concern, to care. Not to care for, to neglect. Be heedless.]

c). Not giving “the more earnest heed” is to neglect our salvation.

3). The salvation we have in Christ Jesus is so great that it provides an escape for every temptation.

a). 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able; but  will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

4). Jude was fully intending on writing a letter focused on our salvation, of the covenant we have with God through Jesus Christ, but something happened that caused him to change the subject of the epistle.

2. “…it was needful for me to write unto you,…”

a. it was…for me [Strong: 2192 echo ekh'-o, including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; (used in certain tenses only) a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition):--be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, + return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.]

b. needful [Strong: 318 anagke an-ang-kay' from 303 and the base of 43; constraint (literally or figuratively); by implication, distress:--distress, must needs, (of) necessity(-sary), needeth, needful.] [Zodhiates: Necessity, compelling force,…]

1). The needfulness, the compelling force was given by the Holy Spirit.

a). 2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

c. to write [Strong: 1125 grapho graf'-o a primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively, to describe:--describe, write(-ing, -ten).]

d. to you [Strong: 5213 humin hoo-min' irregular dative case of 5210; to (with or by) you:--ye, you, your(-selves).]

3. “…and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

a. [and] exhort [you] [Strong: 3870 parakaleo par-ak-al-eh'-o from 3844 and 2564; to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation):--beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort(-ation), intreat, pray.]

b. [that you should] earnestly contend [Strong: 1864 epagonizomai ep-ag-o-nid'-zom-ahee from 1909 and 75; to struggle for:--earnestly contend foreign.] [Zodhiates: To fight for or in reference to something.]

c. for the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

d. faith [Strong: 4102  pistis pis'-tis from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.]

e. [which was] once [Strong: 530 hapax hap'-ax probably from 537; one (or a single) time (numerically or conclusively):--once.]

f. delivered [Strong: 3860 paradidomi par-ad-id'-o-mee from 3844 and 1325; to surrender, i.e yield up, intrust, transmit:--betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver (up), give (over, up), hazard, put in prison, recommend.]

g. unto the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

h. saints [Strong: 40 hagios hag'-ee-os from hagos (an awful thing) (compare 53, 2282); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):--(most) holy (one, thing), saint.]

1). Unger’s Bible Dictionary: Although the Epistle deals with conditions that were incipient in the writer’s time, nevertheless the scope of the book comprehends conditions at the end of the age and so has a suitable place before the Book of Revelation…The inroads of apostasy and heretical doctrine stirred up the author to write and to warn the faithful Christians against the danger. The author cites important examples of defection in the Old Testament and the result, notably the defection of the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt; defection among the angelic beings, evidently in connection with the flood…and the apostasy of Sodom and Gomorrah.