Jude 1:3
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jude had intended to write joyfully about salvation, but a pressing danger compelled him instead to urge his readers to contend for the faith once delivered to God's people.
What Does Jude 1:3 Mean?
Jude tells us about a change of plan. He had wanted to write warmly about the salvation all believers share. A threat to the churches made a different letter necessary, so he turns to exhortation. The faith he names is not merely private feeling but the body of truth handed down, delivered once for all to the saints.
To contend earnestly is to labor for something precious, the way one guards a treasure entrusted by another. Jude does not call for quarreling but for faithful holding-fast to what has been received. This trust is a gift; it is also a charge. Every generation receives the same deposit and is asked to keep it intact and pass it on. Christ, who is its center, is worth the effort.
In the Original Language
epagonizomai (ἐπαγωνίζομαι), "earnestly contend" — to struggle for something as in a contest, giving it everything.