Limitless Word
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.
Jude 1:3 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
  • KJV 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.
  • BSB Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.
  • NKJV Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
  • NASB Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jude intended to write about salvation but instead urgently appeals to believers to fight to defend the faith once delivered to all the saints.

Overview

A serious threat redirected Jude's purpose from a positive treatment of shared salvation to an urgent call to action. The faith is described as "once for all delivered," meaning the apostolic gospel is fixed, complete, and not open to revision. Believers are called not to passive comfort but to earnest, ongoing defense of this truth against those who would corrupt it, a theme that shapes the rest of the letter.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 39

  • 1 Tim 6:12Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
  • Phil 1:27Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;
  • Jude 1:20But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
  • Titus 1:4to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
  • 2 Tim 1:13Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
  • Rev 12:11They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.
  • 2 Tim 4:7–8I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.
  • Rev 2:10Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.
  • 1 Tim 1:18This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to you, that by them you may wage the good warfare;
  • Gal 2:5to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.
  • Heb 13:22But I exhort you, brothers, endure the word of exhortation; for I have written to you in few words.
  • Deut 9:10Yahweh delivered to me the two stone tablets written with God’s finger. On them were all the words which Yahweh spoke with you on the mountain out of the middle of the fire in the day of the assembly.
  • Acts 4:12There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”
  • Acts 18:28for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
  • 1 Cor 15:3For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
  • Isa 45:22“Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
  • Acts 13:46–47Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
  • Acts 9:22But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
  • 1 Th 2:2but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict.
  • Rom 15:15–16But I write the more boldly to you in part, as reminding you, because of the grace that was given to me by God,
  • Jer 9:3“They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood; and they have grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don’t know me,” says Yahweh.
  • Isa 45:17Israel will be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
  • Acts 6:8–10Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
  • Acts 28:28“Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”
  • Acts 18:4–6He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
  • Acts 20:27for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
  • Acts 17:3explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
  • Gal 6:11See with what large letters I write to you with my own hand.
  • Eph 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
  • 2 Pet 1:12–15Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth.
  • 2 Pet 1:1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
  • 2 Pet 3:1–2This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you;
  • 1 Pet 5:12Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.
  • Neh 13:25I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
  • Deut 21:9So you shall put away the innocent blood from among you, when you shall do that which is right in Yahweh’s eyes.
  • Col 1:2to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Phil 1:1Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants:
  • Gal 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
  • Jude 1:17But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Jude videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Jude 1:3YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JudeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Christ is the one who keeps his people from stumbling and presents them blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy — the object of contending faith.

How Jude 1:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.