Jude 1:3

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation More accurately, giving all diligence, as a present act connected with the time of writing. The word for "diligence," as with the cognate verb in 2Pe 1:10; 2 Peter 1:15; 2 Peter 3:14, implies earnest effort. The term "common salvation," not elsewhere found in the New Testament, has a parallel in the "common faith" of Titus 1:4. In both passages stress is laid on the "faith," or the "salvation," as being that in which all Christians were sharers, as distinct from the "knowledge" which was claimed by false teachers as belonging only to a few.

it was needful for me to write unto you Better, perhaps, I found a necessity. The ground of the necessity lies in the fact stated in the next verse. The words have been interpreted as meaning that he was about to write a fuller or more general Epistle, and was then diverted from his purpose by the urgent need for a protest against the threatening errors; and the inference, though not, perhaps, demonstrable, is at least legitimate, and derives some support from the change of tense (which the English version fails to represent) in the two infinitives, the first "to write" being in the present tense, such as might be used of a general purpose, the second in the aorist, as pointing to an immediate and special act.

that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints The simple form of the verb for "contend" is found in Colossians 1:29; Colossians 4:12, and implies, as it were, "wrestling" for the faith. This expression finds a close parallel in the "striving together for the faith" of Philippians 1:27. "Faith" is obviously to be taken in its objective sense, as being, so to speak, the belief of the Universal Church. And this faith is described as being " once for all delivered to the saints." It was not necessarily embodied as yet in a formal Creed, or committed to writing, but was imparted orally to every convert, and took its place among the "traditions" of the Church (2 Thessalonians 2:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:6), the noble deposit, "the good thing committed to their trust" which all pastors and teachers were to watch over and pass on to others (2 Timothy 1:14), identical with the "form of sound words" (2 Timothy 1:13). In the words that describe the "mystery of godliness" in 1 Timothy 3:16, and in the "faithful sayings" of the Pastoral Epistles (1Ti 1:15; 1 Timothy 3:1; 1Ti 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8), we have probably portions of this traditional faith. It was now imperilled by teachers who denied it, both in their doctrine and their life, and it was necessary that men should redouble their efforts to maintain it unimpaired.