draws near, and the closing days of all dispensations necessarily set in.

Paul reveals that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,

giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1 Tim. 4:1), and

that 'in the last days perilous times shall come' (2 Tim. 3:1).  So also Jude

tells us that 'in the last times' there shall be 'mockers' who would walk

after their own ungodly lusts (Jude 18).  Both Paul and Jude are painfully

concerned with 'ungodliness', and with that abuse of truth that turns grace

into lasciviousness, and liberty into licence (Jude 4; Gal. 5:13); Paul,

Peter and Jude all viewed with apprehension the creeping in, unawares, of the

enemies of the faith (Jude 4; 2 Pet. 2:1; Gal. 2:4), and both Paul and Jude

knew the pain of seeing men 'removed' unto another gospel (Gal. 1:6; Jude 4,

where metatithemi, is translated 'removed' and 'turning' respectively).

It may, therefore, be helpful to ponder the exhortation given by Jude

to those who sought to stand fast in the closing days of the dispensation

with which he was associated:

'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' (Jude 3).

Three times in this short epistle Jude addresses his readers as

'Beloved ... earnestly contend for the faith' (3).

'But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the

apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ' (17).

'But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,

praying in the Holy Ghost' (20).

In these three passages the 'beloved' are exhorted to a threefold

To contend earnestly for the faith once committed to the saints.

To remember, and abide by the words of the apostles, indicating

that the faith once delivered, will be found within the pages of

inspired Scripture.

To build as well as contend; to emulate the men of the days of

Nehemiah who wrought both with sword and trowel, contending and

building at the same time.

The opening exhortation is divided into two corresponding parts by the

repetition of the verb 'to write':

First, Jude wrote concerning 'the common salvation'.

Secondly, he wrote concerning 'the faith once delivered to the saints',

'the faith' being but another way of speaking of 'the common salvation'.

Let us acquaint ourselves a little more closely with the meaning and

usage of this word 'common'.  While, in some usages, the word does indicate

that which is mean and vulgar, yet in such phrases as 'The House of Commons',

'The book of Common Prayer', or in such words as 'common sense' or

'commonwealth', 'common salt' or 'common seal', the primitive meaning of the

word is retained and intended.