Jude 3b-Jude Was Compelled to Exhort and Encourage the Judaean Christians to Exert Intense Effort For the Christian Faith

Jude 3 Beloved, although I have prepared myself with utter diligence to communicate in writing for the benefit of each one of you regarding our common salvation, I have entered into the state of being compelled to communicate in writing for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging each and every one of you at this particular time to make it your habit of exerting intense effort for your own benefit on behalf of the faith, which has been delivered once and never again for the benefit of the saints. (Lecturer’s translation)

This verse is composed of a concessive clause, which asserts that although Jude was in a state having prepared himself with utter diligence to write for the benefit of the recipients of this epistle regarding their common salvation, he came under compulsion to write for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging each of them to make it their habit of exerting intense effort for their own benefit on behalf of the faith which has been delivered once and never again for the benefit of the saints.

This concessive clause implies that Jude being compelled to write for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging the recipients of this epistle to make it their habit of exerting intense effort on behalf of the Christian faith is true in spite of the fact that he prepared with utter diligence to write to them concerning their common salvation.

This compulsion that Jude experienced to communicate in writing to the Christian community in Judaea for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging them to exert intense effort on behalf of the Christian faith, i.e., the gospel was from the Holy Spirit’s prompting him to do so.

Now, in the apodosis of this concessive clause in Jude 3, the noun anagkē(ἀνάγκη) means “compulsion” referring to an obligation of a compelling nature.

It refers to forcing someone to do something because of exerting one’s authority over a subordinate.

It denotes causing someone to do something by overwhelming pressure.

Therefore, this word refers to Jude obeying the Spirit’s prompting to communicate in writing to each member of the Christian community in Judaea for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging them to earnestly contend for the Christian faith in light of the threat from the Zealots.

In other words, it speaks of Jude’s compulsion to write to each member of this community for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging them to earnestly contend for the Christian faith in light of the threat from the Zealots.

The verb echō (ἒχω) means “to experience a particular state or condition,” which is identified by the accusative feminine singular form of the noun anagkē (ἀνάγκη).

Therefore, this verb is expressing the idea of Jude experiencing a state of compulsion and which compulsion is identified as writing to the recipients of this epistle for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging them to earnestly contend for the Christian faith in light of the attack from the Zealots.

The aorist tense of this verb is an ingressive aorist, which emphasizes Jude entering into the state or condition of experiencing compulsion to write to each member of the Christian community in Judaea for the purpose of exhorting and encouraging them to earnestly contend for the Christian faith in light of the attacks of the Zealots.

In the apodosis of this concessive clause, the verb parakaleō contains two ideas.

The first is “to encourage” since it pertains to causing someone to be encouraged either by verbal or non-verbal means.

The word means to fill someone with courage or strength of purpose and suggests raising of someone’s confidence especially by an external agency such as a teacher.

The second is “to exhort” in the sense of authoritatively training the body of Christ through instruction in the sense of communicating the gospel message to them so as to compel obedience in every area of their lives.

Therefore, this verb parakaleō is expressing the idea of Jude causing each member of the Christian community in Judaea to be encouraged through the contents of this epistle to earnestly contend for the Christian faith.

The word is expressing the idea of Jude filling each of them with courage or strength of purpose to earnestly contend for the Christian faith and thus raise the level of their confidence in God through the communication of the contents of this epistle.

It also means “to exhort” in the sense of Jude authoritatively training each member of this community to earnestly contend for the Christian faith through the communication of the contents of this epistle.

The participle conjugation of this verb parakaleō is also functioning as a participle of purpose or telic participle, which would indicate the purpose for which Jude was writing to the recipients of this epistle was to exhort and encourage them to exert intense effort on behalf of the faith.

The verb epagōnizomai (ἐπαγωνίζομαι) refers to each member of the Christian community in Judaea “exerting intense effort” on behalf of the Christian faith.

The present tense of this verb is a customary present tense which is expressing the idea of the recipients of the epistle of Jude “making it their habit of” exerting intense effort on behalf of the Christian faith.

The middle voice of this verb is an indirect middle which is expressing the idea of the recipients of the epistle of Jude “for their own benefit” making it their habit of exerting intense effort on behalf of the Christian faith since this will protect their fellowship with God and protect them from the lies of the Zealots.

The articular form of the noun pistis, “the faith” here in Jude 3 has three basic usages in the Greek New Testament.

The first is the active usage meaning “faith.”

There is also a passive usage meaning “that which is believed, the body of faith, doctrine” (Gal. 1:23; 2 Pt. 1:5; 1 Tm. 1:19; 4:1, 6; 6:10; 2 Tm. 2:18; 4:7; Heb. 11).

Lastly, the noun pistis is used as an attribute meaning “faithfulness, reliability” (Gal. 3:22; Titus 2:10; 2 Th. 1:4).

In Jude 3, the noun pistis means “the faith” and refers to the gospel originating from and about the Lord Jesus Christ and His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father, which provided eternal salvation for the entire human race.

It was communicated by the Spirit to the apostles and asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father delivered the entire human race from eternal condemnation, condemnation from the Law, enslavement to the sin nature, Satan and his cosmic system, spiritual and physical death and personal sins.

It also asserts that this deliverance is received by the sinner through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thus, the gospel message is “good news” for the sinner.

So therefore, the articular form of the noun pistis, “the faith” here in Jude 3 is synonymous with the articular form of the noun euangelion, “the gospel.”

This word means “the good news” and was used in secular literature.

For instance, the Roman Emperor proclaimed his gospel in the first century A.D.

Now, in the Greek New Testament, this word is used with reference to the content of teaching which Jesus and the apostles communicated to the world and the Christian community.

It asserts that Christ died and rose from the dead for unregenerate sinners and that through faith in Him they could receive the gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins.

Secondly, it also is used in relation to the believer and refers to the good news after the child of God’s justification that they were identified with Christ in His death and resurrection.

This good news also means that by appropriating their identification with Christ the child of God can experience victory over sin and Satan.

Lastly, the reference to the gospel also speaks of the good news that the child of God will receive rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat for faithful service (cf. Col. 1:5, 23).