Contending for the Faith and Keeping in the Love of God: An Exegetical Study of Jude 20–23

Abstract

As a response to false teaching among Christians in the first century, the book of Jude provides a biblical framework for defending against the invasion of false teachers. As churches grow in identifying false teaching, they must also develop firm defenses. Through historical-grammatical study, this study examines the climactic verses of Jude (verses 20–23) and explores its application. Jude 20–23 instructs believers to defend themselves from becoming corrupted by false teachers (verses 20–21) and issues instructions for proactive mercy to the false teachers themselves (verses 22–23). The “defensive” instructions center around the imperative τηρήσατε (keep), with the three accompanying participles describing how believers are to keep themselves in God’s love. Finally, Jude’s close literary connections with Zechariah 3 support a call to show mercy to the false teachers.