Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Jude 1:3 ¶ 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 which was once for all handed down to the saints. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Jude 1:3 ¶ Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I was compelled to write to you [urgently] appealing that you fight strenuously for [the defense of] the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith that is the sum of Christian belief that was given verbally to believers]. |
Subject: What do we believe? |
Bible Note: What can one say about a church's document? This one probably serves very well to let everyone know where they stand on key points of doctrine. I am especially happy to see item #6 which spells out the requirements for salvation, which are: repentance and faith. This seems to be missing in some of the prominent creeds. Some of us may not agree that there is healing in the atonement (#8). We may understand Isaiah to be referring to the sickness of the soul and think that James is calling for the elders respond to a call and to visit and pray for the sick in the home or hospital. Even there they should be careful to minister to the spiritual needs. I hope it is not a major point, or important enough to sidetrack this discussion. The other points are very well made and supported with scripture. Again, I do not know that it is the privilege of an outsider to critique a document of a local church. But the presentation seemed to invite comment and I trust one can be forgiven for trespassing. I am imagining that one who is considering joining that church needs to indicate agreement with the statements in it. I wonder if one can be a member of that church while holding reservations on any one of the points. As for the church universal, if you will, which is the body of Christ, it is my understanding that each of us becomes a member of it at the time that we get saved. We are baptized by the Holy Spirit into that body. We would have repented of our sins and we would have placed our trust in Christ. We therefore believe all that he says, about himself, about us, about everything. It is probably true that we do not know or understand all that we believe. More and more is revealed to us as we read the word of God. But blessed is the person who can say now, "I know whom I have believed". |