The church has always faced the question of how to deal with all the rival theological claims that arise. How is the church to answer in the face of theological challenges? Is there—as some have suggested—more than one Christian faith? Are there simply different christianities? Jude in his epistle answered the second question with a definitive no, and the first question with a call to contend for the one faith. He wrote: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation. I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Jude wanted the congregation receiving this letter to be aware that there was an emphatic urgency that drove him to call the church to stand in the common faith, and to contend for this one faith.
In Jude’s day there were those who had come into the church preaching false doctrine and corrupting the common faith. Jude’s exhortation is, Rise and stand, the church is vulnerable, make it strong. The faith is being subverted, contend for it. Jude left no room for the church to simply adapt or allow for faiths to exist in place of the faith that was delivered. Instead, the saints were called to contend.
To contend is to be ready to make an argument. That requires an understanding that faithfulness, unity, and peace sometimes requires an intellectual battle. Sometimes this means appealing to the church to love the truth, hate error, and embrace and define the faith. Contending also requires a willingness to expose false doctrine. Your generation will depend on you to contend as every generation since the Apostles has. Christians in pursuit of unity and peace, can feel an urge to shy away from contention. This is the right impulse if it keeps the believer from the sin of quarrelling. However, not all contention or debate is quarrelling. No Christian will be able to escape conflict if they are committed to true doctrine. At some point, you may be the only one in the room committed to Christ being of the same essence as the Father. At some point, you may be the only one in the room who says marriage is the lifelong covenant of one man and one woman. At some point, the contrast will be evident. In that moment, be prepared to contend for the faith.
Second, Jude says, the faith has been delivered once for all. Isn’t that liberating? Christians don’t have to wake up in the morning and wonder what Christianity we’re supposed to read up on. We are not waiting for new orders for the day. But where was this one delivery? Was it Jesus’s teaching on the shores of Galilee? Yes, it was that. Was it the Apostles in the upper room? Yes, it was that. Was it Pentecost? Yes, it was that. Was it the church in Rome receiving the letter from Paul to Rome? Yes, it was that. There is great security in that. There are some who find security in a pope and a magisterium. There are others who define orthodoxy by the force of cultural winds. The Christian can do no such thing. Once for all delivered means we are not looking for the new and improved Christianity.
Third, the faith has been delivered. We did not call ourselves, we cannot keep ourselves, and we cannot deliver the faith. We are not waiting for any human to bring us the faith. We’re not waiting for any new authority to bring us the faith. It was delivered and that was once for all. It’s done. We are not waiting on a messenger from doctrinal headquarters. No angel is to be tolerated among us, who would say, “I’m bringing you a new doctrine.”
Fourth, the faith has been delivered, to the saints. It was delivered to us. Now for the faith to have been delivered to the saints means two things. First, the faith belongs to Christ’s church. It doesn’t belong to the world, the academy, or to the academic societies. It doesn’t belong to the Baptists or the Presbyterians or the Methodists. It doesn’t belong to the Orthodox or the Catholics. It belongs to the saints. And the saints are defined as those who are regenerate believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Denominational titles are helpful insofar as they properly articulate the truth of the Scriptures in a particular theological boundary, but a title will not guarantee faithfulness if there are no longer believers under that heading. The Protestant Reformation was not an argument over branding, but over continuity with this faith. Secondly then, the saints are the ones who bear the responsibility to contend for this once delivered faith. It was delivered to the saints then to be protected. By implication of our one savior and faith it is also ours to contend for in our day. That means that we must be prepared for perennial and contemporary heresies.
In every day it seems Arianism is somewhere contending to be included in the faith. It is a perennial heresy that the church needs to address. Yet, the saints
also have to be constantly aware of the challenges that come unique to their time. Answering contemporary challenges is not evolution. Answers require new arguments and new language, but that is because the challenge is presenting new questions, not because there is a new faith.
I hope you share with me the great inexpressible joy of knowing that I do not bear responsibility for my own personal Christianity. I want to be found standing with Jesus and with the Apostles. I want to teach exactly what the Apostles taught the church. I want to teach exactly what Christ taught them. That will take each of us going back to Scripture continually and learning alongside people who love Christ and are determined to do the same. There is a great lineage of faithful Christians throughout the centuries doing just that. We want to stand in place as the next in line ready to contend.
This edition of Southern Seminary Magazine is one small part of that continual contending. I pray that it will build up your faith and encourage you to take up your place in your vocation contending. Believe more deeply. Contend more convictionally for our one faith, once delivered.