Contending for the Faith: A Theology of Discernment

In a world of shifting cultural currents and theological drift, the church faces a perennial challenge: remaining tethered to the bedrock of biblical truth. The Epistle of Jude serves as a clarion call for believers to safeguard the core tenets of their faith against internal erosion and external pressure. This call to “contend earnestly” is not a suggestion for the curious, but a necessity for the survival of the Christian witness. To navigate this responsibility, one must employ theological triage—the art of discerning which doctrines are essential to the faith and which allow for charitable disagreement.

The Necessity of Theological Triage

Theological triage is the process of prioritizing biblical truths based on their importance to the gospel and the identity of the church. Just as a medical professional in a mass casualty event must distinguish between life-threatening wounds and minor injuries, the believer must distinguish between “closed-handed” essentials and “open-handed” opinions. Without these categories, there is a risk of elevating secondary issues to the level of heresy or, conversely, treating foundational truths as matters of mere preference.

This discernment is vital for maintaining the unity of the body of Christ. History demonstrates that unnecessary divisions often arise when third-tier issues—such as worship styles or specific political leanings—are raised to first-order importance. Conversely, true unity is impossible if the foundational pillars of the faith are abandoned. The author of Jude expresses an urgent shift in his writing purpose, moving from a general celebration of shared belief to a poignant appeal for the defense of the truth.

Jude 1:3 (NASB)

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.

The Command to Contend

The mandate to “contend earnestly” for the faith implies a vigorous, agonizing struggle. The Greek root of this term suggests a level of effort akin to an athlete or a soldier fighting for a prize. This contention is directed toward “the faith,” which Jude defines not as a subjective personal feeling, but as a static, objective body of beliefs. This body of truth was “once for all handed down to the saints,” meaning it is a completed revelation that does not morph to appease the shifting winds of culture.

Titus 1:4 (NASB)

To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

This shared body of doctrine is what Paul refers to as the “common faith.” It is the theological heritage that defines what it means to be a Christian. Because this truth is a finished deposit, the church is called to be its guardian rather than its editor. The goal of contending is to ensure that the core elements of the gospel remain unadulterated for every generation.

Identifying the Internal Threat

The urgency of Jude’s appeal stems from a specific threat: false teachers who have “crept in unnoticed.” These individuals do not always enter through the front door with an obvious agenda; rather, they enter deceptively, often from within the community itself. Jude characterizes these teachers by their moral rebellion and their theological subversion. They are described as ungodly persons who transform the grace of God into a license for immorality.

Jude 1:4 (NASB)

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

These subverters often target the area of sexuality, using the concept of grace to justify licentiousness. This error is not new to the church; the Apostle Paul also had to address the fallacy that increased sin leads to increased grace. Such a perspective fundamentally misunderstands the nature of the gospel, which calls believers to die to sin rather than live in it.

Romans 6:1-2 (NASB)

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Ultimately, the most condemning mark of these false teachers is their denial of the Lord Jesus Christ. By misrepresenting His person and work, they strike at the very heart of the faith, necessitating an immediate and firm response from the body of believers.

The Pillars of Historical Orthodoxy

To contend effectively, one must define the “defend or die for” doctrines that constitute the bullseye of Christian orthodoxy. These are the first-tier issues that have defined the church for two millennia. If these are removed, the structure of Christianity collapses.

First is the person and work of Jesus Christ. This includes His eternality as the second person of the Trinity, His virgin birth, His dual nature as fully God and fully man, His sinless life, His substitutionary death, His bodily resurrection, and His promised return. These are the matters of “first importance” upon which the entire faith rests.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NASB)

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Second is the nature of the Godhead, or the Trinity. Historical orthodoxy maintains that God eternally exists in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are one in essence and equal in power and glory. Third is the doctrine of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. No human effort or religious merit can contribute to the justification of a sinner. Finally, the church must defend the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. If the Bible is not the inspired, errorless Word of God, there is no objective basis for any other doctrine.

Navigating Convictions and Opinions

Beyond the essential pillars of the faith lie second-tier convictions and third-tier opinions. Second-tier issues, or “distinctives,” are areas where God-fearing, Bible-believing Christians may disagree while still recognizing one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. These often include matters such as the mode of baptism, church government, and views on the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. While these issues are important and often define denominational lines, they are not requirements for salvation.

Third-tier issues are matters of opinion where the Scriptures are either silent or less clear. These include worship preferences, specific interpretations of non-essential prophecies, and various cultural applications. In these areas, the church is called to exercise liberty and charity, ensuring that personal preferences do not become barriers to fellowship.

Avoiding the Extremes of Fundamentalism and Liberalism

In the effort to protect the truth, there are two common extremes to avoid. The first is a hard-line fundamentalism that treats every third-tier issue as a first-tier essential. This posture is often characterized by an extreme sense of certainty and a contentious spirit that unnecessarily divides the body of Christ. It seeks to dominate and exclude rather than to unify around the gospel.

The second extreme is liberalism, or progressive Christianity, which treats first-tier essentials as third-tier opinions. This perspective often rejects the authority of Scripture and the historical legacy of the church, attempting to reinvent the faith to suit modern sensibilities. Both extremes are dangerous; one adds to the requirements of the faith, while the other subtracts from its foundations.

Conclusion: Unity in the Essentials

The call to contend for the faith is ultimately a call to preserve the unity of the Spirit. True biblical unity is not found in the absence of doctrine, but in a shared commitment to the core truths of the gospel. By practicing theological triage, the church can stand firm against error while maintaining a heart of charity toward those who differ on non-essentials.

Ephesians 4:3-6 (NASB)

being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [There is] one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

The goal for every generation of believers is to be a people who die on the right hills—those that uphold the glory of Christ and the integrity of His Word—while holding all other matters with an open hand. In essentials, there must be unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.