“Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1-3).
“The saints” identifies the unique trustees of THE faith.
As used in the New Testament, saints are not dead people; they are the living “who are called, sanctified (or “saintified”) by God” (Jude 1).
Just as the written words of the Law were entrusted by Moses to the priests (Deuteronomy 31:9), so God has entrusted His new covenant to its priests—i.e. all Christians.
Just as the ancient kings of Israel were to have their own personal copy of God’s law so they could read it all the days of their lives and then live righteously (Deuteronomy 17:18-20), so God’s royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9)—as trustees of His word—ought to search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).
