210 Peter Spitaler apostles” foretold [A1] the appearance of persons who “walk in line with their own desires” as a particular sign of the eschaton [A1]. With the repeated phrase “these are they” [B][B1], Jude identifies these persons as the infiltrators who are the target of his polemic throughout the letter. In these verses Jude describes the infiltrators’ behavior in terms of its affect on the community of the faithful. He names them “querulous murmurers” (goggustaiv memyivmoiroi, [B]) and spiritless “separatists” (a)podiorivzonte", [B1]) — and interprets the community’s present-day experience to be an eschatological reality (33). Within this eschatological setting, Jude exhorts faithful community members to build themselves up in faith and pray in the holy spirit (v. 20), to keep themselves in God’s love and await God’s mercy (v. 21). In turn, and in contrast to the infiltrators/querulous murmurers/ separatists who seek their own gain (v. 11) and only shepherd themselves (v. 12), Jude demands that his audience extend mercy to others, including the diakrinomenoi (v. 22). According to Jude, mercy is to be both the mark of relationships inside and outside of the community (vv. 2, 22) and the community’s promise (v. 21) (34); mercy joins humans to divinity (v. 2) and mercy is extended to humans by divinity (v. 21). Thus, the faithful await a reality within which they are also called to live. But who are the diakrinomenoi who benefit from this mercy? Most contemporary scholars argue that Jude (vv. 22-23) exhorts the faithful to extend mercy to community members whose faith, under the influence of the infiltrators, vacillates from one side to the other, i.e., the diakrinomenoi (35). This popular interpretation of vv. 22- 23 is virtually exclusively based on translating the verb diakrivnomai as (33) Cf. CHARLES, Source Material, 133-134 for a brief discussion of the “apocalyptic mode” in Jude. (34) Many observe that vv. 2 and 21 are linked through the use of mercy terminology; cf. HARRINGTON, Jude and 2 Peter, 186; NEYREY, 2 Peter, Jude, 91. This link is further strengthened by Jude’s repeated use of a{gio" and pivsti" in vv. 3, 20; cf. BAUCKHAM, Jude, 2 Peter, 111 and KRAFTCHICK Jude, 2 Peter, 62-63 for this and additional links between the beginning and the end of Jude’s letter. Neyrey, however, writes (2 Peter, Jude, 91) that Jude uses different concepts of mercy in his letter: in v. 2, mercy denotes God’s covenant election and kindness; in v. 21, mercy is related to the judgment day. I am not convinced that one can confidently discern different shades of divine mercy in Jude’s short letter. (35) Cf. GREENLEE, Exegetical Summary, 72; E.D. HIEBERT, “Selected Studies from Jude. Part 3: An Exposition of Jude 17-23”, BS 142 (1985) 363-364; KRAFTCHICK, Jude, 2 Peter, 65-66; S. MCKNIGHT, “Jude”, Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (ed. J.D.G. DUNN – J.W. ROGERSON) (Grand Rapids – Cambridge 2003) 1533; SCHREINER, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, 487-489.