212 Peter Spitaler describe the infiltrators’ dual role within the community. The infiltrators cause division because they remain separated from the faithful. In my view, this interpretation is supported by the prefix ajpo. The division to which Jude’s letter witnesses, exists within the community at large, between the separatists and the faithful, not among those who are faithful (37). Nevertheless, because Jude reports that the infiltrators have gained access to the community at large (pareisevdusan; v. 4) and feast fearlessly together with its members (suneuwcouvmenoi ajfovbw"; v. 12), one could argue that the separatists’ presence could potentially cause polarization within the community, which, at some time in the future, might motivate some of the faithful — or some of the separatists — to switch sides. However, Jude does not provide information about various degrees of belonging to one or the other group in the text. He also does not report changing membership within the community; even v. 24 does not refer to a “fall” of the faithful but to God’s ability to keep the faithful “unstumbled” or “non-fallen” (ajptaivstou"). Thus, one could make a stronger argument that Jude views community membership as an “either — or” privilege, i.e., one either remains faithful, or one joins the separatists’ movement (and vice versa), than for the existence of nebulous, grey-zone membership identities. According to Jude, the main threat to the community faithful is the presence of infiltrators/querulous murmurers/separatists among them, i.e., their presence continues to divide the community. The threat is real; as far as we are told, the infiltrators never integrate with the faithful. Jude does not specify to what degree the separatist agenda is effective nor, for that matter, does he specify their agenda. Consequently, assessments of probable community damage caused by the separatists that are based on degrees of division among the faithful (which, in turn, are based on a special NT meaning attributed to diakrinomai), are speculative. v This standardized interpretation, i.e., that diakrinomenoi constitute a subdivision of the faithful within the community, the doubters, is built upon the assumption that Jude applies a special NT meaning to (37) Cf. C. LANDON, A Text-Critical Study of the Epistle of Jude (JNTSS 135; Sheffield 1996) 126 who argues that the variant reading ajpodiorivzonte" eJautouv" (present in a few manuscripts; C, 323, 378) should be considered authentic. He translates “[t]hese men separate themselves”. Others (cf. BAUCKHAM, Jude, 2 Peter, 105; ALLEN, New Possibility, 140) interpret ajpodiorivzw to refer to the infiltrators splitting the group of the faithful.