Doubt or Dispute (Jude 9 and 22-23) Rereading a Special New Testament Meaning through the Lense of Internal Evidence Jude uses the middle/passive verb diakrivnomai twice in his letter (vv. 9, 22). It is common exegetical practice to argue that he follows classical/Hellenistic convention when referring to a dispute between Michael and Satan (v. 9). In the final section of his letter, however, Jude is said to use diakrivnomai with a special NT meaning — “doubt”, “hesitate”, or “waver”. Because the translation of diakrivnomai in v. 22 greatly affects one’s interpretation of Jude’s final admonition, an investigation of this verb’s meaning and function in Jude’s letter is warranted. In this article, I discuss methodological problems inherent in the special NT meaning approach, offer a classical/Hellenistic interpretation of diakrivnomai in v. 22, and explore a thematic link between the two occurrences of diakrivnomai in this short letter. 1. A special NT meaning for diakrivnomai? The concept of a special NT meaning for diakrivnomai, has, in contemporary exegesis, given birth to a variety of attempts to explain its own validity, among which three stand out. First, the special NT meaning can be deduced from a particular interpretation of the middle voice that is variously rendered “contend/dispute with oneself” (1), “being undecided within oneself” (2), or “being divided against/within oneself” (3). Second, the special NT meaning is correct because (1) Cf. W. BAUER, Griechisch deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der frühchristlichen Literatur (ed. K. ALAND – B. ALAND) (Berlin – New York 1988) 370; B. GÄRTNER – H.F. BAYER, “Unterscheidung/ Zweifel”, TBLNT, 1719; L.T. JOHNSON, Reading Romans. A Literary and Theological Commentary (Reading the New Testament Series; New York 1997) 202; S.E. PORTER, “Is dipsychos [James 1,8; 4,8] a “Christian” Word?”, Bib 71 (1990) 479. (2) Cf. T. FRIBERG – B. FRIBERG – N.F. MILLER, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Baker’s Greek New Testament Library; Grand Rapids 2000) 110. (3) Cf. P.J. HARTIN, James (Sacra Pagina 14; Collegeville 2003) 118; L.T. JOHNSON, The Letter of James (AB 37a; New York – London – Toronto – Sydney – Auckland 1995) 223; J.H. MOULTON – G. MILLIGAN, The Vocabulary of the