Testing the Spirits

4 ^(A)Beloved, do not believe every ^(B)spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because ^(C)many false prophets have gone out into the world.

¹⁸ Children, ^(A)it is the last hour; and just as you heard that ^(B)antichrist is coming, ^(C)even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. ^19 (D)They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, ^(E)so that ^[a]it would be evident that they all are not of us.

⁷ For ^(A)many deceivers have ^(B)gone out into the world, those who ^(C)do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is ^(D)the deceiver and the ^(E)antichrist.

Abandonment of Faith

4 But ^(A)the Spirit explicitly says that ^(B)in later times some will ^[a]fall away from the faith, paying attention to ^(C)deceitful spirits and ^(D)teachings of demons, ² by means of the hypocrisy of liars ^(E)seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

³ For ^(A)the time will come when they will not tolerate ^(B)sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, ⁴ and they ^(C)will turn their ears away from the truth and ^(D)will turn aside to myths.

¹³ For such men are ^(A)false apostles, ^(B)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ No wonder, for even ^(C)Satan disguises himself as an ^(D)angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, ^(E)whose end will be according to their deeds.

The Appearance of False Prophets

2 But ^(A)false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be ^(B)false teachers ^(C)among you, who will ^(D)secretly introduce ^(E)destructive heresies, even ^(F)denying the ^(G)Master who ^(H)bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. ² Many will follow their ^(I)indecent behavior, and because of them ^(J)the way of the truth will be ^(K)maligned; ³ and in their ^(L)greed they will ^(M)exploit you with ^(N)false words; ^(O)their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

¹⁸ For, while speaking out ^(A)arrogant words of no ^(B)value they ^(C)entice by fleshly desires, by ^(D)indecent behavior, those who barely ^(E)escape from the ones who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^(F)by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved.

²⁹ I know that after my departure ^(A)savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing ^(B)the flock; ³⁰ and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away ^(C)the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore, be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of ^(D)three years I did not cease to admonish each one ^(E)with tears.