Pharisees and Sadducees Test Jesus

16 ^(A)The ^(B)Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and putting Jesus to the test, they ^(C)asked Him to show them a ^[a]sign from heaven. ² But He replied to them, “^[b](D)When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ ³ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ ^(E)You know how to discern the ^[c]appearance of the sky, but are you unable to discern the signs of the times? ^4 (F)An evil and adulterous generation wants a ^[d]sign; and so a ^[e]sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.

⁵ And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread. ⁶ And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and ^(G)beware of the ^[f]leaven of the ^(H)Pharisees and Sadducees.” ⁷ They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” ⁸ But Jesus, aware of this, said, “^(I)You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? ⁹ Do you not yet understand nor remember ^(J)the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up? ¹⁰ Nor ^(K)the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up? ¹¹ How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But ^(L)beware of the ^[g]leaven of the ^(M)Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the ^[h]leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the ^(N)Pharisees and Sadducees.

^12 (A)Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, “Why does this generation demand a ^[a]sign? Truly I say to you, ^[b](B)no ^[c]sign will be given to this generation!”

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,

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. ⁵ But as for you, ^(E)use self-restraint in all things, ^(F)endure hardship, do the work of an ^(G)evangelist, fulfill your ^(H)ministry.

Eyewitnesses

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised ^(A)tales when we made known to you the ^(B)power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were ^(C)eyewitnesses of His majesty.

³ and in their ^(A)greed they will ^(B)exploit you with ^(C)false words; ^(D)their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

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.

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 ^(A)by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved.