Love for God and One Another

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

^21 (A)Test all things; ^(B)hold fast what is good.

Beware of Antichrist Deceivers

⁷ For ^(A)many deceivers have gone out into the world ^(B)who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. ^(C)This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Destructive Doctrines

2 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be ^(A)false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

The Great Apostasy

4 Now the Spirit ^[a]expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed ^(A)to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: ^(A)“Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁵ For ^(B)many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ ^(C)and will deceive many.

Deceptions of the Last Hour

^18 (A)Little children, ^(B)it is the last hour; and as you have heard that ^(C)the^[a] Antichrist is coming, ^(D)even now many antichrists have come, by which we know ^(E)that it is the last hour.

^13 (A)But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits^(A)

^15 (B)“Beware of false prophets, ^(C)who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ^16 (D)You will know them by their fruits. ^(E)Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?