¹⁸ And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.

Test the Spirits

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

A Tree and Its Fruit

^15 (A)“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ^(B)ravenous wolves.

False Prophets and Teachers

2 But ^(A)false prophets also arose among the people, ^(B)just as there will be false teachers among you, who will ^(C)secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master ^(D)who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

³⁵ And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, ^(A)but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

¹³ For such men are ^(A)false apostles, ^(B)deceitful workmen, ^(C)disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as ^(D)an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as ^(E)servants of righteousness. ^(F)Their end will correspond to their deeds.

³ But I am afraid that ^(A)as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts ^(B)will be led astray from a ^(C)sincere and ^(D)pure devotion to Christ.

¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but ^(A)their own appetites,^[a] and ^(B)by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

^22 (A)Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and ^(B)you have encouraged the wicked, that ^(C)he should not turn from his evil way to save his life,