¹⁸ The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord:^(A) ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (But he was lying^(B) to him.)

On Denying the Incarnation

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

True and False Prophets

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets.^(A) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.^(B)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets^(A) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.^(B) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord^(C) who bought them^(D)—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

³⁵ The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.

¹³ For such people are false apostles,^(A) deceitful^(B) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.^{(C) 14} And no wonder, for Satan^(D) himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.^(E)

³ But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,^(A) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

¹⁸ For such people are not serving our Lord Christ,^(A) but their own appetites.^(B) By smooth talk and flattery they deceive^(C) the minds of naive people.

²² Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies,^(A) when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives,^(B)