³ Just as I urged you ^[a]upon my departure for ^(A)Macedonia, to remain on at ^(B)Ephesus so that you would instruct certain people not to ^(C)teach strange doctrines, ⁴ nor to ^[b]pay attention to ^(D)myths and endless ^(E)genealogies, which give rise to useless ^(F)speculation rather than ^(G)advance ^[c]the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now.

⁶ Some people have strayed from these things and have turned aside to ^(A)fruitless discussion, ^7 (B)wanting to be ^(C)teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

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 who ^(F)forbid marriage and advocate ^(G)abstaining from foods which ^(H)God has created to be ^(I)gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.

³ If anyone ^(A)advocates a different doctrine and does not ^[a]agree with ^(B)sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine ^(C)conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is ^(D)conceited and understands nothing; but he ^[b]has a sick craving for ^(E)controversial questions and ^(F)disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction between ^(G)people of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who ^(H)suppose that ^[c]godliness is a means of gain.