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,

Perilous Times and Perilous Men

3 But know this, that ^(A)in the last days ^[a]perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, ^[b]unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ^4 (B)traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ^5 (C)having a form of godliness but ^(D)denying its power. And ^(E)from such people turn away! ⁶ For ^(F)of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷ always learning and never able ^(G)to come to the knowledge of the truth. ^8 (H)Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: ^(I)men of corrupt minds, ^(J)disapproved concerning the faith; ⁹ but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, ^(K)as theirs also was.

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.

¹⁸ how they told you that ^(A)there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come ^(A)unless the falling away comes first, and ^(B)the man of ^[a]sin is revealed, ^(C)the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and ^(D)exalts himself ^(E)above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits ^[b]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For ^(F)the ^[c]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[d]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, ^(G)whom the Lord will consume ^(H)with the breath of His mouth and destroy ^(I)with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is ^(J)according to the working of Satan, with all power, ^(K)signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among ^(L)those who perish, because they did not receive ^(M)the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And ^(N)for this reason God will send them strong delusion, ^(O)that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but ^(P)had pleasure in unrighteousness.

¹³ For such ^(A)are false apostles, ^(B)deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into ^(C)an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, ^(D)whose end will be according to their works.

³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, ^(A)walking according to their own lusts,

⁴ For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord ^[a]God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁶ We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. ^(A)By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.