and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth(A) and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

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having a form of godliness(A) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.(B)

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In their greed(A) these teachers will exploit you(B) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

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11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households(A) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

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15 To the pure, all things are pure,(A) but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.(B) In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.(C) 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.(D) They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.(E)

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Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,(A) so also these teachers oppose(B) the truth. They are men of depraved minds,(C) who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

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But godliness with contentment(A) is great gain.(B)

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17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.(A) Keep away from them.(B) 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ,(C) but their own appetites.(D) By smooth talk and flattery they deceive(E) the minds of naive people.

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not given to drunkenness,(A) not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,(B) not a lover of money.(C)

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Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!(A) You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.(B)

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33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.(A)

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Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.(A) Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ(B) does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.(C) 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 John 1:8 Some manuscripts you

12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.(A) 13 But encourage one another daily,(B) as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.(C)

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Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.

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17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.(A) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(B) 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

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For all the nations have drunk
    the maddening wine of her adulteries.(A)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,(B)
    and the merchants of the earth grew rich(C) from her excessive luxuries.”(D)

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11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;(A) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;(B) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.(C)

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15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam(A) son of Bezer,[a] who loved the wages of wickedness.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:15 Greek Bosor

In the same way, deacons[a](A) are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine,(B) and not pursuing dishonest gain.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:8 The word deacons refers here to Christians designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in verse 12; and in Romans 16:1 and Phil. 1:1.

Warning Against Idleness

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(A) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(B) every believer who is idle and disruptive(C) and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition

And then the lawless one will be revealed,(A) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth(B) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.(C) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan(D) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders(E) that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.(F) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.(G) 11 For this reason God sends them(H) a powerful delusion(I) so that they will believe the lie(J)

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Instructions for Christian Living

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer(A) live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.(B) 18 They are darkened in their understanding(C) and separated from the life of God(D) because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.(E) 19 Having lost all sensitivity,(F) they have given themselves over(G) to sensuality(H) so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

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13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a](A) but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[b](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 21:13 Isaiah 56:7
  2. Matthew 21:13 Jer. 7:11

24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.(A) 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus(B) and in practically the whole province of Asia.(C) He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.(D) 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”(E)

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18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!(A)

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