¹⁷ For we are not, as ^[a]so many, ^(A)peddling^[b] the word of God; but as ^(B)of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

² But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor ^[a]handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth ^(A)commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Paul’s Sincerity

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in ^[a]simplicity and ^(A)godly sincerity, ^(B)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

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. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction ^[a]does not slumber.

^3 (A)For the time will come when they will not endure ^(B)sound doctrine, ^(C)but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and ^(D)be turned aside to fables.

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, ^2 (B)speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience ^(C)seared with a hot iron, ³ forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

²⁰ Nevertheless I have ^[a]a few things against you, because you allow ^[b]that woman ^(A)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, ^[c]to teach and seduce My servants ^(B)to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of ^(A)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, ^(B)to eat things sacrificed to idols, ^(C)and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, ^[a]which thing I hate.

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.