¹⁰ For there are many who are insubordinate, ^(A)empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of ^(B)the circumcision party.^[a]

⁶ Certain persons, by ^(A)swerving from these, have wandered away into ^(B)vain discussion,

^4 (A)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who ^(B)slipped in to spy out ^(C)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, ^(D)so that they might bring us into slavery—

Test the Spirits

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

⁴ and ^(A)will turn away from listening to the truth and ^(B)wander off into myths.

¹³ while ^(A)evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and ^(B)being deceived.

³ If anyone ^(A)teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with ^(B)the sound^[a] words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching ^(C)that accords with godliness, ^4 (D)he is puffed up with conceit and ^(E)understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for ^(F)controversy and for ^(G)quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction among people ^(H)who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, ^(I)imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ^(A)the circumcision party^[a] criticized him, saying,

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of ^(A)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might ^(B)eat food sacrificed to idols and ^(C)practice sexual immorality.