cults

¹But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be among you lying teachers, who will introduce divisions of perdition, and they will deny him who bought them, the Lord, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

⁷For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has arrived in the flesh. Such a one as this is a deceiver and an antichrist. ⁸Be cautious for yourselves, lest you lose what you have accomplished, and so that, instead, you may receive a full reward. ⁹Everyone who withdraws and does not remain in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. Whoever remains in the doctrine, such a one as this has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone comes to you, and does not bring this doctrine, do not be willing to receive him into the house, and do not speak a greeting to him. ¹¹For whoever speaks a greeting to him, is speaking with his evil works.

¹Most beloved, do not be willing to believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

¹⁷But I beg you, brothers, to take note of those who cause dissensions and offenses contrary to the doctrine that you have learned, and to turn away from them. ¹⁸For ones such as these do not serve Christ our Lord, but their inner selves, and, through pleasing words and skillful speaking, they seduce the hearts of the innocent.

¹Now the Spirit has clearly said that, in the end times, some persons will depart from the faith, paying attention to spirits of error and the doctrines of devils,

³¹Do not turn aside to astrologers, nor consult with soothsayers, so as to be polluted through them. I am the Lord your God.

¹⁷And as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy from their own heart. And prophesy about them, ¹⁸and say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those who sew together little pillows under every forearm, and who make little cushions for the heads of every stage of life, in order to capture souls. And when they have seized the souls of my people, they became the life of their souls. ¹⁹And they violated me among my people, for the sake of a handful of barley and a fragment of bread, so that they would kill the souls that should not die, and enliven the souls that should not live, lying to my people who believe in falsehoods. ²⁰Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your little pillows, with which you catch flying souls. And I will tear them away from your arms. And I will release the souls that you are capturing, the souls that should fly. ²¹And I will tear away your little cushions. And I will free my people from your hand. And they shall no longer be a prey in your hands. And you shall know that I am the Lord. ²²For by deception you have caused the heart of the just to grieve, whom I would not sadden. And I have strengthened the hands of the impious, so that he would not be turned back from his evil way and live.

¹⁵Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You shall know them by their fruits. Can grapes be gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷So then, every good tree produces good fruit, and the evil tree produces evil fruit.

¹⁰Do not let there be found among you one who would purify his son or daughter by leading them through fire, nor one who consults seers, nor one who observes dreams or omens. Do not let there be found among you one who practices the occult, ¹¹nor one who uses spells, nor one who consults demonic spirits, nor a diviner, nor one who seeks the truth from the dead. ¹²For the Lord abominates all these things. And, because of these wicked ways, he will destroy them at your arrival.

⁶The soul who will have turned aside to astrologers and soothsayers, and who will have fornicated with them, I will set my face against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of his people.

¹⁹You believe that there is one God. You do well. But the demons also believe, and they tremble greatly.

¹²For the Word of God is living and effective: more piercing than any two-edged sword, reaching to the division even between the soul and the spirit, even between the joints and the marrow, and so it discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.

²⁰Understand this first: that every prophecy of Scripture does not result from one’s own interpretation. ²¹For prophecy was not conveyed by human will at any time. Instead, holy men were speaking about God while inspired by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸Little sons, it is the last hour. And, as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have arrived. By this, we know that it is the last hour.

⁹And you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if it is true that the Spirit of God lives within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. ¹⁰But if Christ is within you, then the body is indeed dead, concerning sin, but the spirit truly lives, because of justification. ¹¹But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead lives within you, then he who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also enliven your mortal bodies, by means of his Spirit living within you.

¹⁴But the animal nature of man does not perceive these things that are of the Spirit of God. For it is foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand it, because it must be examined spiritually.