What does the Bible say about guard against false teaching?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• 2 Timothy 4:3

  For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;

• Acts 17:11

  Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

• Romans 12:2

  Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

• Acts 20:29-30

  [29] For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. [30] Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

• 1 John 4:1-7

  [1] Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, [3] and every spirit who doesn't confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already. [4] You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. [5] They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them. [6] We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn't listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. [7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God.

• 2 Peter 2:1-22

  [1] But there also arose false prophets among the people, as among you also there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. [2] Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. [3] In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn't linger, and their destruction will not slumber. [4] For if God didn't spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved to judgment; [5] and didn't spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; [6] and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly; [7] and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked [8] (for that righteous man dwelling among them, was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds): [9] the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment; [10] but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries; [11] whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don't bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord. [12] But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed, [13] receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you; [14] having eyes full of adultery, and who can't cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing; [15] forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrong-doing; [16] but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with man's voice and stopped the madness of the prophet. [17] These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. [18] For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; [19] promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he also brought into bondage. [20] For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state has become worse with them than the first. [21] For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. [22] But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, "The dog turns to his own vomit again," and "the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire."

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