Verses 1-11
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Don't be fooled. There are and will be evil men and false teachers who will lead many people astray. They will be punished by God in the end, but for now, we must be careful.
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Right now we live in a world full of evil, and it sometimes causes turmoil in our minds to deal with it (verse 8). But God is greater.
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The world will continue to grow worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13), but just as God was able to preserve and deliver Noah and Lot, who were the only righteous men surrounded by myriads of wicked men, God is able to preserve us.
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So, do not be discouraged by the evil around you, nor fear the loss of faith. Just avoid false teachers, so that you aren't weakened, and you will be safe.
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Verses 12-19
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Teachers can become false teachers because they lack understanding of the Word.
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Always work to grow your understanding by studying with a sincere and loving heart (1 Timothy 1:5-7), and by receiving teaching and correction from other wise believers (2 Peter 3:16, Proverbs 4:7,13); and then you will learn well.
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False teachers often are gathering with the church, unnoticed because of the ignorance of the church. Signs to identify them are that they do not respect authority, they practice sin, and they flatter with words.
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They will often try to hide their sin, so be wary and discerning.
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Do not let just anyone come into your fellowship. Protect yourself and your community by being very careful about who you let into the church.
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Verses 20-22
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False teachers are so dangerous because they can cause believers to stray from the truth and fall back into a life of sin and disbelief.
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If this happens, the end will be worse than the beginning. It's better not to have been saved at all, than to be saved, and then fall back into sin.
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The punishment is worse for those who reject Christ after having already been a believer (Hebrews 10:28-29).
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Do your best to stay away from unbiblical teaching, as it is very destructive to one's faith.
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